New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1957

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1957
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 10
premiers =
count = 4th
minor premiers =
mpcount = 4th
matches = 94
points = 3103
attendance = 1089273
top points scorer = (169)
top try scorer = (26)
1957's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the fiftieth season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Ten teams from across the city competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final between St. George and Manly-Warringah.

eason summary

Teams

Grand Final

Under 27 year-old coach Ken Arthurson, Manly were playing in their second grand final. The match began with Saints pounding the (then called) 'Seagulls' with some heavy tackling. Brian Clay in particular targeted Manly's Rex Mossop, often trapping the dual international forward with the ball. 'Poppa' Clay had a fearsome reputation in defence and at one point in the he knocked the Manly captain George Hunter senseless.

Manly were up to the task in the first half with the score locked at 4-all for 30 minutes. Straight after half time, the flood gates opened following a magnificent run up the centre by second rower Norm Provan. He palmed off Manly defenders, ran deep into their territory, high stepped past fullback Ron Willey and slipped the ball to Poppa Clay who scored under the posts.

A second Dragons try followed within three minutes and the game began to slip away from the Manly side. The Larry Writer reference quotes Manly coach Arthurson: "The sheer physical strength of the St. George team is in itself a formidable thing to overcome. Our fellows tried everything, but St. George had so much more to give. Those big fellows are so clever." ["Never Before, Never Again" p 39] .

Harry Bath kicked eight goals from eight attempts establishing a standing record for the most goals in a grand final and the most number of points scored in a grand final (16). His fellow ball playing forward and tactician Ken Kearney had returned for this, the first of five successful seasons as coach (four as captain-coach).

St. George 31 (Tries: Clay 2, Ryan, Fifield, Lumsden. Goals: Bath 8.)

Manly 9 (Tries: Burke. Goals: Willey 3.)

References

* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1957.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1957] "The World of Rugby League"
* Writer, Larry (1995) "Never Before, Never Again", Pan MacMillan, Sydney

ources and footnotes

* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1951-1960.html Results:1951-60 at rabbitohs.com.au]
* [http://www.rleague.com//db/year/1957/j_j_giltinan_shield/index.php 1957 J J Giltinan Shield at rleague.com]
* [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/competitions/NSWRL_1957.html NSWRFL season 1957 at rugbyleagueproject.com]
* [http://www.showroom.com.au/dragons/dragonshistory/history_stgeorge4a.htm#1957 1957 Final at Dragons History site]