The 1983 NSWRFL season was the 76th season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Fourteen teams competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a replay of the previous year's grand final between the Parramatta and Manly-Warringah clubs. During the season, NSWRFL teams also competed for the 1983 KB Cup.

1983 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams14
Premiers Parramatta (3rd title)
Minor premiers Manly-Warringah (5th title)
Matches played189
Points scored7,296
Attendance1,458,144
Top points scorer(s) Michael Eden (256)
Rothmans Medal Michael Eden
Top try-scorer(s) Phil Blake (27)

1983 was the final season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for Sydney-based foundation club Newtown Jets, and the first reduction in the number of teams in the competition since Sydney University's departure at the end of the 1937 NSWRFL season. It was also the first season that was played with four-point tries.

Season summary

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For the first time, the number of points awarded for scoring a try was raised from three to four. There was also the introduction of a handover if a team was caught in possession six times, which had the effect of killing the traditional scrum but attracted many new followers[citation needed] to a game that had seen attendances decline by fifty percent since the record year of 1968.[1] To counter a lucrative illegal betting market, legal betting via FootyTAB was introduced and was a regarded as a success.

Twenty-six regular season rounds were played from February till August, resulting in a top five of Manly-Warringah, Parramatta, Canterbury-Bankstown, Balmain and St. George, who battled it out in the finals. Manly-Warringah managed 23 wins from 28 matches in 1983 – at the time the most wins in a season by a club in NSWRFL premiership history alongside Parramatta's 23 in 1982.

The 1983 season's Rothmans Medallist was Eastern Suburbs’ back, Michael Eden and the Dally M Award went to Western Suburbs’ half, Terry Lamb. Rugby League Week gave their player of the year award to Manly-Warringah winger, Phil Sigsworth. This season the Cocal-Cola Coach-of-the-year award was voted for by the coaches in the League and was awarded to rookie coach Laurie Freier.[2]

This was also the last year in the first-grade competition for foundation club Newtown, who were dropped at the season's end.

Teams

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The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous season, with fourteen clubs competing in total, including six Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from Sydney, one from greater New South Wales and one from the Australian Capital Territory. It was the last season for the Newtown club.[3]

Balmain Tigers
 

76th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Frank Stanton
Captain: Wayne Pearce

Canberra Raiders
 

2nd season
Ground: Seiffert Oval
Coach: Don Furner
Captain: Allan McMahon

Canterbury Bulldogs
 

48th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Ted Glossop
Captain: Chris Anderson

Cronulla Sharks
 

17th season
Ground: Endeavour Field
Coach: Terry Fearnley
Captain: Gavin Miller

Eastern Suburbs Roosters
 

76th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Laurie Freier
Captain: Royce Ayliffe

Illawarra Steelers
 

2nd season
Ground: Wollongong Stadium
Coach: Allan Fitzgibbon
Captain: John Dorahy

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
 

37th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Bob Fulton
Captain: Max Krilich

Newtown Jets
 

76th season
Ground: Henson Park, Orana Park
Coach: Brian Moore
Captain: Ken Wilson, Dean Lance

North Sydney Bears
 

76th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: John Hayes, Greg Hawick
Captain: Mark Graham, John Adam

Parramatta Eels
 

37th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Jack Gibson
Captain: Steve Edge

Penrith Panthers
 

17th season
Ground: Penrith Stadium
Coach: John Peard
Captain: Royce Simmons

South Sydney Rabbitohs
 

76th season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Ron Willey
Captain: Ziggy Niszczot

St. George Dragons
 

63rd season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Coach: Roy Masters
Captain: Craig Young, John Jansen

Western Suburbs Magpies
 

76th season
Ground: Lidcombe Oval
Coach: Len Stacker
Captain: Warren Boland

Ladder

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1   Manly 26 22 0 4 690 361 +329 44
2   Parramatta 26 18 0 8 639 293 +346 36
3   Canterbury 26 18 0 8 531 409 +122 36
4   Balmain 26 17 0 9 525 438 +87 34
5   St. George 26 14 1 11 551 450 +101 29
6   Eastern Suburbs 26 14 1 11 579 492 +87 29
7   North Sydney 26 13 1 12 435 446 -11 27
8   South Sydney 26 12 1 13 439 495 -56 25
9   Cronulla 26 12 0 14 450 520 -70 24
10   Canberra 26 9 0 17 495 614 -119 18
11   Penrith 26 9 0 17 476 647 -171 18
12   Illawarra 26 8 0 18 451 644 -193 16
13   Newtown 26 7 2 17 373 591 -218 16
14   Western Suburbs 26 5 2 19 394 628 -234 12

Finals

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Home Score Away Match information
Date and time Venue Referee Crowd
Playoff
  St. George Dragons 44-16   Eastern Suburbs Roosters 30 August 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground B. Barnes 17,981
Qualifying Finals
  Balmain Tigers 14-17   St. George Dragons 3 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts 24,652
  Parramatta Eels 30-22   Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 4 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground B. Barnes 22,311
Semi-finals
  Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-24   St. George Dragons 10 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground John Gocher 27,867
  Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 19-10   Parramatta Eels 11 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts 28,921
Preliminary final
  Parramatta Eels 18-4   Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts 27,726
Grand final
  Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 6-18   Parramatta Eels 25 September 1983 Sydney Cricket Ground Kevin Roberts 40,285

Chart

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Qualifying finalMajor semi-finalPreliminary finalGrand final
1  Manly19  Manly6
  Parramatta10  Parramatta18
2  Parramatta30  Parramatta18
3  Canterbury22Minor semi-final  Canterbury4
  Canterbury26
4  Balmain14  St. George24
5  St. George17

Grand final

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Manly Sea Eagles Position Parramatta Eels
  1. Graham Eadie
FB
  1. Paul Taylor
2. John Ribot WG 2. David Liddiard
3. Chris Close CE 3. Mick Cronin
4. Phil Sigsworth CE 4. Steve Ella
5. Kerry Boustead WG 5. Eric Grothe
6. Alan Thompson (c) FE 6. Brett Kenny
7. Phil Blake HB 7. Peter Sterling
8. Ian Schubert LK 8. Ray Price
9. Noel Cleal SR 9. Steve Sharp
10. Paul Vautin SR 10. Peter Wynn
11. Paul McCabe PR 11. Paul Mares
12. Ray Brown HK 12. Steve Edge (c)
13. Geoff Gerard PR 13. Stan Jurd
18. Glenn Ryan Reserve 16. Chris Phelan
20. Rick Chisolm Reserve 20. Gary Martine
25. Michael Blake Reserve 22. Mark Laurie
Reserve 23. Don Duffy
Bob Fulton Coach Jack Gibson

Parramatta powered over Manly for the second year straight to claim their third successive title. The 18–6 win saw Brett Kenny claim a unique achievement in scoring two tries in three successive grand finals. Kenny opened the scoring and the Eels raced to a 10–0 lead after 13 minutes when Eric Grothe steamrolled burly Manly fullback Graham Eadie.

Parramatta 18 (Tries: Brett Kenny 2, Eric Grothe; Goals: Cronin 3)

defeated

Manly-Warringah 6 (Tries: Phil Sigsworth; Goals: Graham Eadie)

Player statistics

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The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26:

References

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  1. ^ AFL Tables – Rugby League Crowds summary
  2. ^ Clarkson, Alan (21 September 1983). "Coach-of-year newcomer surprised by his voting rivals". the Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. p. 47. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  3. ^ "History of the Premiership". centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au. Australian Rugby League. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
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