Brian Winney was born in the St George district in the southern part of Sydney. He grew up in the suburb of Arncliffe which was and still is a rugby league stronghold.
His family were heavily involved with junior rugby league. His father and uncles all played in the St George area with the Carlton Athletic Club. Two of his uncles played lower grades with St George.
Brian was a useful cricketer. He captained the winning St George team in the Daily Telegraph Shield competition (U/23’s) in the mid 1960’s. However it was at rugby league where he excelled. He played in successful St George Jersey Flegg and President’s Cup teams before being graded with the Dragons during their golden era.
He played with three Sydney Clubs, St George, Parramatta and Wests. Brian was a very talented player but found himself competing with some of the great halfbacks of the era for a First Grade position. His competitors during that period included Billy Smith, Ivor Lingard and Tom Raudonikis.
Brian played more than fifty First Grade games in Sydney before moving to Queensland in the early 1970’s. He played with the Redcliffe club in Brisbane for four seasons but his enduring legacy was the development of junior rugby league. He has been actively involved in coaching and refereeing for almost five decades.
Part of this bio has referenced an interview of Brian Winney in February 2024 by Queensland Rugby League correspondent, Michael Nunn.
