Western Suburbs Magpies

Infobox rugby league club
clubname = Wests Magpies|

fullname = Western Suburbs Magpies
nickname = The Fibros
founded = 1908 (foundation club)
exited = 1999 formed joint venture with Balmain Tigers to form Wests Tigers NRL Team
league = NSWRL/ARL, NRL
season = 1999
position = 17th of 17
premierships = 4 - 1930, 1934, 1948, 1952,
runnerups = 8 - 1918, 1925, 1932, 1950, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963,
minorpremierships = 5 - 1930, 1948, 1952, 1961, 1978
spoons = 17 - 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1916, 1933, 1940, 1942, 1953, 1955, 1971, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1998, 1999
win = 62 - 5 vs. Balmain, 31 March 1974
loss = 0 - 67 vs. Souths, 23 July 1910The Western Suburbs Magpies are a rugby league football club in Sydney, Australia. Formed in 1908, the Wests were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia. The club, as a sole entity, departed the top-flight competition in 1999 after forming a 50-50 joint venture with Balmain Tigers to form the Wests Tigers. The club currently fields sides in the NSWRL Premier League, Jersey Flegg Cup, S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions.

History

The club was one of the foundation members of the Sydney rugby football league competition in 1908. Though they spent long periods of time as also-rans they did taste premiership success four times in the mid 20th century. They won their first premiership in 1930, beating St George 27-2. Four years later they defeated Eastern Suburbs to win their second title. They won a second pair of premierships over a decade later, beating Balmain in 1948 and South Sydney 22-12 in 1952. Both times they defeated a club hunting its third title in a row.

The 60s

Apart from these occasions, the club was famous for three successive grand final matches in 1961, 1962 and 1963 against the St George Dragons in the midst of their 11 premiership run. The club boasted footballers such as halfback Arthur Summons, Harry 'Bomber' Wells, Kel O'Shea, Noel Kelly and Peter Dimond. The 1963 grand final was immortalised in a statue 'The Gladiators' after St. George captain Norm Provan and Summons trudged off the field together.

The 70s

A final period of glory beckoned in the late 1970s where they spent a few years at the top or near-top of the table, yet failed to make a grand final. Coached by Roy Masters and boasting such players as fullback John Dorahy, half Tommy Raudonikis, five-eighth Graeme O'Grady, Gavin Miller, Ron Giteau, Les Boyd, prop John Donnelly and five-eighth Terry Lamb. However attractive offers from other clubs and then doubts about the club's viability led to years of exodus of talent. Wests did manage to win the 1977 Amco Cup.

The 80s

In 1983 the NSWRFL attempted to expel Wests from the competition, but a prolonged legal battle saw the Magpies keep their spot, unlike the Newtown Jets. Eventually, Wests relocated to Campbelltown in 1987. Ironically, this was where Newtown had unsuccessfully tried to move to four years earlier.

The 90s

Wests begun a rebuilding process in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The club made the semi finals in 1991 and 1992 under coach Warren Ryan. They were also NSWRL Club Champions in 1991 when all three grades made the semi-finals. The team also made it to the Pre Season Challenge Cup final in 1993 but were beaten by a star studded Canberra side. The club then slipped down the ladder.The decision to appoint Magpie legend Tommy Raudonikis as coach for the start of the 1995 season sent a shot of adrenalin into the club. Tommy took the Magpies to the finals in 1995 and 1996. But the club could not complete in the players market in 1997 thanks to the SuperLeague war which saw players contracts soar sky high to unsustainable amounts.In 1998 and 1999 a Magpie team filled with a large number of unknown players struggled to be competitive and twice won the wooden spoon. With the club struggling on-field and trying to compete financially against clubs with News Limited funding, the writing was on the wall.

Joint Venture

The well documented war in 1997 between Super League (News.Ltd) and the Australian Rugby League (ARL) resulted in a compromise that by the year 2000, the National Rugby League (NRL) competition would be contested by only 14 teams.

With the Wests Magpies struggling on field in the NRL competition, it was decided by the club in the middle of 1999 that to survive the cull they would be required to merge their senior team with another club's team. After initial talks with the Canterbury Bulldogs failed an agreement was reached with the Balmain Tigers.

The Wests Tigers were created and first competed in the year 2000 competition. The club also merged its playing colours from the two joint venture partners. Black (Wests and Balmain),Gold (Balmain) and white (Wests)

Current Days

The Western Suburbs Magpies home matches are played at Campbelltown Sports Ground, and their training facilities, along with offices are at the Whitlam Centre in Liverpool. The club has state of the art facilities here, and they are regarded as some of the best in the league.

The Wests Magpies last title was won in 2002 when the Wests Magpies captained by Liam Fulton won the New South Wales Rugby League Under 18's competition.

Home grounds

The Magpies have played at three home grounds since foundation. They played at Pratten Park in Ashfield for their first sixty years, then they moved to Lidcombe Oval in the late seventies. This was due to Ashfield council not allowing the club to play matches on a Sunday (as this was the church day). In 1987, they moved to Campbelltown's Orana Park, which, after a $25 million renovation, is now called Campbelltown Stadium which is now one of the home grounds of the Wests Tigers.

