1960 NSWRFL season

Last updated
1960 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams10
Premiers St. George colours.svg St. George (7th title)
Minor premiers St. George colours.svg St. George (7th title)
Matches played98
Points scored3084
Attendance1032655
Top points scorer(s) St. George colours.svg Brian Graham (193)
Top try-scorer(s) St. George colours.svg Reg Gasnier (25)

1960's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 53rd season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Ten teams from across the city competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between St. George and Eastern Suburbs.

Contents

Season summary

With four teams finishing on equal second place at the end of the regular season, and no weight given to the "for" and "against" points differential, minor premiers St. George watched Western Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs, Balmain and Canterbury-Bankstown go through a four-match series of playoffs before the real finals commenced. In a double header at the Sydney Sports Ground, Easts and Wests won the right to play off for second and third spots, while Canterbury and Balmain's losses meant they would play off for the fourth and final place in the finals series.

Also in 1960, NSWRFL president Henry "Jersey" Flegg died and Bill Buckley took up the position.

This season the Western Suburbs Magpies won the NSWRFL Club Championship.

Teams

Balmain
Balmain Jersey 1953.png

53rd season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: John O'Toole
Captain: Keith Barnes

Canterbury-Bankstown
Canterbury-Bankstown Jersey 1938.png

26th season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Coach: Eddie Burns
Captain: Brian Davies

Eastern Suburbs
Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1954.png

53rd season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Dick Dunn
Captain: Jack Gibson

Manly-Warringah
Manly-Warringah Jersey 1957.png

14th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Ken Arthurson
Captain: Ron Willey

Newtown
Newtown Jersey 1915.png

53rd season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Charles Cahill
Captain: Bobby Whitton

North Sydney
North Sydney Jersey 1960.png

53rd season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Captain-coach: Greg Hawick

Parramatta
Parramatta Jersey 1953.png

14th season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Coach: Jack Rayner
Captain: Ron Boden

South Sydney
South Sydney Jersey 1959.png

53rd season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Denis Donoghue
Captain: Bernie Purcell

St. George
St George Jersey 1959.png

40th season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Captain-coach: Ken Kearney

Western Suburbs
Western Suburbs Jersey 1961.png

53rd season
Ground: Pratten Park
Coach: Dudley Beger
Captain: Dick Poole

Regular season

Team123456789101112131415161718F1F2F3F4GF
Balmain SOU
+7
NEW
−3
WES
−12
CBY
+7
PAR
+13
MAN
+2
NOR
−20
EAS
−1
STG
+4
SOU
−6
NEW
+3
WES
+3
CBY
−10
PAR
+21
MAN
+1
NOR
+24
EAS
+3
STG
−4
WES
−18
CBY
−11
Canterbury-Bankstown NOR
+11
WES
−11
EAS
−8
BAL
−7
STG
−33
PAR
+11
SOU
+7
MAN
+3
NEW
−19
NOR
+10
WES
+10
EAS
+4
BAL
+10
STG
−36
PAR
−12
SOU
+14
MAN
+3
NEW
+7
EAS
−9
BAL
+11
EAS
−7
Eastern Suburbs MAN
−1
NOR
−6
CBY
+8
STG
−7
SOU
+15
NEW
−5
WES
+9
BAL
+1
PAR
+12
MAN
+7
NOR
+1
CBY
−4
STG
+3
SOU
+4
NEW
+18
WES
−21
BAL
−3
PAR
+12
CBY
+9
WES
−11
CBY
+7
WES
+5
STG
−25
Manly-Warringah EAS
+1
STG
+12
SOU
+1
NEW
+1
WES
+4
BAL
−2
PAR
+17
CBY
−3
NOR
+9
EAS
−7
STG
−4
SOU
+5
NEW
+3
WES
−23
BAL
−1
PAR
+7
CBY
−3
NOR
−3
Newtown WES
−3
BAL
+3
PAR
+3
MAN
−1
NOR
+10
EAS
+5
STG
−5
SOU
−13
CBY
+19
WES
−9
BAL
−3
PAR
+9
MAN
−3
NOR
−4
EAS
−18
STG
−44
SOU
−1
CBY
−7
North Sydney CBY
−11
EAS
+6
STG
−39
SOU
−6
NEW
−10
WES
−11
BAL
+20
PAR
+12
MAN
−9
CBY
−10
EAS
−1
STG
+14
SOU
+2
NEW
+4
WES
−2
BAL
−24
PAR
+22
MAN
+3
Parramatta STG
−52
SOU
−13
NEW
−3
WES
−14
BAL
−13
CBY
−11
MAN
−17
NOR
−12
EAS
−12
STG
−30
SOU
+8
NEW
−9
WES
−10
BAL
−21
CBY
+12
MAN
−7
NOR
−22
EAS
−12
South Sydney BAL
−7
PAR
+13
MAN
−1
NOR
+6
EAS
−15
STG
−12
CBY
−7
NEW
+13
WES
+9
BAL
+6
PAR
−8
MAN
−5
NOR
−2
EAS
−4
STG
−3
CBY
−14
NEW
+1
WES
−15
St. George PAR
+52
MAN
−12
NOR
+39
EAS
+7
CBY
+33
SOU
+12
NEW
+5
WES
+33
BAL
−4
PAR
+30
MAN
+4
NOR
−14
EAS
−3
CBY
+36
SOU
+3
NEW
+44
WES
+11
BAL
+4
XXWES
+24
XEAS
+25
Western Suburbs NEW
+3
CBY
+11
BAL
+12
PAR
+14
MAN
−4
NOR
+11
EAS
−9
STG
−33
SOU
−9
NEW
+9
CBY
−10
BAL
−3
PAR
+10
MAN
+23
NOR
+2
EAS
+21
STG
−11
SOU
+15
BAL
+18
EAS
+11
STG
−24
EAS
−5
Team123456789101112131415161718F1F2F3F4GF

