Misplaced Pages

#982017

91-548: The league caters for age groups from under 6's to under 12's. Senior teams (Under 13's - A Grade) play in the neighbouring Manly-Warringah/North Sydney District Rugby League . The Under 6's to Under 8's is a non-competitive competition. The Under 9's to Under 12's play in a modified competition. As of 2023 there were eleven clubs in the Balmain Tigers Junior Rugby League, with over 120 teams. These clubs are: Some extinct clubs that once played in

182-574: A 28–8 thrashing of Melbourne in Round 25 to warm up for the finals. Despite facing a number of hurdles through the course of the season – from a lengthy list of injury woes to the ASADA investigation which threatened to become a significant distraction at times – they managed to grow in stature as the season progressed but fell just short, losing the grand final to the Sydney Roosters 26–18. Most of

273-613: A 38–6 loss to perennial strugglers Cronulla in the first match played under new coach Geoff Toovey. This was followed by a 26–12 loss in the 2012 World Club Challenge to Leeds Rhinos . The Sea Eagles' premiership defence began with an away trip to Eden Park in Auckland where they faced the New Zealand Warriors in the Grand Final rematch and won 26–20. They backed up that close win with another close win against

364-529: A Manly player had scored 3 tries in a finals game since Gordon Willoughby scored 3 against Western Suburbs in the 1951 Semi-final at the SCG) and retiring legend Steve Menzies' try 10 minutes from full-time, which he scored after coming back onto the field to replace the injured Steve Matai. Manly prop forward Brent Kite was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal after a powerhouse display which included

455-653: A classy try in the 58th minute. This is the largest winning margin in a grand final in rugby league history. Three weeks prior to the 2009 season, Des Hasler and his team travelled to England where as the reigning NRL premiers they would take on reigning Super League premiers the Leeds Rhinos in the 2009 World Club Challenge to be played at the Elland Road ground in Leeds . After having lost their previous World Club Challenge game to Wigan in 1987 (with Hasler

546-642: A game in 2012 while Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers made it to the Grand Final where they were defeated by the Newtown Jets . The Magpies dropped back to the third tier Ron Massey Cup in 2013, with members voting to field a separate NSW Cup team in 2014, although this did not eventuate. In 2015, The Magpies added a team in the Sydney Shield competition to act as a feeder for their Ron Massey Cup campaign. In 2016, Western Suburbs made

637-465: A hold over Rugby Union in the peninsula area. North Sydney endured an exodus of players to the newly formed team with 20 Manly juniors returning to play for their local club in their first season. Norths lost half of their games in 1947, before spending the next four seasons towards the bottom of the ladder. Manly immediately adopted the maroon and white colours they had used for their Presidents Cup team since its inception and borrowed originally from

728-425: A knee injury when he ruptured his Anterior cruciate ligament during the first half of the game. Stewart's injury would also rule him out for the remainder of the season. This would cause Des Hasler to re-shuffle his backline over the course of the season after losing two of his teams most lethal attacking weapons. Manly-Warringah spent much of the middle of the season near the top of the ladder and were earmarked as

819-598: A point to prove after being a shock omission from the Australian team. Great Britain's coach for their 1988 tour was Mal Reilly who had played lock forward for the Manly in their 1972 and 1973 Grand Final wins. It would be the first time that former premiership teammates Fulton and Reilly would oppose each other from the coaches box. With Fulton taking over as coach of the Australian team from 1989, it would not be their last time coaching against each other. In 1995, amidst

910-579: A possible premiership contender with impressive wins over the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Wests Tigers . Inconsistent form, injuries and suspensions caused a dramatic slide down the ladder and Manly were lucky to settle on 8th and just make the finals. Had it not been for the Melbourne Storm salary cap breach earlier in the season, Manly-Warringah would have missed the finals altogether for

1001-445: A result of two incidents on the day of Manly-Warringah's season launch. Second-rower Anthony Watmough was assaulted by a sponsor after allegedly making inappropriate comments to his daughter. Brett Stewart later that night was charged with the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl outside his apartment block, of which he was subsequently cleared, an incident which led to the damning Four Corners investigation, "Code of Silence". Stewart

SECTION 10

#1732772765983

1092-613: A row. Apart from these occasions, the club was famous for three successive grand final matches in 1961, 1962 and 1963 against the St George Dragons in the midst of their 11-premiership run. The club boasted footballers such as halfback Arthur Summons , Harry 'Bomber' Wells , Kel O'Shea , Noel Kelly and Peter Dimond . The 1963 grand final was immortalised in a photograph which became known as ' The Gladiators ' after St. George captain Norm Provan and Summons trudged off

