The 1976 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 69th 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 around Sydney, competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Manly-Warringah and Parramatta clubs. NSWRFL teams also competed for the 1976 Amco Cup.
Season summary This season Eastern Suburbs became the first rugby league team, and one of the first in Australian sport, to have a sponsor's name appear on their jersey.
Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March till August resulting in a top five of Manly-Warringah, Parramatta, St. George, Eastern Suburbs and Canterbury-Bankstown, who battled it out in the finals.
In a one-off match that would form the foundation of the modern World Club Challenge, the previous season's premiers, Eastern Suburbs played British Champions St Helens R.F.C. on the 29th of June at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 26,865 turned out to see the Roosters beat the Saints 25 to 2.
This season Parramatta front-rower and captain Ray Higgs won both the Rothmans Medal and the Rugby League Week player of the year award.
The 1976 season also saw the retirement from the League of future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Graeme Langlands.
Teams BalmainTigers 69th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Paul BroughtonCaptain: Dennis ManteitCanterbury-Bankstown 42nd seasonGround: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Malcolm CliftCaptain: Tim PickupCronulla-SutherlandSharks 10th seasonGround: Endeavour Field Coach: John RaperCaptain: Greg PierceRoger MillwardEastern SuburbsRoosters 69th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Jack GibsonCaptain: Arthur BeetsonManly-WarringahSea Eagles 30th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Frank StantonCaptain: Bob FultonNewtownJets 69th season Ground: Henson Park Coach: Clarrie JeffriesCaptain: John FloydNorth SydneyBears 69th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Noel KellyCaptain: Bruce WalkerParramattaEels 30th seasonGround: Cumberland Oval Coach: Terry Fearnley Captain: Ray HiggsPenrithPanthers 10th seasonGround: Penrith Park Coach: Barry HarrisCaptain: Mike StephensonSouth SydneyRabbitohs 69th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Coach: Johnny KingCaptain: Gary StevensSt. GeorgeDragons 56th seasonGround: Jubilee Oval Captain-coach: Graeme LanglandsCaptain(from May 76): Steve EdgeWestern SuburbsMagpies 69th 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 23 F1 F2 F3 GF Balmain TigersCBY−1STG+13PAR+16NOR+8EAS+5PEN+14NEW+13SOU+17WES0CRO−3MAN−14NEW−2CBY−17XPAR−4NOR−10EAS+6PEN+7STG−11SOU+10WES+1CRO+2MAN−19 Canterbury-BankstownBAL+1CRO0MAN−10WES−7STG+2PAR+7NOR+17EAS−1PEN−17NEW+3SOU+13NOR0BAL+17CRO−16MAN+4WES+9STG+1PAR0EAS−23XPEN−4NEW+16SOU+12EAS+9STG+16MAN−3 Cronulla-Sutherland SharksMAN−12CBY0STG−3PAR−19NOR+14EAS−11PEN+8NEW−4SOU+34BAL+3WES−13PEN+1MAN−11CBY+16STG−1PAR−23NOR+11EAS−20NEW+17XSOU−3BAL−2WES+3 Eastern Suburbs RoostersWES−3PEN+4NEW+4SOU−1BAL−5CRO+11MAN+1CBY+1STG−3PAR0NOR+31MAN−5WES+3PEN+7NEW+36SOU+10BAL−6CRO+20CBY+23XSTG−3PAR−7NOR+31CBY−9 Manly Warringah Sea EaglesCRO+12WES+4CBY+10STG+26PAR−3NOR+25EAS−1PEN+13NEW+51SOU+2BAL+14EAS+5CRO+11WES+22CBY−4STG−8PAR−4NOR+23XPEN−1NEW+8SOU+23BAL+19XPAR−6CBY+3PAR+3 Newtown JetsPAR+3NOR−9EAS−4PEN−5WES−24SOU−18BAL−13CRO+4MAN−51CBY−3STG−8BAL+2PAR−24NOR−5EAS−36PEN−7WES−11SOU−15CRO−17XMAN−8CBY−16STG−17 North Sydney BearsPEN−34NEW+9SOU−5BAL−8CRO−14MAN−25CBY−17STG−3PAR−36WES−29EAS−31CBY0PEN+6NEW+5SOU−21BAL+10CRO−11MAN−23XSTG+7PAR+6WES−9EAS−31 Parramatta EelsNEW−3SOU+17BAL−16CRO+19MAN+3CBY−7STG−16WES+4NOR+36EAS0PEN+2STG+11NEW+24SOU+14BAL+4CRO+23MAN+4CBY0XWES−12NOR−6EAS+7PEN+1STG+25MAN+6XMAN−3 Penrith PanthersNOR+34EAS−4WES0NEW+5SOU−11BAL−14CRO−8MAN−13CBY+17STG+11PAR−2CRO−1NOR−6EAS−7WES+23NEW+7SOU−6BAL−7XMAN+1CBY+4STG−3PAR−1 South Sydney RabbitohsSTG−21PAR−17NOR+5EAS+1PEN+11NEW+18WES−4BAL−17CRO−34MAN−2CBY−13WES−21STG−6PAR−14NOR+21EAS−10PEN+6NEW+15XBAL−10CRO+3MAN−23CBY−12 