1957's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 50th season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Ten teams from across the city competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final between St. George and Manly-Warringah.
Season summary
Teams Balmain 50th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Sid RyanCaptain: Brian StauntonCanterbury-Bankstown seasonGround: Belmore Oval Captain-coach: Col GeelanEastern Suburbs 50th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Dave BrownCaptain: Tony PaskinsManly-Warringah 11th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Ken ArthursonCaptain: George HunterNewtown 50th seasonGround: Henson Park Captain-Coach: Dick PooleNorth Sydney 50th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Trevor AllanCaptain: Ken McCaffery, Bob Dawson Parramatta 11th seasonGround: Cumberland Oval Captain-Coach: Ken SlatterySouth Sydney 50th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Coach: Jack RaynerCaptain: Clive Churchill St. George 37th seasonGround: Kogarah Oval Captain-coach: Ken KearneyWestern Suburbs 50th seasonGround: Pratten Park Coach: Jack WalshCaptain: Keith Holman
Regular season
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 F1 F2 F3 GF BalmainSTG−6MAN−15PAR+24CBY+2SOU+27WES+14NOR−10EAS+14NEW+3STG−6MAN+16PAR+6CBY−4SOU−2WES−13NOR−7EAS+29NEW−1 Canterbury-BankstownNOR+3EAS−4NEW−15BAL−2MAN0PAR−4STG−37SOU−13WES−1NOR−8EAS−12NEW−8BAL+4MAN−10PAR+7STG−9SOU−14WES−34 Eastern SuburbsPAR+5CBY+4SOU+5WES−11NOR−8STG−21NEW−19BAL−14MAN−27PAR+7CBY+12SOU−2WES+4NOR+3STG+9NEW+19BAL−29MAN−7 Manly-WarringahNEW+11BAL+15STG−23PAR+7CBY0SOU−13WES+6NOR+21EAS+27NEW+9BAL−16STG−3PAR+21CBY+10SOU−9WES+5NOR−2EAS+7XSTG−14SOU+4STG−22 NewtownMAN−11PAR+35CBY+15SOU+6WES+8NOR−10EAS+19STG−3BAL−3MAN−9PAR−14CBY+8SOU+24WES−8NOR+6EAS−19STG−6BAL+1 North SydneyCBY−3SOU+8WES0STG−12EAS+8NEW+10BAL+10MAN−21PAR+15CBY+8SOU−1WES−6STG−30EAS−3NEW−6BAL+7MAN+2PAR+28 ParramattaEAS−5NEW−35BAL−24MAN−7STG−39CBY+4SOU−40WES−7NOR−15EAS−7NEW+14BAL−6MAN−21STG−23CBY−7SOU−36WES−20NOR−28 South SydneyWES−40NOR−8EAS−5NEW−6BAL−27MAN+13PAR+40CBY+13STG+22WES+6NOR+1EAS+2NEW−24BAL+2MAN+9PAR+36CBY+14STG−8WES+13XMAN−4 St. GeorgeBAL+6WES−18MAN+23NOR+12PAR+39EAS+21CBY+37NEW+3SOU−22BAL+6WES+8MAN+3NOR+30PAR+23EAS−9CBY+9NEW+6SOU+8XMAN+14XMAN+22 Western SuburbsSOU+40STG+18NOR0EAS+11NEW−8BAL−14MAN−6PAR+7CBY+1SOU−6STG−8NOR+6EAS−4NEW+8BAL+13MAN−5PAR+20CBY+34SOU−13 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 F1 F2 F3 GF
Bold – Home game X – Bye Opponent for round listed above margin
Ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 St. George181503417232+185302 Manly181116282209+73233 South Sydney181107354314+40224 Western Suburbs181017358251+107215 North Sydney18918292278+14196 Balmain18909352281+71187 Newtown18909267228+39188 Eastern Suburbs18909277347-70189 Canterbury183114182339-157710 Parramatta182016189491-3024
Ladder progression
Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 4. 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.
