Top 10 Greatest Australian Rugby League Teams of All Time
October 11th 2009 07:54
Top 10 Greatest Australian Rugby League Teams of All Time
It has been a week since the Melbourne Storm’s victory over the Parramatta Eels in last Sunday’s NRL 2009 Grand Final. The Storm’s win was their third premiership in 11 years, quite an achievement for the young club.
Throughout the week however, many people have raised the question as to whether or not the Storm team over the past decade, has created a legacy which could be compared to some of the greatest teams of all time. In the modern age of the NRL salary cap, the Storm’s achievement in making five grand finals in their history, four of those in the last four seasons, is truly worthy of special mention. If the Storm juggernaut was to continue in 2010 and beyond, then Melbourne could be regarded as one of the best teams of all time without argument. For now however, the top 10 are listed below.
10. Norths Devils 1959-1966
In the 1950’s and 1960’s the St. George Dragons were rewriting history in the Sydney competition by winning the most consecutive premierships in a row. In the BRL, the Norths Devils went just as close, winning eight premierships in 11 years. From 1959 to 1964, the Devils won six premierships in a row, and won another in 1966. Then after losing the 1967 Grand Final, they took out the 1969 title against their traditional rivals the Valleys Diehards to reinforce their dominance over the BRL at the time.
9. Canberra Raiders 1989-1994
Back in the early nineties they were known as the ‘Green Machine’, and the Raiders earned the honour of being the first team outside Sydney to take the NSWRL Premiership. The win came in 1989 when Mal Meninga’s men downed the Balmain Tigers in what is often regarded as the greatest grand final of all time. The Raiders then went on to win another two premierships in 1990 and 1994, and finished runners up in 1991. Beyond the Raiders’ achievements however, was the superstar roster that they possessed, with the likes of Mal Meninga, Laurie Daley, Ricky Stewart, Bradley Clyde, Steve Walters and Glenn Lazarus playing in the lime green. Even current Melbourne Storm coach, Craig Bellamy wore a Raiders jersey at the time. More so than the premierships they won, at the time, the talent in the Raiders would have come close to defeating any other team ever assembled.
8. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 1970s
Up until the 1970’s the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles had been forever known as the ‘Premiership Bridesmaids’, after finishing runners-up on five occasions since their first season in 1947. However, in 1971, club chairman Ken Arthurson went on a spending spree which saw the Manly club assemble a team of champions. With the likes of Bob Fulton, Graham Eadie, Ken Irvine, John O’Neill, Max Krilich and Alan Thomson, the Sea Eagles took the 1972 and ’73 premierships before taking their third in 1976.
Their domination of the 1970s, largely brought about by buying the best players from other clubs, lead to the now infamous rivalry with the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1978. Dubbed the battle between the ‘Fibros (Wests) and the Silvertails (Manly)’ by then Magpies coach, Roy Masters, the two teams played in some of the most barbaric and controversial matches of all time. Despite the Magpies finishing as minor premiers however, the Sea Eagles went on a late season winning streak that saw them claim ultra-controversial victories over the Parramatta Eels and the Magpies, to make it into the Grand Final against the Cronulla Sharks. Despite both teams drawing 11-all in the Grand Final, the Sea Eagles finally took the 1978 title with a 16-0 win in the replay.
7. Brisbane Broncos 1990’s
Formed in 1988, the Brisbane Broncos dominated Rugby League in the 1990s. Like Canberra, the Broncos possessed a talented roster with the likes of Allan Langer, Steve Renouf and Darran Lockyer, leading the team to countless victories. Often boasting the vast majority of the Queensland State of Origin team, the Broncos established a winning culture that remains at the club today. In a decade of dominance the Broncos opened their premiership account with back-to-back victories in 1992-93; they took the only Super League premiership in 1997 and won the first NRL Premiership in 1998. By the end of the decade the Broncos capped off their efforts by winning the 2000 Premiership trophy as well.
6. Parramatta Eels & Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs 1980’s
In the 1980’s if the Parramatta Eels were not hoisting the Winfield Cup, then it was surely being done by the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. Both teams are represented collectively here because they honestly cannot be separated. Both clubs boasted teams with wonderful talent, scintillating back-lines, and hardened and warrior-like forward packs. The fierce competitiveness that resulted between the two teams may be the greatest rivalry in rugby league history, and one that sparks an incredible amount of passion and generates unlimited discussion between the two teams’ fans, even to this day. After the Bulldogs took the 1980 Premiership, the Parramatta Eels responded by winning three between 1981 and 1983. 1984 saw the two teams clash in the Grand Final for the first time, as Canterbury broke the Eels premiership run by winning 6-4. The Bulldogs went on to take the 1985 Premiership before the two teams faced each other again in the 1986 Grand Final. This time it was Parramatta to exert their revenge as they won the only try-less grand final in history, 4-2.
