Monday Milestone: 1970s Rugby League – Fibros and Silvertails
This Week in History:
1978, September 9
The “Fibros”, minor Premiers Western Suburbs are knocked out in the preliminary final at the hands of the “Silvertails” from Manly.
An old French proverb suggests, the more thing change the more things stay the same.
Since the dawn of man, whatever currency available has always been a definitive marker of society. The rich, the poor, the haves the have nots. Or as in the case of 1970s rugby league: the Silvertails and the Fibros.
The Milestone parks the Delorean back in a colourful era before salary caps faded the game to grey. It’s a time before rugby league turned professional, when players have full time jobs, train after work, and play on weekends. Yet money is still central to the game. It’s arguably the toughest era in rugby league history, but the Australian economy is forcing a rich divide in Australian society. Rugby league is not exempt.
In Sydney’s Western Suburbs, economic times are biting. Funds are low and success is rare. Roy Masters coins the term ‘Fibros’ to describe the cheaper housing materials in which local residents live. It has something of an underdog connotation.
Meanwhile on the northern beaches, life is good. Manly has some of the most enviable real estate in Sydney, buckets of money and are the new and exciting face of rugby league, having captured the ’72, ’73 and ’76 premierships. Now they are seeking another title, at the expense of all comers.
Which is how we get to the SCG.
Against all economic odds this season, feelings of inequity and disempowerment, these Fibros from the Western Suburbs have finished atop the premiership table, and enjoyed a week off. Despite losing their major semi final, they are still just one match away from the last game of the season, and a shot at their first title in a generation. In their way, ironically stands Manly Warringah, the rich boys from the beaches who actually needed a mid-week replay to knock out Parramatta after they had come back from 13-3 down. We are set up for a tremendous underdog story.
But reality doesn’t always agree.
Through the afternoon, the feel-good story of the poor Fibros winning, which would have been one for the battlers, and warmed plenty of hearts, isn’t to be. Western Suburbs have two tries controversially denied by Greg “Hollywood” Hartley, ultimately proving the difference, as the Silvertails somehow coax out a 14-7 victory, and ensure the downtrodden Western Suburbs Magpies would suffer the ignominy of being eliminated in straight sets.
Two weeks later the rich will get richer as Manly will win against Cronulla in yet another Grand Final replay, capping off a truly remarkable finals campaign, and the wealthy northern beaches club will celebrate their fourth title in seven years. The Western Suburbs Magpies meanwhile will never get this close to the premiership again.
Twenty years later, the fiscal divide is again highlighted when this Western Suburbs side is financially forced to merge with Balmain, whilst Manly-Warringah effectively launches a takeover of the North Sydney Bears.
Today, even as a joint venture, the Wests Tigers still struggle both off and on the field. Whilst Manly keep winning.
Perhaps, the French were right. The more things change, the more things do stay the same.
The Milestone Five: Notable 1970s rugby league moments
5. 1977 – After winning Super Bowl XI with the Oakland Raiders, American Manfred Moore tries his hand at rugby league with the Newtown Jets. He would last just four games before a head injury sent him back to the NFL.
4. 1975 – Eastern Suburbs post a remarkable 19 consecutive victories to close out the regular season. This remains a record.
3. 1975 – Graham “Changa” Langlands, the game’s best fullback wears white boots for the grand final, but unfortunately receives an ill-directed injection, numbing his leg. St George as a result, are demoralised, 38-0 by Eastern Suburbs
2. 1977 – For the first time since 1909, the rugby league Grand Final is drawn between St George and Parramatta. The replay however is lopsided, as the Eels are held scoreless. Remarkably, when Manly and Cronulla play the decider in the following year, the same thing occurs.
1. 1970 – Courage and toughness are redefined when South Sydney captain John Sattler receives a double fracture to his jaw in the opening minutes but plays on to premiership glory.
