1971 NSWRFL season

The 1971 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixty-fourth season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Twelve teams, including six foundation clubs and another six admitted since 1908, competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a Grand Final match for the W.D. & H.O. Wills between the South Sydney and St. George clubs.

1971 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams12
Premiers South Sydney (20th title)
Minor premiers Manly-Warringah (1st title)
Matches played136
Points scored4477
Attendance1562338
Top points scorer(s) Graeme Langlands (196)
Player of the year Denis Pittard (Rothmans Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Paul Cross (18)

Season summary

The season saw the number of tackles in a set increased from four to six. In addition, the number of points awarded for a field goal was reduced from two to one.[1]

Each side met all others twice in twenty-two regular season rounds, resulting in the top four teams consisting of Manly-Warringah, South Sydney, St. George and Parramatta who fought out three finals for the right to play in the Grand Final.

The 1971 Rothmans Medal was won by South Sydney's five-eighth Denis Pittard while Rugby League Week awarded their player of the year award to South Sydney's halfback Bob Grant.

This season marked the end of a 23-year run where all but two of the premierships were won by St. George or South Sydney.[note 1]

The 1971 season saw a ban imposed by the NSWRL on TV coverage of games in the Sydney premiership. It was believed that TV coverage was a contributing factor to falling attendances at games. As a result, only the Grand Final was televised, and even then as a one-hour late night highlights package rather than live coverage. The ban was lifted for the 1972 season onwards, as in practice it was shown to have negligible effect on match attendances.

In the sixteenth round, a “double-header” — Balmain played St. George at 1 P.M. and Parramatta played South Sydney at 2:30 P.M. — was held for the first time at the Sydney Cricket Ground, although it did not meet expectation.[2] The “double header” was decided upon[3] after it was feared that protests against the apartheid South Africa rugby union tourists, who were scheduled to play in Sydney that Saturday, would affect attendances at League games.[4]

Teams

Balmain

64th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Leo Nosworthy
Captain: Keith Outten

Canterbury-Bankstown

37th season
Ground:Belmore Sports Ground
Coach: Bob Hagan
Captain(s): Johnny Greaves / Terry Reynolds

Cronulla-Sutherland

5th season
Ground: Endeavour Field
Captain-coach: Tommy Bishop

Eastern Suburbs

64th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Don Furner
Captain: Kevin Junee

Manly-Warringah

25th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Ron Willey
Captain: Fred Jones

Newtown

64th season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Harry Bath
Captain: Brian Moore / Barry Briggs

North Sydney

64th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Merv Hicks
Captain: Noel Cavanagh

Parramatta

25th season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Coach: Ian Walsh
Captain: Dick Thornett

Penrith

5th season
Ground: Penrith Park
Coach: Bob Boland
Captain: Ian McKechnie

South Sydney

64th season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Clive Churchill
Captain: John Sattler

St. George

51st season
Ground: Kogarah Jubilee Oval
Coach: Jack Gibson
Captain: Graeme Langlands

