1968 NSWRFL season

Last updated

1968 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams12
Premiers South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney (18th title)
Minor premiers South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney (14th title)
Matches played136
Points scored4027
Attendance1894627
Top points scorer(s) South Sydney colours.svg Eric Simms (212)
Player of the year Cronulla colours.svg Terry Hughes (Rothmans Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) St. George colours.svg Stan Gorton (22)

The 1968 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 61st season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Twelve teams, including six Sydney-based foundation teams and another six from around Sydney competed for the J.J. Giltinan Shield and the WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between South Sydney and Manly-Warringah.

Contents

Season summary

The 1968 season's Rothmans Medallist was Cronulla-Sutherland's Terry Hughes.

The Balmain club narrowly missed out on a place in the top four, which was made up of South Sydney, Manly-Warringah, St. George and Eastern Suburbs.

Teams

Balmain
Balmain Jersey 1968.png

61st season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Captain-Coach: Keith Barnes

Canterbury-Bankstown
Canterbury-Bankstown Jersey 1968.png

34th season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Captain-coach: Kevin Ryan

Cronulla-Sutherland
Cronulla-Sutherland Jersey 1968.png

2nd season
Ground: Endeavour Field
Coach: Ken Kearney
Captain: Warren Ryan

Eastern Suburbs
Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1967.png

61st season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Jack Gibson
Captain: Jim Matthews

Manly-Warringah
Manly-Warringah Jersey 1968.png

22nd season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: George Hunter
Captain: Bob Fulton

Newtown
Newtown Jersey 1915.png

61st season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Dick Poole
Captain: Bobby Keyes

North Sydney
North Sydney Jersey 1965.png

61st season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Captain-coach: Colin Greenwood

Parramatta
Parramatta Jersey 1963.png

22nd season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Coach: Ian Johnston
Captain: Dick Thornett

Penrith
Penrith Jersey 1968.png

2nd season
Ground: Penrith Park
Captain-Coach: Bob Boland

South Sydney
South Sydney Jersey 1968.png

61st season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Clive Churchill
Captain: John Sattler

St. George
St George Jersey 1959.png

48th season
Ground: Jubilee Oval
Coach: Norm Provan
Captain: Johnny Raper

Western Suburbs

61st season
Ground: Lidcombe Oval
Captain-coach: Noel Kelly

Ladder

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 221606394271+12332
2 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 221516379282+9731
3 St. George colours.svg St. George 221336416320+9629
4 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters 221417362274+8829
5 Balmain colours.svg Balmain 221408393284+10928
6 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 221219308284+2425
7 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 2212010328279+4924
8 Penrith colours.svg Penrith 2211011298352-5422
9 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 229112259301-4219
10 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland 226016259405-14612
11 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 224018259388-1298
12 Newtown colours.svg Newtown 222119257472-2155

Finals

HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd
Semi-finals
St. George colours.svg St. George 17–10 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters 31 August 1968 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce49,747
South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 15–23 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 7 September 1968 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce49,128
Preliminary Final
South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 20–8 St. George colours.svg St. George 14 September 1968 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce44,803
Grand Final
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 9–13 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 21 September 1968 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce54,255

Grand Final

Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesPositionSouth Sydney Rabbitohs
  1. Bob Batty
FB
  1. Eric Simms
2. Michael McLean WG 2. Brian James
3. Alec Tennant CE 3. Bob Honan
4. Frank Stanton CE 4. Arthur Branighan
5. Les Hanigan WG 5. Michael Cleary
6. Bob Fulton (c) FE 6. Denis Pittard
7. Denis Ward HB 7. Bob Grant
13. Bill Hamilton PR 13. Jim Morgan
12. Fred Jones HK 12. Elwyn Walters
11. Norm Pounder PR 11. John O'Neill
10. David Knox SR 19. John Sattler (c)
9. John Morgan SR 9. Bob Moses
8. Bill Bradstreet LK 8. Ron Coote
Res.
George Hunter Coach Clive Churchill

Manly was making its fourth ever Grand Final appearance and still looking for its first title. 21-year-old captain Bob Fulton led a young Sea Eagles side, while Souths was skippered by John Sattler who that season had been honoured as "Catholic Sportsman of the Year". Neither team lineup had any players older than 29 years of age. The depth of the Souths line-up was indicated by the fact that it’s stars Kevin Longbottom, Bob McCarthy and Ray Branighan were all named and played in the Rabbitohs' reserve grade side which ominously won its grand final match-up also against Manly.

The first-grade match began furiously with the toughening-up period resulting in four cautions by referee Pearce in the first four minutes. Ron Coote clashed with Bill Bradstreet and the opposing giants Hamilton and John O'Neill also measured up. Souths, with a strong breeze at its back, was the first to score when Michael Cleary intercepted a pass meant for Manly winger Les Hanigan and raced 80 yards to score. Simms punished Manly with a conversion and three successful penalty goals in the first half and at the break Souths led 11–2.

The Sea Eagles refused to lay down and mid-way through the second half second-rower John Morgan crashed over for a try which was converted by Bob Batty. Then a Bob Fulton field goal with fourteen minutes left brought Manly within reach. But despite the Manly fightback Souths was too resilient and hung on to win its second successive premiership and the club's 18th title.

South Sydney 13 (Tries: Cleary. Goals: Simms 5.)

Manly-Warringah 9 (Tries: Morgan. Goals: Batty 2. Fld Goals: Fulton 1.)

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 22.

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