I went to get my glasses fixed and I’ll be blown over if the optometrist looked young enough to be my son.
As I stewed in the waiting room I came across an old copy of Rugby League Week. This gave me the inspiration to write this article.
So listen up you pampered youngsters because I’m here to tell you about what rugby league was like in the 70s.
As a born and bred Sydney-ite, there was never any question that I would be steeped in the culture of rugby league. We called it ‘footy’ or ‘league’ as there were no fancy names like NRL back then. The only thing we ever envied Victorians for was the name of their footy comp. VFL rolls off the tongue much easier than NSWRFL J.J. Giltinan Shield Premiership.
There were 12 teams, each one representing its own area of Sydney and they played on grounds smack bang in the middle of their districts. There were no nasty ring-in teams from other states. Each team had one jersey. Home or away, colour clash or no colour clash, you knew your own team and didn’t give a stuff what the other team was wearing.
When I started watching it was a four-tackle rule. When it became six was probably when the rot began. Evidently, some of the refs had problems counting past the number of fingers on their hand.
Players had to be back five yards, not metres, and the marker could strike at the ball. Tries (from the French ‘tri’ meaning three, not bloody four) were worth three points and Eric Simms was the undisputed master of the two-point field goal.
Scrums were things of sublime beauty. Rugby league never had the balanced eight-man scrums of union. Dispensing with the two breakaways meant that the scrum became a roiling mass of swirling flotsam, not unlike my stomach after a dodgy curry.
Hookers used to hook for the ball and very rarely with the feet. Loose arms, dodgy feeds and eye gouges were commonplace. The scrums in those days were debauched cesspits where every vice and wickedness known to mankind was perpetuated.
It’s because winning the ball was only of secondary consideration, the main point being to win a penalty and a shot at two points.
The players worked real jobs during the week. Sure, there were smart fellas but there were a good number of garbologists among them. Yes, they actually had a bunch of blokes that hung onto the side of the truck and when it slowed they would jump off and pick up your metal garbage bin and dump it in the back of the truck while it was still moving.
Cellarman was another occupation that had a disproportionate rate of rugby league players. Moving kegs about all day takes a certain kind of strength. They might not have had the chiselled muscular physiques like they do these days, but those blokes were strong bastards.
Nobody ever tore a bicep back then.
Doorman was a popular job for footy players. One of the joys of getting tossed out of your local leagues club in the 70s was often the bloke doing the tossing was the prop forward from your local team. Many a time you’d hear some bloke saying “mate, before you throw me in the bushes do you mind signing my shirt?”
The game these days is fast and tough but there was a different kind of physicality back then. In the 70s there was a rule that applied in the first ten minutes of every game. There was no mention of it in the official rulebook but it was known as the ‘softening up period.’ During this time, apart from biting and stabbing, it was pretty much open slather.
The play would generally unfold like this. At a scrum one of the halfbacks would cause a ruckus then jump behind a big forward. Next thing you know the scrum would erupt, players grabbing hold of their opponents by the collar in one hand and swinging like randy possums with the other.
And when it came to unacceptable violence (as opposed to the acceptable variety) the ref wouldn’t pussy-foot around placing players on report or crap like that, he would just would just blow his whistle and point to the sheds.
I remember watching a game at Endeavour Field for the minor premiership between Cronulla and Wests. Cronulla had a bunch of softies such as Paul Khan, Steve Kneen and the Sorenson brothers. The two Wests powder-puffs I remember were Les Boyd and John ‘Dallas’ Donnelly. Let’s just say that one thing led to another and within a few minutes Wests had two players sent off and Cronulla one.
The thing was, that once the softening up period was over, the referees would clamp down on the rough stuff and the play would open up.
The apogee of this legalised violence occurred during the semi-final between Newtown and Manly-Warringah at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1981. For years Newtown were the skinny weaklings of the premiership. They even had Paramount Shirts as their sponsor.
