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New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1972
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| New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1972 |
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| Teams |
12 |
| Premiers |
 Manly-Warringah (1st title) |
| Minor premiers |
Manly-Warringah (2nd title) |
| Matches played |
136 |
| Points scored |
4670 (average 34.338 per match) |
| Attendance |
1,469,899 (average 10,808 per match) |
| Top points scorer(s) |
 Allan McKean (220) |
| Top try scorer(s) |
Bob Fulton (19) |
1972's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixty-fifth 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 WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between Manly-Warringah and Eastern Suburbs.
Season summary
The 1972 season's Rothmans Medal winner was Western Suburbs' halfback Tommy Raudonikis. Rugby League Week awarded their player of the year award to Eastern Suburbs' five-eighth John Ballesty.
This season, for the first time since 1966, Souths would fail to reach the grand final.
Following the grand final, several players travelled to France to represent Australia in the 1972 Rugby League World Cup.
Teams
Ladder
Finals
Grand Final
After twenty-five years in the competition and five Grand Final losses, Manly finally broke through to win the club's first NSWRFL premiership.
In a controversial match, the Sea-Eagles downed the Eastern Suburbs Roosters 19 to 14, thus shedding their 'bridesmaid' tag. The Roosters were highly critical of referee Keith Page after the match, claiming both of Manly's tries shouldn't have been awarded. To add to their rage, Easts crossed for 2 tries that were disallowed.
A dour first half saw the teams go to the break at 4-all, before a try by hooker Fred Jones put Manly ahead. Jones appeared to drop the ball as he attempted to ground it, but was awarded the try nonetheless. Midway through the second half, controversy flared again when Manly centre Ray Branighan appeared to stop over the Eastern Suburbs try line after accepting what looked like a forward pass from prop Bill Hamilton. However, referee Page allowed it and the Manly fans began celebrating, knowing that at 19-4 their first premiership victory was assured. Although Easts fought back and brought the score to 19-14, time was out for the Roosters.
Manly-Warringah 19 (Tries: Jones, Branighan. Goals: Eadie 6. Fld Goal: Fulton)
Eastern Suburbs 14 (Tries: Ballesty, Mullins. Goals: McKean 4 )
Man of the Match: Denis Ward (Manly).
References
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