1978 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles season

Last updated
1978 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles season
NSWRFL champions
NSWRFL Rank3rd
1976 recordWins: 18; Draws: 2; Losses: 8
Points scoredFor: 510; Against: 346
Team information
Secretary Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Arthurson
Coach Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Stanton
Captains
Stadium Brookvale Oval
Top scorers
Tries Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom Mooney (11)
Goals Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Gray (61)
Points Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Gray (134)
<  1977 1979  >

The 1978 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles season was the 32nd in the club's history since their entry into the then New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership in 1947.

Contents

The 1978 Sea Eagles were coached by 1963–64 Kangaroo tourist Frank Stanton. Captaining the side was long serving hooker Max Krilich. The club competed in the New South Wales Rugby Football League's 1978 Premiership season and played its home games at the 27,000 capacity Brookvale Oval. [1]

Ladder

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 221615426288+13833
2 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland 221507418261+15730
3 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 221507427287+14030
4 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 221408525306+21928
5 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 221327307273+3428
6 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 221309377280+5726
7 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 221219298300-225
8 St. George colours.svg St. George 2210111367354+1321
9 Balmain colours.svg Balmain 229112337344-719
10 Penrith colours.svg Penrith 224216206463-25710
11 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 224117325439-1149
12 Newtown colours.svg Newtown Jets 222119199577-3785

Regular season

Sunday 26 March Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 19 – 5 St. George colours.svg St. George Dragons Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Johnny Gibbs, Max Krilich, Tom Mooney
Goals:
Graham Eadie (5/9)
[2] Tries:
Steve Butler
Goals:
Ted Goodwin (1)
Attendance: 23,168
Referee: Gary Cook

Saturday 1 April Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 17 – 10 Penrith colours.svg Penrith Panthers Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Russel Gartner, Johnny Gibbs, Stephen Knight
Goals:
Graham Eadie (4/5)
[3] Tries:
Paul Merlo
Goals:
Ken Wilson (2/3)
Attendance: 4,084
Referee: Jack Danzey

Sunday 9 April Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 44 – 17 Newtown colours.svg Newtown Bluebags Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Russel Gartner (2), Alan Thompson (2), Ray Branighan, Johnny Gibbs, John Gray, Ray Higgs, Terry Randall, Bruce Walker
Goals:
Graham Eadie (7)
[4] Tries:
John Ribot, Steve Bowden
Goals:
Phil Sigsworth (3)
John Ribot (1)
Attendance: 8,085
Referee: Don Macdonald

Sunday 16 April Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Canterbury colours.svg 16 – 13 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney  
Tries:
Pat English, Steve Gearin
Goals:
Steve Gearin (5/5)
[5] Tries:
Johnny Gibbs, John Gray, Stephen Knight
Goals:
Graham Eadie (2)
Attendance: 13,373
Referee: Jack Danzey

Sunday 23 April Parramatta Eels Parramatta colours.svg 15 – 27 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney  
Tries:
Neville Glover, Phil Mann, Graham Murray
Goals:
Michael Cronin (3/5)
[6] Tries:
Simon Booth, Graham Eadie, Tom Mooney, Ian Thomson, Bruce Walker
Goals:
Graham Eadie (5/7)
John Gray (1)
Attendance: 44,507
Referee: Denis Braybrook

Sunday 30 April Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 29 – 13 Balmain colours.svg Balmain Tigers Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Johnny Gibbs, Stephen Knight, Tom Mooney, Alan Thompson, Bruce Walker
Goals:
John Gray (7)
[7] Tries:
, Rex Murphy
Goals:
(1/3)
Mark Tonks (1/1)
Attendance: 17,225
Referee: Gary Cook

Sunday 7 May Western Suburbs Magpies Western Suburbs colours.svg 13 – 7 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Lidcombe Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Bruce Gibbs
Goals:
John Dorahy (5)
[8] Tries:
Stephen Knight, Ian Thomson
Goals:
Graham Eadie (2)
Attendance: 10,931
Referee: Denis Braybrook

Sunday 14 May Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 5 – 30 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Ray Branighan
Goals:
Graham Eadie (1/4)
[9] Tries:
Trevor Barnes, John Berne, Terry Fahey, Eric Ferguson, Bob McMillan, John Peek
Goals:
Eric Ferguson (6)
Attendance: 11,103
Referee: Don Macdonald

Sunday 21 May North Sydney Bears North Sydney colours.svg 10 – 11 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles North Sydney Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Don McKinnon, Tony Quirk
Goals:
Peter Schofield (2/5)
[10] Tries:
Tony Ashworth
Goals:
John Gray (4)
Attendance: 6,823
Referee: Kevin Roberts

