In the 1981 Craven Mild Cup was the final pre-season cup held by the New South Wales Rugby League

New South Wales Rugby League

The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...

. In the final, the Eastern Suburbs

Sydney Roosters

The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...

 defeated the Parramatta Eels

Parramatta Eels

The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...

, 12 points to 3. For the Eastern Suburbs, Ron Giteau

Ron Giteau

Ron Giteau is an Australian former professional rugby league player. A prolific point-scoring centre, he was captain of the Canberra Raiders team in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership...

 and Noel Cleal

Noel Cleal

Noel Harvey "Crusher" Cleal is an Australian former rugby league footballer who also had a successful coaching career...

 scored tries and Giteau also scored 3 goals, whilst for Parramatta Ray Price scored their only try.

The Eastern Suburbs side for that day was

• Kerry Boustead
  Kerry Boustead
  Kerry Boustead is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. A talented representative winger for Queensland and Australia, at the time he was picked for the Australian national rugby league team he was the youngest ever player so selected...
  
  
• Terry Fahey
  Terry Fahey
  Terry Fahey is an Australian former professional rugby league player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Eastern Suburbs and Canberra Raiders clubs...
  
  
• Ron Giteau
  Ron Giteau
  Ron Giteau is an Australian former professional rugby league player. A prolific point-scoring centre, he was captain of the Canberra Raiders team in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership...
  
  
• Noel Cleal
  Noel Cleal
  Noel Harvey "Crusher" Cleal is an Australian former rugby league footballer who also had a successful coaching career...
  
  
• Steve McFarlane
• Rocky Laurie
  Robert Laurie (rugby league)
  Robert "Rocky" Laurie is an Australian former rugby league footballer. He played for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership....
  
  
• Kevin Hastings
  Kevin Hastings
  Kevin 'Horrie' Hastings is an Australian retired multi-award winning rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played in Australia's New South Wales Rugby League Football Competition...
  
  
• John Tobin
• Des O'Reilly
• Paul McCabe
  Paul McCabe
  Paul McCabe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played for several clubs as well as representing Queensland in the State of Origin. McCabe was also a member of the 1982 "Invincibles" Kangaroos side, playing in the third Test against Great Britain...
  
  
• Royce Ayliffe
  Royce Ayliffe
  David Royce Ayliffe is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative, he played for and captained the Eastern Suburbs club...
  
   (captain)
• Jeff Masterman
  Jeff Masterman
  Jeff Masterman is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Eastern Suburbs club. He played as a hooker and also gained selection for the Australian national side. He was originally from Kurri Kurri. In 2010 he was named in Kurri Rugby League Club's team of the...
  
  
• John Harvey
  John Harvey
  -People:*John Harvey , English stage and film actor*John Harvey , American actor*John Harvey , Retired National Football League running back...
  
  
• Bob Fulton
  Bob Fulton
  Robert "Bob" Fulton AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century.As a player Fulton won...
  
   (coach)

The Parramatta side was coached by the great Jack Gibson

Jack Gibson (rugby league)

Jack Arthur Gibson OAM was an Australian rugby league identity – a player, commentator and most notably a coach...

 and featured stars such as Brett Kenny

Brett Kenny

Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4...

, Peter Sterling

Peter Sterling

Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...

, Eric Grothe

Eric Grothe, Sr.

Eric "Guru" Grothe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. A New South Wales and Australian representative winger, he played club football for the Parramatta Eels with whom he won four NSWRL premierships...

, Mick Cronin

Mick Cronin (rugby league)

Michael William "Mick" Cronin OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982...

, Ray Price and Steve Ella

Steve Ella

Steve Ella is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. He was a utility back for the Australian national team, playing in 4 Tests between 1983 and 1985...