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 to replace the former “Third Grade” as well as a five-team finals series (rather than the previous four).
Season summary The 1973 NSWRFL season saw the introduction of the metric system to the playing field, and a five-team semi-final series. Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March until August, resulting in a top five of Manly, Cronulla, St. George, Newtown and Canterbury who went on to battle it out in the finals.
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. A legendary speedster who started his career with North Sydney in 1958, Irvine finished his stellar career with two deserved premierships playing for Manly-Warringah. Irvine also finished his career as the highest ever tryscorer in the Sydney premiership (the record still stands as of 2020). He crossed for 171 tries in 176 games for Norths and 41 in 60 games for Manly.
Teams From 1973 onwards, Newtown were known as the “Jets”. Balmain 66th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Leo NosworthyCaptain: John Spencer Canterbury-Bankstown 39th seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: Malcolm CliftCaptain: Geoff Connell Cronulla-Sutherland 7th seasonGround: Endeavour Field Captain-coach: Tommy BishopEastern Suburbs 66th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Tony PaskinsCaptain: Ron Coote Manly-Warringah 27th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Ron WilleyCaptain: Fred Jones Newtown Jets 66th seasonGround: Henson Park Coach: Jack GibsonCaptain: Lionel Williamson North Sydney 66th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Noel KellyCaptain: Ross WarnerParramatta 27th seasonGround: Cumberland Oval Coach: Dave BoltonCaptain: Bob McCarthy Penrith 7th seasonGround: Penrith Stadium Coach: Bob Boland→Leo TrevenaCaptain: Ron LynchSouth Sydney 66th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Coach: Clive ChurchillCaptain: Bob McCarthy St. George 53rd seasonGround: Kogarah Jubilee Oval Captain-coach: Graeme LanglandsWestern Suburbs 66th seasonGround: Lidcombe Oval Coach: Don ParishCaptain: Tommy Raudonikis
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 F1 F2 F2R F3 GF BalmainSTG−15NOR+3PAR+7PEN−23CRO+3CBY−15NEW−24EAS−20SOU−2WES−5MAN−20STG−15NOR+6PAR−11PEN+5CRO−21CBY−35NEW−13EAS+1SOU−12WES+4MAN−39 Canterbury-BankstownMAN0NEW−6EAS+1SOU+9WES+28BAL+15STG−16NOR+11PAR+19PEN−5CRO−14MAN−8NEW−11EAS−7SOU+11WES+10BAL+35STG−3NOR+10PAR+6PEN+22CRO−7NEW−11 Cronulla-SutherlandNEW+3EAS−3SOU+1WES+26BAL−3STG+7NOR−6PAR+6PEN+14MAN−4CBY+14NEW+9EAS+5SOU+10WES+7BAL+21STG−5NOR+11PAR+29PEN+19MAN+2CBY+7STG+18MAN−10XNEW+9MAN−3 Eastern SuburbsPEN−11CRO+3CBY−1NEW+2MAN−9SOU−1WES−9BAL+20STG−9NOR+1PAR+41PEN+34CRO−5CBY+7NEW+3MAN+5SOU−2WES−10BAL−1STG+2NOR+10PAR+31 Manly-WarringahCBY0STG+13NEW−10NOR+23EAS+9PAR−10SOU+13PEN+36WES+4CRO+4BAL +20CBY+8STG+1NEW+2NOR+2EAS−5PAR+45SOU+7PEN+63WES+12CRO−2BAL+39XCRO+10XXCRO+3 NewtownCRO−3CBY+6MAN+10EAS−2SOU−6WES+2BAL+24STG+1NOR+5PAR+8PEN+20CRO−9CBY+11MAN−2EAS−3SOU−1WES+17BAL+13STG−18NOR+20PAR+31PEN+10CBY+11STG0STG+3CRO−9 North SydneyWES+17BAL−3STG−27MAN−23PAR+3PEN+6CRO+6CBY−11NEW−5EAS−1SOU0WES−9BAL−6STG+3MAN−2PAR+1PEN−1CRO−11CBY−10NEW−20EAS−10SOU+2 ParramattaSOU+17WES+9BAL−7STG−14NOR−3MAN+10PEN+9CRO−6CBY−19NEW−8EAS−41SOU+8WES−3BAL+11STG−23NOR−1MAN−45PEN−14CRO−29CBY−6NEW−31EAS−31 PenrithEAS+11SOU−10WES−7BAL+23STG−6NOR−6PAR−9MAN−36CRO−14CBY+5NEW−20EAS−34SOU−15WES−15BAL−5STG−16NOR+1PAR+14MAN−63CRO−19CBY−22NEW−10 South SydneyPAR−17PEN+10CRO−1CBY−9NEW+6EAS+1MAN−13WES+7BAL+2STG+2NOR0PAR−8PEN+15CRO−10CBY−11NEW+1EAS+2MAN−7WES+7BAL+12STG−9NOR−2 St. GeorgeBAL+15MAN−13NOR+27PAR+14PEN+6CRO−7CBY+16NEW−1EAS+9SOU−2WES+8BAL+15MAN−1NOR−3PAR+23PEN+16CRO+5CBY+3NEW+18EAS−2SOU+9WES+4CRO−18NEW0NEW−3 Western SuburbsNOR−17PAR−9PEN+7CRO−26CBY−28NEW−2EAS+9SOU−7MAN−4BAL+5STG−8NOR+9PAR+3PEN+15CRO−7CBY−10NEW−17EAS+10SOU−7MAN−12BAL−4STG−4 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 F1 F2 F2R F3 GF
Bold – Home game X – Bye Opponent for round listed above margin
Ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Manly221714500226+274352 Cronulla221705389219+170343 St. George221507372213+159304 Newtown221408358224+134285 Canterbury221219369269+100256 Eastern Suburbs2212010415314+101247 South Sydney2211110345367-22238 North Sydney227114239340-101159 Western Suburbs227015310414-1041410 Balmain227015254495-2411411 Parramatta226016275492-2171212 Penrith225017272525-25310