Sunday 28 May Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Cronulla colours.svg 8 – 27 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Endeavour Field, Sydney  
Tries:
Dave Chamberlin, Gary Stares
Goals:
Barry Andrews (1)
[11] Tries:
Simon Booth, Terry Randall, Ian Thomson
Goals:
John Gray (6)
Attendance: 14,665
Referee: Gary Cook

Sunday 4 June Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 15 – 12 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Russel Gartner, Ian Thomson
Goals:
John Gray (4)
Field Goals:
Steve Martin (1)
[12] Tries:
Royce Ayliffe, Bob Fulton
Goals:
Ken Stevens (3)
Attendance: 19,657
Referee: Gary Cook

Sunday 11 June St. George Dragons St. George colours.svg 22 – 13 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Kogarah Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Mitch Brennan, Steve Butler, Ted Goodwin, John Jansen
Goals:
Ted Goodwin (5)
[13] Tries:
Graham Eadie, Johnny Gibbs, John Gray
Goals:
Graham Eadie (1)
John Gray (1)
Attendance: 16,800
Referee: Jack Danzey

Saturday 17 June Penrith Panthers Penrith colours.svg 9 – 32 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Penrith Park, Sydney  
Tries:
Greg Moore
Goals:
Phil Gould (3)
[14] Tries:
Tom Mooney (2), Graham Eadie, Stephen Knight, Max Krilich, Steve Martin
Goals:
John Gray (6)
Graham Eadie (1)
Attendance: 6,916
Referee: Kevin Roberts

Sunday 25 June Newtown Bluebags Newtown colours.svg 17 – 10 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Henson Park, Sydney  
Tries:
Mick Kermode, Phil Sigsworth
Goals:
Mick Kermode (2)
[15] Tries:
Ray Branighan, Lindsay Drake, Tom Mooney
Goals:
John Gray (4)
Attendance: John Gocher
Referee: 3,167

Sunday 2 July Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 9 – 12 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Tom Mooney
Goals:
John Gray (3)
[16] Tries:
Mark Hughes, Bill Noonan
Goals:
Steve Gearin (3)
Attendance: 7,818
Referee: Don Macdonald

Sunday 9 July Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 19 – 20 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Russel Gartner, Johnny Gibbs, Ian Thomson
Goals:
Graham Eadie (5)
[17] Tries:
Ray Price (2), Michael Cronin, Neville Glover
Goals:
Michael Cronin (4)
Attendance: 20,030
Referee: Gary Cook

Sunday 11 July Balmain Tigers Balmain colours.svg 19 – 7 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Leichhardt Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Larry Corowa, Noel Maybury
Goals:
Allan McMahon (6)
Field Goals:
Les Mara (1)
[18] Tries:
Chris Montgomery
Goals:
John Gray (2)
Attendance: 7,869
Referee: Kevin Roberts

Sunday 23 July Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 16 – 10 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs Magpies Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Steve Martin, Wayne Springall
Goals:
Graham Eadie (3)
John Gray (2)
[19] Tries:
Eric Cain, Ron Giteau
Goals:
Peter Rowles (2)
Attendance: 14,171
Referee: Greg Hartley

Saturday 30 July South Sydney Rabbitohs South Sydney colours.svg 10 – 14 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Redfern Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Kenneth Stewart, Peter Tunks
Goals:
Eric Ferguson (2)
[20] Tries:
Ian Martin, Steve Martin
Goals:
John Gray (4)
Attendance: 17,148
Referee: Greg Hartley

Sunday 6 August Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 40 – 12 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney Bears Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Steve Martin (3), Tom Mooney (2), Bruce Walker (2), Simon Booth, Johnny Gibbs, Max Krilich
Goals:
John Gray (5)
[21] Tries:
John Adam, Glen Boatswain
Goals:
Peter Schofield (3)
Attendance: 11,058
Referee: Kevin Roberts

Sunday 13 August Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 26 – 4 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Brookvale Oval, Sydney  
Tries:
Graham Eadie, Johnny Gibbs, Tom Mooney, Ian Thomson
Goals:
John Gray (7)
[22] Tries:

Goals:
Barry Andrews (2)
Attendance: 12,135
Referee: Jack Danzey

Sunday 20 August Eastern Suburbs Roosters Eastern Suburbs colours.svg 11 – 30 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Sydney Sports Ground, Sydney  
Tries:
Bill Mullins, Bob O'Reilly
Goals:
Kevin Stevens (2/4)
[23] Tries:
Simon Booth, Graham Eadie, John Gray, Stephen Knight
Goals:
John Gray (3)
Field Goals:
Graham Eadie (1)
Johnny Gibbs (1)
Attendance: 22,049
Referee: Greg Hartley