District Junior Competition

The Western Suburbs District Junior Rugby League (WSDJRL) also known as the "Junior Magpies" administers junior rugby league on behalf of the Western Suburbs Magpies and the Wests Tigers joint venture. It consists of a network of affiliated junior rugby league clubs throughout the Campbelltown, Camden and Liverpool areas of southwestern Sydney. As of 2007 the following clubs were involved in the WSDJRL;
*All Saints JRLFC
*Ashcroft JRLFC
*Campbelltown City JRLFC
*Campbelltown Collegians JRLFC
*Campbelltown Warriors JRLFC
*Eaglevale St Andrews JRLFC
*East Campbelltown JRLFC
*Hinchinbrook JRLFC
*Ingleburn Bulldogs JRLFC
*Ingleburn RSL JRLFC
*Liverpool Catholic CLub JRLFC
*Liverpool City JRLFC
*Macarthur Saints JRLFC
*Macquarie Fields JRLFC
*Minto Cobras JRLFC
*Valley United JRLFC The WSDJRL has produced many current Wests Tigers players including Brett Hodgson (Eagle Vale-St Andrews & Ingleburn RSL), Dean Collis (Campbelltown Warriors), Bryce Gibbs (All Saints Liverpool), Chris Lawrence (Eagle Vale), and Shannon McDonnell (All Saints Liverpool). Other notable NRL players who grew up playing junior rugby league in the WSDJRL are Anthony Minichello (East Valley United), Eric Grothe, Jr. (Eagle Vale), Ryan Hoffman (Campbelltown Collegians), Israel Folau, Jarryd Hayne, Krisnan Inu, and Mickey & Lopini Paea (all Minto Cobras).

The WSDJRL took over its current boundaries from the old Campbelltown City Group 6 country rugby league club and parts of the Parramatta DJRL (i.e. Liverpool) in 1987. They were forced to move out of their traditional territory around the Ashfield and Lidcombe areas of inner western Sydney to be able to then survive in the NSWRL. The old WSDJRL area has since been acquired by the Balmain DJRL and Bulldogs (Canterbury) DJRL. Clubs that used to play in the WSDJRL include;
*Ashfield Colts (now folded)
*Burwood United (now merged with Concord in Balmain DJRL) leagueicon|Cumberland|25
*Concord United (now merged with Burwood in Balmain DJRL) leagueicon|Glebe|25
*Benedicts Auburn (now Trinity College, Auburn) leagueicon|Annandale|25
*Enfield Federals (produced Hazem El Masri and Robbie Farah) leagueicon|Western Suburbs Magpies|25
*Lidcombe Bulls (folded in mid 1980's) leagueicon|North Sydney|25
*Berala Bears (now in Bulldogs DJRL) leagueicon|Balmain|25
*Croydon Park (folded in mid 1980's) leagueicon|Western Suburbs Magpies|25
*Holman JRLFC (Named after Keith Holman, based at Henley Park, Enfield. Colours were yellow with a blue shoulder saddle, and the emblem was oval shaped with a kangaroo, a football, a kiwi, a rooster & a lion ; signifying that Keith played for Australia against New Zealand, France & England. Folded in mid 1980's) leagueicon|Cumberland|25
*Royal Sheaf Hotel (Burwood, folded in late 1980s)
*Oriental Shamrocks (folded in 1960's)

Notable players

Team of the Century

In 2004 the club named its Team of the Century:

International Representatives

The following Western Suburbs Magpies players have represented their countries in international competition.Australia
*flagicon|AUS Frank McMillan
*flagicon|AUS Vic Hey
*flagicon|AUS Keith Holman
*flagicon|AUS Arthur Summons
*flagicon|AUS Peter Dimond
*flagicon|AUS Harry Wells
*flagicon|AUS Kel O'Shea
*flagicon|AUS Noel Kelly
*flagicon|AUS John Ribot
*flagicon|AUS Terry Lamb
*flagicon|AUS Paul Langmack
*flagicon|AUS Ken McGuinness
*flagicon|AUS David Gillespie
*flagicon|AUS Tommy Raudonikis
*flagicon|AUS Jim Serdaris
*flagicon|AUS Les BoydNew Zealand
*flagicon|NZL Mark Horo
*flagicon|NZL Stephen Kearney
*flagicon|NZL Brendan Tuuta

England
*flagicon|ENG Harvey Howard
*flagicon|ENG Lee Crooks
*flagicon|ENG Gary Schofield
*flagicon|ENG Ellery Hanley

Papua New Guinea
*flagicon|PNG David Buko

Major Sponsors

*Victa (1978-1982)
*IPEC Couriers (1984-1985)
*Masterton Homes (1986-1992)
*Goldstar / LG Electronics (1995-1997)
*Signature Security Systems (1998-1999)
*Club Hotels (2000)
*Save Home loans (2005)
*Wests Leagues Ashfield (2006-2007)Wests Leagues Ashfield have also been key sponsors & supporters of the club since they were established.
*Rebel Sport (Centinary Partner and 2008 Major Sponsor)

ee also

*
*Wests Tigers

External links

* [http://westsmagpies.net Team home page]
* [http://www.rl1908.com/Clubs/Western-Suburbs.htm RL1908's Wests page]