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. Team123456789101112131415161718192021221 Manly-Warringah 1 3 3 5 7 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 25 27 29 31 33 33 352 Cronulla-Sutherland 2 2 4 6 6 8 8 10 12 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 26 28 30 32 343 St. George 2 2 4 6 8 8 10 10 12 12 14 16 16 16 18 20 22 24 26 26 28 304 Newtown 0 2 4 4 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 16 18 18 18 18 20 22 22 24 26 285 Canterbury-Bankstown 1 1 3 5 7 9 9 11 13 13 13 13 13 13 15 17 19 19 21 23 25 256 Eastern Suburbs 0 2 2 4 4 4 4 6 6 8 10 12 12 14 16 18 18 18 18 20 22 247 South Sydney 0 2 2 2 4 6 6 8 10 12 13 13 15 15 15 17 19 19 21 23 23 238 North Sydney 2 2 2 2 4 6 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 11 11 13 13 13 13 13 13 159 Western Suburbs 0 0 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 6 6 8 10 12 12 12 12 14 14 14 14 1410 Balmain 0 2 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 10 10 10 10 12 12 14 1411 Parramatta 2 4 4 4 4 6 8 8 8 8 8 10 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 1212 Penrith 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 10 10 10 10 10
Finals HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Qualifying Finals Cronulla-Sutherland18–0 St. George25 August 1973Sydney Cricket GroundKeith Page37,778 Newtown13–2 Canterbury-Bankstown26 August 1973Sydney Sports GroundKeith Page17,778 Semi-finals Manly-Warringah14–4 Cronulla-Sutherland1 September 1973Sydney Cricket GroundKeith Page41,898 St. George12–12 Newtown2 September 1973Sydney Cricket GroundKeith Page24,390 St. George5–8 Newtown4 September 1973Sydney Sports GroundKeith Page27,791 Preliminary final Cronulla-Sutherland20–11 Newtown8 September 1973Sydney Cricket GroundKeith Page30,649 Grand final Manly-Warringah10–7 Cronulla-Sutherland15 September 1973Sydney Cricket GroundKeith Page52,044
Chart
* - Indicates only the replay match, and not the match ending in a draw.
Grand final Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesPositionCronulla-Sutherland Sharks Graham Eadie FB Warren Fisher 2. Ken Irvine WG 2. Ray Corcoran 3. Ray Branighan CE 3. Steve Rogers 4. Bob Fulton CE 4. Eric Archer 5. Max Brown WG 5. Bob Wear 6. Ian Martin FE 6. Chris Wellman 7. John Mayes HB 7. Tommy Bishop (c) 13. Bill Hamilton PR 13. Cliff Watson 12. Fred Jones (c) HK 12. Ron Turner 11. John O'Neill PR 11. Grahame Bowen 10. Peter Peters SR 10. Ken Maddison 9. Terry Randall SR 9. John Maguire 8. Mal Reilly LK 8. Greg Pierce 14. John Bucknall Bench 19. Rick BourkeRon Willey Coach Tommy Bishop After Cronulla-Sutherland's 14–4 loss in the major semi-final, Manly-Warringah 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.Sydney Sunday Telegraph 16 September 1973 Alan Clarkson wrote in the Sun Herald The fare served up in the first half belonged in the Colosseum.Sydney Sun Herald, 16 September 1973 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. Nevertheless, 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, Cronulla hooker Ron "Rocky" Turner set his sights on Reilly as the Englishman got an early kick away to take advantage of a strong breeze blowing towards the Bradman Stand (Paddington End). Turner missed Reilly the first time around, but didn't miss him a few minutes later. The Manly lock was left in agony from a badly bruised hip and had to leave the field for painkilling injections. Knowing he probably wouldn't last the first half he then returned to the field and created mayhem despite the injections he received failing to work properly. He set about doing as much physical damage to Cronulla players as he could, but bowed out in the 25th minute and was replaced by reserve forward John Bucknall, who had played in Manly's winning Reserve Grade Grand final side earlier in the day. Bucknall didn't think he would be needed and actually had a full lunch and soft drink shortly before the first grade game began.
After a number of brawls in the first half, referee Keith Page eventually called in all 26 players twice for mass cautions, threatening that any more foul play would result in players being sent off. Despite his warnings the back-alley tactics continued from both teams, and Page didn't send anyone from the field.
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. Fulton ran around to touch down near the posts and give Graham Eadie an easier shot at conversion which he duly slotted through the posts. 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. Fulton raced for the Brewongle Stand corner and managed to put the ball down before being bundled into touch by Rogers and replacement fullback Rick Bourke. From out wide Eadie missed the conversion to make it 8–2 after Steve Rogers had previously kicked a penalty goal.
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 Rick Bourke for a try (Bourke was flattened by Manly winger Max Brown as he scored, resulting in a broken thumb for Brown). Rogers easily kicked the conversion to reduce the deficit to just one point. 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. However, 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 2/6)
Cronulla-Sutherland 7 (Tries: Bourke. Goals: Rogers 2/5)
Man of the Match: Bob Fulton (Manly) Referee: Keith Page Attendance: 52,044
Player statistics