CRONULLA v PENRITH
At TOYOTA PARK
7.30pm Saturday
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 72 (1967-2007) Cronulla 37, Penrith 32, draws 3
First clash: Penrith 13 beat Cronulla 10 at Sutherland Oval, 1967 (Rd 11)
Grand finals clashes: None
THE JERSEYS
The Panthers will wear a replica of their original chocolate brown 1967 jersey which they wore in their first season. The Sharks will wear a replica of their original 1967 sky blue jersey with the white and black V.
THE RIVALRY
In their first season in ‘first division’ in 1967, the two teams played the initial match in Australia under the four-tackle rule. They were the first match in a double header in the Wills Cup pre-season competition.
Big name signing Cliff Watson, the Great Britain Test front-rower who joined ex-St Helens team-mate Tom Bishop, at Cronulla – lasted just half a match against the Panthers in his first game at Endeavour Field in 1971 – courtesy of a stray elbow from an opposing forward.
Few high profile players have switched between the two clubs – the first being original Panther Maurie Raper who joined the Sharks in 1971. He was followed by Paul Merlo (Penrith to Cronulla, via Wests), Mark McGaw (Sharks to Panthers) and Craig Greenhill (Sharks to Panthers). The next was coach John Lang and his son, prop Martin Lang, in 2002, followed by Preston Campbell (Cronulla to Penrith) in 2003. Ben Ross is the most recent, moving to the coast from Penrith in 2006.
Despite both clubs entering the competition together in 1967, they have never met in a finals match.
THE HISTORY
CRONULLA
Entered competition: 1967
Premierships: None
Most games: Andrew Ettingshausen – 328
Most points: Steve Rogers – 1,253
Most tries: Andrew Ettingshausen – 165
KEY EVENTS
1963 The club’s beginning, as Cronulla-Caringbah, playing in the inter-district competition.
1967 Now known as ‘Cronulla-Sutherland’ and with Sutherland Oval as home ground, the club is admitted to the NSW Rugby League premiership. Monty Porter is the inaugural captain, and former champion Dragons hooker Ken Kearney the first coach The Sharks’ first premiership match, on April 2, is an 11–5 win over Easts. Hooker John ‘Bomber’ Hynes scores the first try.
1968 Endeavour Field becomes Cronulla’s home base. Halfback Terry Hughes wins the inaugural Rothmans Medal as the premiership’s ‘best and fairest’ player in a huge upset.
1969 The club signs champion Great Britain halfback, Tommy Bishop.
1970 Hooker Ron Turner becomes the Sharks’ first Aussie international.
1973 Bishop, joined by compatriot Cliff Watson, takes the Sharks to the grand final, where they lose a violent match 10–7 to Manly. Second-rower Ken Maddison scores two tries in Australia’s Ashes-winning third Test triumph at Warrington.
1978 Local junior Greg Pierce becomes the club’s first Test captain. Steve Rogers, already a seasoned international, wins the Rothmans Medal. Coached by Norm Provan, the Sharks draw the grand final 11-all with Manly, but lose the replay 16–0.
1979 Cronulla capture the midweek Amco Cup, still the club’s only first grade title, although they won the minor premiership in 1988 and 1999.
1983 Schoolboy prodigy Andrew ‘ET’ Ettingshausen makes his first-grade debut while still in year 12 at De La Salle College, Caringbah. He played fullback.
1984 The club placed in the hands of an administrator with crippling financial debts and players are asked to take a 50 per cent pay cut.
1991 Again the club is in desperate financial trouble and administrators moved in again. Local fan and successful businessman Peter Gow, father of super model Elle McPherson, steps into save the club
1994 The Sharks reserves and President’s Cup sides win their respective premierships.
1997 Cronulla, one of 10 teams to join Super League, lose the grand final 26–8 to the Broncos
1999 Chairman and CEO Peter Gow is forced to resign his positions after an infamous post-match incident at the leagues club’s Chinese restaurant, in which he cuts up the jersey of a Dragons fan.
