1983 NSWRFL season

Last updated
1983 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams14
Premiers Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta (3rd title)
Minor premiers Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah (5th title)
Matches played189
Points scored7,296
Attendance1,458,144
Top points scorer(s) Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Michael Eden (256)
Wooden spoon Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs  (12th spoon)
Rothmans Medal Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Michael Eden
Top try-scorer(s) Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Phil Blake (27)

The 1983 NSWRFL season was the 76th season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Fourteen teams competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a replay of the previous year's grand final between the Parramatta and Manly-Warringah clubs. During the season, NSWRFL teams also competed for the 1983 KB Cup.

Contents

1983 was the final season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for Sydney-based foundation club Newtown Jets, and the first reduction in the number of teams in the competition since Sydney University's departure at the end of the 1937 NSWRFL season. It was also the first season that was played with four-point tries.

Season summary

For the first time, the number of points awarded for scoring a try was raised from three to four. There was also the introduction of a handover if a team was caught in possession six times, which had the effect of killing the traditional scrum but attracted many new followers[ citation needed ] to a game that had seen attendances decline by fifty percent since the record year of 1968. [1] To counter a lucrative illegal betting market, legal betting via FootyTAB was introduced and was a regarded as a success.

Twenty-six regular season rounds were played from February till August, resulting in a top five of Manly-Warringah, Parramatta, Canterbury-Bankstown, Balmain and St. George, who battled it out in the finals. Manly-Warringah managed 23 wins from 28 matches in 1983 – at the time the most wins in a season by a club in NSWRFL premiership history alongside Parramatta's 23 in 1982.

The 1983 season's Rothmans Medallist was Eastern Suburbs’ back, Michael Eden and the Dally M Award went to Western Suburbs’ half, Terry Lamb. Rugby League Week gave their player of the year award to Manly-Warringah winger, Phil Sigsworth. This season the Coca-Cola Coach-of-the-year award was voted for by the coaches in the League and was awarded to rookie coach Laurie Freier. [2]

This was also the last year in the first-grade competition for foundation club Newtown, who were dropped at the season's end.

The Round 2 game between Illawarra and Manly-Warringah at the Wollongong Showground was refereed by French Rugby League Federation referee Julien Rascagnères who had refereed the Ashes series during the 1982 Kangaroo tour. [3] [4]

Teams

The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous season, with fourteen clubs competing in total, including six Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from Sydney, one from greater New South Wales and one from the Australian Capital Territory. It was the last season for the Newtown club. [5]

Balmain Tigers
Balmain Jersey 1983.png

76th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Frank Stanton
Captain: Wayne Pearce

Canberra Raiders
Canberra Jersey 1983.png

2nd season
Ground: Seiffert Oval
Coach: Don Furner
Captain: Allan McMahon

Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury-Bankstown Jersey 1983.png

48th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Ted Glossop
Captain: Chris Anderson

Cronulla Sharks
Cronulla-Sutherland Jersey 1983.png

17th season
Ground: Endeavour Field
Coach: Terry Fearnley
Captain: Gavin Miller

Eastern Suburbs Roosters
Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1983.png

76th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Laurie Freier
Captain: Royce Ayliffe

Illawarra Steelers
Illawarra Jersey 1983.png

2nd season
Ground: Wollongong Stadium
Coach: Allan Fitzgibbon
Captain: John Dorahy

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Jersey 1983.png

37th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Bob Fulton
Captain: Max Krilich

Newtown Jets
Newtown Jersey 1983.png

76th season
Ground: Henson Park, Orana Park
Coach: Brian Moore
Captain: Ken Wilson, Dean Lance

North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Jersey 1983.png

76th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: John Hayes, Greg Hawick
Captain: Mark Graham, John Adam

Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Jersey 1983.png

37th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Jack Gibson
Captain: Steve Edge

Penrith Panthers
Penrith Jersey 1983.png

17th season
Ground: Penrith Stadium
Coach: John Peard
Captain: Royce Simmons

South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Jersey 1983.png

76th season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Ron Willey
Captain: Ziggy Niszczot