Team1234567891011121314151617181 St. George 2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 26 28 302 Manly-Warringah 2 4 4 6 7 7 9 11 13 15 15 15 17 19 19 21 21 233 South Sydney 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 14 16 18 20 22 224 Western Suburbs 2 4 5 7 7 7 7 9 11 11 11 13 13 15 17 17 19 215 North Sydney 0 2 3 3 5 7 9 9 11 13 13 13 13 13 13 15 17 196 Balmain 0 0 2 4 6 8 8 10 12 12 14 16 16 16 16 16 18 187 Newtown 0 2 4 6 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 12 14 14 16 16 16 188 Eastern Suburbs 2 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 10 10 12 14 16 18 18 189 Canterbury-Bankstown 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 7 7 7 710 Parramatta 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Finals HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Semifinals South Sydney26–13 Western Suburbs31 August 1957Sydney Cricket GroundDarcy Lawler46,957 St. George21–7 Manly-Warringah7 September 1957Sydney Cricket GroundDarcy Lawler39,845 Preliminary Final Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles15–11 South Sydney14 September 1957Sydney Cricket GroundDarcy Lawler39,065 Grand Final St. George31–9 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles21 September 1957Sydney Cricket GroundDarcy Lawler54,399
Grand Final St. GeorgePositionManly-Warringah Sea Eagles 26. Brian Graham FB Ron Willey 11. Tommy Ryan WG 2. Ray Ritchie 41. Ray Smith CE 4. Ray Quinnell 23. Jack Fifield CE 17. Bill Lloyd 25. Eddie Lumsden WG 5. George Hugo 8. Peter Carroll FE 33. Kevin Diett 7. Bob Bugden HB 7. Peter Burke Kevin Brown PR 13. Roy Bull 2. Ken Kearney (Ca./Co.) HK 12. George Lenon 14. Bryan Orrock PR 11. Denis Meaney 3. Harry Bath SR 10. Doug Daley 5. Norm Provan SR 9. Rex Mossop 6. Brian Clay LK 8. George Hunter (c) Coach Ken Arthurson Under 27 year-old coach Ken Arthurson, Manly were playing in their second grand final. The match began with Saints pounding the (then called) 'Seagulls' with some heavy tackling. Brian Clay in particular targeted Manly's Rex Mossop, often trapping the dual international forward with the ball. “Poppa” Clay had a fearsome reputation in defence and at one point he knocked the Manly captain George Hunter senseless.
Manly were up to the task in the first half with the score locked at 4–4 for 30 minutes. Straight after half time, the flood gates opened following a magnificent run up the centre by second-row forward Norm Provan. He palmed off Manly defenders, ran deep into their territory, high stepped past fullback Ron Willey and slipped the ball to Poppa Clay who scored under the posts.
A second Dragon try followed within three minutes and the game began to slip away from the Manly side. The Larry Writer reference quotes Manly coach Arthurson: "The sheer physical strength of the St. George team is in itself a formidable thing to overcome. Our fellows tried everything, but St. George had so much more to give. Those big fellows are so clever."Never Before, Never Again p 39
Harry Bath kicked eight goals from eight attempts establishing a standing record for the most goals in a grand final and the most points scored in a grand final (16). His fellow ball playing forward and tactician Ken Kearney had returned for this, the first of five successful seasons as coach (four as captain-coach).
St. George 31 (Tries: Clay 2, Ryan, Fifield, Lumsden. Goals: Bath 8.)
Manly 9 (Tries: Burke. Goals: Willey 3.)
Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18.
Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals165 Darcy Russell3780142 Ron Willey4650140 Alan Arkey0700115 Fred Dunn1560110 Doug Fleming2520 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer24 Tommy Ryan18 Eric Sladden18 Des Horne15 Eddie Lumsden15 Ian Moir15 Laurie McMahon
Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer78 Darcy Russell70 Alan Arkey65 Ron Willey56 Fred Dunn52 Doug Fleming
References Rugby League Tables - Season 1957 The World of Rugby League Writer, Larry (1995) Never Before, Never Again, Pan MacMillan, Sydney
Footnotes
External links Results:1951-60 at rabbitohs.com.au 1957 J J Giltinan Shield at rleague.com NSWRFL season 1957 at rugbyleagueproject.com 1957 Final at Dragons History site