The 1981 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 74th season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Twelve clubs, including six of 1908's foundation teams and another six from around Sydney competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Parramatta and Newtown clubs. NSWRFL clubs also competed in the 1981 Tooth Cup and players from NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team.

Season summary In 1981 the "sin-bin" was introduced to rugby league in Australia, enabling referees to send players from the field for five or ten minute periods for minor or deliberate technical offences. Newtown Barry Jensen became the first player to be sent from the field in this manner.

Midway through the season, players contracted to NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team in two games against the Queensland team in 1981. After that the experimental 1981 State of Origin game was played, and for the second time in history NSWRFL clubs' players were able to represent Queensland.

Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March until August, resulting in a top five of Easts, Newtown, Parramatta, Cronulla and Manly who battled it out in the finals.

Eastern Suburbs' halfback Kevin Hastings won the 1981 season's Rothmans Medal as well as Rugby League Week's Player of the Year award. The Dally M Award went to Cronulla-Sutherland centre, Steve Rogers.

Teams This was to be the final year that the NSWRFL premiership was an all-Sydney competition, with the introduction of teams from Canberra and Illawarra in 1982 starting a new era of expansion which would see the League transform into a national, then international competition. Balmain 74th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Frank StantonCaptain: Allan McMahon→Neil WhittakerCanterbury 47th seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: Ted GlossopCaptain: Mark Hughes & Garry HughesCronulla 15th seasonGround: Endeavour Field Coach: Greg PierceCaptain: Steve RogersEastern Suburbs 74th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Bob FultonCaptain: Royce AyliffeManly 35th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Ray RitchieCaptain: Max KrilichNewtown 74th seasonGround: Henson Park Coach: Warren RyanCaptain: Tommy RaudonikisNorth Sydney 74th seasonGround:North Sydney Oval Coach: Ron WilleyCaptain: Mark GrahamParramatta 35th seasonGround: Cumberland Oval Coach: Jack GibsonCaptain: Steve EdgePenrith 15th seasonGround: Penrith Park Coach: Len StackerCaptain: Tim SheensSouth Sydney 74th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Coach: Bill AndersonCaptain: Nathan Gibbs→Mitch BrennanSt. George 61st seasonGround: Kogarah Oval Coach: Harry BathCaptain: Craig YoungWestern Suburbs 74th seasonGround: Lidcombe Oval Coach: Roy MastersCaptain: Warren Boland