1183-687: A side and Wests could. This also went against the Magpies Football Club members wishes and they organised a Protest Rally through the streets of Campbelltown . Wests Ashfield Leagues Club under pressure reinstated funding late in the off season after the Magpies players had already signed on to play with other teams. The Wests Tigers however decided to cease all support of the Magpies NSW Cup side while continuing support for Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers . The Magpies failed to win

1274-537: Is what happened after a late-season stutter saw them relinquish their grip on the minor premiership, lose several key players at just the wrong time, and get bundled out of the 2014 Finals Series in straight sets despite their top-two finish. Even though they achieved a top-two finish, bowing out second week of the finals resulted in an unsatisfactory result for the Sea Eagles for a side that was running first from rounds 18–25. They had their fair share of luck throughout

1365-590: The Intrust Super Premiership ends the clubs 5-year hiatus from the top level NSWRL competition that it had participated continuously in from 1908 to 2012. For its return the team will be coached by former Western Suburbs 1st grade player Brett Hodgson . In 2018, Wests enjoyed a solid return to the Intrust Super Premiership NSW after finishing in 5th place on the table. In week 1 of the finals, Wests were defeated by

1456-728: The National Rugby League (NRL). The club debuted in the 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League season and currently hosts the majority of their home games at Brookvale Oval in Brookvale . They train at the New South Wales Academy of Sport in Narrabeen and their Centre of Excellence in Brookvale. The team colours are maroon and white, and they are commonly known as Manly . The club competed in

1547-520: The Sydney Football Stadium 28–6, Manly played in their 15th grand final against Melbourne, where they were beaten 34–8 by Melbourne on 30 September at Telstra Stadium . Melbourne would later be stripped of the 2007 title for salary cap breaches . With the departure of hooker Michael Monaghan , many questioned whether the Manly could be as competitive as in 2007 and losses in the first 2 rounds seemed to confirm this. Manly finished

1638-683: The Sydney Roosters , where Manly-Warringah went into the match without its captain Jamie Lyon , Shane Rodney , Dean Whare and Glenn Stewart through injury and also Jason King and Steve Matai through suspension. Brett Stewart was appointed acting captain for the Roosters match. This is regarded as one of the most commendable wins in Manly's history and featured outstanding performances by its younger players including Kieran Foran , Jamie Buhrer , William Hopoate and Vic Mauro . This

1729-434: The Wests Tigers , they would form a feeder partnership with rivals Canberra Raiders . The Wests Tigers capitulated. The Western Suburbs Magpies made the semi-finals in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In 2012 funding was withheld from the Magpies by Wests Ashfield Leagues Club Directors (not unanimously) as they now supported Wests Tigers proposal for a single NSW Cup side, even though this was done simply because Balmain couldn't afford

1820-543: The Wests Tigers , winning 22–18. Manly-Warringah lost its first match for the 2012 season when it went down 17–13 to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in a major upset, then another loss followed when it fell to 2010 premiers St. George Illawarra at Kogarah by 17–4. Manly-Warringah ended the 2012 Regular season in 4th position on the ladder. After being defeated by the Bulldogs in the first week of

1911-487: The Wyong Roos 18–14 in the elimination final thus ending their season. At the end of the 2019 Canterbury Cup NSW season, Western Suburbs missed out on the finals after finishing in 10th place. Western Suburbs had a difficult year during the 2022 NSW Cup finishing 11th on the table just one spot above wooden spooners Blacktown Workers . Western Suburbs had a tough year in the 2024 NSW Cup finishing last and claiming

SECTION 20

#1732772765983

2002-1702: The "Balmain & Northern Districts" JRL for one season. A Grade - Neutral Bay 16, All Blacks 11, Rozelle Waratah 11, Elliott Bros 8, Berrys Bay 2, Crows Nest 2; B Grade - Balmain Iona 18, Berrys Bay 12, Rozelle Rangers 4, Crows Nest 2. 1911 - Given that a large number of Leichhardt teams were included and they were technically part of the Annandale District, for the competition was titled "Balmain-Leichhardt" JRL. A Grade - Balmain Iona 17, Leichhardt Royals 13, Elliott Bros 8, Leichhardt Invincible 0; B Grade - Balmain Iona 27, Leichhardt Royals 23, Leichhardt Oaks 16, Balmain Boomerangs 15, Balmain Mertonville 14, Elliott Bros 13, Leichhardt Presbyterian 4, Leichhardt Surreyville 0 1912 - known as Balmain JRL again. A Grade - 9 teams - Boomerangs, Mertonville, Violets, Iona, Pine Park, Rozelle Federals, Rosebuds, Drummoyne; B Grade - St Itas, Glebe 28, Balmain Arline 19, Ultimo Waratah 17, Mertonville 16, Balmain Royals 11, Rosebud 9, Violets 8, Rozelle Waratah 4. Manly-Warringah The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches . They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition,

