Western Suburbs Rosellas

The Western Suburbs Rosellas, Western Suburbs, Wests or The Maggots (local nickname) are a Rugby League club based in the Newcastle(NSW) region of Australia. It was a foundation member of the Newcastle Rugby League in 1909 and has been one of the most successful teams in that competition. [ [http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~maajjs/aus/nsw/ncl/nclcomps.htm Newcastle Rugby League competition records to 1998] ] The club has had a number of players represent Australia including Wally Prigg, a member of the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. [ [http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/index.cgi?det=1&intArticleID=6&sID=10 Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame "Wally Prigg"] ] Johnny Raper, another member of the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame played for Wests after he finished playing for the St. George Dragons. [ [http://www.rl1908.com/Hoffame/index.htm 1908 Rugby League Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame Johnny Raper entry] ]

History

Early years

A strike in 1909 hastened the conversion to the professional code and the club was formed in New Lambton, though no Rebels players had joined. Playing in red and green, their first match was on May 14th 1910 where they lost to South Newcastle 18-0. They withdrew from the competition midyear.

The club has been known as the Rosellas since at least 1915, where it is recorded in a report on a challenge match where they as champions played Balmain as champions of the Sydney premiership that year and won 35-5.

The 1990s-

The club has had a successful leagues club making an attractive sponsor of rugby league in the national rugby league. Despite attempts by the Newcastle Knights to gain sponsorship from the Wests Leagues Club, in 1995, the club was going to be the majority owner of the Hunter Mariners in the Super League competition until a majority of members of the club made it clear that they would not support a team in the Super League competing against the Knights in August 1995. Bob Ferris, the General Manager of Western Suburbs, left shortly after to manage the Mariners. ["The Newcastle Herald" "A League of their Own" 20 April 2005page 8 retrieved through EBBSCO's Australia and New Zealand Reference Centre 8 December 2006] In December 2005 the Wests Leagues Club, entered into an arrangement with the Newcastle Knights to secure their future as a member of the National Rugby League.

Wests Football Club has also supplied a number of players for the Knights most notably NSW and Australian player Matthew Gidley, and current players Kurt Gidley, Jarrod Mullen and Luke Walsh.

Club information

:Club Name: Western Suburbs {Newcastle}:Nickname: Rosellas, The Maggots:Founded: 1910:Home stadium: Harker Oval, New Lambton {NSW}:Head coach: :Club Captain: :Uniform colors: Red, White and Green:Premiership Titles: (19) 1912, 1915, 1916, 1922, 1961, 1966, 1970, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2008

International representatives

*flagicon|AUS Allan Buman

*flagicon|AUS John Cootes

*flagicon|AUS Keith Froome

*flagicon|AUS Ian Johnston

*flagicon|AUS Ken Maddison

*flagicon|AUS Col Maxwell

*flagicon|AUS Wally Prigg

*flagicon|AUS Matthew Gidley

*flagicon|AUS Johnny Raper

*flagicon|AUS Anthony Tupou

*flagicon|AUS Kurt Gidley

Notes

References

*cite book | author = Power, Bob | year = 1992 | title = The Rebels of Rugby: The Story of Newcastle Rugby League Pioneers "The Bolsheviks vs. The Lilywhites" 1907-1920 | publisher = self | location = Newcastle, New South Wales | id = ISBN

*"The Newcastle Herald" "Our Knights Future:It's Here in Fine Print" 7 December 2005, page 9 retrieved through EBBSCO's Australia and New Zealand Reference Centre 8 December 2006

*"The Newcastle Herald" "Matt Gidley" 6 April 2006, page 40 retrieved through EBBSCO's Australia and New Zealand Reference Centre 8 December 2006