Finals

Major Prelim Semi-Final

Saturday 26 August Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Cronulla colours.svg 17 – 12 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney  
Tries:
Eric Archer, Mick Mullane, Steve Rogers
Goals:
Steve Rogers (4)
[24] Tries:
Simon Booth, Russel Gartner, Ian Martin
Goals:
Graham Eadie (1)
Field Goals:
Johnny Gibbs (1)
Attendance: 17,718
Referee: Jack Danzey

Minor Semi-Final

Sunday 3 September Parramatta Eels Parramatta colours.svg 13 – 13 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney  
Tries:
Michael Cronin, Geoff Gerard, Graham Murray
Goals:
Michael Cronin (2/5)
[25] Tries:
Simon Booth, Russel Gartner, Bruce Walker
Goals:
John Gray (2/2)
Attendance: 30,850
Referee: Greg Hartley

Minor Semi-Final Replay

Wednesday 6 September Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 17 – 11 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney  
Tries:
Russel Gartner, John Harvey, Steve Martin
Goals:
Graham Eadie (4)
[26] Tries:
Geoff Gerard, Glenn West, Neville Glover
Goals:
Michael Cronin (1/3)
Attendance: 42,678
Referee: Greg Hartley

Preliminary Final

Saturday 9 September Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 14 – 7 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs Magpies Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney  
Tries:
Alan Thompson (2)
Goals:
Graham Eadie (4)
[27] Tries:
Ron Giteau
Goals:
Peter Rowles (2)
Attendance: 27,345
Referee: Greg Hartley

Grand Final

Saturday 16 September
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 11 – 11 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Tries:
Tom Mooney
Goals:
Graham Eadie (4/6)
[28] Tries:
Steve Edmonds
Goals:
Steve Rogers (4/4)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 51,510
Referee: Greg Hartley
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body manly2.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 2whitestripes.png
Kit socks long.svg
Manly-Warringah
Kit left arm blackborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body cronulla.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm blackborder.png
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Kit socks long.svg
Cronulla-Sutherland
FB1 Graham Eadie
LW2 Tom Mooney
CE3 Russel Gartner
CE4 Stephen Knight
RW5 Simon Booth
FE6 Alan Thompson
HB7 Steve Martin
LK8 Ian Martin
SR9 Terry Randall
SR10 Bruce Walker
PR11 John Harvey
HK12 Max Krilich (c)
PR13 Ian Thomson
Substitutions:
IC14
IC15
Coach:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Stanton
FB1 Mick Mullane
LW2 Rick Bourke
CE3 Steve Rogers (c)
CE4 Dave Chamberlin
RW5 Steve Edmonds
FE6 Barry Andrews
HB7 Steve Hansard
LK8 John Glossop
SR9 Eric Archer
SR10 Steve Kneen
PR11 Gary Stares
HK12 John McMartin
PR13 Paul Khan
Substitutions:
IC14 Rowland Beckett
IC15
Coach:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norm Provan

In the Grand Final, Cronulla went to a 9-4 lead in the second half before Manly came back to hit the front 11-9. A Steve Rogers penalty squared it at 11-all but he then missed a desperate late field-goal attempt and at full-time the scores remained locked. For the second consecutive season the weary Grand Finalists were required to play a mid-week rematch three days later (the NSWRFL were forced to play the replay on the Tuesday and not the following weekend due to the upcoming 1978 Kangaroo tour, with the Australian team due to leave that weekend for their tour. The drawn GF also forced the Australian Rugby League to hold off on naming the touring squad until after the GF replay with as many as 12 players from Manly and Cronulla in contention to be selected).


Grand Final Replay

Tuesday 19 September
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 16 – 0 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Tries:
Russel Gartner (2)
Graham Eadie
Goals:
Graham Eadie (3/8)
Field Goals:
Graham Eadie (1)
[29] Tries:


Goals:
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 33,552
Referee: Greg Hartley
Player of the Match: Graham Eadie Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg
Kit left arm.svg
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Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 2whitestripes.png
Kit socks long.svg
Manly-Warringah
Kit left arm blackborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body cronulla.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm blackborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks hoops sky.png
Kit socks long.svg
Cronulla-Sutherland
FB1 Graham Eadie
LW2 Tom Mooney
CE3 Russel Gartner
CE4 Stephen Knight
RW5 Simon Booth
FE6 Alan Thompson
HB7 Steve Martin
LK8 Ian Martin
SR9 Terry Randall
SR10 Bruce Walker
PR11 John Harvey
HK12 Max Krilich (c)
PR13 Ian Thomson
Substitutions:
IC14 Ray Branighan
IC15 Wayne Springall
Coach:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Stanton
FB1 Rick Bourke
LW2 Chris Gardner
CE3 Steve Rogers (c)
CE4 Dave Chamberlin
RW5 Steve Edmonds
FE6 Martin Raftery
HB7 Steve Hansard
LK8 John Glossop
SR9 Eric Archer
SR10 Steve Kneen
PR11 Peter Ryan
HK12 Rowland Beckett
PR13 Paul Khan
Substitutions:
IC14
IC15
Coach:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norm Provan

The Tuesday rematch in front of 33,552 was Manly's sixth game in twenty-four days. It was the second Grand Final in a row to end up going into a mid-week replay with the 1977 Grand Final between St George and Parramatta also needing a re-match to decide the Premiers after the original game had been a 9-all draw.

