It was the 1976 NSWRL Grand Final victory by the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles that added more fire to an already fierce rivalry with the Parramatta Eels.
Both clubs entered the NSWRL competition together in 1947, with Manly’s first ever victory coming against Parramatta in their inaugural season.
The Eels finished with the wooden spoon too, something the Sea Eagles have proudly never collected.
Having been beaten by Parramatta three times already that season, the Sea Eagles went into the Grand Final as underdogs despite finishing with the club’s fourth minor premiership.
The Eels started sentimental favourites in their first grand final following a 23-17 victory over Manly in the major semi-final.
Manly, with two premierships behind them in 1972/73, advanced to their eighth Grand Final after surviving a late comeback from Canterbury.
History now shows that the Sea Eagles went on to win the Grand Final, 13-10, after the scores were locked 7-all at half-time.
Parramatta scored two tries to one, but it was the defensive resolve and experience of the Sea Eagles that shone through in the end.
Trailing 5-2 following a try to Eels winger Jim Porter and a penalty goal to Eadie, Manly scored their only try after talented five-eighth Alan Thompson sidestepped the defence to put forward Phil Lowe over.
The steely resolve of the Sea Eagles’ defence denied Ray Higgs and John Kolc from scoring in the second half.
The Eels then bombed a golden try when young winger Neville Glover dropped a pass in front of the tryline.
With Manly hanging on, the Eels threw one last big play with the infamous ‘flying wedge’ move, but the fabulous Eadie was there to stop forward Ron Hilditch on the line. Eadie kicked a further four goals to get Manly home.
It was Manly's third premiership in five years, and the ninth straight year the Sea Eagles had not missed the finals.
The 1976 premiership victory was a first for former Manly player and future Kangaroos Coach, Frank Stanton.
“It was a justification of a decision I made to leave a secure job of 18 years to do the coaching,’’ Stanton recalled in ‘The Sea Eagle Has Landed’ book (Robert Smith).
“I liken Parramatta to the 1968 Manly team, it was their first taste, and it took them a little while to get into their rhythm.”
It was a third premiership title each for Manly greats Bob Fulton, Graham Eadie, Ian Martin and Terry Randall following success in 1972 and 1973.
Eadie finished the season with 233 points while Fulton was Manly’s leading try scorer with 24.
For Fulton, the grand final victory was the perfect way to send the club great off in his final game for Manly before joining Easts after 213 first grade games and 510 points in 11 seasons.
Fulton remains the only Manly man to both captain and coach the Sea Eagles to premierships. He is also the club’s only Immortal.
Many of the players from the 1976 Manly team will at the game as special guests of the Club on Sunday, and will be presented to the crowd before kick-off.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
1 Graham Eadie 2 Tom Mooney 3 Russel Gartner 4 Bob Fulton (c) 5 Rod Jackson 6 Alan Thompson, 7 Gary Stephens 8 John Harvey 9 Max Krilich 10 Terry Randall 11 Steve Norton 12 Phil Lowe 13 Ian Martin; bench 14 Gary Thoroughgood 17 Mark Willoughby, Coach Frank Stanton.
Parramatta Eels
1 Mark Levy 2 Jim Porter 3 Ed Sulkowicz 4 John Moran 5 Neville Glover 6 John Peard 7 John Kolc 8 Graeme Olling 9 Ron Hilditch 10 Denis Fitzgerald 11 Geoff Gerard 12 Ray Higgs (c), 13 Ray Price; bench 14 Graeme Atkins 15 John Baker, Coach Terry Fearnley
Match Details
Sea Eagles 13 (Lowe try, Eadie 5/6 goals) d Eels 10 (Gerard, Porter tries; Peard 2/3 goals, Levy 0/1) at Sydney Cricket Ground, Saturday, September 18, 1976. Crowd: 57,343. Referee: Gary Cook.