Regular season

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 F1 F2 F3 GF Balmain TigersEAS+1MAN−7NEW−8CBY−39SOU−15CRO−6NOR+5STG−3PAR−19WES−7PEN+7XEAS−1MAN−7NEW−1CBY−11SOU+3CRO−3NOR−10STG0PAR−9WES+9PEN+19 Canterbury BulldogsSTG−26PAR−4WES+19BAL+39EAS−10MAN+11NEW−10PEN−10XCRO−7NOR+11SOU−3STG−6PAR−14WES−17BAL+11EAS−33MAN−7NEW+15PEN−4SOU+26CRO+18NOR−3 Cronulla SharksPEN−11NOR+18STG+6PAR+11WES+3BAL+6EAS−9MAN−5XCBY+7SOU0NEW−6PEN+9NOR+1STG+20PAR−15WES+1BAL+3EAS+2MAN−9NEW−14CBY−18SOU+2MAN−3 Eastern Suburbs RoostersBAL−1PEN+3MAN+6NEW+22CBY+10SOU−5CRO+9NOR+1XPAR+8WES+4STG+18BAL+1PEN+14MAN+10NEW−10CBY+33SOU−5CRO−2NOR+20STG+12PAR+14WES−2XPAR−4NEW−10 Manly Sea EaglesWES+12BAL+7EAS−6PEN−18NEW−12CBY−11SOU+8CRO+5NOR−19STG−18PAR+14XWES+28BAL+7EAS−10PEN−6NEW0CBY+7SOU+11CRO+9NOR+20STG+5PAR0CRO+3NEW−5 Newtown JetsPAR−24WES0BAL+8EAS−22MAN+12PEN+18CBY+10SOU+16XNOR−2STG+17CRO+6PAR+5WES−16BAL+1EAS+10MAN0PEN+10CBY−15SOU−3CRO+14NOR+4STG+9PAR−2MAN+5EAS+10PAR−9 North Sydney BearsSOU+15CRO−18PEN−10STG+29PAR+2WES−15BAL−5EAS−1MAN+19NEW+2CBY−11XSOU+5CRO−1PEN+21STG−7PAR−14WES−13BAL+10EAS−20MAN−20NEW−4CBY+3 Parramatta EelsNEW+24CBY+4SOU+34CRO−11NOR−2STG+9PEN+3WES−6BAL+19EAS−8MAN−14XNEW−5CBY+14SOU+11CRO+15NOR+14STG+12PEN+17WES+27BAL+9EAS−14MAN0NEW+2EAS+4XNEW+9 Penrith PanthersCRO+11EAS−3NOR+10MAN+18STG−8NEW−18PAR−3CBY+10WES−1SOU+19BAL−7XCRO−9EAS−14NOR−21MAN+6STG+15NEW−10PAR−17CBY+4WES−2SOU−6BAL−19 South Sydney RabbitohsNOR−15STG−9PAR−34WES−2BAL+15EAS+5MAN−8NEW−16XPEN−19CRO0CBY+3NOR−5STG+17PAR−11WES+6BAL−3EAS+5MAN−11NEW+3CBY−26PEN+6CRO−2 St. George DragonsCBY+26SOU+9CRO−6NOR−29PEN+8PAR−9WES−4BAL+3XMAN+18NEW−17EAS−18CBY+6SOU−17CRO−20NOR+7PEN−15PAR−12WES+17BAL0EAS−12MAN−5NEW−9 Western Suburbs MagpiesMAN−12NEW0CBY−19SOU+2CRO−3NOR+15STG+4PAR+6PEN+1BAL+7EAS−4XMAN−28NEW+16CBY+17SOU−6CRO−1NOR+13STG−17PAR−27PEN+2BAL−9EAS+2 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 F1 F2 F3 GF

Bold – Home game X – Bye Opponent for round listed above margin

Ladder Team 1 Eastern Suburbs221606385225+160322 Newtown221426326268+58303 Parramatta221417398246+152294 Cronulla221318339337+2275 Manly221228350317+33266 Western Suburbs2211110311352-41237 North Sydney229013322355-33188 St. George228113320399-79179 South Sydney228113322423-1011710 Canterbury228014340344-41611 Penrith228014305350-451612 Balmain226115293395-10213

Ladder progression

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. Underlined numbers indicate that the team had a bye during that round.

Team12345678910111213141516171819202122231 Eastern Suburbs Roosters 0 2 4 6 8 8 10 12 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 26 26 26 28 30 32 322 Newtown Jets 0 1 3 3 5 7 9 11 11 11 13 15 17 17 19 21 22 24 24 24 26 28 303 Parramatta Eels 2 4 6 6 6 8 10 10 12 12 12 12 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 28 294 Cronulla Sharks 0 2 4 6 8 10 10 10 10 12 13 13 15 17 19 19 21 23 25 25 25 25 275 Manly Sea Eagles 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 8 8 8 10 10 12 14 14 14 15 17 19 21 23 25 266 Western Suburbs Magpies 0 1 1 3 3 5 7 9 11 13 13 13 13 15 17 17 17 19 19 19 21 21 237 North Sydney Bears 2 2 2 4 6 6 6 6 8 10 10 10 12 12 14 14 14 14 16 16 16 16 188 St. George Dragons 2 4 4 4 6 6 6 8 8 10 10 10 12 12 12 14 14 14 16 17 17 17 179 South Sydney Rabbitohs 0 0 0 0 2 4 4 4 4 4 5 7 7 9 9 11 11 13 13 15 15 17 1710 Canterbury Bulldogs 0 0 2 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 12 12 14 16 1611 Penrith Panthers 2 2 4 6 6 6 6 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 14 14 14 16 16 16 1612 Balmain Tigers 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 8 9 9 11 13