In the first half Cronulla had no answer to Graham Eadie's blind-side bursts. His display completely routed the hapless Sharks and Manly went to the break holding a 15-0 lead thanks to a try by Eadie in the scoreboard corner, one he set up for centre Russel Gartner in the same corner, and another 65 metre effort by Gartner after a sweeping backline movement saw him run into open space and easily outpace the Sharks defence to score in front of the Sheridan Stand.

The only points in the second half came from a field goal by Eadie.

In the replay, as throughout their extraordinary finals campaign, Manly were inspired by the leadership of captain Max Krilich and coach Frank Stanton, their iron-man Terry Randall who had required numerous pain killing injections before every game of the finals just to be able take the field in what Frank Stanton called sheer mind over matter, their cool five eighth Alan Thompson and classy fullback and Man of the Match Graham Eadie.

As of the 2016 NRL Grand Final, no player since Eadie has scored the combination of a try, a goal and a field-goal in a Grand Final.

The refereeing of Greg "Hollywood" Hartley in the replay and throughout the 1978 Finals series attracted criticism from coaches Roy Masters (Western Suburbs), Jack Gibson (South Sydney) and Terry Fearnley (Parramatta), all of whom appealed to the NSWRFL to prohibit Hartley from refereeing their clubs' matches the following season. [30]

Player statistics

Note: Games and (sub) show total games played, e.g. 1 (1) is 2 games played.

PlayerGames (sub)TriesGoalsFGPoints
Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Adams
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Ashworth
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Simon Booth 824
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Branighan 39
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Gross
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lindsay Drake 13
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Eadie 6522124
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Russel Gartner 1030
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Johnny Gibbs 9229
Flag of England.svg John Gray 461134
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Harvey 13
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mick Healey
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Higgs 13
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stephen Knight 515
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Max Krilich (c)39
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Martin 26
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Martin 7122
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chris Montgomery 13
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom Mooney 1133
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ed Planten
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Randall (vc)26
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Springall 13
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Thompson 515
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Thomson 618
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gary Thoroughgood
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Walker 618
TOTAL931135510

Representative Players

International

State

City vs Country

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References

  1. NSWRFL 1978 - Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
  2. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.1 - Manly vs St George
  3. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.2 - Manly vs Penrith
  4. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.3 - Manly vs Newtown
  5. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.4 - Canterbury-Bankstown vs Manly
  6. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.5 - Parramatta vs Manly
  7. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.6 - Manly vs Balmain
  8. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.7 - Western Suburbs vs Manly
  9. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.8 - Manly vs South Sydney
  10. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.9 - North Sydney vs Manly
  11. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.10 - Cronulla-Sutherland vs Manly
  12. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.11 - Manly vs Eastern Suburbs
  13. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.12 - St George vs Manly
  14. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.13 - Penrith vs Manly
  15. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.14 - Newtown vs Manly
  16. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.15 - Manly vs Canterbury-Bankstown
  17. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.16 - Manly vs Parramatta
  18. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.17 - Balmain vs Manly
  19. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.18 - Manly vs Western Suburbs
  20. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.19 - South Sydney vs Manly
  21. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.20 - Manly vs North Sydney
  22. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.21 - South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Manly
  23. 1978 NSWRFL Rd.22 - Eastern Suburbs vs Manly
  24. 1976 NSWRFL Major Prelim Semi-final - Cronulla-Sutherland vs Manly
  25. 1978 NSWRFL Minor Semi-final - Parramatta vs Manly
  26. 1978 NSWRFL Minor Semi-final replay - Manly vs Parramatta
  27. 1978 NSWRFL Preliminary final - Manly vs Western Suburbs
  28. 1978 NSWRFL Grand Final - Manly-Warringah vs Cronulla-Sutherland
  29. 1978 NSWRFL Grand Final replay - Manly-Warringah vs Cronulla-Sutherland
  30. Coady, Ben (2009-09-28). "Grand final dramas". WA Today. Australia: Fairfax Digital. Archived from the original on 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2010-01-15.