2093-559: The "Western Suburbs Magpies Leagues Club", the businesses "Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club Ltd" is a fully controlled entity of Wests Ashfield Leagues Club. The Leagues club was formed in the 1950s and is now one of the leading community Clubs in Sydney. The current board of directors of the Wests Magpies (Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club) The board of directors comprises 4 members appointed by Wests Ashfield Leagues Club, and 3 members elected by

2184-617: The 2nd half, and progressed to the preliminary final. In this match, they defeated the Brisbane Broncos 26–14 to be the first team through to the 2011 NRL Grand Final , where they met the New Zealand Warriors who were vying for their first ever premiership. A season of success culminated in Manly-Warringah winning its eighth premiership, defeating the New Zealand Warriors 24–10 in the Grand Final . Glenn Stewart

2275-470: The 4 November 1946 after two unsuccessful bids in 1937 and 1944. Along with Parramatta, they were granted admission to the 1947 competition. It was North Sydney themselves who had the most to lose from Manly entering the league but they advocated for a team to be on the Northern Beaches. Norths believed Manly's inclusion in the competition would provide a far better platform for Rugby League to gain

2366-682: The A Grade and Granville Royals the B Grade. Parramatta District went into the NSWRL 3rd Grade competition in 1911 and Granville Royals joined them in 1912. Campsie Triers and Enfield Mercantile were formed by a split in the Enfield Federals club that had won the B Grade of the WSJRU competition in 1909, in its first year as a club. Val Howell, Frank Howell, S Gagan, G Gagan, A Tanner and Thompson joined Campsie while Lewis, H McCoy, D Nicholls, Prentice and Smythe joined Mercantile. They were together as

2457-479: The Balmain District junior competition include: Some notable Balmain juniors include: Early history 1908 - 6 teams - Balmain Iona, Leichhardt Royals, Birchgrove Juniors, Drummoyne Juniors, Rosebuds, Norwood 1909 - 6 teams - Balmain Iona, Rozelle Jnr Kangaroos, Rozelle Waratah, Iverna, Rozelle Rangers, Drummoyne Jnrs 1910 - a shortage of teams and the introduction of teams north of the harbour resulted in

2548-660: The Balmain Tigers (the Wests Magpies had six junior players in that group, as opposed to one from Balmain), citing the advantages of both the NRL and NSW Cup teams training together at Concord Oval . This continued from 2006 to 2007. Magpies chairman Kevin Hammond was disappointed at the Wests Tigers decision and informed the Wests Tigers of that in 2008, if the Magpies did not receive a fair share of player allocation from

2639-769: The CRL Group 6 Northern Junior League and parts of the Parramatta DJRL (i.e. Liverpool) in 1987. They were forced to move out of their traditional territory around the Ashfield and Lidcombe areas of inner western Sydney to be able to then survive in the NSWRL . The old WSDJRL area has since been acquired by the Balmain DJRL and Bulldogs (Canterbury) DJRL. Clubs that used to play in the WSDJRL include; The first year of

2730-737: The Feds in 1911 and won both that season and again in 1912, so without the split they might have won titles in each of their first 4 seasons. On Friday 30 May 2008 the centenary of the Western Suburbs Magpies was celebrated with a ball in the Grand Harbour Ballroom at Sydney's Star City Casino . Six inaugural members were also inducted into the Western Suburbs Magpies Hall of Fame: 2010 Inductees 1997 MIA players 2012 Inductees In 2004

2821-544: The Freshwater SLSC of which Ken Arthurson and other players were members. For their emblem they chose the sea eagle – the native bird of prey of the Sydney coastline. Although a number of media writers referred to Manly as the "sea gulls", the club maintains that it has always officially been the Sea Eagles. Manly's first premiership game was against Western Suburbs at Brookvale Oval on Saturday 12 April 1947. Max Whitehead, who had first played for Norths in 1942 and

Balmain District Junior Rugby League - Misplaced Pages Continue

2912-533: The NRL as the Northern Eagles for a further season in 2002, before abandoning the name and identity to return to what they are known as today. Since winning their first premiership in 1972, the club has won a further seven first-grade titles, with their most recent being in 2011. The club's eight titles span five consecutive decades. Since their first Grand Final appearance in 1951, the club has appeared in 19 Grand Finals across seven consecutive decades. By

3003-489: The NRL competition, it was decided by the club in the middle of 1999 that to survive the cull they would be required to merge their senior team with another club's team. After initial talks with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs failed an agreement was reached with the Balmain Tigers on 27 July 1999. The Wests Tigers first competed in the 2000 competition. The club also merged its playing colours from

