The 1975 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 68th season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Twelve teams, including six of 1908's foundation clubs and another six from across Sydney competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final match for the WD & HO Wills Cup between the Eastern Suburbs and St. George clubs.1975 J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup at rleague.com NSWRFL teams also competed for the 1975 Amco Cup.

Season summary Each side faced each other twice in twenty-two regular season rounds from March to August,Results: 1971-1980 at rabbitohs.com.au resulting in a top five of Eastern Suburbs, Manly-Warringah, St. George, Canterbury-Bankstown and Parramatta who battled it out for the premiership over six finals matches. With three sides finishing in equal fifth place, two elimination finals playoffs also had to be played.NSWRFL 1975 at rugbyleagueproject.org

Western Suburbs had 1 point deducted for fielding an ineligible player in round 8. After losing two consecutive matches in rounds 2 and 3, defending premiers Eastern Suburbs posted nineteen consecutive wins to close out the regular season; a streak than ran from round 4 to round 22 and remained the record for the most consecutive wins in premiership history until Melbourne Storm equalled the record in 2021; Round 3 to Round 23, although they were later eliminated by eventual Premiers Penrith Panthers in the preliminary final.

The 1975 season's Rothmans Medallist was Cronulla-Sutherland centre Steve Rogers. Rugby League Week gave their player of the year award to Manly-Warringah back Bob Fulton.

Teams BalmainTigers 68th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Paul BroughtonCaptain: Brian Lockwood, Keith OuttenCanterbury-Bankstown 45th seasonGround: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Malcolm CliftCaptain(s): Tim Pickup, John Peek, Barry PhillisCronulla-SutherlandSharks 9th seasonGround: Endeavour Field Coach: Johnny RaperCaptain: Greg PierceEastern SuburbsRoosters 68th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Jack GibsonCaptain: Arthur BeetsonManly-WarringahSea Eagles 29th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Frank StantonCaptain(s): Bob Fulton / Mal ReillyNewtownJets 68th seasonGround: Henson Park Coach: Clarrie JeffriesCaptain: Barry CoxNorth SydneyBears 68th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Noel KellyCaptain: Bruce WalkerParramattaEels 29th seasonGround: Cumberland Oval Coach: Norm ProvanCaptain(s): John Baker,→ Denis FitzgeraldPenrithPanthers 9th seasonGround: Penrith Football Stadium Coach: Barry Harris & Mike StephensonCaptain: Zac OlejarnikSouth SydneyRabbitohs 68th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Coach(s): Clive Churchill / Bob McCarthyCaptain: Bob McCarthySt. GeorgeDragons 55th seasonGround: Kogarah Oval Captain-coach: Graeme LanglandsWestern SuburbsMagpies 68th seasonGround: Lidcombe Oval Coach: Don ParishCaptain: Tom 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 F3 F4 F5 GF Balmain TigersEAS−3PAR+3NOR−7NEW−10SOU−37STG−26CRO+2MAN−13WES−16PEN+15CBY+5STG+3EAS−2NOR+13NEW+2SOU+15PAR−21CRO−1MAN+3WES0PEN+7CBY−1XPAR−11 Canterbury-BankstownSTG+4CRO−11MAN−12WES+1PEN+22SOU+13EAS−19PAR+5NOR+44NEW0BAL−5SOU+3STG+1MAN+18WES0PEN−15CRO−8EAS−22PAR−1NOR−1NEW+25BAL+1XXPAR−1 Cronulla-Sutherland SharksPEN−2CBY+11EAS+4PAR−7NOR+4NEW+2BAL−2STG0SOU+30MAN−6WES−6NEW−9PEN−25EAS−2PAR+14NOR+13CBY+8BAL+1STG−3SOU−6MAN−10WES−14 Eastern Suburbs RoostersBAL+3STG−8CRO−4MAN+6WES+6PEN+13CBY+19SOU+3PAR+5NOR+14NEW+9PEN+17BAL+2CRO+2MAN+1WES+1STG+34CBY+22SOU+19PAR+19NOR+23NEW+27XXXSTG−3MAN+15STG+38 Manly Warringah Sea EaglesWES+2PEN+19CBY+12EAS−6PAR−15NOR+8NEW+13BAL+13STG+1CRO+6SOU+4NOR+6WES−18CBY−18EAS−1PAR+19PEN+17NEW+5BAL−3STG−3CRO+10SOU+54XXSTG−7PAR+10EAS−15 Newtown JetsPAR−9NOR−8SOU−7BAL+10STG−17CRO−2MAN−13WES+11PEN+14CBY0EAS−9CRO+9PAR+11SOU+6BAL−2STG−6NOR−7MAN−5WES+3PEN0CBY−25EAS−27 North Sydney BearsSOU−4NEW+8BAL+7STG−3CRO−4MAN−8WES−13PEN+25CBY−44EAS−14PAR−12MAN−6SOU+2BAL−13STG+6CRO−13NEW+7WES+3PEN+21CBY+1EAS−23PAR−15 Parramatta EelsNEW+9BAL−3STG−10CRO+7MAN+15WES−17PEN+5CBY−5EAS−5SOU−7NOR+12WES−4NEW−11STG0CRO−14MAN−19BAL+21PEN+15CBY+1EAS−19SOU+32NOR+15WES+5BAL+11CBY+1MAN−10 Penrith PanthersCRO+2MAN−19WES+9SOU−5CBY−22EAS−13PAR−5NOR−25NEW−14BAL−15STG−9EAS−17CRO+25WES+5SOU+2CBY+15MAN−17PAR−15NOR−21NEW0BAL−7STG+6 South Sydney RabbitohsNOR+4WES−11NEW+7PEN+5BAL+37CBY−13STG−7EAS−3CRO−30PAR+7MAN−4CBY−3NOR−2NEW−6PEN−2BAL−15WES−11STG−17EAS−19CRO+6PAR−32MAN−54 St. George DragonsCBY−4EAS+8PAR+10NOR+3NEW+17BAL+26SOU+7CRO0MAN−1WES+7PEN+9BAL−3CBY−1PAR0NOR−6NEW+6EAS−34SOU+17CRO+3MAN+3WES−14PEN−6XXMAN+7EAS+3XEAS−38 Western Suburbs MagpiesMAN−2SOU+11PEN−9CBY−1EAS−6PAR+17NOR+13NEW−11BAL+16STG−7CRO+6PAR+4MAN+18PEN−5CBY0EAS−1SOU+11NOR−3NEW−3BAL0STG+14CRO+14PAR−5 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 F3 F4 F5 GF

