John McDonald dead – Rugby League coach known as ‘Cracker’ dies aged 79 after astonishing career as player and mentor
QUEENSLAND rugby league icon John McDonald has died aged 79.
Known affectionately as Cracker, McDonald made history as the very first Maroons State of Origin coach.
He passed on Wednesday in his home town of Toowoomba.
Rugby legend Wally Lewis reflected on McDonald's immense impact on Australian sport, which included him guiding Queensland to a 20-10 win against New South Wales in the first State of Origin game in 1980.
Lewis told AAP: “John was given the most challenging job of all in 1980 and his achievement in ensuring Queensland won that game was imperative to the reputation and future of State of Origin football."
McDonald played 13 Tests for Australia and made 10 interstate appearances for Queensland.
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Lewis said: “My dad used to talk about the exciting player he was. He told me that John would make people go to the footy just to watch him."
A brilliant centre and winger, then coach and administrator, McDonald devoted his life to the sport.
One of his most influential roles was as Queensland Rugby League (QRL) chairman, where from 1992 to 2012 he forged a crucial partnership with the late QRL managing director Ross Livermore.
QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher said: “John was quite simply a remarkable individual who touched the lives of so many people around him.
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“His achievements within the game are unrivalled.”
Maroon great Chris Close said McDonald did "a remarkable job" at creating an environment for the Maroons to win in 1980.
He reflected: “In 1980 Cracker got a group of people together under the captaincy of Arthur Beetson, remembering that eight of those players were 21 years old or younger.
“I had the pleasure of rooming with him in 1980. He was a very energetic person and an early riser. In those days I wasn’t.
“Cracker used to make a point of getting up at sparrow’s fart and grabbing The Courier Mail and then he would shake it, rattle it, fold it and make a racket just to get me out of bed.”
Close, who was man of the match for the Maroons in the first State of Origin game, said McDonald had "a nice place to spend in my heart" and that he was "really saddened by his loss".
He said: “He was a good man, a great mentor and a really decent human being. Since then I have got to know his family very well and they all have John’s stamp on them from a character point of view.
Lewis echoed the same sentiments, calling it "a privilege" to be coached by McDonald: “He was a fantastic guy, always cracking jokes and lifting your mood.
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“If you ever wanted to get rid of someone that was a pest you would tell them to go and find someone that didn’t like John McDonald. It would be a long time before you saw that person again.”
As well as a revered player and coach, McDonald was a devoted family man and raised six children with his wife Joan.