3094-482: The NSW State Cup (Canterbury Cup), Ron Massey Cup (Opens), S.G. Ball Cup (Under 19's) and Harold Matthews Cup (Under 17's) competitions. Campbelltown Stadium , which has a capacity of 18,000, is the club's home stadium. The club was one of the foundation members of the Sydney rugby football league competition in 1908. Founded at a meeting on 4 February 1908 at Ashfield Town Hall, they won only one match

3185-558: The NSWRL, ARL, or NRL competitions in all respective seasons from 1947 until 1999. At the end of 1999, they entered into a joint venture with the North Sydney Bears to form the Northern Eagles , which rugby league statisticians regard as a separate club. The Northern Eagles competed in the 2000 and 2001 NRL seasons, after which the joint venture collapsed. The Manly Warringah club (who held the NRL licence) competed in

3276-507: The Sea Eagles were beaten on the full-time siren by a Knights try. The Manly teams of 1995 to 1997 produced some of the most entertaining football in Sea Eagles' history, but also featured rugby league's strongest defence. Many great players featured, including Des Hasler , Geoff Toovey, Nik Kosef , Steve Menzies , Terry Hill , Mark Carroll , Cliff Lyons , David Gillespie , Craig Hancock , Danny Moore , John Hopoate , and former NZ All Blacks Matthew Ridge and Craig Innes . After 1997

3367-494: The Stewart brothers from Wollongong , back row forward Glenn and speedy try scoring fullback Brett . Manly finished the 2007 regular season in 2nd (out of 16) place, losing only six matches throughout. Their 50-16 mauling of Newcastle ensured they would finish in the top two. Throughout the season they were the only club chasing Melbourne (whom they beat in round 11) for the minor premiership. After defeating North Queensland at

3458-602: The Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles, was brought into first grade. Manly-Warringah had not made any big-name signings for the 2011 season. This showed up in its lowly 8th placing, its poorest performance in a season since 2005. Manly-Warringah's 2011 season started with an 18–6 loss to the Melbourne Storm in Melbourne. Brett Stewart had minimal impact on the match but escaped injury-free. This was followed with an upset 27–16 win over beaten 2010 Grand Finalists

3549-502: The Super League war, Manly produced one of its most dominating seasons in the club's history but in one of the league's biggest upsets, were beaten by Canterbury in the Grand Final. Despite being the best attacking side all year, the Sea Eagles could not score a try in the Grand Final and were defeated by the underdog Canterbury side, led by Terry Lamb . In 1996 Manly made another Grand Final appearance and beat St. George to win

3640-608: The WSDJRL are Anthony Minichiello (East Valley United), Mark Minichiello (Liverpool Catholic Club) Frank Pritchard (Campbelltown City) Eric Grothe, Jr. (Eagle Vale), Ryan Hoffman (Campbelltown Collegians), Ben Roberts (Narellan Jets), Sauaso Sue (Macquarie Field Hawks), Israel Folau , Jarryd Hayne , Krisnan Inu , Michael Lett (Ingleburn RSL), Gray Viane , John Skandalis , Ken McGuinness , Kevin McGuinness , Tim Lafai and Mickey & Lopini Paea (all Minto Cobras). The WSDJRL took over its current boundaries from

3731-416: The WSDJRL was 1910 and the final standings were: Parramatta Iona 16, Parramatta District 14, Campsie Triers 11, Granville Royals 11, Enfield Mercantile 9, Ashfield Surryville 7, Auburn Park 2. Since the NSWRL had promised 2 sets of medals the teams then split into 2 grades, Campsie Triers beating Granville Royals in a playoff to go onto the A section and the other 4 teams in the B Finals. Parramatta District won

Balmain District Junior Rugby League - Misplaced Pages Continue

3822-490: The Western Suburbs club, replacing Alf Blair , who moved to South Sydney . Wests slightly improved on their performance from the previous season, finishing 5th (out of 8), but failing to make the finals, and Bolewski was replaced by club great, Frank McMillan . Wests won a second pair of premierships, beating Balmain in 1948 and South Sydney 22–12 in 1952. Both times they defeated a club hunting its third title in

3913-525: The ball bounced up and hit him in the head before he finally grounded it. After getting the week off, Manly faced the history-making New Zealand Warriors. Manly crushed the Warriors 32–6 and showcased their trademark wall of defence and attacking flair. With the win, Manly qualified for their 17th grand final, where in a rematch of the 2007 decider, they would play the Melbourne Storm. The story of

4004-477: The club dismissed head coach Des Hasler after he was revealed to have breached his contract by trying to lure coaching staff and players to the Bulldogs where he was to have started coaching in 2013. This meant that Geoff Toovey, who was to take over as part of a succession plan, was immediately elevated to the role of head coach from the start of the 2012 season. Manly Warringah's pre-season started dismally with