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

Ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Eastern Suburbs222002431198+233402 Manly221507439314+125303 St. George221228341294+47264 Canterbury221129330287+43245 Western Suburbs2210210365289+76216 Parramatta2210111391373+18217 Balmain2210111288357-69218 Cronulla229112370375-5199 North Sydney229013322414-921810 Newtown227213349422-731611 Penrith227114312452-1401512 South Sydney226016298461-16312 Western Suburbs were stripped of 1 competition point due to an illegal replacement in one game.

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 Eastern Suburbs Roosters 2 2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 402 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 2 4 6 6 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 20 20 20 22 24 26 26 26 28 303 St. George Dragons 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 13 13 15 17 17 17 18 18 20 20 22 24 26 26 264 Canterbury-Bankstown 2 2 2 4 6 8 8 10 12 13 13 15 17 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 22 245 Western Suburbs Magpies 0 2 2 2 2 4 6 6 8 8 10 12 14 14 15 14 16 16 16 17 19 216 Parramatta Eels 2 2 2 4 6 6 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 11 11 11 13 15 17 17 19 217 Balmain Tigers 0 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 6 8 10 10 12 14 16 16 16 18 19 21 218 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 0 2 4 4 6 8 8 9 11 11 11 11 11 11 13 15 17 19 19 19 19 199 North Sydney Bears 0 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 10 10 12 14 16 18 18 1810 Newtown Jets 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 4 6 7 7 9 11 13 13 13 13 13 15 16 16 1611 Penrith Panthers 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 8 10 12 12 12 12 13 13 1512 South Sydney Rabbitohs 2 2 4 6 8 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 12 12