5. Balmain 1915-1920
Before 1915, Balmain had never won a premiership, but in that season they were undefeated and won all three grades. It was the start of Balmain’s golden era as they ended up winning five premierships in six years. Despite the war years, rugby league went on and the Balmaniacs, as they were known, dominated, matching their 1915 efforts when they once again won all three grades in 1916.
In 1917, not only did Balmain take the Premiership, but they also won the City Cup, which was a first grade knockout competition that ran parallel to the main season at the time. Their for-and-against record of 269-61 for that season demonstrates just how dominant the side was. Despite coming close in 1918, the club was unable to make it four in a row, but the men from Balmain were back in 1919 when their stunning backline lead them to their forth Premiership. In 1920, Balmain continued their dominance when they finished the season with only one loss and one draw.
4. South Sydney Rabbitohs 1925-1932, 1950-1955 & 1967-1971
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have a proud history and in 101 years of rugby league in Australia, Souths may have the proudest of all. Of their 20 premierships, the Rabbitohs are defined by their great success and dominance, but in particular, three main golden eras stand out.
In 1925, league journalist Claude Corbett famously labelled Souths as the ‘pride of the league’ and in that year they went on to win everything on offer. Their first grade team went through undefeated, second and third grades were Premiers and the club also took the City Cup. All in all, over the whole three grades, only three games were lost all season by the club. Lead by coach Howard Hallett, the Rabbitohs employed a ‘run the ball’ philosophy that saw them take seven Premierships in eight years.
In 1950, another Rabbitoh golden era emerged under the leadership of Clive Churchill as the club swept their premiership competitors aside. Backed up by other great players such as Bernie Purcell, Chic Cowie and Jack Rayner, the Rabbitohs won five premierships in six years to take the clubs overall tally to sixteen. Their final victory in 1955 was dubbed the ‘great escape’ as the team rose to premiership glory after going through a minefield of sudden-death matches.
The success of South Sydney was finally capped off by their third golden age when they won four premierships between 1967 and 1971. This time coached by Churchill, the Rabbitohs boasted some of the greatest and most innovative names of the modern era including Bob McCarthy, Eric Simms, Ron Coote and John O’Neill. Their victory in 1970 saw one of the most inspirational performances in Grand Final history when the Rabbitohs’ heroic captain, John Sattler played seventy-five minutes of the game with a broken jaw.
3. Eastern Suburbs Tri-Colours 1930s
In 1935, Dave Brown led the Eastern Suburbs Tricolours (as they were known at the time) on an unparalleled winning streak that lasted for almost thirty-four months. On June 22, 1935, the Tricolours lost to South Sydney 18-11. They would not lose another game until April 25, 1938. Guided by one of the most successful coaches in the games history, Arthur ‘Pony’ Halloway, Easts marched through the NSWRL with an undefeated streak of 33 wins and two draws, a record that still stands today and that surely will never be broken.
Of course any great team needs great players and the Tricolours ranks in the 1930’s boasted some of the best of all time, with Ray Stehr, Viv Thicknesse, Joe Pearce, Jack Beaton and Ernie Norman among others. But with all that talent, it was Dave Brown that stood tall, in particular during the 1935 season where he posted a record of 38 tries in the year.
To win the 1935 Premiership however, the Tricolours had to do without Brown when he went down injured in the semi-final against Wests. With the rules of the day forbidding substitutes, the men from the Eastern Suburbs had to battle on with 12-players for 65 minutes of the game. In a remarkable effort, and after being 8-0 down at half-time, the Tricolours romped home to win 15-10. Truly a display of their greatness.
In 1982, leading league correspondent George Crawford described the Easts team from 1935-37 as ‘probably the greatest club side in rugby league history’.