4095-474: The club lost form on the field, recording only 10th place in the 1998 season, and missing the finals in 1999. Manly Warringah would usher in the new millennium by merging with the North Sydney Bears to become the Northern Eagles . This venture would run between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL. The team would share home games between Brookvale Oval and Central Coast Stadium, Gosford, New South Wales. Little success

4186-1094: The club named its Team of the Century: 1 Frank McMillan – FB 2 Peter Dimond – WG 3 Harry Wells – CE 4 Cliff Pearce – CE 5 Alan Ridley – WG 6 Vic Hey – FE 7 Keith Holman – HB 8 John Donnelly – PR 9 Noel Kelly – HK 10 Ed "Tedda" Courtney – PR 11 Kel O'Shea – SR 12 Arthur Clues – SR 13 Les Boyd – LK 14 Tommy Raudonikis – positions 15 John Dorahy – positions 16 Neville Charlton – positions 17 Bill Carson – positions Roy Masters – positions The following Western Suburbs Magpies players have represented their countries in international competition. Largest crowd : Biggest defeat : 67–0 vs South Sydney (Agricultural Showground, 23 July 1910) Biggest win : 62–5 vs Balmain (Lidcombe Oval, 31 March 1974) Most First Grade Games Most Tries in

4277-403: The club then played at Pratten Park sporadically over the next two decades playing games there in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977 and 1985. The final ever first grade game to be played at Pratten Park was on 18 August 1985 against Penrith, Penrith won the match by 42–16. They then moved to Lidcombe Oval in 1967. This was due to Ashfield council not allowing the club to play matches on a Sunday (as this

4368-606: The club's viability led to years of exodus of talent. Wests did manage to win the 1977 Amco Cup . John Ribot , a winger for Wests, was the top try-scorer for the 1980 season. In 1983 the NSWRFL attempted to expel Wests from the competition, but a prolonged legal battle to keep their spot ensued, unlike the Newtown Jets who did not compete that year. Richard Conti appeared against New South Wales Rugby League bosses John Quayle and Colin Love in 1985, successfully advocating to keep

4459-480: The embattled club in the competition. He was later appointed the chairman of the NSWRL Judiciary. Eventually, Wests relocated to Campbelltown in 1987. Ironically, this was where Newtown had unsuccessfully tried to move to four years earlier. Wests began a rebuilding process in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Laurie Freier started the 1988 Winfield Cup season as the club's coach but was replaced during

4550-427: The end of the 2001 season and Manly would officially make a welcome return to the NRL in 2003. The joint venture collapsed and Manly retained the Northern Eagles licence for the 2002 season until returning to the competition as Manly Warringah Sea Eagles for the 2003 season. The 2003 and 2004 seasons produced very few moments of joy for Sea Eagles supporters. The club improved its playing stocks for 2005, and reached

4641-544: The end of the season and lost the first qualifying final to eventual grand final winners Melbourne 40–12 in a one-sided contest played at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium . Due to other unfavourable results occurring on the weekend, Manly were eliminated from the premiership race. This premiership was also stripped from the Storm. In 2010, Manly-Warringah started the season with a team of many new faces, including young playmaker Kieran Foran. After narrowly losing their first two games of

SECTION 50

#1732772765983

4732-516: The field together. A final period of glory beckoned in the late 1970s where they spent a few years at the top or near-top of the table, yet failed to make a grand final. Coached by Roy Masters and boasting such players as fullback John Dorahy , half Tommy Raudonikis , five-eighth Graeme O'Grady , Gavin Miller , Ron Giteau , Les Boyd , prop John Donnelly and five-eighth Terry Lamb . However attractive offers from other clubs and then doubts about

4823-619: The finals, Manly defeated the Nth Queensland Cowboys, effectively ending their season. However, the Sea Eagles' season ended the next week after being defeated by eventual premiers Melbourne Storm. Ambushed early in the year by the sudden rise of two new title contenders in South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters, Manly spent much of the season flying under the radar with a top four spot safely in their keeping, but minor premiership never truly within their reach. In fact, as

4914-482: The first Ashes series test just four days later, plus other stars such as Dale Shearer , Mal Cochrane and David Ronson (all six had played in the 1987 Grand Final win), put the touring Great Britain Lions to the sword with a 30-0 demolition at Brookvale Oval. Teenage halfback Geoff Toovey was named man of the match, scoring one of the Sea Eagles five tries on the night while the side was led by Noel Cleal who had

5005-501: The first defending premier since Melbourne in 2000 to lose their first four matches of a season), before finally achieving a 23–10 win against the Tigers in which Stewart scored three tries in his first match for 2009. A double against Souths followed, before injury struck. Stewart only played five games overall in 2009 following a serious knee injury suffered in round six, before returning in round 25. The Sea Eagles snared fifth place at