St. George DragonsSOU+21BAL−13CRO+3MAN−26CBY−2WES−10PAR+16NOR+3EAS+3PEN−11NEW+8PAR−11SOU+6XCRO+1MAN+8CBY−1WES+8BAL+11NOR−7EAS+3PEN+3NEW+17PAR−25CBY−16 Western Suburbs MagpiesEAS+3MAN−4PEN0CBY+7NEW+24STG+10SOU+4PAR−4BAL0NOR+29CRO+13SOU+21EAS−3MAN−22PEN−23CBY−9NEW+11STG−8XPAR+12BAL−1NOR+9CRO−3 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 TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Manly221606499252+247322 Parramatta221426347238+109303 St. George221408328298+30284 Eastern Suburbs221318399250+149275 Canterbury221237361337+24276 Balmain221219318287+31257 Western Suburbs221129379313+66248 Cronulla229112378393-15199 Penrith228113352333+191710 South Sydney228014297421-1241611 North Sydney226115272526-2541312 Newtown223019264546-2826
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 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 2 4 6 8 8 10 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 24 24 26 26 26 28 30 322 Parramatta Eels 0 2 2 4 6 6 6 8 10 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 26 26 26 26 28 303 St. George Dragons 2 2 4 4 4 4 6 8 10 10 12 12 14 14 16 18 18 20 22 22 24 26 284 Eastern Suburbs Roosters 0 2 4 4 4 6 8 10 10 11 13 13 15 17 19 21 21 23 25 25 25 25 275 Canterbury-Bankstown 2 3 3 3 5 7 9 9 9 11 13 14 16 16 18 20 22 23 23 23 23 25 276 Balmain Tigers 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 17 19 19 21 23 25 257 Western Suburbs Magpies 2 2 3 5 7 9 11 11 12 14 16 18 18 18 18 18 20 20 20 22 22 24 248 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 0 1 1 1 3 3 5 5 7 9 9 11 11 13 13 13 15 15 17 17 17 17 199 Penrith Panthers 2 2 3 5 5 5 5 5 7 9 9 9 9 9 11 13 13 13 13 15 17 17 1710 South Sydney Rabbitohs 0 0 2 4 6 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 10 10 12 14 14 14 16 16 1611 North Sydney Bears 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 5 7 7 9 9 9 9 11 13 13 1312 Newtown Jets 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Finals Parramatta were first into the Grand final, triumphing 23–17 in a bloody and brutal major semi-final against Manly. Manly earned a grand final berth the following week, surviving a Canterbury comeback to win 15–12.Heads, p. 365
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeCrowd Qualifying Finals Parramatta31–6 St. George28 August 1976Sydney Cricket GroundGreg Hartley28,264 Eastern Suburbs Roosters13–22 Canterbury-Bankstown29 August 1976Sydney Cricket GroundGary Cook27,203 Semi-finals Manly-Warringah17–23 Parramatta4 September 1976Sydney Cricket GroundGreg Hartley30,999 St. George9–25 Canterbury-Bankstown5 September 1976Sydney Cricket GroundGary Cook27,261 Preliminary final Manly-Warringah15–12 Canterbury-Bankstown11 September 1976Sydney Cricket GroundGary Cook31,381 Grand final Parramatta10–13 Manly-Warringah18 September 1976Sydney Cricket GroundGary Cook57,343
Chart
Grand final ParramattaPositionManly-Warringah Mark Levy FB Graham Eadie2. Jim Porter WG 2. Tom Mooney3. Ed Sulkowicz CE 3. Russel Gartner 4. John Moran CE 4. Bob Fulton (c) 5. Neville Glover WG 5. Rod Jackson 6. John Peard FE 6. Alan Thompson 7. John Kolc HB 7. Gary Stephens 13. Graham Olling PR 13. John Harvey 12. Ron Hilditch HK 12. Max Krilich 11. Denis Fitzgerald PR 11. Terry Randall 10. Geoff Gerard SR 10. Steve Norton 9. Ray Higgs (c)SR 9. Phil Lowe 8. Ray Price LK 8. Ian Martin 14. Graeme Atkinson Reserve 14. Gary Thoroughgood 15. John Baker Reserve 17. Mark Willoughby Terry Fearnley Coach Frank Stanton In 1976, after 30 years of competition, Parramatta reached their first grand final since their admission into the NSWRFL premiership in 1947. Their opponents were Manly-Warringah, who had also joined the premiership in 1947, but were playing in their eighth Grand final, having previously won in 1972 and 1973 with captain Bob Fulton, fullback Graham Eadie, forward Terry Randall and lock Ian Martin having played in those two premiership teams.
