New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1971

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1971
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 12
premiers =
count = 20th
minor premiers =
mpcount = 1st
matches = 136
points = 4477
attendance = 1562338
top points scorer = (196)
top try scorer = (18)The 1971 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixty-fourth season of the Sydney-based professional rugby league football competition. Twelve Sydney-based teams, including six foundation teams and another six sides admitted post-1908, competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield and W.D. & H.O. Wills during the season, which culminated in a Grand Final between South Sydney and St. George.

eason summary

The season saw the number of tackles in a set increased from four to six. In addition, the number of points awarded for a field goal was reduced from two to one. Each side met all others twice in twenty-two regular season rounds, resulting in the top four teams consisting of Manly-Warringah, South Sydney, St. George and Parramatta who fought out three finals for the right to play in the Grand Final.

The 1971 Rothmans Medal was won by South Sydney's five-eighth Denis Pittard while Rugby League Week awarded their player of the year award to South Sydney's halfback Bob Grant.

Under the guidance of revolutionary head-coach Jack Gibson who was in 1971 beginning to embrace the attitude and training methods used in the United States' National Football League, St. George in 1971 reached the Grand Final in all three grades.

Teams

Grand Final

Against a battle-hardened Souths side with a larger pack, the young Dragons went into the Grand Final as clear underdogs.

The first half was a gruelling affair with the only points coming from an Eric Simms field goal. At half-time Souths were in front by the unlikely scoreline of 1-0.

Souths raced ahead in the second half and at one stage held an 11-0 lead. The Dragons fought back with tries to Barry Beath and Ted Walton. Graeme Langlands added the extras, including a magnificent sideline conversion.

With the score at 11-10 and with only 12 minutes remaining, Saints looked to be getting on top of their more fancied rivals. However a match-winning try from Bob McCarthy showed the experience of the Rabbitohs, who won their fourth title in a five-year period. Souths hooker George Piggins was hailed as a hero, playing himself to a standstill in what was ultimately a closely fought encounter.

The premiership victory remains South Sydney's most recent to date.

South Sydney 16 (Tries: Branighan, Coote, McCarthy. Goals: Simms 3. Field Goal: Simms.)

St George 10 (Tries: Beath, Walton. Goals: Langlands 2.)

References

* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1971.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1971] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1971-1980.html Results:1971-80 at rabbitohs.com.au]
* [http://www.rleague.com//db/year/1971/j_j_giltinan_shield_and_wd_ho_wills_cup/index.php 1971 J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup at rleague.com]
* [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/competitions/NSWRL_1971.html NSWRFL season 1971 at rugbyleagueproject.com]