5096-531: The first time since 2004. In round 25, ballplaying second-rower Glenn Stewart was suspended for 4 matches for a high shot on Sydney Roosters captain Braith Anasta , and in round 26 centre Steve Matai was suspended for 7 matches for a high tackle that knocked out Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs hooker Michael Ennis . Their 2010 season ended with a dismal 28–0 hammering from the eventual premiers St. George Illawarra , although Manly-Warringah were still in

5187-530: The following season so were the League's first wooden spooners (after Cumberland were awarded an extra bye). Though they spent long periods of time as also-rans, they did taste premiership success four times in the mid-20th century. They won their first premiership in 1930, beating St George 27–2. Four years later they defeated Eastern Suburbs to win their second title. For the 1944 NSWRFL season , Queensland 1910s representative player Henry Bolewski became coach

5278-510: The following year in 1973 and again in 1976 and 1978. The 1973 final against Cronulla is reputed to be one of the hardest and toughest grand finals, at least in the televised era. There were several incidents of players being hurt, in particular very tough and hard English import, Mal Reilly , was "taken" out early and did not take any further part in the game. Manly were powerful in the early 1980s but were beaten in two consecutive Grand finals by Parramatta, in 1982 and 1983. Their next premiership

5369-435: The future should remain bright. Manly struggled to maintain the previous consistency they produced over the past decade. They had made the finals every year for a decade, anything short of a top eight finish would have been seen a failure. Western Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies (legal name: Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club Ltd) is an Australian rugby league football club based in

5460-535: The game with 15 minutes remaining. Manly went into this game with 11 of their first choice players out with either injury or suspension and many of those who did play were still carrying injuries. At the end of the 2010 season Manly Warringah lost Trent Hodkinson who signed a deal with the Bulldogs from the start of the 2011 season, as well as Josh Perry and Ben Farrar to the Super League . Daly Cherry-Evans , who came from Manly's Queensland Cup feeder club

5551-454: The grand final was very different for Manly-Warringah this time around, as they decimated Melbourne 40–0 (which was the largest number of points scored against a team in a grand final) to win their seventh premiership in front of 80,388 at ANZ Stadium . It was Michael Monaghan's replacement, the previously unknown Matt Ballin , who scored the first try of the match. The game was also notable for winger Michael Robertson's hat-trick (the first time

SECTION 60

#1732772765983

5642-888: The greater Campbelltown and Liverpool areas of southwestern Sydney. As of 2016 the following clubs were involved in the WSDJRL; The league was placed into administration in January 2019, with the NSWRL stepping in to manage the competition. The following clubs also competed in the WSDJRL, but have now folded: The WSDJRL has produced many ex and current Wests Tigers players including Brett Hodgson (Eagle Vale-St Andrews & Ingleburn RSL), Dean Collis (Campbelltown Warriors), Bryce Gibbs (All Saints Liverpool), Shannon Gallant (All Saints Liverpool & Campbelltown City) Chris Lawrence (Eagle Vale), and Shannon McDonnell (All Saints Liverpool). David Noaofaluma (Campbelltown Warriors, Campbelltown Collegians) James Tedesco (Eagle Vale St. Andrews) also Camden Rams (group 6, CRL) Other notable NRL players who grew up playing junior rugby league in

5733-405: The halfback in that Manly side), the Sea Eagles took this game much more seriously and included a warm-up game against the Harlequins in London a week before the game (won 34-26 by the Sea Eagles). The warm-up game (Manly were the first Australian side to actually play such a game before a WCC) proved effective as Manly went on to win the WCC 28–20 over the Rhinos. The 2009 season boded poorly as

5824-426: The headlines for Manly throughout the year came more due to off-field reasons following news popular back-rower Glenn Stewart would be joining Souths in 2015 with the club's salary cap constraints preventing them from making him an offer. It is a measure of the Northern Beaches club's decade of excellence that to bow out in the second week of the finals will be deemed a comparative failure by both players and fans. This

5915-401: The members of the football club The Western Suburbs District Junior Rugby League (WSDJRL) was a completely separate entity to the Western Suburbs Magpies DRLFC. They were known as the "Junior Magpies", and administered the junior rugby league on behalf of the Western Suburbs Magpies and the Wests Tigers joint venture. It consisted of a network of affiliated junior rugby league clubs throughout

6006-438: The mid-1940s, the movement to expand rugby league in Sydney had gained serious momentum and Manly, as with all the other Sydney district rugby clubs, endured internal agonies as the new "League" was considered. In 1946, Manly Warringah defeated North Sydney 12-8 in the Presidents Cup Grand Final which helped the club gain momentum in pushing for inclusion into the NSWRL competition. The NSWRL finally accepted Manly's application on

