THE RED V NOSTALGIA THREAD

[baggygreen man]

Steve Edge the Dragons 1977 GF winning skipper and the only player to lead two different clubs to titles, remains in awe of the Dragons’ colossal feat of 11 successive premierships.

"No league fans have seen anything like it since.
There was simply no stopping that mighty Saints side. Never before and never again,” Edge recalled in a AAP interview.

“ I saw the whole shebang first-hand from the Sheridan Stand at the SCG with my father and grandfather. “That’s how I grew up.”

“We’d watch them all play and didn’t miss too many of the grand finals; saw ’em all.”

 

[OneEyedDragon]

Steve Edge was a lucky man. He saw the great teams play and played successfully for the Big Red V himself.i grew up in the bush and all I knew was that the Sydney rugby league teams played a few rounds and then St George won the grand final - every year! So they were my team and I've remained a rusted on supporter ever since. A couple of highlights for me were meeting Harry Bath and Graeme Wynn at Coolangatta Tweed Golf Club back in the day when they had called in for beer, and meeting the legends Graeme Langlands, Regards Gasnier and Johnny Raper while I was living on Norfolk Island. All great blokes and happy to put up with starry eyed fans.

 

[Number of the Beath]

Johnny Riley is a name that does not jump out at you as he was not a among the host of Saints Immortals/Hall of Famers, either did he play 20 Test matches. But Riley was an integral part of the Golden Era for six years being picked for the '59 GF but injured then finally one of the 13 for the '62 GF.
Riley was a Saints Junior coming into grade in 1959 and stayed until 1964, playing centre alongside the great Reg Gasnier on many occasions over his career.
After a stellar start to his career, he was chosen for the Blues in 1959 then topped that with being picked in and playing his only Test on the 1959-60 Kangaroo Tour. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo #349.

The man who has a close hand view of those glory days said a in a AAP interview; '' a champion team always beats a team of champions''.

But Riley adds, that behind the giants of the game that filled the trophy cabinet at Kogarah lay an unsung hero who never won a premiership as a player and whose representative career extended to one solitary game for NSW City Firsts in 1945, Club boss Frank Facer

Without “forward-thinking” club secretary Frank Facer, he doubts the Dragons’ dynasty would have ever transpired without their fearless bass.

“He (Facer) was a genius at finding good players and bringing them into the club. Even when we were bulging with internationals and thought we didn’t need anyone else, he’d find somebody somewhere and bring them in''.

“ His logic was: “Well, I’d rather have him here than having him play against us. It was amazing over that period how many great players St George had and how he kept getting them to keep the momentum.”

Years ago I worked with a guy who played junior footy with Johnny Riley and talked about what a phenomenal player he was.
Those guys were before my time, sadly - but I did get to watch Bath's Babe's.

 

[Saints Forever]

Brian Smith was one of those. The same plonker who selected his useless brother ahead of Peter Coyne and said we had "the smell of Newtown" about us.
I still hate that prick.

And selected his brother in front of Andrew Walker who was a prodigious talent at 17 years of age

Huge boot

saw him kick a field goal from 10 metres on his own side of half way

 

[Trifili13]

I give credit to Brian Smith for getting systems and structures in place at the Dragon's, Parra and Rooster's but the key is then to get a coach to get you 'over the line' on the big day as Brian was not your man for that job.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Brian lost 3 GF's to Super coach Wayne Bennett and 1 to an Immortal in Andrew Johns who destroyed Parra. If Brian won the 3 against Supercoach he would have 3 GF's and Wayne would have 4. Lucky for Saints, 1 he lost was against Saints. But if Brian won them all Saints would have had 2 and not 1 since the last GF.

He brought back life to the Dragons because the were very bad the previous years before he came to the club. Since 1985 they went down bigtime and took a while to recover. He joined in 91 and in 92-93 they made GF's. Not bad.

 

[Willow]

Guys is this sufficient material on our record breaking era or do I add more detail..

You've gone to some effort and that's commendable. But there's a fair bit of stuff that doesn’t stand up. A few urban myths have crept in.

Not sure where you're sourcing it from, it seems to have been lifted and edited to suit.

If you wish, I can correct some of it, and help with some sources.

 

[Dragon David]

You've gone to some effort and that's commendable. But there's a fair bit of stuff that doesn’t stand up. A few urban myths have crept in.

Not sure where you're sourcing it from, it seems to have been lifted and edited to suit.

If you wish, I can correct some of it, and help with some sources.

I was hoping that you would call in and go through this Willow and it would be great if you would add your additional information/corrections etc. Something to look forward to.

 

[baggygreen man]

Not sure where you're sourcing it from,

SGDRLFC, Wikipedia and Jubilee Avenue. Perhaps a touch embellishment but no urban myths, they must've already been in the sourced material. I did make some grammar correction and cut verbosity..