Jim Porter scored first, getting Parramatta to a 5–0 lead. A penalty goal to Graham Eadie closed the score to 5–2 before Alan Thompson sidestepped through to send Phil Lowe in for Manly's first and only try. Scores were locked 7–7 at half time.
Geoff Gerard scored an unconverted try for the Eels early in the second half, then two penalties gave Manly an 11–10 lead.
Parramatta missed a critical opportunity to win the game and their first ever premiership with ten minutes of the match remaining: 15 metres out from a wide-open tryline,Top 10 finals blunders, The Daily Telegraph (2010 News Limited) Eels winger Neville Glover dropped the pass from John Moran which would have given the Eels the match-winning try in the Paddington Hill corner.
Another penalty gave Manly a 13–10 lead. In the frantic dying minutes Parramatta threw everything they had at the Manly defence including the infamous "flying wedge" of dubious legality which had Ron Hilditch at the apex of a phalanx of players driving him towards the line. The wedge was somehow stopped by Eadie a foot short of the try line.
The Manly defence held and the Sea Eagles secured their third premiership in five seasons, while the Eels would have to wait five more years for their first.
It was Bob Fulton's 213th and final match for Manly after a ten-year career with the club and the grand final victory was largely credited to his play. He accepted the J.J. Giltinan Shield and was able to end his playing career at Manly on a victory. He would later return to the club as a coach in the 1980s but first he would finish his playing years and then commence coaching at Eastern Suburbs (Fulton would join Easts in 1977, on an offer from the club that was backed by one of Australia's richest men and a supporter of the future rugby league Immortal, Kerry Packer).
Manly's win was a triumph for the powerful triumvirate of Fulton, coach Frank Stanton and Secretary Ken Arthurson who would all go on to higher honours in the game. For Stanton, it was his first success in a coaching career which was to bring two premierships and two Ashes-winning Kangaroo tours. Arthurson had brought to the club players of a calibre to enable five Grand final appearances in the 1970s for four victories. He would go on to become the Chairman of the New South Wales Rugby League and later the Australian Rugby League.
Manly-Warringah 13 (Tries: Lowe. Goals: Eadie 5/6)
Parramatta 10 (Tries: Porter, Gerard. Goals: Peard 2/3)
Referee: Gary CookAttendance: 57,343
Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 22.
Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals207 Graham Eadie9900161 Ron Giteau7700143 John Brass5640136 Don Moseley2650130 Ken Wilson3601 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer18 Bob Fulton18 Tom Mooney16 Terry Fahey14 Martin Raftery12 Bruce Walker
Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer90 Graham Eadie70 Ron Giteau65 Don Moseley64 John Brass60 Ken Wilson
References
External links Heads, Ian (1992) True Blue The Story of the NSW Rugby League, Ironbark Press, Randwick, NSW Whiticker, Alan (1994) Grand finals of the NSW Rugby League, Gary Allen Pty Ltd, Smithfield, NSW Rugby League Tables – Season 1976 The World of Rugby League Results: 1971-80 at rabbitohs.com.au 1976 J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup at rleague.com NSWRFL season 1976 at rugbyleagueproject.org 1976 Grand final at soaringseaeagles.tripod.com