Finals Balmain, Parramatta and Western Suburbs tied for fifth place, necessitating a play-off drawn from a hat. HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Playoffs Western Suburbs13–18 Parramatta26 August 1975Sydney Cricket GroundGreg Hartley9,920 Parramatta19–8 Balmain28 August 1975Sydney Cricket GroundGary Cook19,914 Qualifying Finals Manly-Warringah3–10 St. George30 August 1975Sydney Cricket GroundLaurie Bruyeres23,492 Canterbury-Bankstown5–6 Parramatta31 August 1975Sydney Cricket GroundGary Cook19,312 Semi-finals Eastern Suburbs5–8 St. George6 September 1975Sydney Cricket GroundLaurie Bruyeres28,851 Manly-Warringah22–12 Parramatta7 September 1975Sydney Cricket GroundGary Cook26,109 Preliminary final Eastern Suburbs28–13 Manly-Warringah13 September 1975Sydney Cricket GroundLaurie Bruyeres31,645 Grand final St. George0–38 Eastern Suburbs20 September 1975Sydney Cricket GroundLaurie Bruyeres63,047Rugby League Tables – Season 1975 at stats.rleague.com

Chart

Grand final St. GeorgePositionEastern Suburbs 1. Graeme Langlands (Ca./Co) FB 1. Ian Schubert 2. Paul Mills WG 2. Bruce Pickett 3. Roy Ferguson CE 3. John Brass 4. Ted Goodwin CE 4. John Rheinberger 5. John Chapman WG 5. Bill Mullins 6. John Bailey FE 6. John Peard 7. Billy Smith HB 7. Johnny Mayes 13. Barry Beath PR 13. Ian Mackay 12. Steve Edge HK 12. Elwyn Walters 11. Henry Tatana PR 18. Grant Hedger 10. Peter Fitzgerald SR 11. Arthur Beetson (c) 9. Robert Stone SR 10. Ron Coote 8. Lindsay Drake LK 8. Kevin Stevens 14. Robert Finch Reserve 9. Barry Reilly 15. Bruce Starkey Reserve 19. Des O'Reilly Coach Jack Gibson This was the first grand final to be telecast in colour. The star-studded Eastern Suburbs line up had lost only 2 matches in the 22-game regular season and were clear starting favourites. However, St. George looked a chance early on when utility back "Lord Ted" Goodwin put on a chip and chase. Goodwin collided with Eastern Suburbs' fullback Ian Schubert, came off second best and was out of touch for the remainder of the match. Things were also wrong with captain-coach Graeme Langlands who was struggling with his coordination following an ill-directed pain killing injection that numbed his right leg and severely affected his form.

At half-time, Eastern Suburbs were up 5–0. Just after the break the Roosters' prop Ian McKay crashed over from close range and the floodgates opened. Eastern Suburbs unleashed a torrent of tries with Johnny Mayes, Arthur Beetson, John Brass, Bruce Pickett and boom recruit Schubert all scoring.

Despite his numbed leg, Langlands returned in the second half hoping it would come good. It didn't and he was replaced. By the end of the game, St. George had been completely demoralised by Easts in a 38–0 record Grand final defeat. Fellow Immortal and peer Australian Captain Arthur Beetson attempted in vain to console the forlorn Langlands at match end.

Easts' eight tries in the grand final matched South Sydney's record achievement in the 1951 final (subsequently equalled again by Manly in 2008).

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

Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals223 Graham Eadie13920183 John Brass4851183 John Dorahy11750156 Steve Rogers8660153 Eric Simms5682 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer14 Johnny Mayes14 Mark Harris13 Bob Fulton13 Graham Eadie12 Jim Porter

Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer92 Graham Eadie85 John Brass75 John Dorahy68 Eric Simms66 Steve Rogers

Notes

References