Western Suburbs

64th season
Ground: Lidcombe Oval
Coach: Ron Watson
Captain: 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 F3 GF
Balmain PEN
+22
SOU
−17
NEW
+15
EAS
+3
STG
−25
MAN
−24
PAR
−8
WES
+9
CRO
+23
CBY
−12
NOR
+19
PEN
−4
SOU
−26
NEW
+3
EAS
+6
STG
−9
MAN
−18
PAR
−11
WES
+4
CRO
+2
CBY
+18
NOR
−2
Canterbury-Bankstown WES
−43
PAR
−24
MAN
−27
NOR
−7
PEN
+10
SOU
−17
STG
+5
EAS
−17
NEW
−10
BAL
+12
CRO
+16
WES
+20
PAR
+1
MAN
−10
NOR
+7
PEN
+12
SOU
+3
STG
−12
EAS
+4
NEW
+14
BAL
−18
CRO
−6
Cronulla-Sutherland NOR
+39
PEN
+19
SOU
−1
NEW
−1
EAS
−6
STG
−4
WES
+14
MAN
+7
BAL
−23
PAR
−9
CBY
−16
NOR
+1
PEN
−4
SOU
−1
NEW
+23
EAS
−4
STG
+4
WES
+9
MAN
−15
BAL
−2
PAR
+6
CBY
+6
Eastern Suburbs NEW
+19
MAN
−14
STG
−16
BAL
−3
CRO
+6
WES
+11
NOR
+2
CBY
+17
PAR
−8
PEN
−9
SOU
−16
NEW
+13
MAN
−5
STG
0
BAL
−6
CRO
+4
WES
−4
NOR
−2
CBY
−4
PAR
+26
PEN
+5
SOU
−11
Manly-Warringah PAR
+29
EAS
+14
CBY
+27
STG
+4
NOR
+10
BAL
+24
SOU
+8
CRO
−7
PEN
+8
WES
+25
NEW
−12
PAR
+17
EAS
+5
CBY
+10
STG
−17
NOR
+43
BAL
+18
SOU
+1
CRO
+15
PEN
+21
WES
+5
NEW
+20
X SOU
−6
STG
−3
Newtown EAS
−19
STG
−11
BAL
−15
CRO
+1
WES
+1
PAR
−10
PEN
+23
NOR
0
CBY
+10
SOU
−11
MAN
+12
EAS
−13
STG
−2
BAL
−3
CRO
−23
WES
−8
PAR
+5
PEN
−17
NOR
+4
CBY
−14
SOU
−9
MAN
−20
North Sydney CRO
−39
WES
+5
PAR
−26
CBY
+7
MAN
−10
PEN
−5
EAS
−2
NEW
0
SOU
−2
STG
−4
BAL
−19
CRO
−1
WES
−2
PAR
−3
CBY
−7
MAN
−43
PEN
−4
EAS
+2
NEW
−4
SOU
−33
STG
+7
BAL
+2
Parramatta MAN
−29
CBY
+24
NOR
+26
PEN
−12
SOU
−7
NEW
+10
BAL
+8
STG
+9
EAS
+8
CRO
+9
WES
+16
MAN
−17
CBY
−1
NOR
+3
PEN
+11
SOU
−11
NEW
−5
BAL
+11
STG
−1
EAS
−26
CRO
−6
WES
+8
STG
−11
Penrith BAL
−22
CRO
−19
WES
+9
PAR
+12
CBY
−10
NOR
+5
NEW
−23
SOU
−2
MAN
−8
EAS
+9
STG
−16
BAL
+4
CRO
+4
WES
+6
PAR
−11
CBY
−12
NOR
+4
NEW
+17
SOU
+7
MAN
−21
EAS
−5
STG
−17
South Sydney STG
+6
BAL
+17
CRO
+1
WES
+24
PAR
+7
CBY
+17
MAN
−8
PEN
+2
NOR
+2
NEW
+11
EAS
+16
STG
−2
BAL
+26
CRO
+1
WES
+18
PAR
+11
CBY
−3
MAN
−1
PEN
−7
NOR
+33
NEW
+9
EAS
+11
X MAN
+6
X STG
+6
St. George SOU
−6
NEW
+11
EAS
+16
MAN
−4
BAL
+25
CRO
+4
CBY
−5
PAR
−9
WES
+6
NOR
+4
PEN
+16
SOU
+2
NEW
+2
EAS
0
MAN
+17
BAL
+9
CRO
−4
CBY
+12
PAR
+1
WES
+2
NOR
−7
PEN
+17
PAR
+11
X MAN
+3
SOU
−6
Western Suburbs CBY
+43
NOR
−5
PEN
−9
SOU
−24
NEW
−1
EAS
−11
CRO
−14
BAL
−9
STG
−6
MAN
−25
PAR
−16
CBY
−20
NOR
+2
PEN
−6
SOU
−18
NEW
+8
EAS
+4
CRO
−9
BAL
−4
STG
−2
MAN
−5
PAR
−8
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 GF

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

Ladder

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Manly-Warringah 221903528260+26838
2 South Sydney 221705499308+19134
3 St. George 221516392283+10931
4 Parramatta 2212010383355+2824
5 Balmain 2211011366398-3222
6 Canterbury-Bankstown 2211011355422-8722
7 Cronulla-Sutherland 2210012352310+4220
8 Penrith 2210012283372-8920
9 Eastern Suburbs 229112344339+519
10 Newtown 227114282401-11915
11 North Sydney 225116265446-18111
12 Western Suburbs 224018336471-1358

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.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
1 Manly-Warringah2468101214141618182022242426283032343638
2 South Sydney2468101212141618202022242628282828303234
3 St. George024468881012141618192123232527292931
4 Parramatta0244468101214161616182020202222222224
5 Balmain224666681010121212141616161618202222
6 Canterbury-Bankstown000022444681012121416181820222222
7 Cronulla-Sutherland244444688881010101212141616161820
8 Penrith002446666881012141414161820202020
9 Eastern Suburbs2222468101010101212131315151515171919
10 Newtown0002446799111111111111131315151515
11 North Sydney02244445555555555777911
12 Western Suburbs2222222222224446888888

Finals

Under the guidance of revolutionary head-coach Jack Gibson who was in 1971 beginning to embrace the attitude and training methods used in the United States' National Football League, St. George in 1971 had reached the Grand Final in all three grades. They were to lose all three matches. (5–11 v Canterbury-Bankstown in Third Grade; 5–19 v Canterbury-Bankstown in Reserve Grade and 10–16 v South Sydney in the top grade).

