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.

1957 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams10
Premiers St. George (4th title)
Minor premiers St. George (4th title)
Matches played94
Points scored3103
Attendance1089273
Top points scorer(s) Darcy Russell (169)
Top try-scorer(s) Tommy Ryan (26)

Season summary

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Teams

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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

Regular season

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Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 F1 F2 F3 GF
Balmain STG
−6
MAN
−15
PAR
+24
CBY
+2
SOU
+27
WES
+14
NOR
−10
EAS
+14
NEW
+3
STG
−6
MAN
+16
PAR
+6
CBY
−4
SOU
−2
WES
−13
NOR
−7
EAS
+29
NEW
−1
Canterbury-Bankstown NOR
+3
EAS
−4
NEW
−15
BAL
−2
MAN
0
PAR
−4
STG
−37
SOU
−13
WES
−1
NOR
−8
EAS
−12
NEW
−8
BAL
+4
MAN
−10
PAR
+7
STG
−9
SOU
−14
WES
−34
Eastern Suburbs PAR
+5
CBY
+4
SOU
+5
WES
−11
NOR
−8
STG
−21
NEW
−19
BAL
−14
MAN
−27
PAR
+7
CBY
+12
SOU
−2
WES
+4
NOR
+3
STG
+9
NEW
+19
BAL
−29
MAN
−7
Manly-Warringah NEW
+11
BAL
+15
STG
−23
PAR
+7
CBY
0
SOU
−13
WES
+6
NOR
+21
EAS
+27
NEW
+9
BAL
−16
STG
−3
PAR
+21
CBY
+10
SOU
−9
WES
+5
NOR
−2
EAS
+7
X STG
−14
SOU
+4
STG
−22
Newtown MAN
−11
PAR
+35
CBY
+15
SOU
+6
WES
+8
NOR
−10
EAS
+19
STG
−3
BAL
−3
MAN
−9
PAR
−14
CBY
+8
SOU
+24
WES
−8
NOR
+6
EAS
−19
STG
−6
BAL
+1
North Sydney CBY
−3
SOU
+8
WES
0
STG
−12
EAS
+8
NEW
+10
BAL
+10
MAN
−21
PAR
+15
CBY
+8
SOU
−1
WES
−6
STG
−30
EAS
−3
NEW
−6
BAL
+7
MAN
+2
PAR
+28
Parramatta EAS
−5
NEW
−35
BAL
−24
MAN
−7
STG
−39
CBY
+4
SOU
−40
WES
−7
NOR
−15
EAS
−7
NEW
+14
BAL
−6
MAN
−21
STG
−23
CBY
−7
SOU
−36
WES
−20
NOR
−28
South Sydney WES
−40
NOR
−8
EAS
−5
NEW
−6
BAL
−27
MAN
+13
PAR
+40
CBY
+13
STG
+22
WES
+6
NOR
+1
EAS
+2
NEW
−24
BAL
+2
MAN
+9
PAR
+36
CBY
+14
STG
−8
WES
+13
X MAN
−4
St. George BAL
+6
WES
−18
MAN
+23
NOR
+12
PAR
+39
EAS
+21
CBY
+37
NEW
+3
SOU
−22
BAL
+6
WES
+8
MAN
+3
NOR
+30
PAR
+23
EAS
−9
CBY
+9
NEW
+6
SOU
+8
X MAN
+14
X MAN
+22
Western Suburbs SOU
+40
STG
+18
NOR
0
EAS
+11
NEW
−8
BAL
−14
MAN
−6
PAR
+7
CBY
+1
SOU
−6
STG
−8
NOR
+6
EAS
−4
NEW
+8
BAL
+13
MAN
−5
PAR
+20
CBY
+34
SOU
−13
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 F1 F2 F3 GF

Bold – Home game
X – Bye
Opponent for round listed above margin

Ladder

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1   St. George 18 15 0 3 417 232 +185 30
2   Manly 18 11 1 6 282 209 +73 23
3   South Sydney 18 11 0 7 354 314 +40 22
4   Western Suburbs 18 10 1 7 358 251 +107 21
5   North Sydney 18 9 1 8 292 278 +14 19
6   Balmain 18 9 0 9 352 281 +71 18
7   Newtown 18 9 0 9 267 228 +39 18
8   Eastern Suburbs 18 9 0 9 277 347 -70 18
9   Canterbury 18 3 1 14 182 339 -157 7
10   Parramatta 18 2 0 16 189 491 -302 4

Ladder progression

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  • Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 4.
  • Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
  • Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
1   St. George 2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 26 28 30
2   Manly-Warringah 2 4 4 6 7 7 9 11 13 15 15 15 17 19 19 21 21 23
3   South Sydney 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 14 16 18 20 22 22
4   Western Suburbs 2 4 5 7 7 7 7 9 11 11 11 13 13 15 17 17 19 21
5   North Sydney 0 2 3 3 5 7 9 9 11 13 13 13 13 13 13 15 17 19
6   Balmain 0 0 2 4 6 8 8 10 12 12 14 16 16 16 16 16 18 18
7   Newtown 0 2 4 6 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 12 14 14 16 16 16 18
8   Eastern Suburbs 2 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 10 10 12 14 16 18 18 18
9   Canterbury-Bankstown 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 7 7 7 7
10   Parramatta 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Finals

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Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semifinals
  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 Sea Eagles 15–11   South Sydney 14 September 1957 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 39,065
Grand Final
  St. George 31–9   Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 21 September 1957 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 54,399

Grand Final

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St. George Position Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
26. Brian Graham FB
  1. Ron Willey
11. Tommy Ryan WG 2. Ray Ritchie
41. Ray Smith CE 4. Ray Quinnell
23. Jack Fifield CE 17. Bill Lloyd
25. Eddie Lumsden WG 5. George Hugo
8. Peter Carroll FE 33. Kevin Diett
7. Bob Bugden HB 7. Peter Burke
  1. Kevin Brown
PR 13. Roy Bull
2. Ken Kearney (Ca./Co.) HK 12. George Lenon
14. Bryan Orrock PR 11. Denis Meaney
3. Harry Bath SR 10. Doug Daley
5. Norm Provan SR 9. Rex Mossop
6. Brian Clay LK 8. 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 4–4 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 Dragon 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 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.)

Player statistics

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The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18.

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Never Before, Never Again p 39
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