St. George Dragons
St George Jersey 1983.png

63rd season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Coach: Roy Masters
Captain: Craig Young, John Jansen

Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Jersey 1983.png

76th season
Ground: Lidcombe Oval
Coach: Len Stacker
Captain: Warren Boland

Ladder

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly 262204690361+32944
2 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 261808639293+34636
3 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury 261808531409+12236
4 Balmain colours.svg Balmain 261709525438+8734
5 St. George colours.svg St. George 2614111551450+10129
6 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 2614111579492+8729
7 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 2613112435446-1127
8 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 2612113439495-5625
9 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla 2612014450520-7024
10 Canberra colours.svg Canberra 269017495614-11918
11 Penrith colours.svg Penrith 269017476647-17118
12 Illawarra colours.svg Illawarra 268018451644-19316
13 Newtown colours.svg Newtown 267217373591-21816
14 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 265219394628-23412

Finals

HomeScoreAwayMatch information
Date and timeVenueRefereeCrowd
Playoff
St. George colours.svg St. George Dragons 44-16 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters 30 August 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground B. Barnes17,981
Qualifying Finals
Balmain colours.svg Balmain Tigers 14-17 St. George colours.svg St. George Dragons 3 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts24,652
Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 30-22 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury Bulldogs 4 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground B. Barnes22,311
Semi-finals
Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury Bulldogs 26-24 St. George colours.svg St. George Dragons 10 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground John Gocher27,867
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Sea Eagles 19-10 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 11 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts28,921
Preliminary final
Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 18-4 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury Bulldogs 18 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts27,726
Grand final
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Sea Eagles 6-18 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 25 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts40,285

Chart

Qualifying finalMajor semi-finalPreliminary finalGrand final
1 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly19 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly6
Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta10 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta18
2 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta30 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta18
3 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury22Minor semi-final Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury4
Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury26
4 Balmain colours.svg Balmain14 St. George colours.svg St. George24
5 St. George colours.svg St. George17

Grand final

Manly Sea EaglesPositionParramatta Eels
  1. Graham Eadie
FB
  1. Paul Taylor
2. John Ribot WG 2. David Liddiard
3. Chris Close CE 3. Mick Cronin
4. Phil Sigsworth CE 4. Steve Ella
5. Kerry Boustead WG 5. Eric Grothe
6. Alan Thompson (c) FE 6. Brett Kenny
7. Phil Blake HB 7. Peter Sterling
8. Ian Schubert LK 8. Ray Price
9. Noel Cleal SR 9. Steve Sharp
10. Paul Vautin SR 10. Peter Wynn
11. Paul McCabe PR 11. Paul Mares
12. Ray Brown HK 12. Steve Edge (c)
13. Geoff Gerard PR 13. Stan Jurd
18. Glenn Ryan Reserve16. Chris Phelan
20. Rick Chisolm Reserve20. Gary Martine
25. Michael Blake Reserve22. Mark Laurie
Reserve23. Don Duffy
Bob Fulton Coach Jack Gibson

Parramatta powered over Manly for the second year straight to claim their third successive title. The 18–6 win saw Brett Kenny claim a unique achievement in scoring two tries in three successive grand finals. Kenny opened the scoring and the Eels raced to a 10–0 lead after 13 minutes when Eric Grothe steamrolled burly Manly fullback Graham Eadie.

Parramatta 18 (Tries: Brett Kenny 2, Eric Grothe; Goals: Cronin 3)

defeated

Manly-Warringah 6 (Tries: Phil Sigsworth; Goals: Graham Eadie)

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26:

References

  1. ↑ AFL Tables – Rugby League Crowds summary
  2. ↑ Clarkson, Alan (21 September 1983). "Coach-of-year newcomer surprised by his voting rivals". the Sydney Morning Herald . Australia. p. 47. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  3. ↑ 1983 Winfield Cup Round 2 Illawarra vs Manly summary
  4. ↑ 1983 Winfield Cup Round 2 Illawarra vs Manly highlights
  5. ↑ "History of the Premiership". centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au. Australian Rugby League. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
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