1999 The minor premiership is won for the second time (after 1988), but the Sharks are beaten by St George Illawarra in a preliminary final.
2000 Andrew Ettingshausen retires, having played a club record 328 first-grade games. His 165 tries ranks third on the all-time premiership list.
DID YOU KNOW?
Cronulla’s first coach was Ken Kearney, an instrumental figure as captain and/or coach of the first six of St George’s 11 straight premierships before coaching Parramatta to their first three years in the finals from 1962-64. Their first home ground was Sutherland Oval.
Steve Rogers played in a grand final and toured with the Kangaroos in his first season of first grade at age 18 in 1973.
Steve (1,253) and Mat Rogers (1,112) are the top two points-scorers in the club’s history, miles clear of the next best Andrew Ettingshausen (662).
Toyota Stadium is the only ground in the league on private land, owned by the Sharks leagues club.
PENRITH
Entered competition: 1967
Premierships: Two (1991 and 2003)
Most games: Steve Carter – 242
Most points: Ryan Girdler – 1,572
Most tries: Rhys Wesser – 109
KEY EVENTS
1966 The NSWRL votes to promote Penrith to the 1967 premiership, ahead of the kings of the second division Wentworthville who, despite a rich leagues club, are doomed to be geographically too close to Parramatta
1967 In just their fourth game, Penrith’s ‘chocolate soldiers’ stun the league world by defeating St George, winners of the previous 11 grand finals.
1968 Bobby Mara scores three tries as Penrith win the pre-season Wills Cup, thrashing Newtown 28–12 in the final.
1974 Penrith qualify for the inaugural Amco Cup final against Western Division, but go down 6-2 to the Johnny King-coached side.
1985 The Panthers, coached by club stalwart Tim Sheens, make the semi-finals for the first time after Greg Alexander kicks two extra-time penalty goals against Manly in a fifth-place play-off.
1987 Victories over Brisbane, Cronulla and Parramatta propel Penrith into the National Panasonic Cup final. Despite a late comeback in a rugged battle, the Panthers lose to Balmain 14–12.
1990 Penrith reach their first grand final after thrashing Canberra 30–12 in the major semi-final. The Raiders thwart the Panthers 18–14 in the decider.
1991 Now in an intimidating black playing strip, Penrith take the minor premiership by six points. Inspired by ‘two-try hero’ Royce Simmons, the Panthers secure a 19-12 victory over Canberra on grand final day.
1999 Ryan Girdler sets the club’s point-scoring record for a season with 229 points from 18 tries, 77 goals and three field goals.
2001 After making his debut in 1988, club stalwart Steve Carter ends his career having played a record 242 games.
2003 In front of a record 22,304 home crowd, victory over Parramatta in round 24 secures the Panthers the minor premiership. Penrith, coached by John Lang, wins its second title, defeating the Roosters 18-6 in the grand final.
2004 The club avenge their worst defeat (70-7 in 1973) by annihilating Manly 72-12 in a club record victory.
2006 Fullback Rhys Wesser scores try number 102, placing him ahead of Greg Alexander and Ryan Girdler as the Panthers’ all-time top try-scorer.
2006 Roger Cowan stands down as club boss after more than three decades at the helm of the highly developed leagues club
DID YOU KNOW?
Former hooker and grand final hero Royce Simmons became the club’s first international in 1986.
Greg Alexander was the first local junior to represent Australia (1986 Kangaroo tour) while John Cartwright, son of the Panthers original club secretary Merv Cartwright, became the second ‘local’ to wear the green and gold.
Grahame Moran, who joined the Panthers from Taree in 1967, became the club’s first rep player when chosen for City in 1968 and the first state player in 1970. Brad Izzard was Penrith’s first State of Origin player (for NSW) in 1982, followed by Darryl Brohman (Qld) 1983.
Phil Gould was the club’s youngest ever captain at age 20 when appointed by coach Don Parish in 1978.
Current Penrith general manager Mick Leary was a first grade fullback for the club from 1968 to 1972 after being signed from Parkes, where he played for Country Firsts in 1967. He was the club’s player of the year on three occasions.
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