2. Toowoomba Clydesdales 1924-25
The seasons of 1924-25 for the Toowoomba Clydesdales can be best described as ‘magical’ as they became the kings of rugby league. In 1923, Duncan Thompson, who had been credited with orchestrating the premierships of North Sydney in 1921-22, was suspended for allegedly kicking a player and was so outraged that he declared that he would never play league in Sydney ever again. Thus, what was Sydney’s loss was Queensland’s gain, as Thompson went back to his home in Toowoomba to become the captain of the Galloping Clydesdales.
So began one of the most incredible stories in Queensland rugby league history. With a collection of exceptional players around him, the on-field mastermind, Thompson, showcased his genius with his theory of ‘contact football’. He stated; ‘The player does not die with the ball. It moves on and on. Ideally no ball carrier is so smothered that he must play the ball.’
What resulted was an undefeated run throughout 1924-25 which saw the Clydesdales defeat Brisbane, Ipswich, NSW, Victoria, Sydney’s 1925 Premiers South Sydney, and New Zealand. Their most famous victory of all however came when they beat the Ashes winning England side 23-20 in 1924. With Toowoomba galloping to a 10-0 lead, the Englishmen came back, with the Clydesdales finally hanging on under immense pressure.
In 1926, Thompson and a number of other players retired and the great run of the Clydesdales was over, but their accomplishments will never go unnoticed. In all eyes however, the success of the Clydesdales comes largely down to one man, Duncan Thompson. To reinforce his greatness, Thompson came back to Toowoomba in 1951 after the Clydesdales were unable to win a single game in the Bulimba Cup the year before. As coach, Thompson aimed to win back the cup within three years, he succeeded in the first and Toowoomba went on to become Bulimba Cup Champions six years in a row.
1. St. George Dragons 1956-1966
The tag of the greatest team of all time would be hard to argue away from the St. George team of 1956-1966...and that is in regards to any sport, not just rugby league. The Dragons’ world record of 11 consecutive premierships will surely forever stand as the pinnacle of club football.
But the monumental question that anyone would surely ask when looking back on their feat is – ‘How did they do it?’
The answer was the unprecedented gathering of the best officials, players and coaches that the game had to offer at the time, mixed in with an irresistible and unstoppable winning culture and brotherhood developed at the club. The list of players that marched out for the Saints at the time naturally include some of the greatest names of all time, such as Norm Provan, Johnny Raper, Brian Clay, Ian Walsh, Eddie Lumsden, Johnny King, Reg Gasnier, Billy Smith, Harry Bath, Graeme Langlands and Ken Kearney. Obviously not all those names were from the St. George area, but the Dragons were the first club with enough savvy to pouch the cream of the crop from other clubs and surrounding regional areas. The extra funds acquired from the poker-machine boom enjoyed by their leagues club meant that the Saints could retain the best talent in the game without the imposing restrictions of today’s salary cap.
Such was the Saints dominance that from 1956-1966, the club played 222 first grade games, with 184 wins, 33 losses and 5 draws, scoring 5109 points and only conceding 2153. In their 11 grand final victories the Dragons scored 205 points to 63. Interestingly, the Dragons dominance increased further into their run as in their last eight grand final appearances, 1959 to 1966, they only conceded 33 points, of that 10 were from goals with only one try being scored against them by Wests in 1963. A remarkable record.
When the Saints run was finally ended by Canterbury-Bankstown in the 1967 preliminary final, there was an overwhelming sense of shock and sorrow rather than jubilation from other clubs. When the final whistle blew on the SCG, and Dragons run was halted with a 12-11 loss, a stunned silence fell over the crowd as many people had become accustomed to believe that the Saints run would never end.
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Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Steven Tripp
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I acknowledged that though; as stated ‘the Dragons were the first club with enough savvy to pouch the cream of the crop from other clubs and surrounding regional areas.’
Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, Manly’s Premierships in the 1970s were backed by a hefty war-chest. Good on them for doing it! They earned their place in history.
As for being a Manly hater, would I have really included them as one of the Top 10 Greatest Teams of All Time if I despised them? Manly-Warringah are a great club, with a proud and important history. They certainly cop a lot of heat and they certainly attract much hatred, but that’s what makes this game great! In anything there are heroes and villains and since their tenure in the Premiership, Manly have gathered a lot of animosity through jealously or otherwise.
I would suggest you embrace any alleged ‘hatred’. Manly will always be competitive and are likely to succeed further into the future.
So thank you for your incoherent and grammar-void comment. I must ask though; if you choose to comment in the future, please consult a dictionary or use a spell check. Other than that, gather some brain cells and learn how to use a full-stop!