For some unknown reason they came good in that season. With a group of hard-nosed forwards led by the tricksiest, toughest, cheekiest halfback to have ever played the game in Tommy Raudonikis, Newtown made a spectacular rise from the ashes.
Standing in their way was Manly-Warringah with big Kiwi enforcer Mark Broadhurst in their pack. Broadhurst was a more than decent heavyweight boxer with a New Zealand title to his credit, but that means bugger all in the backstreets of Marrickville.
Step up Steve Bowden of Newtown, one of those big strong blokes that could lift a horse with one hand. Soon one of the biggest, baddest, rugby league brawls of all time broke out. In the centre of it all was Bowden and Broadhurst slugging it out with the big Kiwi’s face taking the brunt of the punches.
At our house my mother left the room in disgust and as soon as she did me and my brothers jumped off our chairs cheering and shadow boxing. It was an orgy of political incorrectness that left us limp for days.
I’m not sure if the biff ever quite rose (or descended) to those levels again.
I don’t condone that stuff these days but between you and me I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it at the time.
That was footy in the 70s.
My optometrist called me over. “I found out what’s causing you’re problem,” he said.
“I hope so, everything I see has a reddish tinge.”
“It’s the lenses on your glasses,” he said. “They are rose-coloured.”
Mat D
Guest
Really great story. Lots of good memories. I refereed in grade in the days when scrums were real scrums, and the hookers had to contest for the ball. Our ref reports were virtually graded by "good scrums with the ball in the middle" and " a good 10 metres ", so I don't go back as far as your story depicts. I do remember as a small kid seeing the 2 point field goal, and I'm told of the great achievements of Eric Simms. Today's game is a totally different game than you describe from the 70's. Faster, fitter, stronger, full time athletes who require 2 refs because of the speed and athleticism of the modern Rugby League NRL player. In addition to this there is the Golden Point, Interchange rules, massive salaries and Third Party deals. The rules are different and the possibility of loyalty or honoring a contract are long gone. The 70's and 80's gave us something special that can never be repeated. The statues outside Allianz Stadium are a monument to that era. Those great times will live in the annals of Rugby League in Australia forever. In 2015-2016 we have a completely different sport called National Rugby League. It will also provide us with Legends and memorable moments. However, we should never compare the two eras. They are both "Gold" for all of us to treasure.
Bluebag
Guest
Your explanation of the origins of the term "try" are correct. For further uinfo read Geoffrey Moorhouse's or Sean Fagan's books
Boatie
Roar Rookie
Great article, Mo. Whenever I need cheering up I bring out my replay of the 1975 grand final. Worked a treat at halftime in Origin 3 this year!
Paul Nicholls
Roar Guru
Cheers for your comments and thanks for sharing some additional memories everyone. Mo.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Very good Mo. Interestingly, this bit could apply equally to the VFL (and probably every other state football comp at the time): "There were no nasty ring-in teams from other states. Each team had one jersey. Home or away, colour clash or no colour clash, you knew your own team and didn’t give a stuff what the other team was wearing. " The only difference is that we used to call them guernseys or jumpers.
Russell
Guest
Brilliant, don't post really and don't want to now - but this was sooo Good, Thanks!
bigbaz
Guest
ahh the 60s and 70s, great days. I can remember Kevin Longbottom having a blue with a couple of tiger ressies as the first grade ran on in front of the members stand at the SGC at one 'match of the day'back in the day.
