The 1983 NSWRFL season was the 76th season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Fourteen teams competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a replay of the previous year's grand final between the Parramatta and Manly-Warringah clubs. During the season, NSWRFL teams also competed for the 1983 KB Cup.
1983 was the final season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for Sydney-based foundation club Newtown Jets, and the first reduction in the number of teams in the competition since Sydney University's departure at the end of the 1937 NSWRFL season. It was also the first season that was played with four-point tries.
Season summary For the first time, the number of points awarded for scoring a try was raised from three to four. There was also the introduction of a handover if a team was caught in possession six times, which had the effect of killing the traditional scrum but attracted many new followers to a game that had seen attendances decline by fifty percent since the record year of 1968.AFL Tables – Rugby League Crowds summary To counter a lucrative illegal betting market, legal betting via FootyTAB was introduced and was a regarded as a success.
Twenty-six regular season rounds were played from February till August, resulting in a top five of Manly-Warringah, Parramatta, Canterbury-Bankstown, Balmain and St. George, who battled it out in the finals. Manly-Warringah managed 23 wins from 28 matches in 1983 – at the time the most wins in a season by a club in NSWRFL premiership history alongside Parramatta's 23 in 1982.
The 1983 season's Rothmans Medallist was Eastern Suburbs’ back, Michael Eden and the Dally M Award went to Western Suburbs’ half, Terry Lamb. Rugby League Week gave their player of the year award to Manly-Warringah winger, Phil Sigsworth. This season the Coca-Cola Coach-of-the-year award was voted for by the coaches in the League and was awarded to rookie coach Laurie Freier.
This was also the last year in the first-grade competition for foundation club Newtown, who were dropped at the season's end.
The Round 2 game between Illawarra and Manly-Warringah at the Wollongong Showground was refereed by French Rugby League Federation referee Julien Rascagnères who had refereed the Ashes series during the 1982 Kangaroo tour.1983 Winfield Cup Round 2 Illawarra vs Manly summary1983 Winfield Cup Round 2 Illawarra vs Manly highlights
Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous season, with fourteen clubs competing in total, including six Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from Sydney, one from greater New South Wales and one from the Australian Capital Territory. It was the last season for the Newtown club. Balmain Tigers 76th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Frank StantonCaptain: Wayne PearceCanberra Raiders 2nd seasonGround: Seiffert Oval Coach: Don FurnerCaptain: Allan McMahonCanterbury Bulldogs 48th seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: Ted GlossopCaptain: Chris AndersonCronulla Sharks 17th seasonGround: Endeavour Field Coach: Terry FearnleyCaptain: Gavin MillerEastern Suburbs Roosters 76th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Laurie FreierCaptain: Royce AyliffeIllawarra Steelers 2nd seasonGround: Wollongong Stadium Coach: Allan FitzgibbonCaptain: John DorahyManly-Warringah Sea Eagles 37th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Bob Fulton Captain: Max KrilichNewtown Jets 76th seasonGround: Henson Park, Orana Park Coach: Brian MooreCaptain: Ken Wilson, Dean LanceNorth Sydney Bears 76th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: John Hayes, Greg HawickCaptain: Mark Graham, John AdamParramatta Eels 37th seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: Jack GibsonCaptain: Steve EdgePenrith Panthers 17th seasonGround: Penrith Stadium Coach: John PeardCaptain: Royce SimmonsSouth Sydney Rabbitohs 76th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Coach: Ron WilleyCaptain: Ziggy NiszczotSt. George Dragons 63rd seasonGround: Kogarah Oval Coach: Roy MastersCaptain: Craig Young, John JansenWestern Suburbs Magpies 76th seasonGround: Lidcombe Oval Coach: Len StackerCaptain: Warren Boland
Ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Manly262204690361+329442 Parramatta261808639293+346363 Canterbury261808531409+122364 Balmain261709525438+87345 St. George2614111551450+101296 Eastern Suburbs2614111579492+87297 North Sydney2613112435446-11278 South Sydney2612113439495-56259 Cronulla2612014450520-702410 Canberra269017495614-1191811 Penrith269017476647-1711812 Illawarra268018451644-1931613 Newtown267217373591-2181614 Western Suburbs265219394628-23412
Finals HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeCrowd Playoff St. George Dragons44-16 Eastern Suburbs Roosters30 August 1983Sydney Cricket GroundB. Barnes17,981 Qualifying Finals Balmain Tigers14-17 St. George Dragons3 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundKevin Roberts24,652 Parramatta Eels30-22 Canterbury Bulldogs4 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundB. Barnes22,311 Semi-finals Canterbury Bulldogs26-24 St. George Dragons10 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundJohn Gocher27,867 Manly Sea Eagles19-10 Parramatta Eels11 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundKevin Roberts28,921 Preliminary final Parramatta Eels18-4 Canterbury Bulldogs18 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundKevin Roberts27,726 Grand final Manly Sea Eagles6-18 Parramatta Eels25 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundKevin Roberts40,285
Chart
Grand final Manly Sea EaglesPositionParramatta Eels Graham Eadie FB Paul Taylor 2. John Ribot WG 2. David Liddiard 3. Chris Close CE 3. Mick Cronin 4. Phil Sigsworth CE 4. Steve Ella 5. Kerry Boustead WG 5. Eric Grothe 6. Alan Thompson (c) FE 6. Brett Kenny 7. Phil Blake HB 7. Peter Sterling 8. Ian Schubert LK 8. Ray Price 9. Noel Cleal SR 9. Steve Sharp 10. Paul Vautin SR 10. Peter Wynn 11. Paul McCabe PR 11. Paul Mares 12. Ray Brown HK 12. Steve Edge (c) 13. Geoff Gerard PR 13. Stan Jurd 18. Glenn Ryan Reserve 16. Chris Phelan 20. Rick Chisolm Reserve 20. Gary Martine 25. Michael Blake Reserve 22. Mark Laurie Reserve 23. Don Duffy Bob Fulton Coach Jack Gibson Parramatta powered over Manly for the second year straight to claim their third successive title. The 18–6 win saw Brett Kenny claim a unique achievement in scoring two tries in three successive grand finals. Kenny opened the scoring and the Eels raced to a 10–0 lead after 13 minutes when Eric Grothe steamrolled burly Manly fullback Graham Eadie.
Parramatta 18 (Tries: Brett Kenny 2, Eric Grothe; Goals: Cronin 3)
defeated
Manly-Warringah 6 (Tries: Phil Sigsworth; Goals: Graham Eadie)
Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26:
Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals244 Michael Eden11992214 Graham Eadie7930202 Mick Cronin4930193 Ron Giteau5861192 Ross Conlon7820 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer26 Phil Blake20 Neil Hunt19 Chris Anderson18 Steve Morris18 Shane McKellar
Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer99 Michael Eden93 Graham Eadie93 Mick Cronin86 Ron Giteau82 Ross Conlon
References
External links Rugby League Tables - Season 1983 The World of Rugby League Results: 1981-90 at rabbitohs.com.au 1983 J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup at rleague.com NSWRFL season 1983 at rugbyleagueproject.org