1957 NSWRFL season

1957 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams 10
Premiers St. George (4th title)
Minor premiers St. George (4th title)
Matches played 94
Points scored 3103 (total)
33.011 (per match)
Attendance 1,089,273 (total)
11,588 (per match)
Top point scorer(s) Darcy Russell (169)
Top try scorer(s) Tommy Ryan (26)

1957's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 50th season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Ten teams from across the city competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final between St. George and Manly-Warringah.

Season summary

Teams

Balmain
50th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Sid Ryan
Captain: Brian Staunton
Canterbury-Bankstown

season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Captain-coach: Col Geelan

Eastern Suburbs
50th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Dave Brown
Captain: Tony Paskins
Manly-Warringah
11th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Ken Arthurson
Captain: George Hunter
Newtown
50th season
Ground: Henson Park
Captain-Coach: Dick Poole
North Sydney
50th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Trevor Allan
Captain: Ken McCaffery, Bob Dawson
Parramatta
11th season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Captain-Coach: Ken Slattery
South Sydney
50th season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Jack Rayner
Captain: Clive Churchill
St. George
37th season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Captain-coach: Ken Kearney
Western Suburbs
50th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Coach: Jack Walsh
Captain: Keith Holman

Ladder

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 St. George 181503417232+18530
2 Manly 181116282209+7323
3 South Sydney 181107354314+4022
4 Western Suburbs 181017358251+10721
5 North Sydney 18918292278+1419
6 Balmain 18909352281+7118
7 Newtown 18909267228+3918
8 Eastern Suburbs 18909277347-7018
9 Canterbury 183114182339-1577
10 Parramatta 182016189491-3024

Finals

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semi Finals
South Sydney 26-13 Western Suburbs 31 August 1957 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 46,957
St. George 21-7 Manly-Warringah 7 September 1957 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 39,845
Preliminary Final
Manly-Warringah 15-11 South Sydney 14 September 1957 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 39,065
Grand Final
St. George 31-9 Manly-Warringah 21 September 1957 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 54,399

Grand Final

St George Position Manly-Warringah
Brian Graham FB Ron Willey
Tommy Ryan WG Ray Ritchie
Ray Smith CE Ray Quinnell
Jack Fifield CE Bill Lloyd
Eddie Lumsden WG George Hugo
Peter Carroll FE Kevin Diett
Bob Bugden HB Peter Burke
Kevin Brown PR Roy Bull
Ken Kearney (Ca./Co.) HK George Lenon
Bryan Orrock PR Denis Meaney
Harry Bath SR Doug Daley
Norm Provan SR Rex Mossop
Brian Clay LK George Hunter (c)
Coach Ken Arthurson

Under 27 year-old coach Ken Arthurson, Manly were playing in their second grand final. The match began with Saints pounding the (then called) 'Seagulls' with some heavy tackling. Brian Clay in particular targeted Manly's Rex Mossop, often trapping the dual international forward with the ball. 'Poppa' Clay had a fearsome reputation in defence and at one point he knocked the Manly captain George Hunter senseless.

Manly were up to the task in the first half with the score locked at 4-all for 30 minutes. Straight after half time, the flood gates opened following a magnificent run up the centre by second-row forward Norm Provan. He palmed off Manly defenders, ran deep into their territory, high stepped past fullback Ron Willey and slipped the ball to Poppa Clay who scored under the posts.

A second Dragons try followed within three minutes and the game began to slip away from the Manly side. The Larry Writer reference quotes Manly coach Arthurson: "The sheer physical strength of the St. George team is in itself a formidable thing to overcome. Our fellows tried everything, but St. George had so much more to give. Those big fellows are so clever."[1]

Harry Bath kicked eight goals from eight attempts establishing a standing record for the most goals in a grand final and the most number of points scored in a grand final (16). His fellow ball playing forward and tactician Ken Kearney had returned for this, the first of five successful seasons as coach (four as captain-coach).

St. George 31 (Tries: Clay 2, Ryan, Fifield, Lumsden. Goals: Bath 8.)

Manly 9 (Tries: Burke. Goals: Willey 3.)

References

Sources and footnotes

  1. ↑ Never Before, Never Again p 39
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