1974 NSWRFL season

Last updated
1974 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams12
Premiers Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs (10th title)
Minor premiers Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs (12th title)
Matches played138
Points scored4382
Attendance1278823
Top points scorer(s) Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Graham Eadie (216)
Player of the year Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Graham Eadie (Rothmans Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Kevin Junee (23)
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Bill Mullins (23)

The 1974 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 67th 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 Canterbury-Bankstown clubs. This season NSWRFL teams also competed for the inaugural Amco Cup.

Contents

Season summary

The preseason saw Eastern Suburbs defeat South Sydney 43–0 in the final of the preseason competition at the Sydney Sports Ground, while Parramatta beat Cronulla 20–8 in the playoff for third at Belmore Oval. [1]

This season the NSWRFL made the financial commitment to bring suburban football grounds up to a higher standard in order to take more games to the fans on a home-and-away basis. [2]

Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March until August, resulting in a top five of Eastern Suburbs, Manly-Warringah, Canterbury-Bankstown, Western Suburbs and Souths who battled it out in the finals. This season would mark the first time since 1950 where St. George failed to make the finals and the first time since 1911 that Balmain would finish last and take out the wooden spoon.

The 1974 Rothmans Medal was awarded to Manly-Warringah's fullback Graham Eadie. Rugby League Week awarded their player of the year award to Eastern Suburbs' forward Arthur Beetson.

Teams

Balmain Tigers
Balmain Jersey 1971.png

67th season
Ground(s): Leichhardt Oval &
Lidcombe Oval
Coach: Alan Mason
Captain: John Spencer

Canterbury-Bankstown
Canterbury-Bankstown Jersey 1968.png

44th season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Coach: Malcolm Clift
Captain: Barry Phillis

Cronulla-Sutherland
Cronulla-Sutherland Jersey 1972.png

8th season
Ground: Endeavour Field
Coach: Noel Thornton
Captain: Greg Pierce

Eastern Suburbs
Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1974.png

67th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Jack Gibson
Captain: Arthur Beetson

Manly-Warringah
Manly-Warringah Jersey 1968.png

28th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Ron Willey
Captain: Fred Jones

Newtown
Newtown Jersey 1915.png

67th season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Clarrie Jeffries
Captain: Lionel Williamson

North Sydney
North Sydney Jersey 1969.png

67th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Noel Kelly
Captain: Tim Pickup

Parramatta
Parramatta Jersey 1974.png

28th season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Coach: Dave Bolton
Captain: Denis Pittard

Penrith
Penrith Jersey 1971.png

8th season
Ground: Penrith Football Stadium
Coach: Jack Clare
Captain: Mike Stephenson

South Sydney
South Sydney Jersey 1968.png

67th season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Clive Churchill
Captain: Bob McCarthy

St. George Dragons
St George Jersey 1959.png

54th season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Captain-coach: Graeme Langlands

Western Suburbs
Western Suburbs Jersey 1974.png

67th season
Ground(s): Lidcombe Oval &
Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Don Parish
Captain: Tommy Raudonikis

Ladder

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 221903513198+31538
2 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 221507526316+21030
3 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 221309364308+5626
4 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 221219402305+9725
5 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 221219317327-1025
6 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 221129297272+2524
7 Newtown colours.svg Newtown 229211278261+1720
8 St. George colours.svg St. George 2210012331363-3220
9 Penrith colours.svg Penrith 229013353465-11218
10 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland 229013314437-12318
11 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 225017237454-21710
12 Balmain colours.svg Balmain 224216255481-22610

Finals

HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd
Qualifying Finals
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 14–20 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 31 August 1974 Sydney Cricket Ground Keith Page23,600
Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 24–8 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 1 September 1974 Sydney Sports Ground Laurie Bruyeres26,276
Semi-finals
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 17–19 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 7 September 1974 Sydney Cricket Ground Keith Page31,432
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 20–23 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 8 September 1974 Sydney Cricket Ground Laurie Bruyeres40,050
Preliminary final
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 25–2 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 14 September 1974 Sydney Cricket Ground Laurie Bruyeres43,072
Grand final
Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 4–19 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 21 September 1974 Sydney Cricket Ground Laurie Bruyeres57,214

Chart

Qualifying finalMajor semi-finalPreliminary finalGrand final
1 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs17 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury4
Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury19 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs19
2 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly14 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs25
3 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury20Minor semi-final Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs2
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly20
4 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs24 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs23
5 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney8

Grand final

Canterbury-BankstownPositionEastern Suburbs
  1. Garry Dowling
FB
  1. Russell Fairfax
2. Chris Anderson WG 2. Jim Porter
3. Stan Cutler CE 3. John Brass
4. Peter Winchester CE 4. Mark Harris
5. Terry Murphy WG 5. Bill Mullins
6. Mark Hughes FE 6. John Peard
7. Don Moseley HB 7. Johnny Mayes
13. Brian Lockwood PR 13. Ken Jones
12. George Peponis HK 12. Elwyn Walters
11. Bill Noonan PR 10. Ian Mackay
10. Geoff Connell SR 11. Arthur Beetson (c)
9. John McDonell (c) SR 9. Barry "Bunny" Reilly
8. John Peek LK 8. Ron Coote
18. Henry Tatana Reserve16. Harry Cameron
Reserve24. Greg Bandiera
Malcolm Clift Coach Jack Gibson

“Master coach” Jack Gibson's first title – and the Roosters’ first for twenty-nine years – was won by one of the most talented club teams in the Australian game's history. In rugby union convert Russell Fairfax and giant threequarters Mark Harris and Bill Mullins, Easts had three attacking players who dominated Canterbury with their brilliance.

Eastern Suburbs 19 (Tries: Beetson, Harris, Mullins. Goals: Peard 3, Brass 2.)

defeated

Canterbury-Bankstown 4 (Goals: Cutler 2.)

Player statistics

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

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References

  1. ↑ "1974 NSWRL Pre-Season Cup Final – South Sydney v Eastern Suburbs".
  2. ↑ "Form over five years". The Sun-Herald . 19 March 1978. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
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