1972 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles season

1972 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles season
1972 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles season
NSWRFL champions
NSWRFL Rank	1st
1972 record	Wins: 20; draws: 1; losses: 3
Points scored	For: 511; against: 277
Team information
Secretary	Ken Arthurson
Coach	Ron Willey
Assistant coach	Frank Stanton (Reserve Grade)
Captain	Fred Jones;
Stadium	Brookvale Oval
Top scorers
Tries	Bob Fulton (19)
Goals	Max Brown (29)
Points	Bob Fulton (73)

The 1972 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles season was the 26th in the club's history since their entry into the then New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership in 1947. After 5 previous Grand Final losses, the Sea Eagles broke through for their first premiership win.^[1]

The 1972 Sea Eagles were coached by former Australian international and Manly fullback Ron Willey. Captaining the side was long serving hooker Fred Jones. The club competed in the New South Wales Rugby Football League's 1972 Premiership season and played its home games at the 20,000 capacity Brookvale Oval.

Ladder

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Manly-Warringah	22	18	1	3	460	255	+205	37
2	Eastern Suburbs	22	17	1	4	514	297	+217	35
3	St. George	22	16	2	4	398	221	+177	34
4	South Sydney	22	14	0	8	456	331	+125	28
5	Newtown	22	11	2	9	402	371	+31	24
6	Canterbury-Bankstown	22	12	0	10	382	373	+9	24
7	Western Suburbs	22	8	1	13	367	398	-31	17
8	Cronulla-Sutherland	22	8	0	14	332	378	-46	16
9	North Sydney	22	7	1	14	320	405	-85	15
10	Balmain	22	6	1	15	333	455	-122	13
11	Penrith	22	5	1	16	278	490	-212	11
12	Parramatta	22	4	2	16	317	585	-268	10

Regular season

Sunday 26 March	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	34 – 6	Penrith Panthers	Brookvale Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Ken Irvine (2), Derek Moritz (2), Bob Fulton, Ian Martin Goals: Ray Branighan (6) Derek Moritz (2)	^[2]	Tries: Goals: Len Killeen (3)	Attendance: 13,437 Referee: Keith Page

Monday 3 April	St. George Dragons	18 – 0	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Kogarah Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Tony Branson, Bob Clapham Goals: Graeme Langlands (6)	^[3]	Tries: Goals:	Attendance: 6,182 Referee: Keith Holman

Sunday 9 April	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	14 – 13	Newtown Bluebags	Brookvale Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Bob Fulton (2) Goals: Derek Moritz (3) Ray Branighan (1)	^[4]	Tries: Paul Dawson, Gary Sullivan, Lionel Williamson Goals: John Bonham (2)	Attendance: 13,732 Referee: Barry Barnes

Saturday 15 April	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	23 – 16	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
	Tries: Ray Branighan (2), Ken Irvine (2), Bob Fulton Goals: Ray Branighan (2) Derek Moritz (2)	^[5]	Tries: Bob Honan, Bob McCarthy, Denis Pittard, Elwyn Walters Goals: Eric Simms (2)	Attendance: 25,536 Referee: Keith Holman

Saturday 22 April	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	18 – 14	Western Suburbs Magpies	Brookvale Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Les Hanigan (3), Ken Irvine Goals: Derek Moritz (3)	^[6]	Tries: Stephen Knight, Olaf Prattl Goals: Tony Ford (3) Stephen Satterley (1)	Attendance: 14,840 Referee: Keith Holman

Tuesday 25 April	Parramatta Eels	7 – 9	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Cumberland Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Russ Devonshire Goals: Graham Ernst (2)	^[7]	Tries: Terry Randall Goals: Ken Irvine (3)	Attendance: 8,129 Referee: Barry Barnes

Saturday 29 April	Eastern Suburbs Roosters	24 – 17	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
	Tries: John Armstrong, John Brass, Mark Harris, Peter Moscatt, Allan McKean Goals: Allan McKean (4) Field Goals: John Brass (1)	^[8]	Tries: Bill Clare, Ken Irvine, Norm Pounder Goals: Ken Irvine (4)	Attendance: 22,202 Referee: Keith Holman

