1985 NSWRL season

1985 New South Wales Rugby League
Teams 13
Premiers Canterbury-Bankstown (5th title)
Minor premiers St. George (15th title)
Matches played 163
Points scored 5416 (total)
33.227 (per match)
Attendance 1,450,162 (total)
8,897 (per match)
Top point scorer(s) Mick Cronin (204)
Top try scorer(s) Steve Linnane (17)

The 1985 New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the seventy-eighth season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Thirteen teams competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Canterbury-Bankstown and St. George clubs. This season NSWRL teams also competed for the 1985 National Panasonic Cup.

Season summary

Twenty-six regular season rounds were played from March till September, resulting in a top five of St. George, Balmain, Canterbury, Parramatta and Penrith battling it out in the finals

The 1985 season's Rothmans Medallist was Balmain's lock, Wayne Pearce. The Dally M Award was given to Penrith's halfback, Greg Alexander, while Rugby League Week gave its player of the year award to Parramatta's lock, Ray Price.

Teams

The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with thirteen contesting the 1985 premiership, including five Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from Sydney, one from greater New South Wales and one from the Australian Capital Territory

Balmain Tigers
78th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Frank Stanton
Captain: Wayne Pearce
Canberra Raiders
4th season
Ground: Seiffert Oval
Coach: Don Furner
Captain: Dean Lance
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
51st season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Warren Ryan
Captain: Steve Mortimer
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
19th season
Ground: Ronson Field
Coach: Terry Fearnley
Captain: David Hatch
Eastern Suburbs Roosters
78th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Arthur Beetson
Captain: Ron GibbsJohn Tobin
Illawarra Steelers
4th season
Ground: Wollongong Showground
Coach: Brian Smith
Captain: Brian Hetherington
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
39th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Bob Fulton
Captain: Glen Ryan→Paul Vautin
North Sydney Bears
78th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Greg Hawick→Brian Norton[1]
Captain: W. Honeywood→Fred Teasdell→Mark Graham
Parramatta Eels
39th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: John Monie
Captain: Ray Price
Penrith Panthers
19th season
Ground: Penrith Park
Coach: Tim Sheens
Captain: Royce Simmons
South Sydney Rabbitohs
78th season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Ron Willey
Captain: David Boyle
St. George Dragons
65th season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Coach: Roy Masters
Captain: Craig Young
Western Suburbs Magpies
78th season
Ground: Lidcombe Oval
Coach: Ken Gentle
Captain: Lee Crooks

Ladder

Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 St. George 2418242470264+20642
2 Balmain 2418062494304+19040
3 Canterbury-Bankstown 2416262435267+16838
4 Parramatta 2416082458311+14736
5 Penrith 24131102460379+8131
6 Manly-Warringah 24131102404345+5931
7 Eastern Suburbs 24103112374389-1527
8 Cronulla-Sutherland 24110132440404+3626
9 South Sydney 24100142373419-4624
10 Canberra 2482142432534-10222
11 North Sydney 2461172281491-21017
12 Western Suburbs 2452172311661-35016
13 Illawarra 2450192303467-16414

Finals

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Playoff
Penrith Panthers 10-7 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 3 September 1985 Sydney Cricket Ground Mick Stone 16,428
Qualifying Finals
Parramatta Eels 38-6 Penrith Panthers 7 September 1985 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts 18,939
Balmain Tigers 8-14 Canterbury-Bankstown 8 September 1985 Sydney Cricket Ground Mick Stone 25,194
Semi Finals
Balmain Tigers 4-32 Parramatta Eels 14 September 1985 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts 25,423
St. George Dragons 17-6 Canterbury-Bankstown 15 September 1985 Sydney Cricket Ground Mick Stone 39,013
Preliminary Final
Canterbury-Bankstown 26-0 Parramatta Eels 22 September 1985 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts 34,915
Grand Final
St. George Dragons 6-7 Canterbury-Bankstown 29 September 1985 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts 44,569

Grand Final

St George Position Canterbury-Bankstown
Glenn Burgess FB Michael Potter
Steve Morris WG Matthew Callinan
Michael O'Connor CE Chris Mortimer
Michael Beattie CE Andrew Farrar
Denis Kinchela WG Peter Mortimer
Steve Linnane FE Michael Hagan
Perry Haddock HB Steve Mortimer (c)
Pat Jarvis PR Peter Kelly
Phil Ritchie HK Billy Johnstone
Craig Young (c) PR Peter Tunks
Graeme Wynn SR Brian Battese
Billy Noke SR Steve Folkes
Graeme O'Grady LK Paul Langmack
Chris Johns Reserve David Gillespie
Chris Guider Reserve Greg Mullane
Stephen Funnell Reserve Mark Bugden
Alan Neil Reserve
Roy Masters Coach Warren Ryan

The 1985 Grand Final was played at the sydney Cricket Ground before a crowd of 44,569.[2] Canterbury continually put St George fullback Burgess under the test of the high-ball in his in-goal area, which, under the rules of the time, resulted in a line drop-out with the Bulldogs regaining possession. Prop Peter Kelly used the blindside to send winger Peter Mortimer over out wide for a 6-0 half time lead.

Bulldogs half and skipper Steve Mortimer seized control of the match and centre Andrew Farrar clinched it with a field goal in the 72nd minute to take the score to 7-0. A last light of hope appeared for the Dragons when Steve Morris scored and Michael O'Connor converted with five minutes left on the clock. In the end a practised and clinical approach from Canterbury shut out the Dragons who had been the minor premiers.

Canterbury-Bankstown 7
Tries: P Mortimer. Goal: Farrar. Field Goal: Farrar.

St. George 6
Tries: Morris. Goal: O'Connor.

Man-of-the-match: Steve Mortimer

References

  1. "History". northsydneybears.com.au. North Sydney Bears. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  2. D'Souza, Miguel. "Grand Final History". wwos.ninemsn.com.au. AAP. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
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