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semi-finals
St. George 19–8 Parramatta 28 August 1971 Sydney Cricket Ground Keith Page 38,157
Manly-Warringah 13–19 South Sydney 4 September 1971 Sydney Cricket Ground Keith Holman 50,261
Preliminary Final
Manly-Warringah 12–15 St. George 11 September 1971 Sydney Cricket Ground Keith Page 45,883
Grand Final
South Sydney 16–10 St. George 18 September 1971 Sydney Cricket Ground Keith Holman 62,838

Grand Final

South Sydney Position St. George
  1. Eric Simms
FB
  1. Graeme Langlands (c)
2. Keith EdwardsWG2. Ken Batty
3. Paul SaitCE3. Bob Clapham
4. Bob HonanCE4. Ken Maddison
5. Ray BranighanWG5. Geoff Carr
6. Denis PittardFE6. Tony Branson
7. Bob GrantHB7. Billy Smith
13. John Sattler (c)PR13. Harry Eden
12. George PigginsHK12. Colin Rasmussen
11. John O'NeillPR11. Grahame Bowen
10. Bob McCarthySR10. Peter Fitzgerald
9. Gary StevensSR9. Barry Beath
8. Ron CooteLK8. Ted Walton
Reserve22. Mick Dryden
Reserve39. Russell Cox
Clive ChurchillCoachJack Gibson

Against a battle-hardened South Sydney side with a larger pack, the young Dragons went into the Grand Final as clear underdogs. Only Smith, Madison and Langlands for St. George had Grand Final experience of the level enjoyed by the entire Rabbitoh pack. Many of the Rabbitohs were playing in their fourth or fifth successive Grand Final.

The first half was a gruelling affair, with the sole point coming from an Eric Simms field goal. McCarthy crossed the Dragons’ try-line in the sixth minute but was called back on a forward pass ruling by referee Holman. Simms attempted a long-range field goal in the eighth minute which was unsuccessful, and Grant took another vain field goal shot minutes later. Souths dominated possession and field-position in the first fifteen minutes and were just held at bay by the rugged defence of the Dragons, especially from their centre, Clapham. Pittard made a 75 metres (82 yd) break at the fourteen-minute mark and was brought down 3 metres (3.28 yd) from the Dragons’ line by a desperate diving tackle from Smith. In the fifteenth minute Simms took another field goal attempt from dead in front and was successful. Souths attack was free-flowing, and they kept the play alive with late offloads whilst St. George adopted a more structured play of one-off running or moving the ball across the backline. In the twentieth minute Beath was stopped in the Souths' corner by a classy Coote cover tackle.

Langlands missed two penalty goal attempts in the first half, one mid-way through the period and another shortly before the break. Only Beath and Smith regularly broke through Souths' defences. At the interval Souths were in front by the unlikely scoreline of 1–0.

When play resumed Souths continued with their adventurous style of keeping the ball alive, they broke through poor Dragon defence and Branighan scored in the corner. Simms hit the post with the conversion attempt. Cox had replaced Bowen for St. George at half-time. Sattler tested out Cox early in the half with niggle and surreptitious fouls and appeared to eye-gouge Langlands in the 55th minute. The match began to turn spiteful at that point when Beath was penalised for using his knees on McCarthy. Coote scored the second try after a break by Sait, Simms converted and then added a penalty goal a few minutes later. At this stage Souths held an 11–0 lead and looked to be racing away with the match as St. George failed to complete tackles allowing the Rabbitohs to continually off-load.

The Dragons then rallied and fought back with a try to Barry Beath after a brave blind-side fifth tackle move by Billy Smith which was followed by a magnificent sideline conversion from Langlands. Smith was proving to be the Dragons’ only attacking spark until he was collared by Piggins and Sattler in a cynical head high tackle at the 65th minute. With the penalty that ensued Langlands took play to the other end of the field and Ted Walton scored for St. George. Langlands again converted from out wide. With the score at 11–10 and only twelve minutes remaining, Saints looked to be getting on top of their more fancied rivals. However a match-winning try two minutes from full-time by Bob McCarthy running freely off Ron Coote, showed the experience of the Rabbitohs, who took their fourth title in a five-year period.

McCarthy and Coote had starred for Souths and continually threatened to split the Dragons' defence. Souths hooker George Piggins who had been called into the side to replace regular season rake Elwyn Walters, was hailed as a hero, playing himself to a standstill in what was ultimately a closely fought encounter.

The victory was to be South Sydney's last for a period of 43 years, with the club not to win another Premiership until 2014.

South Sydney 16 (Tries: Branighan, Coote, McCarthy. Goals: Simms 3. Field Goal: Simms.)

St. George 10 (Tries: Beath, Walton. Goals: Langlands 2.)

Player statistics

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

Notes

  1. The only exceptions were Western Suburbs winning in 1952 and Balmain winning in 1969.

References

  1. Middleton, David (2008). League of Legends: 100 Years of Rugby League in Australia (PDF). National Museum of Australia. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-876944-64-3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-17.
  2. Clarkson, Allan (12 July 1971). "Dismissal, Injuries Hit Souths". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 13.
  3. Clarkson, Allan (9 July 1971). "League May Get Bonanza". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 11.
  4. Humphries, Rod (6 July 1971). "League Men To Check on Union Protesters: Souths–P'Matta Still at S.C.G.". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 17.
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