1963 NSWRFL season

Rugby league competition March 2024 1963 New South Wales Rugby Football League 125px 10 16x16px St George 10th 16x16px St George 9th 94 2278 1019748 16x16px Fred Griffiths (136) 16x16px Reg Gasnier (24) Eastern Suburbs 2nd 1962 NSWRFL season 1962 1964 NSWRFL season 1964 The 1963 NSWRFL season was the 56th season of the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership based in Sydney. Ten teams from across the city competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a rematch of the previous two years' grand finals between St George and Western Suburbs. Teams Balmain100px|center 57th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Harry Bath Captain: Keith Barnes, Billy Bischoff Jr.Canterbury-Bankstown100px|center 29th seasonGround: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Clive ChurchillCaptain: Ray GartnerEastern Suburbs100px|center 57th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Dick DunnCaptain: Terry FearnleyManly-Warringah 17th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Captain-Coach: Tony PaskinsNewtown100px|center 57th seasonGround: Henson Park Coach: Allan EllisCaptain: Tony BrownNorth Sydney100px|center 57th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Captain-Coach: Fred GriffithsParramatta100px|center 17th seasonGround: Cumberland Oval Coach: Ken KearneyCaptain: Ron LynchSouth Sydney100px|center 57th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Coach: Denis Donoghue Captains: Darrel Chapman, Jim Lisle St George100px|center 43rd seasonGround: Jubilee Oval Captain-coach: Norm ProvanWestern Suburbs 57th seasonGround: Pratten Park Coach: Jack FitzgeraldCaptain: Arthur Summons Ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 16x16px St George18151243495+339312 16x16px Western Suburbs181404256160+96283 16x16px Balmain181206246183+63244 16x16px Parramatta181107186165+21225 16x16px North Sydney181008272236+36206 16x16px Manly187011158217-59147 16x16px Newtown187011206331-125148 16x16px Canterbury186111170277-107139 16x16px South Sydney184014170298-128810 16x16px Eastern Suburbs183015116252-1366 Finals HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Semi-finals 23x23px Balmain7–9 23x23px Parramatta3 August 1963Sydney Cricket GroundDarcy Lawler39,408 23x23px St George8–10 23x23px Western Suburbs10 August 1963Sydney Cricket GroundDarcy Lawler42,065 Preliminary Final 23x23px St George12–7 23x23px Parramatta17 August 1963Sydney Cricket GroundDarcy Lawler57,973 Grand Final 23x23px Western Suburbs3–8 23x23px St George24 August 1963Sydney Cricket GroundDarcy Lawler69,860 Grand Final St. GeorgePositionWestern Suburbs Magpies 13. Graeme Langlands FB Don Parish 12. Johnny King WG 2. John Mowbray 11. Reg Gasnier CE 3. Bob McGuinness 24. Billy Smith CE 4. Gil MacDougall 9. Eddie Lumsden WG 5. Peter Dimond 21. Bruce Pollard FE 6. Arthur Summons (c) 7. George Evans HB 7. Don Malone Monty Porter PR 13. Jack Gibson 2. Ian Walsh HK 12. Noel Kelly 3. Kevin Ryan PR 11. Denis Meaney 4. Norm Provan (Ca./Co.) SR 14. Kel O'Shea 5. Elton RasmussenSR 9. John Hayes 6. Johnny Raper LK 8. Kevin Smyth Coach Jack Fitzgerald The crowd of 69,806 who turned out for the grand final was a record. Clemes Michael D. New Zealand Case Studies in Strategic Marketing Thomson Learning Nelson 2002 185 978-0-86469-419-5 From the opening whistle the 1963 decider was a gruelling affair. Heavy rain meant that the wet SCG pitch quickly became a quagmire and players unrecognisable. At one point, St George five-eighth, Bruce Pollard was blinded by the mud such that he couldn't pass or catch the ball so he swapped places with Johnny Raper and played out the second half at lock. Raper also set up the best movement of the match when he broke the line and found Reg Gasnier in support. Gasnier, with a Wests defender hanging off him, sent the ball to Norm Provan who in turn found Johnny King.October 2024 However, the Magpies defence held and no try was scored. Saints conceded their first grand final try since 1958 when Wests centre Gil McDougall scored. As the match developed, it was clear that Wests had a game plan which involved a focus of intimidation on Gasnier. McDougall and other Magpies punched, stiff armed and kneed Gasnier at every opportunity. He was consequently subdued throughout the game.October 2024 The game was ultimately the Dragons' most controversial win in their 11-year run since the story has passed into Australian rugby league folklore that St George benefitted from dubious decisions made by referee Darcy Lawler. Coady Ben Grand final dramas WAtoday Australia Fairfax Media 2009-09-28 http://blogs.watoday.com.au/executive-style/sportandstyle/bencoady/2009/09/28/grandfinaldra.html 2014-10-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20181004074123/http://blogs.watoday.com.au/executive-style/sportandstyle/bencoady/2009/09/28/grandfinaldra.html 