Fifty Years Ago - Round 9, 1971

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Our weekly look back at how footy looked exactly fifty years ago, thanks to George Peterson!

The SCG became a quagmire as torrential rain greeted the City and Country teams who ran out in front of 11,983 dedicated fans huddled under the stands and peering through the gloom. 

City (17) defeated Country (0), but no one, coaches included was able to say if the matches added to selectors knowledge, prior to selecting the State team on Sunday night.   

Players described the ball as a ‘cake of soap' in many post-match interviews. Boom Country fullback Ted Goodwin, almost scored a try but "got lost" three yards from the goal line and under pressure from defenders dropped the soap (ball).  The SCG pitch was a mud-heap and although it probably didn't matter much, the City vs Country Seconds match chewed up the surface, so that when the firsts did run out, the only visible grass was in the in-goal areas.  Roosters forward Bob O'Reilly who revelled in the tight play, was awarded "Man of the Match" honours.  City (19) defeated Country (5), in the Seconds match. 

Club Matches

Almost all representative players backed up to play for their clubs on Sunday in a full round of matches across the city. However, Roosters' prop-forward Arthur Beetson injured his knee playing for City 2nds and will be out for a month. The club matches were all played on soggy grounds with grey skies and rain and some teams handled the conditions better than others.  Every match was won by the home team.  

At the Sports Ground, Balmain (35) outplayed Cronulla (12) in a match that will be remembered by many, not for the score but for the injury toll. Six Cronulla players (including Hooker Ron Turner, who fractured his leg in the first tackle of the match) and Tigers Dennis Tutty kept the club medico's busy for the full 80 minutes.  Balmain took a 17 - 5 lead into halftime but Cronulla scored two quick tries early in the 2nd half taking their tally to 12.  This activity spurred Balmain into action and the Tigers ran in four tries (18 pts) in the last 13 minutes of the match.   

At Cumberland Oval Parramatta (16) defeated Easts (8), scoring two tries, but keeping the visitors to none!  Four goals to Roosters' fullback Alan McKean kept his team in the match but a 2nd half try to replacement winger Peter Archibald sealed the match for the Eels. Just 75 seconds after replacing Terry Scurfield, Archibald took an intercept and ran 75 metres to score.  Eels centre Ron Graham, who played the full 80 minutes for City 1sts, was helped from the field with an injured ankle and despite selection in the State team, was unlikely to pass the fitness test set for Monday, prior to the flight to Brisbane.  

North Sydney led 8 nil after 18 minutes and 15 - 8, deep into the 2nd half, but still managed to lose their match against South Sydney.   It is said that Norths know more ways to lose matches, than they do to win them, and this held true in the mud at Redfern.  Souths (17) defeated Norths (15) despite having 6 players backing up from yesterday's representative matches. Denis Pittard was not one of them and he proved the difference.  Pittard scored one try to get the home team back into the match and the second try to snatch a win, 5 minutes from full-time.   

Sunday's Brookvale Oval clash between Manly and Penrith, saw the home team confirm their position atop the premiership ladder, with Souths.  The Sea Eagles (20) defeated the Panthers (12). 

Canterbury are struggling, this season, with just 2 wins and 7 losses, but they showed real grit in Sunday's thrilling match at Henson Park. Newtown (28) defeated Canterbury (18) but the match was always closer than that. The Bulldogs, with club great Les Johns returning from an extended layoff led 5 - 4 at half time and then 18 - 4, with just 24 minutes left in the match.  Then Newtown, led by half John Bonham (with 3), scored 6 tries in a 20- minute attacking frenzy, to surge past Canterbury.  Given the poor field conditions across Sydney, the skill shown by the "Bluebags" was remarkable and the 4756 paying customers got real value for their money with 35 points being scored in the 2nd half. 

Lastly, home fans at Kogarah-Jubilee Oval were worried as their makeshift team took the field.  Six regular first graders, who played for City yesterday, stood down and to compound their troubles two players were injured during the match.   St George (14) defeated a Western Suburbs (8), who apart from young half Tom Raudonikis are struggling to compete.  With just 1 win in 9 matches, the Magpies have one ‘wing' firmly around the Wooden Spoon.  

The NSW representative Team flew to Brisbane Monday and play the first two (of three) matches against Queensland on Wednesday night, 26th May and Saturday afternoon 29th May.  (Details on both matches will be included with next weeks Round 10 report).