New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1973
Encyclopedia
The 1973 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixty-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 competition as well as a five-team finals series (rather than the previous four).
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
.
After Cronulla
's 14-4 loss in the major semi-final, Manly
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. But 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 a Cronulla forward set his sights on Reilly and didn't miss his target. Reilly was in agony from a badly bruised hip and left the field for pain-killers, to return for revenge. He then created mayhem but bowed out in the 25th minute and was replaced by John Bucknall.
After a number of brawls in the first half, referee Keith Page eventually called all 26 players in for mass cautions twice, advising that he would send the next infringer off.
Then Fulton took over in the 29th and 58th minutes. 'Bozo' 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. Manly took a 5-0 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.
Cronulla had to wait a long time before they dented the Manly line. It was in the 70th minute that the crack appeared. Trailing 8-2, the Sharks struck when lock Greg Pierce positioned replacement fullback Rick Bourke for a try. 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 a gap that Bishop's pass managed to pinpoint. But 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 - and with it went the premiership.
Manly-Warringah 10 (Tries: Fulton 2. Goals: Eadie 2. )
Cronulla-Sutherland 7 (Tries: Bourke. Goals: Rogers )
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. 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
Grand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
between Manly-Warringah and Cronulla-Sutherland. This season also saw the introduction of an under-23s competition as well as a five-team finals series (rather than the previous four).
Season summary
Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March until August, resulting in in a top four of Manly, Cronulla, St. George and Newtown who went on to battle it out in the finals.The 1973 Rothmans Medal
Rothmans Medal
The Rothmans Medal was the premier individual award in both the New South Wales Rugby League and Brisbane Rugby League competitions, and later in the Australian Rugby League, which was given to the player voted by referees as the best and fairest in those competitions for that year.The award was...
was awarded to Cronulla-Sutherland forward Ken Maddison
Ken Maddison
Ken Maddison is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 70s. He played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for the St. George Dragons and later the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks . He was also a state and national representative, playing four Tests for...
. Rugby League Week
Rugby League Week
Rugby League Week is the second highest selling Australian rugby league magazine, behind major competitor Big League...
awarded their player of the year award to Manly-Warringah
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
's halfback Johnny Mayes.
The 1973 season also saw the retirement from the League of future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
The Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at rugby league, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game who are Australian...
inductee, Ken Irvine
Ken Irvine
Kenneth John Irvine was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. He holds the standing record for the most number of tries in a first-grade career – 212. No other player has yet managed 200 tries in their career, apart from Steve Menzies who has scored 216...
.
Teams
From 1973 onwards, Newtown were known as the Newtown Jets Balmain Tigers The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles... |
 |
 |
 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... |
 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia... |
 Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
 North Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on... |
 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... |
 Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan... Captain: Ron Lynch Ron Lynch (rugby league) Ron Lynch is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 70s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative forward, he played club football in NSW for Forbes, Parramatta and Penrith.... |
 South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital... |
 St. George Dragons The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,... |
 Western Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia... |
Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manly Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia... |
22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 500 | 226 | 35 |
| 2 |  CronullaCronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales... |
22 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 389 | 219 | 34 |
| 3 |  St. GeorgeSt. George Dragons The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,... |
22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 372 | 213 | 30 |
| 4 |  Newtown JetsNewtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 358 | 224 | 28 |
| 5 |  CanterburyCanterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions... |
22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 369 | 269 | 25 |
| 6 |  Eastern SuburbsSydney 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... |
22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 415 | 314 | 24 |
| 7 |  South SydneySouth Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital... |
22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 345 | 367 | |
| 23 | ||||||||
| 8 |  North SydneyNorth Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on... |
22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 239 | 350 | |
| 15 | ||||||||
| 9 |  Western SuburbsWestern Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia... |
22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 310 | 414 | |
| 14 | ||||||||
| 10 |  BalmainBalmain Tigers The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles... |
22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 254 | 495 | |
| 14 | ||||||||
| 11 |  ParramattaParramatta 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... |
22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 275 | 492 | |
| 12 | ||||||||
| 12 | Penrith Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan... |
22 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 272 | 525 | |
| 10 | ||||||||
Finals
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Crowd | |||||
| Qualifying Finals | ||||||||
| Cronulla Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales... |
18-0 | St. George St. George Dragons The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,... |
25 August 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... |
Keith Page | 37,778 | ||
| Newtown Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
13-2 | Canterbury Canterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions... |
26 August 1973 | Sydney Sports Ground Sydney Sports Ground The Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than... |
Keith Page | 17,778 | ||
| Semi Finals | ||||||||
| Manly-Warringah Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia... |
14-4 | Cronulla Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales... |
1 September 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... |
Keith Page | 41,898 | ||