2018-10-04 dead Lawler, the game's No.1 referee was known to enjoy a bet. A number of Wests players and sports journalists have claimed that the 1963 Grand Final was a rout and point to some questionable decisions with Wests captain Arthur Summons claiming that before the game one of his team mates (later revealed to be Jack Gibson) entered the change room and told others that if they had backed themselves to win they had better lay off their bets because "The ref has backed St George". Just before half time, Wests had a try disallowed. At 8–3, McDougall had a chance to even the score when he won a race to the ball in goal, but Lawler ruled that he did not ground it. Later, with 15 minutes to go and the score favouring Saints 5–3, Johnny King scored a controversial match winning try. Both decisions fuelled the debate about Lawler's impartiality on the day. Lawler, who awarded St George the penalties 18–7, retired after the match.http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nswrfl-1963/grand-final/st-george-vs-western-suburbs/summary.html NSWRFL 1963 - Grand Final Rugby League Project October 15, 2014http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/referees/darcy-lawler.html?page=2 Darcy Lawler (referee) Rugby League Project October 15, 2014 thumb|left|150px|"The Gladiators", John O'Gready's famous photograph of the two opposing captains, Norm Provan and Arthur Summons, taken after the match. Newcomer Graeme Langlands passed to King who raced down his muddy wing after fending off his opposite John Mowbray. King appeared to be claimed by the cover defence of Don Parish but both players tumbled and in the slimy conditions King was not clearly held. He got up and was bowled over again but still not held and with no marker he ran towards the corner past a relaxed defence who believed he had been tackled.October 2024 If ever there was an example of playing to the whistle, this was it. Johnny King scored one of the most debated tries in Australian Grand Final history. King claims that he was told by the referee to 'play on' while Wests legend, Noel Kelly claims that King was tackled and that Wests 'were robbed'.October 2024 Behind the try line as the conversion was being lined up Chow Hayes yelled at Lawler "you're a cheat". Lawler said "Say that again and I will send you off". Jack Gibson said "send him off and I will rearrange your face on Monday". Lawler blushed and throughout the conversion Hayes continued to chant "you're a cheat".October 2024 But for the record books, St George won their eighth consecutive Grand Final, defeating a gallant Wests team, 8-3 and destroying Wests' hopes for the third year running. It was the final time that Western Suburbs would appear in a Grand Final. Also, St George won the premiership that year in all three grades. The match is also celebrated in Australian rugby league history as a result of John O'Gready's enduring photo of rival captains Provan and Summons in a congratulatory mud-caked embrace at game's end. The award winning photo became known as "the Gladiators" and since it was first published has been appreciated by rugby league fans as capturing an essence of the game wherein a little man can fairly compete against the bigger man, and where sporting respect and camaraderie follow epic struggle. Since 1982 a bronze replica of the Provan and Summons embrace has adorned the various incarnations of the Australian rugby league premiership trophy. Clarkson Alan The best Grand Finals I've seen Sydney Morning Herald 77 Fairfax Media 1986-09-26 http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=smh&Page=1&docID=news860926_0120_2297 2010-09-14 St. George 8 (Tries: Evans, King. Goals: Gasnier 1.) Western Suburbs 3 ( Tries: McDougall.) Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18. Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals136North Sydney Fred Griffiths2650122Balmain Keith Barnes455099St. George Graeme Langlands1527088St. George Reg Gasnier2211087Canterbury Les Johns3390 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer22St. George Reg Gasnier16North Sydney Ken Irvine15St. George Graeme Langlands14St. George Johnny King14Western Suburbs John Mowbray14Manly Nick Yakich Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer65North Sydney Fred Griffiths55Balmain Keith Barnes39Western Suburbs Don Parish39Canterbury Les Johns34Newtown John Mullins References External links Rugby League Tables - Season 1963 The World of Rugby League Writer, Larry (1995) Never Before, Never Again, Pan MacMillan, Sydney Results: 1961-70 at rabbitohs.com.au 1963 J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup at rleague.com NSWRFL season 1963 at rugbyleagueproject.org St George 1963 season at showroom.com.au Category:New South Wales Rugby League premiership Nswrfl Season