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1983 NSWRFL season
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Rugby league competition
1983
New South Wales Rugby Football League
14
16x16px Parramatta
3rd
16x16px Manly-Warringah
5th
189
7,296
1,458,144
16x16px Michael Eden (256)
16x16px Phil Blake (27)
Eastern Suburbs 16 Michael Eden
Rothmans Medal
16x16px Western Suburbs
12th
1982 NSWRFL season
1982
1984 NSWRL season
1984
The 1983 NSWRFL season was the 76th season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Fourteen teams competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a replay of the previous year's grand final between the Parramatta and Manly-Warringah clubs. During the season, NSWRFL teams also competed for the 1983 KB Cup.
1983 was the final season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for Sydney-based foundation club Newtown Jets, and the first reduction in the number of teams in the competition since Sydney University's departure at the end of the 1937 NSWRFL season. It was also the first season that was played with four-point tries.
Season summary
For the first time, the number of points awarded for scoring a try was raised from three to four. There was also the introduction of a handover if a team was caught in possession six times, which had the effect of killing the traditional scrum but attracted many new followersJune 2015 to a game that had seen attendances decline by fifty percent since the record year of 1968.AFL Tables – Rugby League Crowds summary To counter a lucrative illegal betting market, legal betting via FootyTAB was introduced and was a regarded as a success.
Twenty-six regular season rounds were played from February till August, resulting in a top five of Manly-Warringah, Parramatta, Canterbury-Bankstown, Balmain and St. George, who battled it out in the finals. Manly-Warringah managed 23 wins from 28 matches in 1983 – at the time the most wins in a season by a club in NSWRFL premiership history alongside Parramatta's 23 in 1982.
The 1983 season's Rothmans Medallist was Eastern Suburbs’ back, Michael Eden and the Dally M Award went to Western Suburbs’ half, Terry Lamb. Rugby League Week gave their player of the year award to Manly-Warringah winger, Phil Sigsworth. This season the Coca-Cola Coach-of-the-year award was voted for by the coaches in the League and was awarded to rookie coach Laurie Freier. Clarkson
Alan
Coach-of-year newcomer surprised by his voting rivals
the Sydney Morning Herald
Australia
47
21 September 1983
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VM0RAAAAIBAJ&pg=7089,8171513
18 September 2010
July 2026 InternetArchiveBot
This was also the last year in the first-grade competition for foundation club Newtown, who were dropped at the season's end.
The Round 2 game between Illawarra and Manly-Warringah at the Wollongong Showground was refereed by French Rugby League Federation referee Julien Rascagnères who had refereed the Ashes series during the 1982 Kangaroo tour.1983 Winfield Cup Round 2 Illawarra vs Manly summary1983 Winfield Cup Round 2 Illawarra vs Manly highlights
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous season, with fourteen clubs competing in total, including six Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from Sydney, one from greater New South Wales and one from the Australian Capital Territory. It was the last season for the Newtown club.History of the Premiership http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/about/history/history-of-the-premiership.aspx https://web.archive.org/web/20080209104018/http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/about/history/history-of-the-premiership.aspx dead 9 February 2008 centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au Australian Rugby League 21 October 2013
Balmain Tigers100px|center
76th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Frank StantonCaptain: Wayne PearceCanberra Raiders100px|center
2nd seasonGround: Seiffert Oval
Coach: Don FurnerCaptain: Allan McMahonCanterbury Bulldogs100px|center
48th seasonGround: Belmore Oval
Coach: Ted GlossopCaptain: Chris AndersonCronulla Sharks100px|center
17th seasonGround: Endeavour Field
Coach: Terry FearnleyCaptain: Gavin MillerEastern Suburbs Roosters100px|center
76th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Laurie FreierCaptain: Royce AyliffeIllawarra Steelers100px|center
2nd seasonGround: Wollongong Stadium
Coach: Allan FitzgibbonCaptain: John DorahyManly-Warringah Sea Eagles100px|center
37th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Bob Fulton Captain: Max KrilichNewtown Jets100px|center
76th seasonGround: Henson Park, Orana Park
Coach: Brian MooreCaptain: Ken Wilson, Dean LanceNorth Sydney Bears100px|center