| St. George St. George Dragons The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,... |
12-12 | Newtown Jets Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
2 September 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... |
Keith Page | 24,390 | ||
| St. George St. George Dragons The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,... |
5-8 | Newtown Jets Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
4 September 1973 | Sydney Sports Ground Sydney Sports Ground The Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than... |
Keith Page | 27,791 | ||
| Preliminary Final | ||||||||
| Cronulla |
20-11 | Newtown Jets Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
8 September 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... |
Keith Page | 30,649 | ||
| Grand Final | ||||||||
| Manly-Warringah Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia... |
10-7 | Cronulla Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales... |
15 September 1973 | Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... |
Keith Page | 52,044 | ||
Grand Final
| Manly-Warringah | Position | Cronulla |
|---|---|---|
| Graham Eadie Graham Eadie Graham "Wombat" Eadie , is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s who has been named amongst the nation's finest of the 20th century... |
FB | Warren Fisher |
| Ken Irvine Ken Irvine Kenneth John Irvine was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. He holds the standing record for the most number of tries in a first-grade career – 212. No other player has yet managed 200 tries in their career, apart from Steve Menzies who has scored 216... |
WG | Ray Corcoran Ray Corcoran Ray Corcoran is a former rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 70s. He was a member of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks club. His position of choice was on the wing. Corcoran's career total of 63 tries is currently the fifth highest total for the club, and was the highest when he retired in... |
| Ray Branighan Ray Branighan Ray Branighan is an Australian former rugby league player, a star winger and Centre of the 1970s for the South Sydney Rabbitohs , the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and Australian national representative side.-Souths club career:... |
CE | Steve Rogers |
| 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... |
CE | Eric Archer |
| Max Brown | WG | Bob Wear |
| Ian Martin | FE | Chris Wellman |
| John Mayes John Mayes Johnny Mayes is an Australian former rugby league halfback who represented Australia in the 1975 World Series and played in three consecutive premiership-winning teams from 1973 to 1975, the first for Manly and the latter two for Eastern Suburbs... |
HB | Tommy Bishop Tommy Bishop Tommy Bishop is an English former rugby league footballer and coach of the 1960s and 70s. He played for St. Helens in the English Rugby Football League Championship and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia... (c) |
| Bill Hamilton | PR | Cliff Watson Cliff Watson Clifford H. Watson is a former rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s. He played for the St. Helens rugby football club in the English Rugby Football League Championship and later the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in Australia. His position of... |
| Fred Jones Fred Jones (rugby league) Fred Jones is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 70s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative hooker, he played his club football for Manly-Warringah, with whom he won the 1972 and 1973 NSWRFL Premierships.A product of the South Coast,... (c) |
HK | Ron Turner |
| John O'Neill | PR | Graham Bowen |
| Peter Peters Peter Peters Peter Peters is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, commentator and journalist.He was a first grade player for Parramatta Eels and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles from 1969 to 1974, playing in the 1972 and 1973 premiership winning teams, Later he became a football commentator on... |
SR | Ken Maddison Ken Maddison Ken Maddison is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 70s. He played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for the St. George Dragons and later the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks . He was also a state and national representative, playing four Tests for... |
| Terry Randall Terry Randall Terry "Igor" Randall is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played for the Manly-Warringah club in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership. He also represented New South Wales and Australia... |
SR | John Maguire |
| Malcolm "Mal" Reilly Mal Reilly Malcolm J. Reilly is an English former rugby league footballer and coach. A Great Britain international representative , Reilly played club football for Castleford Tigers in England and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in Australia... |
LK | Greg Pierce Greg Pierce Greg Pierce is an Australian rugby league identity - a former player and coach and a current administrator. He played at Lock forward for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League competition and for Australian national side... |
| John Bucknall | Bench | Rick Bourke Rick Bourke Rick Bourke was an Australian rugby league player for the Cronulla Sharks and South Sydney Rabbitohs. Bourke played 10 seasons for Cronulla at fullback including scoring their only try in the 1973 grand final.... |
| Ron Willey Ron Willey Ron Willey was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He was a representative for the Australian national side. Post-playing, Willey had a long and successful first grade and State representative coaching career.-Club career:... |
Coach | Tommy Bishop Tommy Bishop Tommy Bishop is an English former rugby league footballer and coach of the 1960s and 70s. He played for St. Helens in the English Rugby Football League Championship and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia... |
After Cronulla
Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
's 14-4 loss in the major semi-final, Manly
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
expected the Sharks would be fired up for the Grand Final. And they were. Ian Heads wrote in the Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
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. But 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 a Cronulla forward set his sights on Reilly and didn't miss his target. Reilly was in agony from a badly bruised hip and left the field for pain-killers, to return for revenge. He then created mayhem but bowed out in the 25th minute and was replaced by John Bucknall.
After a number of brawls in the first half, referee Keith Page eventually called all 26 players in for mass cautions twice, advising that he would send the next infringer off.
Then Fulton took over in the 29th and 58th minutes. 'Bozo' 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. Manly took a 5-0 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.
Cronulla had to wait a long time before they dented the Manly line. It was in the 70th minute that the crack appeared. Trailing 8-2, the Sharks struck when lock Greg Pierce positioned replacement fullback Rick Bourke for a try. 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 a gap that Bishop's pass managed to pinpoint. But 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 - and with it went the premiership.
Manly-Warringah 10 (Tries: Fulton 2. Goals: Eadie 2. )
Cronulla-Sutherland 7 (Tries: Bourke. Goals: Rogers )
External links
- 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.com