1973 New South Wales Rugby Football League | |
---|---|
Teams | 12 |
Premiers | ![]() |
Minor premiers | ![]() |
Matches played | 139 |
Points scored | 4234 |
Attendance | 1390810 |
Top points scorer(s) | ![]() |
Player of the: year | ![]() |
Top try-scorer(s) | ![]() |
The 1973 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was theββsixty-sixth season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Twelve district clubs from across the "city," including six foundation clubs, "competed for the J."J. Giltinan Shield. And WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between Manly-Warringah and Cronulla-Sutherland. This season also saw the introduction of an Under-23s competitionββto replace the former βThird Gradeβ as well as a five-team finals series (rather than the previous four).
Season summaryβ»
The 1973 NSWRFL season saw the introduction of the metric systemββto the playing field. And a five-team semi-final series. Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March until August, "resulting in a top five of Manly," Cronulla, St. George, Newtown and "Canterbury who went on to battle it out in the finals."
The 1973 Rothmans Medal was awarded to Cronulla-Sutherland forward Ken Maddison. Rugby League Week awarded their player of the year award to Manly-Warringah's halfback Johnny Mayes.
The 1973 season also saw the retirement from the League of future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Ken Irvine. A legendary speedster who started his career with North Sydney in 1958, Irvine finished his stellar career with two deserved premierships playing for Manly-Warringah. Irvine also finished his career as the highest ever tryscorer in the Sydney premiership (the record still stands as of 2020). He crossed for 171 tries in 176 games for Norths and 41 in 60 games for Manly.
Teamsβ»
From 1973 onwards, Newtown were known as the βJetsβ.
Regular seasonβ»
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | F1 | F2 | F2R | F3 | GF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balmain | STG β15 |
NOR +3 |
PAR +7 |
PEN β23 |
CRO +3 |
CBY β15 |
NEW β24 |
EAS β20 |
SOU β2 |
WES β5 |
MAN β20 |
STG β15 |
NOR +6 |
PAR β11 |
PEN +5 |
CRO β21 |
CBY β35 |
NEW β13 |
EAS +1 |
SOU β12 |
WES +4 |
MAN β39 |
|||||
Canterbury-Bankstown | MAN 0 |
NEW β6 |
EAS +1 |
SOU +9 |
WES +28 |
BAL +15 |
STG β16 |
NOR +11 |
PAR +19 |
PEN β5 |
CRO β14 |
MAN β8 |
NEW β11 |
EAS β7 |
SOU +11 |
WES +10 |
BAL +35 |
STG β3 |
NOR +10 |
PAR +6 |
PEN +22 |
CRO β7 |
NEW β11 |
||||
Cronulla-Sutherland | NEW +3 |
EAS β3 |
SOU +1 |
WES +26 |
BAL β3 |
STG +7 |
NOR β6 |
PAR +6 |
PEN +14 |
MAN β4 |
CBY +14 |
NEW +9 |
EAS +5 |
SOU +10 |
WES +7 |
BAL +21 |
STG β5 |
NOR +11 |
PAR +29 |
PEN +19 |
MAN +2 |
CBY +7 |
STG +18 |
MAN β10 |
X | NEW +9 |
MAN β3 |
Eastern Suburbs | PEN β11 |
CRO +3 |
CBY β1 |
NEW +2 |
MAN β9 |
SOU β1 |
WES β9 |
BAL +20 |
STG β9 |
NOR +1 |
PAR +41 |
PEN +34 |
CRO β5 |
CBY +7 |
NEW +3 |
MAN +5 |
SOU β2 |
WES β10 |
BAL β1 |
STG +2 |
NOR +10 |
PAR +31 |
|||||
Manly-Warringah | CBY 0 |
STG +13 |
NEW β10 |
NOR +23 |
EAS +9 |
PAR β10 |
SOU +13 |
PEN +36 |
WES +4 |