76th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval
Coach: John Hayes, Greg HawickCaptain: Mark Graham, John AdamParramatta Eels100px|center
37th seasonGround: Belmore Oval
Coach: Jack GibsonCaptain: Steve EdgePenrith Panthers100px|center
17th seasonGround: Penrith Stadium
Coach: John PeardCaptain: Royce SimmonsSouth Sydney Rabbitohs100px|center
76th seasonGround: Redfern Oval
Coach: Ron WilleyCaptain: Ziggy NiszczotSt. George Dragons100px|center
63rd seasonGround: Kogarah Oval
Coach: Roy MastersCaptain: Craig Young, John JansenWestern Suburbs Magpies100px|center
76th seasonGround: Lidcombe Oval
Coach: Len StackerCaptain: Warren Boland
Ladder
TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 16x16px Manly262204690361+329442 16x16px Parramatta261808639293+346363 16x16px Canterbury261808531409+122364 16x16px Balmain261709525438+87345 16x16px St. George2614111551450+101296 16x16px Eastern Suburbs2614111579492+87297 16x16px North Sydney2613112435446-11278 16x16px South Sydney2612113439495-56259 16x16px Cronulla2612014450520-702410 16x16px Canberra269017495614-1191811 Old Penrith 16 Penrith269017476647-1711812 16x16px Illawarra268018451644-1931613 16x16px Newtown267217373591-2181614 16x16px Western Suburbs265219394628-23412
Finals
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeCrowd Playoff 23x23px St. George Dragons44-16 23x23px Eastern Suburbs Roosters30 August 1983Sydney Cricket GroundB. Barnes17,981 Qualifying Finals 23x23px Balmain Tigers14-17 23x23px St. George Dragons3 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundKevin Roberts24,652 23x23px Parramatta Eels30-22 23x236px Canterbury Bulldogs4 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundB. Barnes22,311 Semi-finals 23x23px Canterbury Bulldogs26-24 23x23px St. George Dragons10 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundJohn Gocher27,867 23x23px Manly Sea Eagles19-10 23x23px Parramatta Eels11 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundKevin Roberts28,921 Preliminary final 23x23px Parramatta Eels18-4 23x23px Canterbury Bulldogs18 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundKevin Roberts27,726 Grand final 23x23px Manly Sea Eagles6-18 23x23px Parramatta Eels25 September 1983Sydney Cricket GroundKevin Roberts40,285
Chart
150 Qualifying final Major semi-final Grand final Elimination final Minor semi-final Preliminary final 2 Parramatta 16 Parramatta 30 3 Canterbury 16 Canterbury 22 4 Balmain 16 Balmain 14 5 St. George 16 St. George 17 1 Manly 16 Manly 19 Parramatta 16 Parramatta 10 Canterbury 16 Canterbury 26 St. George 16 St. George 24 Parramatta 16 Parramatta 18 Canterbury 16 Canterbury 4 Manly 16 Manly 6 Parramatta 16 Parramatta 18
Grand final
Manly Sea EaglesPositionParramatta Eels Graham Eadie FB Paul Taylor 2. John Ribot WG 2. David Liddiard 3. Chris Close CE 3. Mick Cronin 4. Phil Sigsworth CE 4. Steve Ella 5. Kerry Boustead WG 5. Eric Grothe 6. Alan Thompson (c) FE 6. Brett Kenny 7. Phil Blake HB 7. Peter Sterling 8. Ian Schubert LK 8. Ray Price 9. Noel Cleal SR 9. Steve Sharp 10. Paul Vautin SR 10. Peter Wynn 11. Paul McCabe PR 11. Paul Mares 12. Ray Brown HK 12. Steve Edge (c) 13. Geoff Gerard PR 13. Stan Jurd 18. Glenn Ryan Reserve 16. Chris Phelan 20. Rick Chisolm Reserve 20. Gary Martine 25. Michael Blake Reserve 22. Mark Laurie Reserve 23. Don Duffy Bob Fulton Coach Jack Gibson
Parramatta powered over Manly for the second year straight to claim their third successive title. The 18–6 win saw Brett Kenny claim a unique achievement in scoring two tries in three successive grand finals. Kenny opened the scoring and the Eels raced to a 10–0 lead after 13 minutes when Eric Grothe steamrolled burly Manly fullback Graham Eadie.
Parramatta 18 (Tries: Brett Kenny 2, Eric Grothe; Goals: Cronin 3)
defeated
Manly-Warringah 6 (Tries: Phil Sigsworth; Goals: Graham Eadie)
Player statistics
The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26:
Top 5 point scorers
PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals244Eastern Suburbs Michael Eden11992214Manly Graham Eadie7930202Parramatta Mick Cronin4930193Canberra Ron Giteau5861192Canterbury Ross Conlon7820
Top 5 try scorers
TriesPlayer26Manly Phil Blake20Parramatta Neil Hunt19Canterbury Chris Anderson18St. George Steve Morris18Illawarra Shane McKellar
Top 5 goal scorers
GoalsPlayer99Eastern Suburbs Michael Eden93Manly Graham Eadie93Parramatta Mick Cronin86Canberra Ron Giteau82Canterbury Ross Conlon
References
External links
Rugby League Tables - Season 1983 The World of Rugby League
Results: 1981-90 at rabbitohs.com.au
1983 J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield CupJanuary 2025 medicmedic at rleague.com
NSWRFL season 1983 at rugbyleagueproject.org
Category:New South Wales Rugby League premiership
NSWRFL season