6097-421: The preliminary final match against St Mary's in The Ron Massey Cup but lost the match in a close tussle. 2017 proved to be a bad year for Wests as The Ron Massey Cup side finished with the wooden spoon and The Sydney Shield side finished second last. On 5 June 2017, it was announced that Western Suburbs had placed a bid to be included into the Intrust Super Premiership season for 2018. The re-entry to

6188-417: The regular season tied first with Melbourne and Cronulla but 2nd on points differential and Manly missed out on claiming their first minor premiership since 1997. In the qualifying final Manly faced 7th placed St. George at Brookvale. This game was club legend Steve Menzies' last game at Brookvale and he opened the scoring with an unusual charge down try in which after kicking ahead to himself and falling over,

6279-428: The season but it deserted them at the wrong time and ended Manly's season and encapsulated their late downturn in fortunes. There were huge questions over which senior players would stick around until the end of, or beyond, their current contracts. It was questioned if this could be very much a new-look Manly side in the next year or two but as long as the club can lock down its two star halves past their current 2015 deals

6370-471: The season by John Bailey . The club made the semi-finals in 1991 and 1992 under coach Warren Ryan . Wests were NSWRL Club Champions in 1991 when all three grades made the semi-finals. The team also made it to the pre-season Challenge Cup final in 1993 but was beaten by a star-studded Canberra side. The club then slipped down the ladder and the coaching reins were handed over to caretaker Wayne Ellis . The decision to appoint Tommy Raudonikis as coach for

6461-434: The season wore on a mounting injury toll had many predicting this squad of ageing warriors were bound to hit the wall. Certainly a series of gruelling encounters at the business end of the season provided plenty of excuses had they wanted to use them, but instead it seemed the greater the challenge the more the Sea Eagles lifted to tackle it. Having not beaten a fellow top four side all season, they finally did so in style with

6552-488: The season, Manly won their third, following three matches against Newcastle, the Warriors and the Sharks before a late season slump saw them settle for eighth position on the ladder. Manly-Warringah players were not involved in any further violations in 2010, and embarked on an active program of community engagement, which included activities such as reading at schools and raising money for charities. Manly's season got off to

6643-659: The second half, down 13–0, before scoring 19 unanswered points, including a try after the siren by Michael Oldfield, to give the Silvertails a 19–13 victory. Despite losing many players from the 2010 season, the Sea Eagles found themselves sitting in second place on the NRL Ladder at the end of the regular season, behind the Melbourne Storm . They lost only five matches in the season, all being night matches. Manly-Warringah won all of its matches at Brookvale Oval , again nicknamed "Brookie Fortress". The final game at Brookvale

6734-523: The semi-finals for the first time since 1998. Manly would not miss the finals until 2015, whilst every other club have missed the finals at least once since 2004. A meeting of the Football Club on 3 June 2004 saw the club members vote for the privatisation of the Football Club. During this period, Manly introduced a number of players who became stars of the game over the next decade including local juniors Jason King and Anthony Watmough , as well as

6825-536: The stand-alone entity. The 2002 season was played under the Northern Eagles name, although effectively the club was the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles by another name. Halfway through the season, the Eagles even abandoned playing games at Gosford, due to a sharp decline in attendances. The people of Gosford preferred to wait until a home grown team was based there. The joint venture would collapse by

6916-401: The start of the 1995 season sent a shot of adrenaline into the club. Raudonikis took the Magpies to the finals in 1996. However the club could not compete in the player market in 1997 thanks to the Super League war which saw players' contracts soar sky high to unsustainable levels. In 1998 and 1999, a Magpie team filled with many unknown players struggled to be competitive and twice received

7007-528: The title that had eluded them the season before. Rugby League in Australia was split in two leagues in 1997, the ARL and Super League, and Manly were one of the leading teams in the ARL competition. For the third consecutive year Manly reached the Grand Final, however lapses in their intensity which appeared during the season returned in the premiership decider against the Mal Reilly coached Newcastle Knights and

7098-626: The two joint venture partners. Wests Ashfield Leagues have also been key sponsors & supporters of the club since they were established. The Western Suburbs Magpies home matches are played at Lidcombe Oval , Lidcombe and their training facilities are near by. In 2000 the Western Suburbs Magpies Under 20s team were runners up to the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, captained by Mitch Zammit and Luke Duffy. The Western Suburbs Magpies last title

7189-409: The western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests , as the club is commonly referred to, was one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia. The club, as a sole entity, departed the top-flight competition in 1999 after forming a 50–50 joint venture with Balmain Tigers to form the Wests Tigers . The club currently fields sides in

