The 1963 NSWRFL season was the 56th season of the
New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League (initially named the New Sout ...
based in Sydney. Ten teams from across the city competed for the
J J Giltinan Shield
The J.J. Giltinan Shield is an Australian rugby league trophy, awarded annually to the National Rugby League minor premiers. It was named after James J. Giltinan who was central to the founding of rugby league in Australia. Giltinan died in 195 ...
and WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a replay of the previous two years'
grand final
Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. Sy ...
s between St. George and Western Suburbs.
Teams
Ladder
Finals
Grand Final
The crowd of 69,806 who turned out for the grand final was a record.
From the opening whistle the 1963 decider was a gruelling affair. Heavy rain meant that the wet SCG pitch quickly became a quagmire and players unrecognisable. At one point, St George five-eighth,
Bruce Pollard was blinded by the mud such that he couldn't pass or catch the ball so he swapped places with
Johnny Raper
John William Raper (12 April 1939 – 9 February 2022) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. Nicknamed "Chook", he was a lock-forward who earned a then-record of 33 Test caps in the Australia national team between ...
and played out the second half at lock. Raper also set up the best movement of the match when he broke the line and found
Reg Gasnier
Reginald William "Reg" Gasnier (12 May 1939 – 11 May 2014) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the St. George Dragons from 1959 to 1967 and represented Australian national rugby league team, Australia in a then ...
in support. Gasnier, with a Wests defender hanging off him, sent the ball to
Norm Provan
Norman Douglas Somerville Provan (18 December 1932 – 13 October 2021) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. Also nicknamed "Sticks", he was a second-row forward with the St George Dragons during the first ten of t ...
who in turn found
Johnny King
Johnny Cecil King (born 2 July 1942) is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a winger with the St. George Dragons for the last seven years of their eleven consecutive premiership-winning run from 1956 to 1966. He was ...
. However the Magpies defence held and no try was scored.
Saints conceded their first grand final try since 1958 when Wests centre Gil McDougall scored. As the match developed, it was clear that Wests had a game plan which involved a focus of intimidation on Gasnier. McDougall and other Magpies punched, stiff armed and kneed Gasnier at every opportunity. He was consequently subdued throughout the game.
The game was ultimately the Dragons' most controversial win in their 11-year run since the story has passed into Australian rugby league folklore that St George benefitted from dubious decisions made by referee
Darcy Lawler
Darcy Thomas Elgan Lawler (1919–1994) was a NSWRFL Referee in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
Darcy Lawler was a rugby league referee based in Sydney, Australia. A veteran of over 300 first class games, Lawler refereed at local, state and in ...
.
Lawler, the game's No.1 referee was known to enjoy a bet. A number of Wests players and sports journalists have claimed that the '63 Grand Final was a rout and point to some questionable decisions with Wests captain Arthur Summons claiming that before the game one of his team mates (later revealed to be
Jack Gibson Jack Gibson may refer to:
* Jack Gibson (rugby league) (1929–2008), Australian player and coach
* Jack Stanley Gibson (1909–2005), Irish physician
* Jack Gibson (ice hockey, born 1880) (1880–1955), ice hockey player and executive
* Jack Gibs ...
) entered the change room and told others that if they had backed themselves to win they had better lay off their bets because "The ref has backed St George". Just before half time, Wests had a try disallowed. At 8-3 McDougall had a chance to even the score when he won a race to the ball in goal, but Lawler ruled that he did not ground it. Later with 15 minutes to go and the score favouring Saints 5-3, Johnny King scored a controversial match winning try. Both decisions fuelled the debate about Lawler's impartiality on the day. Lawler, who awarded St George the penalties 18-7, retired after the match.
Newcomer
Graeme Langlands
Graeme Frank Langlands, MBE, (2 September 1941 – 20 January 2018), also known by the nickname of "Changa", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. and coached in the 1970s.
He retire ...
passed to King who raced down his muddy wing after fending off his opposite John Mowbray. King appeared to be claimed by the cover defence of
Don Parish but both players tumbled and in the slimy conditions King was not clearly held. He got up and was bowled over again but still not held and with no marker he ran towards the corner past a relaxed defence who believed he had been tackled. If ever there was an example of playing to the whistle, this was it. Johnny King scored one of the most debated tries in Australian Grand Final history. King claims that he was told by the referee to 'play on' while Wests legend,
Noel Kelly claims that King was tackled and that Wests 'were robbed'. Behind the try line as the conversion was being lined up Chow Hayes yelled at Lawler "you're a cheat". Lawler said "Say that again and I will send you off". Jack Gibson said "send him off and I will rearrange your face on Monday". Lawler blushed and throughout the conversion Hayes continued to chant "you're a cheat".
But for the record books, St George won their eighth consecutive Grand Final, defeating a gallant Wests team, 8-3 and destroying Wests' hopes for the third year running. It was the final time that Western Suburbs would appear in a Grand Final. Also, St George won the premiership that year in all three grades.
The match is also celebrated in Australian rugby league history as a result of John O'Gready's enduring photo of rival captains Provan and Summons in a congratulatory mud-caked embrace at game's end. The award winning photo became known as "the Gladiators" and since it was first published has been appreciated by rugby league fans as capturing an essence of the game wherein a little man can fairly compete against the bigger man, and where sporting respect and camaraderie follow epic struggle. Since
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
a bronze replica of the Provan and Summons embrace has adorned the various incarnations of the Australian rugby league premiership trophy.
St. George 8 (Tries: Evans, King. Goals: Gasnier 1.)
Western Suburbs 3 ( Tries: McDougall.)
Player statistics
The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18.
Top 5 point scorers
Top 5 try scorers
Top 5 goal scorers
References
External links
Rugby League Tables - Season 1963''The World of Rugby League''
* Writer, Larry (1995) ''Never Before, Never Again'', Pan MacMillan, Sydney
1963 J J Giltinan Shield and WD HO Wills Cup at rleague.com
{{National Rugby League seasons
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
Nswrfl Season