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Flashback: Sea Eagles beat Sharks in Grand Final Replay

It is 42 years ago today - September 19 - since Manly Warringah Sea Eagles beat Cronulla Sharks 16-0 in the 1978 NSWRL Grand Final replay.

It was the second time in history that a Grand Final had to be replayed after the Sea Eagles and the Sharks drew 11-all three days earlier in the premiership decider at the Sydney Cricket Ground on September 16.

Remarkably, it was the second Grand Final in a row to end up going into a mid-week replay after the 1977 Grand between St George and Parramatta finished in a 9-all draw.

The grand final replay was Manly's sixth game in 24 days with several Sea Eagles players having painful injections to get onto the field. Second-rower Terry Randall had a total of six injections - four in a shoulder and two in a groin. 

The victory in 1978 gave the Sea Eagles their fourth premiership title to complete a domination of the '70s after premiership wins in 1972, 1973 and 1976.

We were helping one another, we had a lot of injuries. We stuck in there together and that was the big thing

Five-eighth Alan Thompson
Full Match Replay: Sharks v Sea Eagles - Grand Final Replay, 1978

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Sea Eagles team

1 Graham Eadie 2 Tom Mooney 3 Russel Gartner 4 Stephen Knight 5 Simon Booth 6 Alan Thompson 7 Steve Martin 8 Ian Martin 9 Terry Randall 10 Bruce Walker 11 John Harvey 12 Max Krilich (c), 13 Ian Thomson; reserves 14 Ray Branighan 15 Wayne Springall, Coach: Frank Stanton.

Listen to Max Krilich talk about the 1978 premiership win on the Golden Eagles Podcast.

Sharks team

1 Rick Bourke 2 Chris Gardner 3 Steve Rogers (c) 4 Dave Chamberlin 5 Steve Edmonds 6 Martin Raftery 7 Steve Hansard 8 John Glossop 9 Eric Archer 10 Steve Kneen 11 Peter Ryan 12 Rowland Beckett 13 Paul Khan, Coach: Norm Provan.

Match Details

Manly-Warringah 16 (Gartner 2, Eadie tries; Eadie 3 goals, field goal) d Cronulla-Sutherland 0 at the SCG, September 19, 1978. Half-time: Manly 15-0, Crowd: 33, 552. Referee: Greg Hartley. Man of the Match: Graham Eadie.

Acknowledgement of Country

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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