Dracula
Guest
"The scrums in those days were debauched cesspits where every vice and wickedness known to mankind was perpetuated." Gold!
waggamick
Guest
Great article Mo. I doubt if I missed a Home Game at Lidcombe Oval watching my beloved Maggies. And you could always get the train to Belmore to watch the Berries play. My claim to fame is scoring a try for my school team during the Half Time break at a Canterbury game. I have had a running argument with my mates (only for about 20 years) that it was Barry Glasgow's field goal prowess that lead to the Rugby League reducing it from 2 points to 1. As far as the roughness was concerned al the kids in our street used to play League in my front yard which was on a corner so we had an L-shaped field with a tap on the corner...and it was there that we emulated the latest tackle we'd seen at the grounds..so it was the Dump and the Cumberland Throw that became de rigueur at the YCG (Yagoona Cricket Ground)...plenty of bleeding noses and cut lips and the odd Mick 'Mad Dog' Alchin impersonation made every afternoon a heap of fun. Probably the aspect I miss most about the 70's was the Reserve Grade games. You always made sure that you were there for all three games and the Reserve Grade games matched up the some old hard heads on the way down with the newest gunslingers in town and there was never a dull moment. Have to give a mention to Tony Ford my favourite player of al time with the Magpies.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
The scrums in those days were debauched cesspits where every vice and wickedness known to mankind was perpetuated. A truly outstanding line 70's mo, cheers for a top read.
Hanrahan
Guest
Great article. Nostalgia ain't like it used to be. Newspapers and TV were both in B&W so, apart from the Big League cover the only colour you could get was attending the game, until the jerseys got completely covered in mud by half-time (except the lazy players of course). One small pick - I think the word "try" actually originated because in the first era of rugby (before league) there were no points awarded for placing the ball down over the try line - instead it entitled you to attempt (or try) to convert that placement into a goal and thus gain a point.
Paul D
Roar Guru
This was a great read. Thanks Mo!
Cedric
Guest
left NZ early 76' for Sydney town (yep Bondi), thinking league was slow and usually played in mud, as the only league game I ever seen on tv was on Carlaw Park. Thought the All Blacks were the toughest on the planet. Decided one day to go watch Easts vs Many at SCG. Jeez Mo, Artie, Bozo and the list goes on. Harris an Easts winger as big as an All Black front rower, and could he motor, That game changed my sheltered view forever. I became an instant fan. A few years later, when I thought I was old enough and tough enough, I took up the game in Alice Springs. I loved it, I could ask for the ball anytime and just couldn't wait for the weekends. On Mondays the day after the ANZAC Oval clashes of 4 teams, I usually had difficulty walking, as an average sized 2nd rower I used to cop a flogging each week. But by Thursday training I was fully mobile again and ready to get belted again. I miss those times too. The game today is more about athelites (sic), which is fine, but taking the biff out and the shoulder charge, was out of order. They seem to move along the lines of the NFL, but they have the shoulder charge big time, usually a few each game!
Birdy
Guest
Your article brings back memories Mo, The footy was rough and tough , there's no denying. The game today is being sanitised , maybe with the right intentions. Good to see the thug put out of the game but not replaced with the ' mouth'. In the seventies , if you gave it you certainly got it back. Today we are very aware of the sponsorship dollars , the involvement of women in sport , mums encouraging their kids to play Strange how we've turned full circle and the fastest growing sport in the world is also possibly the most brutal the world has ever seen, UFC.
Fairdinkum
Roar Rookie
Memories! Those were the days.
sticks
Roar Rookie
Very entertaining article mo
Samtwocan
Guest
Good onya Mo , I was in Wagga as a kid and Footy was the be all back then , we only had the ABC in black n white and Sunday arvo you'd sit down and shut up when the old man was watching or you'd be given ten in the bin ya self . Not just footy hey Slick , life in general was simpler and there wasn't a committee or government dept to adjudicate over ever small issue . 3.30 at the bus stop or behind the wood shed meant you'd had enough of someone and after it was over , the next day you were back in the play ground playing with the other combatant . The Aussie movie " Dirty Deeds" is a good watch I reckon when it comes to turning back time ....
Slickeel
Roar Rookie
Great story mo. You brought back many childhood memories growing up in Sydney and the footy was everything as a kid. Local parks were always full of kids playing footy on Saturday. Match of the round at the SCG. Rex Mossop & Toohey's ad's. Cumberland oval with Parramatta & Manly playing to a packed house. 3 grades of footy. They played footy tough in those days. I miss those glory days.