CRO +4 |
BAL +20 |
CBY +8 |
STG +1 |
NEW +2 |
NOR +2 |
EAS β5 |
PAR +45 |
SOU +7 |
PEN +63 |
WES +12 |
CRO β2 |
BAL +39 |
X | CRO +10 |
X | X | CRO +3 |
Newtown | CRO β3 |
CBY +6 |
MAN +10 |
EAS β2 |
SOU β6 |
WES +2 |
BAL +24 |
STG +1 |
NOR +5 |
PAR +8 |
PEN +20 |
CRO β9 |
CBY +11 |
MAN β2 |
EAS β3 |
SOU β1 |
WES +17 |
BAL +13 |
STG β18 |
NOR +20 |
PAR +31 |
PEN +10 |
CBY +11 |
STG 0 |
STG +3 |
CRO β9 |
|
North Sydney | WES +17 |
BAL β3 |
STG β27 |
MAN β23 |
PAR +3 |
PEN +6 |
CRO +6 |
CBY β11 |
NEW β5 |
EAS β1 |
SOU 0 |
WES β9 |
BAL β6 |
STG +3 |
MAN β2 |
PAR +1 |
PEN β1 |
CRO β11 |
CBY β10 |
NEW β20 |
EAS β10 |
SOU +2 |
|||||
Parramatta | SOU +17 |
WES +9 |
BAL β7 |
STG β14 |
NOR β3 |
MAN +10 |
PEN +9 |
CRO β6 |
CBY β19 |
NEW β8 |
EAS β41 |
SOU +8 |
WES β3 |
BAL +11 |
STG β23 |
NOR β1 |
MAN β45 |
PEN β14 |
CRO β29 |
CBY β6 |
NEW β31 |
EAS β31 |
|||||
Penrith | EAS +11 |
SOU β10 |
WES β7 |
BAL +23 |
STG β6 |
NOR β6 |
PAR β9 |
MAN β36 |
CRO β14 |
CBY +5 |
NEW β20 |
EAS β34 |
SOU β15 |
WES β15 |
BAL β5 |
STG β16 |
NOR +1 |
PAR +14 |
MAN β63 |
CRO β19 |
CBY β22 |
NEW β10 |
|||||
South Sydney | PAR β17 |
PEN +10 |
CRO β1 |
CBY β9 |
NEW +6 |
EAS +1 |
MAN β13 |
WES +7 |
BAL +2 |
STG +2 |
NOR 0 |
PAR β8 |
PEN +15 |
CRO β10 |
CBY β11 |
NEW +1 |
EAS +2 |
MAN β7 |
WES +7 |
BAL +12 |
STG β9 |
NOR β2 |
|||||
St. George | BAL +15 |
MAN β13 |
NOR +27 |
PAR +14 |
PEN +6 |
CRO β7 |
CBY +16 |
NEW β1 |
EAS +9 |
SOU β2 |
WES +8 |
BAL +15 |
MAN β1 |
NOR β3 |
PAR +23 |
PEN +16 |
CRO +5 |
CBY +3 |
NEW +18 |
EAS β2 |
SOU +9 |
WES +4 |
CRO β18 |
NEW 0 |
NEW β3 |
||
Western Suburbs | NOR β17 |
PAR β9 |
PEN +7 |
CRO β26 |
CBY β28 |
NEW β2 |
EAS +9 |
SOU β7 |
MAN β4 |
BAL +5 |
STG β8 |
NOR +9 |
PAR +3 |
PEN +15 |
CRO β7 |
CBY β10 |
NEW β17 |
EAS +10 |
SOU β7 |
MAN β12 |
BAL β4 |
STG β4 |
|||||
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | F1 | F2 | F2R | F3 | GF |
Bold β Home game
X β Bye
Opponent for round listed above margin
Ladderβ»
Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 500 | 226 | +274 | 35 |
2 | ![]() |
22 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 389 | 219 | +170 | 34 |
3 | ![]() |
22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 372 | 213 | +159 | 30 |
4 | ![]() |
22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 358 | 224 | +134 | 28 |
5 | ![]() |
22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 369 | 269 | +100 | 25 |
6 | ![]() |
22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 415 | 314 | +101 | 24 |
7 | ![]() |
22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 345 | 367 | -22 | 23 |
8 | ![]() |
22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 239 | 340 | -101 | 15 |
9 | ![]() |
22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 310 | 414 | -104 | 14 |
10 | ![]() |
22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 254 | 495 | -241 | 14 |
11 | ![]() |
22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 275 | 492 | -217 | 12 |
12 | ![]() |
22 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 272 | 525 | -253 | 10 |
Ladder progressionβ»
- Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 5.
- Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
- Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 35 |
2 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 |
3 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 |
4 | ![]() |
0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 |
5 | ![]() |
1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 |
6 | ![]() |
0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 |
7 | ![]() |
0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
8 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
9 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
10 | ![]() |
0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
11 | ![]() |
2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
12 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Finalsβ»
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Crowd | |||||
Qualifying Finals | ||||||||
![]() |
18β0 | ![]() |
25 August 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Keith Page | 37,778 | ||
![]() |
13β2 | ![]() |
26 August 1973 | Sydney Sports Ground | Keith Page | 17,778 | ||
Semi-finals | ||||||||
![]() |
14β4 | ![]() |
1 September 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Keith Page | 41,898 | ||
![]() |
12β12 | ![]() |
2 September 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Keith Page | 24,390 | ||
![]() |
5β8 | ![]() |
4 September 1973 | Sydney Sports Ground | Keith Page | 27,791 | ||
Preliminary final | ||||||||
![]() |
20β11 | ![]() |
8 September 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Keith Page | 30,649 | ||
Grand final | ||||||||
![]() |
10β7 | ![]() |
15 September 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Keith Page | 52,044 |
Chartβ»
* - Indicates only the replay match, and not the match ending in a draw.
Grand finalβ»
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | Position | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
---|---|---|
FB | ||
2. Ken Irvine | WG | 2. Ray Corcoran |
3. Ray Branighan | CE | 3. Steve Rogers |
4. Bob Fulton | CE | 4. Eric Archer |
5. Max Brown | WG | 5. Bob Wear |
6. Ian Martin | FE | 6. Chris Wellman |
7. John Mayes | HB | 7. Tommy Bishop (c) |
13. Bill Hamilton | PR | 13. Cliff Watson |
12. Fred Jones (c) | HK | 12. Ron Turner |
11. John O'Neill | PR | 11. Grahame Bowen |
10. Peter Peters | SR | 10. Ken Maddison |
9. Terry Randall | SR | 9. John Maguire |
8. Mal Reilly | LK | 8. Greg Pierce |
14. John Bucknall | Bench | 19. Rick Bourke |
Ron Willey | Coach | Tommy Bishop |
After Cronulla-Sutherland's 14β4 loss in the major semi-final, Manly-Warringah expected the Sharks would be, fired up for the grand final. And they were. Ian Heads wrote in the Sunday Telegraph the next day that It was a grand final as tough and dirty as any bar-room brawl. Alan Clarkson wrote in the Sun Herald The fare served up in the first half belonged in the Colosseum. The first half was not how the game's administrators would have wished to show-case rugby league, every tackle was loaded with menace and meant to damage. Nevertheless, from the melee Bob Fulton emerged and showed his unrivalled skill. Heads and Clarkson wrote of his "towering genius" and "football brilliance" respectively.
Manly's English import Malcolm Reilly, himself never one to take a backward step, was the first victim of the carnage. In the opening minute, Cronulla hooker Ron "Rocky" Turner set his sights on Reilly as the Englishman got an early kick away to take advantage of a strong breeze blowing towards the Bradman Stand (Paddington End). Turner missed Reilly the first time around. But didn't miss him a few minutes later. The Manly lock was left in agony from a badly bruised hip and had to leave the field for painkilling injections. Knowing he probably wouldn't last the first half he then returned to the field and created mayhem despite the injections he received failing to work properly. He set about doing as much physical damage to Cronulla players as he could, but bowed out in the 25th minute and was replaced by, reserve forward John Bucknall, who had played in Manly's winning Reserve Grade Grand final side earlier in the day. Bucknall didn't think he would be needed and actually had a full lunch and soft drink shortly before the first grade game began.