Sunday 7 May	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	41 – 12	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	Brookvale Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Bob Fulton (3), Derek Moritz (2), Allan Maddalena, Allan Thomson, Gary Thoroughgood, Dennis Ward Goals: Derek Moritz (3) Bob Fulton (2) Ken Irvine (2)	^[9]	Tries: Ron Costello, Mick Trypas Goals: Greg Purcell (2) Henry Tatana (1)	Attendance: 18,574 Referee: Keith Holman

Sunday 14 May	Balmain Tigers	25 – 15	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Sydney Sports Ground, Sydney
	Tries: Terry Cross, Glen Capelin, Trevor Ryan, Geoff Starling Goals: Dennis Preston (5)	^[10]	Tries: Dennis Ward (2), Bob Fulton Goals: Bob Fulton (3)	Attendance: 7,885 Referee: Barry Barnes

Sunday 21 May	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	19 – 5	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	Brookvale Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Max Brown, Ian Martin, Norm Pounder Goals: Max Brown (3) Ken Irvine (2)	^[11]	Tries: Bob Wear Goals: Dave Cotter (1)	Attendance: 6,382 Referee: Richie Humphreys

Sunday 28 May	North Sydney Bears	6 – 18	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	North Sydney Oval, Sydney
	Tries: George Ambrum (2) Goals:	^[12]	Tries: Bill Clare (3), Bob Fulton Goals: Max Brown (3)	Attendance: 8,800 Referee: Barry Barnes

Sunday 4 June	Penrith Panthers	2 – 22	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Penrith Park, Sydney
	Tries: Goals: Norm Gilligan (1)	^[13]	Tries: Bill Clare (3), Fred Jones, Gary Thoroughgood, Dennis Ward Goals: Max Brown (1) Mark Willoughby (1)	Attendance: 5,078 Referee: Keith Holman

Monday 12 June	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	15 – 15	St. George Dragons	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
	Tries: Bill Hamilton, Ian Martin, Derek Moritz Goals: Derek Moritz (2) Max Brown (1)	^[14]	Tries: Barry Beath, Tony Branson, Graeme Langlands Goals: Graeme Langlands (3)	Attendance: 37,343 Referee: Keith Holman

Sunday 25 June	Newtown Bluebags	9 – 10	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Henson Park, Sydney
	Tries: Gary Sullivan Goals: Ken Wilson (3)	^[15]	Tries: Goals: Max Brown (3) Derek Moritz (1) Field Goals: Bob Fulton (1) Dennis Ward (1)	Attendance: Keith Holman Referee: 8,838

Saturday 24 June	South Sydney Rabbitohs	4 – 12	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
	Tries: Goals: Eric Simms (2)	^[16]	Tries: Max Brown, Allan Thomson Goals: Max Brown (3)	Attendance: 18,397 Referee: Laurie Bruyeres

Saturday 1 July	Western Suburbs Magpies	7 – 32	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
	Tries: Jon Clark Goals: Tony Ford (2)	^[17]	Tries: Mal Reilly (2), Max Brown, Fred Jones, Allan Maddalena, Terry Randall Goals: Max Brown (7)	Attendance: 10,241 Referee: Keith Holman

Sunday 9 July	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	32 – 10	Parramatta Eels	Brookvale Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Graham Eadie, Bill Hamilton, Terry Randall, Mal Reilly, Gary Thoroughgood, Dennis Ward Goals: Graham Eadie (3) Max Brown (2) Derek Moritz (2)	^[18]	Tries: Dennis Mount, Gary Pethybridge Goals: Bland Liles (1) Dennis Mount (1)	Attendance: 11,451 Referee: Barry Barnes

Saturday 22 July	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	17 – 14	Eastern Suburbs Roosters	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
	Tries: Dennis Ward (2), Graham Eadie, Ken Irvine Goals: Bob Fulton (1) Field Goals: Bob Fulton (2) Dennis Ward (1)	^[19]	Tries: Mark Harris (2) Goals: Peter Flanders (4)	Attendance: 30,968 Referee: Keith Holman