Yes Willow do add some of your own material as DD requested.

 

[baggygreen man]

BATHS BABES 1977:

The 'Old Fox' Harry Bath took charge of one of the youngest teams in Saints history in 1977, transforming them into a premiership force. Only two players, Billy Smith and Barry Beath, both in their final season, had been on the field in 1966, the clubs last GF win and their final premiership of the Golden Era.
Beath and lock Rod Reddy, were the leaders of the young pack, which also included back rowers John Jansen and Robert Stone, props Craig Young and Bruce Starkey and captain/hooker Steve Edge. The average age was a touch over 22 with Edge, at 25 the oldest of the six starters.

Parramatta finished the season in first place in '77, only fractionally ahead of the Dragons and many had the Eels as favorites to claim the Wills Cup.

Saints led led 9–0 at the break on Grand Final day after some individual brilliance by Ted Goodwin but after losing both Goodwin and half Mark Shulman the Eels came back to earn a draw. Not even 20 minutes of extra time could split the sides.

A week later on Saturday September 24 at the iconic SCG in front of a 47,828 attendance, the first ever Grand Final replay in NSWRL history was a bruising affair. But the hungrier and more skillful Saints, led by their crop of baby forwards prevailed in a 22-0 rout to hold the Wills Cup aloft and add another premiership to the tally.. our 14th.
According to Craig Young, Harry Bath was a ''peerless forwards coach''.
''His two big points were constructive ball-playing that created space for supports, plus aggression,'' Young recalls.

St George Dragons 22 (tries: John Bailey, John Jansen, Robert Stone. goals: Ted Goodwin 6/7. Field goals: Ted Goodwin d Parramatta Eels 0

 

[Dragon David]

1977 grand final dragons v eels - Google Search

1977 grand final replay dragons v eels - Google Search

 

[Trifili13]

1977 grand final dragons v eels - Google Search

1977 grand final replay dragons v eels - Google Search

Thank god for youtube and we get to see the Dragon's winning a GF.

Are we even sure it's rugby league as looks nothing like what they play these days?

I was in primary school in the 70s and remember we played sport against Bald Face Primary School where Stone was a teacher and how great it was as a young kid to be up close to a first grader.

 

[baggygreen man]

I think our thread is going off the boil guys.

 

[baggygreen man]

1977 grand final dragons v eels - Google Search

1977 grand final replay dragons v eels - Google Search

No access DD. Will try NRL or YT for the replay.

 

[Dragon David]

 

[baggygreen man]

I had forgotten the sneak thief try by Robert Stone that totally demoralised the Eels and sealed it for us.

 

[baggygreen man]

Guys does the forum have a Kangaroos thread. And when pray tell is the next Kangaroo tour as seems the Pacific Champs has taken its place.

 

[Inisai Toga]

I had forgotten the sneak thief try by Robert Stone that totally demoralised the Eels and sealed it for us.

Lot of people think that Stone grabbed it from the second row, which i think is incorrect. Reddy after he done his first half collateral damage wasn’t on for most of the second half. So I think you’ll find Stoney went to lock and Beath was in the second row and when the scrum screwed Stone grabbed it and ran which often happened in those days. .

Its interesting that we had Goodwin, Reddy and Shulman three of our most dominate players off for considerable time periods over both the two ‘77 Grand Finals it was a fair effort!

 

[blue bags]

Brian lost 3 GF's to Super coach Wayne Bennett and 1 to an Immortal in Andrew Johns who destroyed Parra. If Brian won the 3 against Supercoach he would have 3 GF's and Wayne would have 4. Lucky for Saints, 1 he lost was against Saints. But if Brian won them all Saints would have had 2 and not 1 since the last GF.

He brought back life to the Dragons because the were very bad the previous years before he came to the club. Since 1985 they went down bigtime and took a while to recover. He joined in 91 and in 92-93 they made GF's. Not bad.

Met Brian when he was playing reserve grade for south Sydney Rabbitohs. In his early career

 

[blue bags]

Lot of people think that Stone grabbed it from the second row, which i think is incorrect. Reddy after he done his first half collateral damage wasn’t on for most of the second half. So I think you’ll find Stoney went to lock and Beath was in the second row and when the scrum screwed Stone grabbed it and ran which often happened in those days. .

Its interesting that we had Goodwin, Reddy and Shulman three of our most dominate players off for considerable time periods over both the two ‘77 Grand Finals it was a fair effort!

Lord Ted . Magical drop kick
Wow. He had no room. No time
Yet managed to drop it. Kick it.
In one motion. Leather heavy ball as well
He was so special Lord Ted
One of my favourite players ever
The fans loved Lord Ted
Such an exciting player
Was it recorded in the score. Or I'm confused
1 point ?