After a number of brawls in the first half, referee Keith Page eventually called in all 26 players twice for mass cautions, threatening that any more foul play would result in players being sent off. Despite his warnings the back-alley tactics continued from both teams, and Page didn't send anyone from the field.
Then Fulton took over in the 29th and 58th minutes. βBozoβ demonstrated power and pace in both tries. The first came from a brilliant Fred Jones flick pass which saw Fulton split Eric Archer and Steve Rogers just twenty-five metres from the line. Fulton ran around to touch down near the posts and give Graham Eadie an easier shot at conversion which he duly slotted through the posts. Manly took a 5β0 scoreline to the half time break.
The second Fulton try came after Eadie took a pass from five-eighth Ian Martin, then looked for Fulton and set him up perfectly. Fulton raced for the Brewongle Stand corner and managed to put the ball down before being bundled into touch by Rogers and replacement fullback Rick Bourke. From out wide Eadie missed the conversion to make it 8β2 after Steve Rogers had previously kicked a penalty goal.
Cronulla had to wait a long time before they dented the Manly line. It was in the 70th minute that the crack appeared. Trailing 8β2, the Sharks struck when lock Greg Pierce positioned Rick Bourke for a try (Bourke was flattened by Manly winger Max Brown as he scored, resulting in a broken thumb for Brown). Rogers easily kicked the conversion to reduce the deficit to just one point. Eadie stretched the lead to three points from a penalty kick and then the Sharks rallied and bombarded Manly. Ultimately, the Manly defence of John Mayes, Terry Randall, Peter Peters, Eadie and Fulton were up to the task. It will, however, go down in Sharks folklore that a Tommy Bishop flick pass in the dying moments failed to go to hand with the Manly line wide open. It was a set move Cronulla had successfully played all year, but had adjusted for the grand final in anticipation of Manly's familiarity with the standard move. As expected, the Manly defence reacted to snuff out the set play, leaving gap that Bishop's pass managed to pinpoint. However, in the heat of the moment, Sharks second-rower Ken Maddison also played for the old move, ran the wrong line and the ball went to ground β and with it went the premiership.
Manly-Warringah 10 (Tries: Fulton 2. Goals: Eadie 2/6)
Cronulla-Sutherland 7 (Tries: Bourke. Goals: Rogers 2/5)
Man of the Match: Bob Fulton (Manly)
Referee: Keith Page
Attendance: 52,044
Player statisticsβ»
The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 22.
Top 5 point scorers
Top 5 try scorers
|
Top 5 goal scorers
|
Referencesβ»
- ^ "Form over five years". The Sun-Herald. 19 March 1978. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
- ^ "A history of the Newtown Jets". thefinalwinter.com. Archived from the original on 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ^ Sydney Sunday Telegraph 16 September 1973
- ^ Sydney Sun Herald, 16 September 1973
- ^ Coady, Ben (2009-09-28). "Grand final dramas". WA Today. Australia: Fairfax Digital. Archived from the original on 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
- ^ Harker, Jon (25 September 1993). "I'll walk off, says Referee". The Sun-Herald. Australia: Fairfax Media. p. 72. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
External linksβ»
- Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
- Rugby League Tables - Season 1973 The World of Rugby League
- Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
- Clarkson, Alan (1997) The Greatest Games We Ever Played (Essay Collection, ed Geoff Prenter) Ironbark Publishing, Sydney
- 1973 Grand final at eraofthebiff.com
- Results:1971-80 at rabbitohs.com.au
- 1973 J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup at rleague.com
- NSWRFL season 1973 at rugbyleagueproject.org