WESTS TIGERS v SOUTH SYDNEY
at SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND
3.00pm Sunday
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 10 (2002-2007) Wests Tigers 5, South Sydney 5
First clash: South Sydney 38 beat Wests Tigers 24 at Leichhardt, 2002 (Rd 18)
Grand finals clashes: None
THE RIVALRY
The 1952 grand final between Wests and Souths is regarded as one of the most controversial ever, with the result clouded by controversial refereeing decisions by George Bishop that went against the Rabbitohs. Wests won 22-12, stopping Souths from winning six straight premierships
Against, it was Wests that prevented Souths from winning eight straight between 1925 and 1932 when they knocked the Rabbitohs out of the finals in 1930.
Then, in 1969, it was the turn of Balmain to stop another Souths’ string of premierships; their 11-2 victory again causing furore over alleged claims the Tigers “laid down” by slowing up play and feigning injury.
THE JERSEYS
Wests Tigers will wear a special Balmain heritage strip which recognises the contribution of the Balmain club to the partnership over the past 100 years, gold with black vee. Souths will wear their 1908 jerseys featuring a white rabbit as an emblem.
THE HISTORY
WESTS TIGERS
Entered competition: 2000
Premierships: 1 (2005)
Most games: John Skandalis – 166
Most points: Brett Hodgson – 668
Most tries: Daniel Fitzhenry – 43
BALMAIN
Entered competition: 1908
Premierships: 11 (1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1924, 1939, 1944, 1946, 1947 and 1969)
Most games: Paul Sironen – 236
Most points: Keith Barnes – 1,519
Most tries: Arthur Patton – 95
WESTS
Entered competition: 1908
Premierships: Four (1930, 1934, 1948 and 1952)
Most games: Tom Raudonikis – 202
Most points: Bill Keato – 776
Most tries: Peter Dimond – 84
KEY EVENTS
1908 Balmain and Western Suburbs are two of nine clubs in the NSW Rugby League’s inaugural premiership. Balmain is formed at a public meeting on January 23; Wests is established 12 days later. The two clubs meet at Birchgrove in the opening round on April 20, Balmain wins 24-0.
1909 Balmain forfeit the premiership final, in protest at the NSWRL’s decision to schedule the game as a preliminary to a Kangaroos v Wallabies encounter.
1915 A Balmain side featuring Arthur ‘Pony’ Halloway, Jimmy Craig and Chook Fraser remains undefeated to win the club’s first premiership, the start of a run of five titles in six years.
1924 Balmain defeat Souths 3-0 in the premiership final.
1930 Captain-coach Jimmy Craig steers Wests to their first premiership. A second Magpies title, with Kangaroo captain Frank McMillan and Vic Hey playing leading roles, comes four years later.
1939 The start of Balmain’s second great era, which sees the Tigers secure four premierships in eight seasons.
1948 A disputed try to Kevin Hansen gives Wests an 8-5 victory over Balmain in the grand final.
1952 The Magpies win another controversial premiership decider, this time over Souths.
1969 Outsiders Balmain stun the rugby league world with an 11-2 grand final win over Souths.
1989 A Tigers line-up including Wayne Pearce, Ben Elias, Paul Sironen and Steve Roach is strongly favoured to beat Canberra in the grand final. However, in arguably the greatest premiership decider, the Raiders win 19-14 in extra time.
1999 A mid-season vote of members sees Balmain and Wests merge to become the Wests Tigers.
2000 The joint venture’s opening match against Brisbane at Campbelltown ends in a 24-all draw.
2005 Spearheaded by Benji Marshall, the Wests Tigers claim the premiership with a 30-16 victory over the North Queensland Cowboys.
DID YOU KNOW?
Tigers coach Tim Sheens holds the record for moist premiership games (Sunday is his 550th ) and most seasons (this is his 24th) as a first grade coach – and stands equal sixth with the most premierships with four.
The last club match played at the SCG was between St George Illawarra and the Roosters in round 26, 2006.
SOUTH SYDNEY
Entered competition: 1908
Premierships: 20 (1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971)
Most games: Bob McCarthy – 211
Most points: Eric Simms – 1,841
Most tries: Benny Wearing – 144
KEY EVENTS
1907 A September meeting at Arthur Hennessy’s Surry Hills home lays the foundation for the birth of the South Sydney club.
1908 Souths are the third premiership club formed, on January 17. Their first match on April 20 is an 11-7 win over Norths. Four months later, they are premiers, beating Easts 14-12 in the final.
1909 Balmain boycott the final; Souths kick off against no one and take the premiership. Further titles follow in 1914 and 1918.
1925 A domination of the ‘first-past-the-post’ competition (by 10 points) starts a ‘Golden Era’ – they capture seven premierships in eight years
1946 Hard times as Souths lose every game.
1947 The club signs Newcastle’s Clive Churchill, who becomes the game’s ‘Little Master’.
1948 A home ground at last – Redfern Oval.
1955 His left arm broken, Clive Churchill kicks a sideline goal against Manly to keep Souths’ title hopes alive. This is a highlight of a ‘miracle’ premiership that features 11 successive sudden-death wins. It is the fifth title in six years (1950–51; 1953–55) under captain-coach Jack Rayner.
1967 Bob McCarthy’s scores a long intercept try as Souths beat Canterbury 12-10 in the grand final.
1970 Skipper John Sattler plays 75 minutes of the grand final with a broken jaw, inspiring the Rabbitohs’ 23–12 win over Manly.
1971 Souths’ third great era ends, with a 16-10 grand final win over St George.
1999 Souths are dropped from the competition, provoking a huge public outcry. Two years later, a Federal Court ruling leads to the Rabbitohs being readmitted to the NRL.
2007 After club members support a proposal from Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court to privatise the club, Souths make the finals for the first time since 1989.
DID YOU KNOW?
Souths’ effort in making the top eight in 2007 was their first Final Series appearance since they won the minor premiership in 1989. Under the captaincy of Mario Fenech, the Rabbitohs lost both the semi-final (to Balmain) and the preliminary final to Canberra, who went on to become premiers.
Souths’ tag as ‘The Pride of the League’ was well deserved. They won 16 premierships from 1908-55 and failed to make the finals only once (11 times no finals were played) until 1936.
After a lean period from 1936-48 during which they won two wooden spoons, they then played in seven grand finals (winning five) from 1949-55, then backed up with five successive grand finals (for four wins) from 1967-71 – but have made the finals only eight times in the 36 years since.
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