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

Ladder

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1 St. George colours.svg St. George 181404456176+28028
2 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 181107350298+5222
3 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 181107264221+4322
4 Balmain colours.svg Balmain 181107286254+3222
5 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 181107249285-3622
6 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 181008231217+1420
7 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 188010317357-4016
8 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 186012211256-4512
9 Newtown colours.svg Newtown 186012251313-6212
10 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 182016215453-2384

Ladder progression

Team123456789101112131415161718
1 St. George colours.svg St. George 2246810121414161818182022242628
2 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 2468810101010121212141618202022
3 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 0022446810121414161820202022
4 Balmain colours.svg Balmain 2224688810101214141618202222
5 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 222224688101214161616182022
6 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 24681010121214141416181818202020
7 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 022222466668101212121416
8 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 022444468101010101010101212
9 Newtown colours.svg Newtown 0244688810101012121212121212
10 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 000000000022224444

Finals

HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd
Playoffs
Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 28–10 Balmain colours.svg Balmain 9 August 1960 Sydney Sports Ground 21,308
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 20–11 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 9 August 1960 Sydney Sports Ground 21,308
Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 18–7 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 13 August 1960 Sydney Cricket Ground 21,855
Balmain colours.svg Balmain 7–18 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 14 August 1960 Sydney Sports Ground 16,507
Semifinals
St. George colours.svg St. George 31–7 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 20 August 1960 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce38,407
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 16–9 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 21 August 1960 Sydney Sports Ground Darcy Lawler 18,455
Preliminary Final
Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 15–20 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 27 August 1960 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 29,393
Grand Final
St. George colours.svg St. George 31–6 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 3 September 1960 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 53,156

Grand Final

St. GeorgePositionEastern Suburbs
13. Brian Graham FB 40. John Andrew
43. Johnny King WG 42. Boyce Beeton
21. John Stathers CE 9. Bill Roney
10. Reg Gasnier CE 17. Doug Ricketson
23. Dave Brown WG 10. Bob Landers
8. Brian Clay FE 8. Billy McNamara
7. Bob Bugden HB 7. Bruce Ranier
  1. Billy Wilson
PR 15. Bob McDonagh
3. Ken Kearney (Ca./Co.) HK 2. Ken Ashcroft
14. Kevin Ryan PR 14. Jack Gibson (c)
4. Monty Porter SR 4. Bob Heffernan
5. Norm Provan SR 5. Brian Wright
6. Johnny Raper LK 6. Dick See
Coach Dick Dunn

St. George had lost to Eastern Suburbs late in the regular season and expected them to be a finals force. But due to the playoffs for the minor premiership placements the Roosters were playing their sixth match in four weeks, including an extra-time tussle in the minor semi against Canterbury.

For the first grand final in four the defending premiers left their strongarm tactics in the locker room and let their skilled backline excel. Five minutes into the game Bob Bugden toed a loose ball through and fell on it to open the scoring. At 23 minutes the second try was set up by Brian Clay who beat his opposite Billy McNamara and passed to Reg Gasnier who dazzled the opposition with a change of pace that left them flatfooted.

Prop Kevin Ryan may have been in his rookie St. George season but he had already represented for Australia at rugby union and for Queensland in boxing. He had fit into the tough St. George pack with ease and featured on Grand Final day in setting up firstly fellow newcomer Johnny King for a first half try, then Gasnier after the break for his second before being sent off at the 60 minute mark, along with Easts forward Brian Wright, for fighting.

Norm Provan and Dave Brown also scored in the second half and two minutes before the bell an interplay between Provan and Brian Graham resulted in King getting his second try. Only a few weeks earlier Johnny King had been the third grade fullback, having been declined a contract offer early in the season from South Sydney.

Although they were on the wrong side of a 17-6 penalty caning, St. George scored seven tries to nil, walloping Eastern Suburbs 31-6.

Ken Kearney became the oldest player to appear in a grand final (36 years 123 days) and also equalled Jack Rayner's record of five grand finals won as captain.

St. George 31 (Tries: Gasnier 2, King 2, Bugden, Brown, Provan. Goals: Graham 5.)

Eastern Suburbs 6 (Goals: Landers 3.)

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18.

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References