The Wattles Rugby League Football Club had it’s beginnings back in 1966 when the Clifton and Allora Rugby League Clubs combined to form what was then known as Allora/Clifton, the Wattles name attached some years later. The club’s ... first President was former Allora footballer and current Wattles Patron & Life Member Brian Smith. Brian, along with inaugural Senior Vice-President Jack Enright and James Gleeson were largely responsible for the formation of the Allora-Clifton club.
The club has always played in their traditional green & gold colours, their jerseys in their initial year, green with gold numbers. The Allora-Clifton club’s first matches were pre-season trials against Warwick club Collegians on Sunday March 6th, 1966. Collegians won all three grades played on the day, with the Warwick Daily News reporting that “for Allora-Clifton, hardest worker was Dave Achilles. Bevan Crothers penetrated well at five-eight while Rob Lester made several good runs in the backs.
Ted Cowley played his usual honest game and Kev ‘Gunner’ Smith led the forward pack”. The very next week the two clubs clashed again in another round of pre-season trials at Warwick’s Queens Park, Collegians again winning all matches. Allora-Clifton players to impress in the first grade match lost 14 – 16 included Des Cantwell, Russell Cass, Des Power & Rob Lester. A feature of the match was Ted Cowley busting through the defence and racing 60 metres before off loading to Mal Henry to score.
A third and final pre-season trial saw the new Allora-Clifton club play it’s first games at Allora, when they were defeated by Eastern Suburbs by 25 – 10. Allora-Clifton ran on in their first official club fixture in the Warwick District Rugby League competition on March 27th, 1966 against Millmerran at Allora, winning the match in a positive start to the season. The “Greens” as they were known met Collegians in their second match, at Warwick’s Queens Park, suffering a 26 – 5 defeat, centre Barry Donegan scoring Allora-Clifton’s only try. The Allora-Clifton side that played the first grade match that day were Tony Cartwright, Mal Henry, Des Cantwell, Rob Lester, Stuart.
Sparksman, Bevan Crothers, Barry Donegan, Ted Cowley, Dave Achilles, Des Power, Tom Zeller, Russell Cass, Kev Smith (Captain). Allora-Clifton only played one season, 1966, in the Warwick District competition, being admitted to the Toowoomba Rugby League in 1967. In that first year in the T. R.
L. the Under 16 side made the Grand Final but were defeated. Wattles first topship was won by an Under 16 team though, defeating All Whites 17 – 7 in the 1968 Grand Final. The 1968 season also saw the Allora-Clifton club gain their first State representative when Les Lane was selected for Queensland.
Allora-Clifton became Wattles in 1969 after a competition organised by Mal Eiby to give the club a name. The club has tasted much success in its 43 year history. Wattles won their first A Grade topship in 1970, defeating Valleys by 20 – 17. The team was Mick Gleeson, Denis Fogarty, Bevan Crothers, John Cowley, Dan Ryan, Brian Keleher, Mal Duff, Lew Platz, Greg Platz, Brian Meara, Jim Phelan, Terry Fogarty, Laurie Lipp, Mick Bowe, Rob Rowlings, Sid Telford, Dennis Ryan, Joe Gleeson & Trevor Gleeson.
Wattles also won Toowoomba Rugby League leadingships in 1997 (A Grade), 1976 & 1992 (2nd Grade), 1992 (3rd Grade), 1998 (Under 19), 1976, 1977, 1991 (Under 18) and 1968, 1974, 1975, 1977 (Under 16). Wattles highest club award is the Clifton Courier Shield for the club’s “Player of the Year”. Many great players names adorn this trophy, including International forward Greg Platz, future A. R.
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players Robbie Tew & Tony Duggan, three time winner Sam Achilles and Cameron Hamblin, a five time winner of the “Player of the Year” award. The club boasts four Internationals in the Platz brothers Greg & Lew, Rohan Hancock and former champion Brisbane Broncos front-rower Shane Webcke. Wattles have also had numerous players rise from their ranks to play with A. R.
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clubs in the National competition, including: Shane Webcke, Kirk Reynoldson, Phil Morwood, Tony Duggan, Travis Burns, Robbie Tew, Jordan Atkins, Grant Rix, & Mark Meskell.