The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are proud to celebrate the feats of our 1978 premiership winning team in our 75th year anniversary in 2021.
It is 43 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.
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.
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.