7280-601: The wooden spoon. Wests only managed to win six games for the entire campaign. St Luke's Park was the home ground of the Western Suburbs club in 1910 and 1911 . They started playing their matches at Pratten Park in Ashfield in 1912, but after pressure from local residents there the council refused the club permission to use that ground, forcing them to return to St. Luke's Oval from 1915 to 1919. The Magpies have played at three home grounds since foundation. They returned to Pratten Park in 1920, remaining there until 1966,

7371-597: The wooden spoon. With the club struggling on-field and trying to compete financially against clubs with News Limited funding, the writing was on the wall. The well documented Super League War in 1997 between Super League (News Ltd) and the Australian Rugby League (ARL) resulted in a compromise that by the year 2000, the National Rugby League (NRL) competition would be contested by only 14 teams. With Western Suburbs struggling on field in

7462-403: The worst possible start. While warming up for the opening round game against the Wests Tigers at the Sydney Football Stadium , international winger David Williams injured his shoulder forcing him to withdraw from the game. Unfortunately the injury would require surgery which saw Williams ruled out for the remainder of the season. The situation then got worse when fullback Brett Stewart suffered

7553-643: Was a Top of the Table Clash against the Melbourne Storm. Manly won this game 18–4 but the win was overshadowed by a brawl between Glenn Stewart and Adam Blair , giving the game the nickname 'The Battle of Brookvale '. In their opening playoff game, Manly-Warringah registered a 42–8 win over the North Queensland Cowboys at the Sydney Football Stadium. After a disappointing first half, Manly scored 42 unanswered points in

7644-579: Was a member of their 1943 Grand Final team, was Manly's first captain. Whitehead was a big barrel-chested second rower who was used by Bonds as the model for their iconic "Chesty Bond" character. Their first win was against the Parramatta Eels and the club finished their first season in second last place. Manly's first Grand Final appearance was in the 1951 season , which they lost to South Sydney . Manly Warringah played in five Grand Finals before winning their first premiership in 1972. They then won

7735-495: Was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for his 34 tackles and a crucial try in the second half. He and brother Brett Stewart became the first brothers to score tries in the same Grand Final. Manly-Warringah's second premiership in four years made them the second team (after the Brisbane Broncos in 2000 and 2006) to win more than one premiership in the 21st century. Six Weeks after Manly Warringah's premiership win,

7826-494: Was cleared of the charge in late September 2010 by a jury which took 45 minutes to reach their decision. Manly-Warringah paid a $ 100,000 fine for failing to adequately punish Stewart for his offence. Stewart faced a brief trial at the time, and a further, more comprehensive trial began in March 2010. As a result of Stewart's absence, Manly lost their first four games of the season, crashing to last place after round four (thus becoming

7917-594: Was followed up with a 26–12 win over the Newcastle Knights at Brookvale, before a 32–20 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs which ended Manly's unbeaten run at Bluetongue Stadium , having won all of its previous matches at the venue. Anthony Watmough and Terence Seu Seu were both stood down by the club for off-field offences prior to its round five match against Cronulla at Toyota Stadium . The Sea Eagles were in trouble midway through

8008-599: Was had during these three seasons, finishing 12th, 10th, and 9th, winning 30 of 76 games. Also, the new club's decision to play games in Gosford instead of the Bears home ground at North Sydney Oval alienated several North Sydney fans, despite North Sydney's planned move to the new Central Coast Stadium. In spite of this, the club provided more players for the 2001 State of Origin series' New South Wales team than any other club. The partnership dissolved in 2002, with Manly emerging as

8099-405: Was the church day). In 1987, they moved to Campbelltown 's Orana Park (located in adjacent Leumeah), which, after a $ 25 million renovation, is now called Campbelltown Stadium which is now one of the home grounds of the Wests Tigers . The Magpies' lower grade sides play most home games at Campbelltown Stadium, with the occasional game moved to Lidcombe Oval. While no leagues club is called

8190-649: Was won against the Canberra Raiders in the 1987 Grand final, the last Grand Final played at the Sydney Cricket Ground . Coached by Bob Fulton, the Sea Eagles returned to the play-offs in 1993 and 1994 but were beaten on each occasions in the first elimination semi-final by the Brisbane Broncos . In 1988, Manly, missing six regular first grade players, including captain Paul Vautin , Michael O'Connor and Phil Daley who were all playing in

8281-767: Was won in 2002 when the Western Suburbs Magpies captained by Liam Fulton won the New South Wales Rugby League Under 18's competition. From 2000 to 2012 the Western Suburbs Magpies fielded teams in the NSWRL First Grade competition now known as the NSW Cup . In 2006 the Wests Tigers on advice from Tim Sheens pushed the notion that the NRL side would be better served with a single NSW Cup side. Western Suburbs board opposed this decision and decided to continue fielding their own team. Wests Tigers then allocated all NRL contracted players to

#982017