Finals The elimination semi-final between Newtown and Manly will always be remembered for the notorious all-in brawl, with the main combatants Newtown's Steve Bowden and Manly hardman Mark Broadhurst. Bowden was marched for the incident and was unable to take part in the preliminary final against Eastern Suburbs or the grand final against Parramatta.1981 NSWRFL Semi-final – Manly vs Newtown fight

HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeCrowd Qualifying Finals Newtown8–10 Parramatta5 September 1981Sydney Cricket GroundJohn Gocher17,265 Cronulla11–14 Manly6 September 1981Sydney Cricket GroundGreg Hartley21,635 Semi-finals Eastern Suburbs8–12 Parramatta12 September 1981Sydney Cricket GroundGreg Hartley27,600 Newtown20–15 Manly13 September 1981Sydney Cricket GroundJohn Gocher22,440 Preliminary final Eastern Suburbs5–15 Newtown19 September 1981Sydney Cricket GroundGreg Hartley25,243

Chart

Grand final ParramattaPositionNewtown Steve McKenzie FB Phil Sigsworth 2. Graeme Atkins WG 2. John Ferguson 3. Mick Cronin CE 3. Mick Ryan 4. Steve Ella CE 4. Brian Hetherington 5. Eric Grothe WG 5. Ray Blacklock 6. Brett Kenny FE 6. Paul Morris 7. Peter Sterling HB 7. Tommy Raudonikis (c) 13. Bob O'Reilly PR 13. Craig Ellis 12. Steve Edge (c) HK 12. Barry Jensen 11. Ron Hilditch PR 11. Steve Blyth 10. Kevin Stevens SR 10. Phil Gould 9. John Muggleton SR 9. Mick Pitman 8. Ray Price LK 8. Graeme O'Grady 14. Steve Sharp Reserve 14. Ken Wilson 18. Paul Taylor Reserve 15. Jim Walters Reserve 20. Shane McKellar Reserve 26. Geoff Bugden Jack Gibson Coach Warren Ryan

Newtown had reached their first grand final in twenty-six years. Parramatta led 7–6 at half-time, but the Jets looked set to spring a major upset when tough half back Tommy Raudonikis crashed over to score early in the second-half. Then the Eels' brilliant backline exploded into action. The combination of Brett Kenny, Mick Cronin, Peter Sterling, Eric Grothe and Steve Ella dominated and would go on to feature in five grand finals and four premierships by the end of 1986.

Steve Edge became the first player to captain two different sides to premiership victory having captained St. George to a win over the Eels in season 1977.

Master coach Jack Gibson had just six words for a packed Parramatta Leagues Club auditorium, who had just witnessed the Eels' first ever premiership since their 1947 entry to the competition. "Ding, dong, the witch is dead," he said before the thunderous chants of the success-starved blue and gold army of fans.

Match details

Cumberland Oval In the resultant celebrations at Parramatta with a large group of supporters having gathered at the Eels homeground of Cumberland Oval, subsequently lit a fire that burned the grandstand to the ground. In late 1984 a construction contract was signed by the NSW Government, with the new Parramatta Stadium being opened on 5 March 1986 by Queen Elizabeth II. Parramatta Stadium itself was knocked down along with the adjacent public pools, in 2017. The new stadium, the Western Sydney Stadium was opened on 14 April 2019.

Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 22.

Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals183 Steve Rogers13720183 Steve Gearin13720164 Mick Cronin6730142 Mark Ross8590138 Ron Giteau5611 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer15 Terry Fahey13 Steve Ella13 Steve Rogers13 John Gibbs13 Steve Gearin

Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer73 Mick Cronin72 Steve Rogers72 Steve Gearin61 Ron Giteau59 Mark Ross

Notes

References

External links Rugby League Tables – Season 1981 1981 Grand final at eraofthebiff.com Results:1981-90 at rabbitohs.com.au 1981 J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup at rleague.com NSWRFL season 1981 at rugbyleagueproject.com