The 1968 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 61st season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Twelve teams, including six Sydney-based foundation teams and another six from around Sydney competed for the J.J. Giltinan Shield and the WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between South Sydney and Manly-Warringah.

1968 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams12
Premiers South Sydney (18th title)
Minor premiers South Sydney (14th title)
Matches played136
Points scored4027
Attendance1,894,627
Top points scorer(s) Eric Simms (212)
Rothmans Medal Terry Hughes
Top try-scorer(s) Stan Gorton (22)

Season summary

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The 1968 season saw the introduction of an official Best and Fairest Player award in the form of the Rothmans Medal. The inaugural medal was won by Cronulla-Sutherland's Terry Hughes.

The Balmain club narrowly missed out on a place in the top four, which was made up of South Sydney, Manly-Warringah, St. George and Eastern Suburbs.

Teams

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Balmain
 

61st season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Captain-Coach: Keith Barnes

Canterbury-Bankstown
 

34th season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Captain-coach: Kevin Ryan

Cronulla-Sutherland
 

2nd season
Ground: Endeavour Field
Coach: Ken Kearney
Captain: Warren Ryan

Eastern Suburbs
 

61st season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Jack Gibson
Captain: Jim Matthews

Manly-Warringah
 

22nd season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: George Hunter
Captain: Bob Fulton

Newtown
 

61st season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Dick Poole
Captain: Bobby Keyes

North Sydney
 

61st season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Captain-coach: Colin Greenwood

Parramatta
 

22nd season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Coach: Ian Johnston
Captain: Dick Thornett

Penrith
 

2nd season
Ground: Penrith Park
Captain-Coach: Bob Boland

South Sydney
 

61st season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Clive Churchill
Captain: John Sattler

St. George
 

48th season
Ground: Jubilee Oval
Coach: Norm Provan
Captain: Johnny Raper

Western Suburbs

61st season
Ground: Lidcombe Oval
Captain-coach: Noel Kelly

Ladder

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1   South Sydney 22 16 0 6 394 271 +123 32
2   Manly 22 15 1 6 379 282 +97 31
3   St. George 22 13 3 6 416 320 +96 29
4   Eastern Suburbs 22 14 1 7 362 274 +88 29
5   Balmain 22 14 0 8 393 284 +109 28
6   Parramatta 22 12 1 9 308 284 +24 25
7   Western Suburbs 22 12 0 10 328 279 +49 24
8   Penrith 22 11 0 11 298 352 -54 22
9   Canterbury 22 9 1 12 259 301 -42 19
10   Cronulla 22 6 0 16 259 405 -146 12
11   North Sydney 22 4 0 18 259 388 -129 8
12   Newtown 22 2 1 19 257 472 -215 5

Finals

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Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semi-finals
  St. George 17–10   Eastern Suburbs Roosters 31 August 1968 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce 49,747
  South Sydney 15–23   Manly-Warringah 7 September 1968 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce 49,128
Preliminary Final
  South Sydney 20–8   St. George 14 September 1968 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce 44,803
Grand Final
  Manly-Warringah 9–13   South Sydney 21 September 1968 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce 54,255

Grand Final

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Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Position South Sydney Rabbitohs
  1. Bob Batty
FB
  1. Eric Simms
2. Michael McLean WG 2. Brian James
3. Alec Tennant CE 3. Bob Honan
4. Frank Stanton CE 4. Arthur Branighan
5. Les Hanigan WG 5. Michael Cleary
6. Bob Fulton (c) FE 6. Denis Pittard
7. Denis Ward HB 7. Bob Grant
13. Bill Hamilton PR 13. Jim Morgan
12. Fred Jones HK 12. Elwyn Walters
11. Norm Pounder PR 11. John O'Neill
10. David Knox SR 19. John Sattler (c)
9. John Morgan SR 9. Bob Moses
8. Bill Bradstreet LK 8. Ron Coote
Res.
George Hunter Coach Clive Churchill

Manly was making its fourth ever Grand Final appearance and still looking for its first title. 21-year-old captain Bob Fulton led a young Sea Eagles side, while Souths was skippered by John Sattler who that season had been honoured as "Catholic Sportsman of the Year". Neither team lineup had any players older than 29 years of age. The depth of the Souths line-up was indicated by the fact that it’s stars Kevin Longbottom, Bob McCarthy and Ray Branighan were all named and played in the Rabbitohs' reserve grade side which ominously won its grand final match-up also against Manly.

The first-grade match began furiously with the toughening-up period resulting in four cautions by referee Pearce in the first four minutes. Ron Coote clashed with Bill Bradstreet and the opposing giants Hamilton and John O'Neill also measured up. Souths, with a strong breeze at its back, was the first to score when Michael Cleary intercepted a pass meant for Manly winger Les Hanigan and raced 80 yards to score. Simms punished Manly with a conversion and three successful penalty goals in the first half and at the break Souths led 11–2.

The Sea Eagles refused to lay down and mid-way through the second half second-rower John Morgan crashed over for a try which was converted by Bob Batty. Then a Bob Fulton field goal with fourteen minutes left brought Manly within reach. But despite the Manly fightback Souths was too resilient and hung on to win its second successive premiership and the club's 18th title.

South Sydney 13 (Tries: Cleary. Goals: Simms 5.)

Manly-Warringah 9 (Tries: Morgan. Goals: Batty 2. Fld Goals: Fulton 1.)

Player statistics

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The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 22.

References

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