Iconic coach Wayne Bennett says Queensland rugby league would not be the powerhouse it is without the passion and vision of former administrator Ross Livermore.
Livermore, who was at the helm of the QRL for 31 years, died suddenly on Tuesday, aged 68.
Bennett said Livermore’s contribution, not just to Queensland but to rugby league, was immeasurable but his legacy would live on through the many changes he helped introduce.
Tributes have flowed freely for a man Bennett said had the courage to follow his vision and who loved Queensland.
“Ross made an extremely important contribution to what Queensland has today,” Bennett told AAP.
“If you look at the changes to the QRL board, Queensland’s position in the game, its junior rugby league, its state league competition, Origin, you can’t talk about any of those things without talking about Ross Livermore.”
Former Queensland and Australian captain Darren Lockyer said he only got to know Livermore towards the end of his time.
“But the more I got to know him the more I appreciated his amazing passion for the players and Queensland rugby league,” said the game’s most capped Origin and Test player.
Bennett said Livermore had learned from the best and at times ruled with an iron fist.
“It was a spin off from his days with (ex-QRL boss Ron) McAuliffe because that’s how Ron ruled as well,” said the master coach.
“Ross understood enough about the politics of rugby league to know he couldn’t listen to everyone’s opinions.
“He had the vision and the courage to see them through.”
Livermore’s judgment was on the money when he convinced McAuliffe that Bennett was the man to coach Queensland in 1986.
The QRL had lured the then unheralded Bennett out of the Queensland Police Force the previous year to be their full-time coaching director.
“I still remember him ringing me in Rockhampton where I was doing some coaching for the QRL to tell me I’d just been appointed Origin coach,” recalled Bennett.
“It was a great moment in my life.”
But their relationship was tested during the bitter Super League war which ruined many lifelong friendships.
Bennett had just agreed to a three-year deal to coach Queensland from 1995 – the year Super League kicked off in opposition to the established ARL.
“Of course all hell broke loose. I resigned as (Queensland) coach because all my (Broncos) players had signed with Super League,” said Bennett.
“I hadn’t signed with them (Super League) or agreed to anything at that point but once all my players signed and weren’t going to be available (for Origin) I had to go.”
Upon the Broncos’ 1988 arrival in the then NSWRL, Livermore and Bennett’s Broncos had a running battle over advertising at Lang Park due to a clash in brewery sponsorship.
“Ross and I worked through those times, we always had a good relationship,” said Bennett.
“When you’re out there in the public domain, you have a lot of critics and Ross was never short of a critic,” added Bennett who has had plenty of his own at times.
One of Bennett’s favourite Livermore stories sums up the lengths he went to for Queensland.
“Ross would sell all the tickets for a State of Origin game in Brisbane,” said Bennett.
“But he wouldn’t pay the ARL the gate money until August or September.
“He’d put all the cash in the bank and get a short term interest rate and make another $10,000 or $15,000 to put into Queensland’s coffers.
“He had a reputation for things like that.”
Bennett – who accepted two more invitations from Livermore to coach Queensland – said the late QRL boss was a “hard nosed” administrator.
“He was hard to win an argument with, you could win if you had a better point of view than he did – unless of course you were from NSW,” grinned Bennett.
Livermore’s knowledge made him a fierce boardroom opponent who rarely lost a battle.
“He knew the constitution backwards and he knew every twist and turn to go with it,” said Bennett.
There’s no doubt Livermore learned a lot from his years working for McAuliffe who never gave NSW an inch.
He was not nearly as direct, abrupt or controversial as the late Senator McAuliffe but he learned how to be his own man.
“He had the McAuliffe mentality,” said Bennett.
“I worked with them and I saw how close they were.
“When Ron passed away he handed the baton onto Ross.
“He wasn’t Ron McAuliffe, but he had a lot of his characteristics and Queensland always came first.”
Bennett said McAuliffe, ex-Queensland Origin `Godfather’ Dick Turner and Immortal Arthur Beetson – who died in 2011 – would have a warm welcome for Livermore.
“They’d all be looking down pretty pleased at what they see today,” he said.
“They all played their part but Ross’s was the biggest part of them all.”
Fittingly, Livermore’s funeral will be open to the public at the home of Queensland league, Suncorp Stadium, from 10am (AEST) on Friday morning.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Joey is clearly still not over Dominic Young leaving the Knights. The Roosters winger scored the sealing try in a 40-18 win over Brisbane.
The Broncos skipper tried to stop Joseph Sua'ali'i with one good arm and did a decent job of diffusing the play with the pass…
Bad idea putting these two together! Paul Vautin and Andrew Johns had their Nine colleagues in hysterics with this post-game segment.
Jesse Arthars was in hospital receiving treatment for a broken jaw before Friday night’s game was over after a self-inflicted blow in the first…
Deine Mariner was sin binned for this high shot on James Tedesco. Does he have more to worry about?
Sam Walker wanted to challenge after Ashley Klein deemed his tackle on Reece Walsh was high. Unfortunately for the Roosters, they were out of…