Sunday 30 July	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	16 – 30	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Belmore Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Johnny Greaves, Norm Thomas Goals: Henry Tatana (5)	^[20]	Tries: Ken Irvine (2), Dennis Ward (2), Graham Eadie, Fred Jones Goals: Max Brown (3) Graham Eadie (1)	Attendance: 11,579 Referee: Keith Page

Sunday 6 August	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	37 – 15	Balmain Tigers	Brookvale Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Bob Fulton (4), Ken Irvine (3), Ray Branighan, Mal Reilly Goals: Graham Eadie (4) Max Brown (1)	^[21]	Tries: Greg Fryer, Michael Ross, Bruce Warwick Goals: Bruce Warwick (3)	Attendance: 15,297 Referee: Keith Holman

Sunday 13 August	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	10 – 15	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Endeavour Field, Sydney
	Tries: Greg Allen, Ken Maddison Goals: Barry Andrews (2)	^[22]	Tries: Bob Fulton (2), Bob Moses Goals: Ray Branighan (3)	Attendance: 8,145 Referee: Don MacDonald

Sunday 20 August	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	30 – 7	North Sydney Bears	Brookvale Oval, Sydney
	Tries: Bob Fulton (2), Allan Maddalena (2), Max Brown, Ken Irvine Goals: Graham Eadie (6)	^[23]	Tries: Bruce Walker Goals: Barry Glasgow (2)	Attendance: 15,128 Referee: Keith Holman

Finals

Major Semi-Final

Saturday 2 September	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	32 – 8	Eastern Suburbs Roosters	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
	Tries: Bob Fulton (2), Graham Eadie, Ian Martin, Allan Thomson, Dennis Ward Goals: Ray Branighan (6) Graham Eadie (1)	^[24]	Tries: Jim Morgan, John Quayle Goals: Allan McKean (1)	Attendance: 43,695 Referee: Keith Holman

Grand Final

Saturday 16 September

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	19 – 14	Eastern Suburbs Roosters
Tries: Fred Jones Ray Branighan Goals: Ray Branighan (6/8) Field Goals: Bob Fulton (1)	^[25]	Tries: John Ballesty Bill Mullins Goals: Allan McKean (4/6)

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 54,357
Referee: Keith Page
Player of the Match: Dennis Ward

Manly-Warringah

Eastern Suburbs


FB	1	Graham Eadie
LW	2	Ken Irvine
CE	3	Ray Branighan
CE	4	Bob Fulton
RW	5	Max Brown
FE	6	Ian Martin
HB	7	Dennis Ward
LK	8	Mal Reilly
SR	9	Terry Randall
SR	10	Allan Thomson
PR	11	John O'Neill
HK	12	Fred Jones (c)
PR	13	Bill Hamilton
Substitutions:
IC	14
IC	15
Coach:
Ron Willey


FB	1	Allan McKean
LW	2	Jim Porter
CE	3	Harry Cameron
CE	4	Mark Harris
RW	5	Bill Mullins
FE	6	John Ballesty
HB	7	Kevin Junee
LK	8	Ron Coote (c)
SR	9	John Quayle
SR	10	Greg Bandiera
PR	11	Arthur Beetson
HK	12	Peter Moscatt
PR	13	John Armstrong
Substitutions:
IC	14	Laurie Freier
IC	15
Coach:
Don Furner

After twenty-five years in the competition and five Grand Final losses, Manly finally broke through to win the club's first NSWRFL premiership.^[26]

In a controversial match, the Sea-Eagles downed the Eastern Suburbs Roosters 19 to 14, thus shedding their 'bridesmaids' tag. The Roosters were highly critical of referee Keith Page after the match, claiming both of Manly's tries shouldn't have been awarded. To add to their rage, Easts crossed for 2 tries that were disallowed.

A dour first half saw the teams go to the break at 4-all, before a try by hooker Fred Jones put Manly ahead. Jones appeared to drop the ball as he attempted to ground it, but was awarded the try nonetheless. For his part Jones contends that he did place the ball with downward pressure. Midway through the second half, controversy flared again when Manly centre Ray Branighan appeared to stop over the Eastern Suburbs try line after accepting what looked like a forward pass from prop Bill Hamilton. However, referee Page allowed it and the Manly fans began celebrating, knowing that at 19-4 their first premiership victory was assured. Although Easts fought back with two late tries to John Ballesty and Bill Mullins and brought the score to 19-14, time ran out for the Roosters and Manly had won their first ever premiership in first grade.

