Champagne flowed for Manly’s Sea Eagles after their historic 19-14 win over Easts in the Rugby League grand final. But their victory was not entirely sweet, with two Manly tries hotly disputed.
By Peter allen and Alan Clarkson
Edited version of two stories published in The Sun-Herald on September 17, 1972
Champagne flowed like water after Manly stormed to a memorable 19-14 win over Easts to win their first-ever Rugby League grand final yesterday.
“This picture shows the intensity of the rugby league final at the SCG yesterday between Eastern Suburbs and Manly. The big fellow carrying the No. 11 guernsey is East’s Artie Beetson.” September 16, 1972. Credit:Staff photographer
A jubilant Manly secretary, Mr Ken Arthurson, said after a match full of fire and excitement: “It’s a dream come true.
“We’ve been waiting 25 years for this.”
Manly, beaten in five previous grand finals, has been trying to win the premiership since they entered first grade in 1947. Easts, both courageous and luckless in defeat, were also trying to win their first grand final since 1945.
The teams served up typical grand final football – tense and bruising with bursts of brilliance that had the big crowd of 54,000 people roaring with approval. The crowd was about 6,000 smaller than expected.
Many turned up at the SCG, but after seeing the crush, returned home to watch the match which was shown live on TV. Nor did the expected beer-can throwing incidents on The Hill eventuate.
“The football kept them interested this time,” said a police spokesman.
Was it a try? Manly skipper Freddie Jones is hurled back from the tryline by Easts forwards Laurie Freier and Arthur Beetson (11), while the ball (arrowed) remains over the line. Credit:Staff photographer
It was a match that could have gone either way at half-time when the score was 4-all. A battered Manly captain, Fred Jones, who scored his team’s hotly disputed first try, said later: “When we went to a 9-4 lead I thought we had them.
“We were easing down at the finish.”
Easts were far from humbled.
Both teams had chances
Both Manly’s second half tries, which led to their battling 19-14 win over Eastern Suburbs, were hotly disputed after the match. Claims were made that Manly skipper Fred Jones had dropped the ball before grounding it and that Ray Branighan’s try should not have been allowed because of a forward pass.
To add further spice to the sensational aspects of the match, referee Keith Page twice ruled “no try” when Eastern Suburbs players went over.
Manly captain and hooker Fred Jones is chaired from the field by teammate Bill Hamilton. 16 September 1972.Credit:Staff
Double movement
Page ruled that prop John Armstrong had made a “double movement” when he crossed 12 minutes before half-time. Easts at that stage were clinging to a 4-2 lead. Then when they trailed 4-8 after 15 minutes of the second half, their rangy captain, Ron Coote, desperately dived for the line in the last-ditch tackles by Graham Eadie and Mal Reilly.
Page ruled that Coote had dropped the ball before he grounded it. And this ruling was unhesitatingly backed up by Coote after the match. I had grave doubts about both Manly tries.
From where I was sitting Jones seemed to drop the ball as he reached around the posts to score. And the pass from full-back Graham Eadie to prop Bill Hamilton seemed well forward. Branighan, who took Hamilton’s pass, nearly gave the chance away when he stopped and looked around as if expecting the whistle to blow.
A rooster wanders on to the ground before the 1972 rugby league grand final between Manly and Easts at the SCG. 16 September 1972.Credit:Staff
He quickly accelerated through when nothing happened and touched down. As the crowd left the ground yesterday, arguments raged over what would have happened had those tries been disallowed. Manly – Warringah are the Rugby League champions although their win at the SCO yesterday was shrouded in controversy.
Manly had an 8-4 lead when Jones crossed for his try after 18 minutes of the second half and they were starting to take control of the game.
I haven’t the slightest doubt that Manly were the true winners of this premiership. They were the real professionals of the match. They had two chances and they crossed the line twice and were awarded two tries.
Eastern Suburbs had six chances in the game and they finished with two tries. And that, very simply, meant the difference between winning and losing the grand final.
That, and the fact that Manly’s triumphant skipper, Fred Jones, won the second half scrums by the massive margin of 8-2.
This giant share of possession in the second half and a little of Mal Reilly’s magic helped put Manly firmly in command. Manly won the premiership . . . or Easts lost it?
That is just one more question that can be debated over the outcome of this match.