In the end, it was Manly's part-time goal kicker Ray Branighan who proved the difference, kicking 6 goals from 8 attempts.

Player statistics

Note: Games and (sub) show total games played, e.g. 1 (1) is 2 games played.

Player	Tries	Goals	FG	Points
John Barber
Keith Blackett
Ray Branighan	4	24		60
Max Brown	4	29		70
John Bucknall
Bob Cameron
Bill Clare	7			21
Graham Eadie	4	15		42
Bob Fulton	19	6	4	73
Bill Hamilton	2			6
Les Hanigan	3			9
Ken Irvine	13	11		61
Fred Jones (c)	4			12
Allan Maddalena	4			12
Ian Martin	4			12
Derek Moritz	5	18		51
Bob Moses	1			3
John O'Neill
Peter Peters
Norm Pounder	2			6
Terry Randall	3			9
Mal Reilly	4			12
Allan Thomson	3			9
Gary Thoroughgood	3			9
Gary Train
Dennis Ward	10		2	32
Graham Williams
Mark Willoughby		1		2
TOTAL	99	104	6	511

Representative Players

International

Australia – Ray Branighan, Bob Fulton, Fred Jones, John O'Neill, Dennis Ward

State

New South Wales – Bob Fulton, Bill Hamilton, Ian Martin, Terry Randall

References

External links

[1] NSWRFL 1972 - Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

[2] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.1 - Manly vs Penrith

[3] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.2 - St George vs Manly

[4] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.3 - Manly vs Newtown

[5] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.4 - Manly vs South Sydney

[6] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.5 - Manly vs Western Suburbs

[7] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.6 - Parramatta vs Manly

[8] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.7 - Easts vs Manly

[9] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.8 - Manly vs Canterbury-Bankstown

[10] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.9 - Balmain vs Manly

[11] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.10 - Manly vs Cronulla-Sutherland

[12] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.11 - North Sydney vs Manly

[13] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.12 - Penrith vs Manly

[14] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.13 - Manly vs St. George

[15] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.14 - Newtown vs Manly

[16] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.15 - South Sydney vs Manly

[17] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.16 - Western Suburbs vs Manly

[18] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.17 - Manly vs Parramatta

[19] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.18 - Manly vs Easts

[20] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.19 - Canterbury-Bankstown vs Manly

[21] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.20 - Manly vs Balmain

[22] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.21 - Cronulla-Sutherland vs Manly

[23] 1972 NSWRFL Rd.22 - Manly vs North Sydney

[24] 1972 NSWRFL major semi-final – Manly vs Easts

[25] 1972 NSWRFL Grand Final – Manly-Warringah vs Eastern Suburbs

[26] Clarkson, Alan (17 September 1972). "Manly - deserved winners". The Sun-Herald. Australia. p. 72. Retrieved 19 September 2010.

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v t e Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Est. 1947 in Sydney, New South Wales
The Club	History (Northern Eagles) Records Players Coaches
Culture	Rivalry with Melbourne Storm (Battle of Brookvale) Manly Seabirds
Home ground	Brookvale Oval
Important figures	Roy Bull Ken Arthurson Rex Mossop Frank Stanton Fred Jones Bob Fulton Ron Willey Mal Reilly Graham Eadie Max Krilich Terry Randall Paul Vautin Des Hasler Cliff Lyons Geoff Toovey Steve Menzies Stewart brothers Jamie Lyon Daly Cherry-Evans Trbojevic brothers
League	NSWRL ARL NRL
Titles	Premierships (8) 1972 1973 1976 1978 1987 1996 2008 2011 World Club Challenges (1) 2009
Seasons (71)	1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Other competitions	Current S. G. Ball Cup Harold Matthews Cup New South Wales Cup NRL Nines Past National Youth Competition Amco Cup Jersey Flegg Cup World Sevens
Affiliations	Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles Manly-Warringah/North Sydney District Rugby League