Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Encyclopedia
The Manly
-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australia
n professional rugby league
club based on the Northern Beaches
of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League
's (NRL's) Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia
. The club first appeared in the 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League season
and currently plays home matches out of its ground Brookvale Oval
whilst being based at the New South Wales
Academy of Sport in Narrabeen.
Since winning their first premiership in 1972, the club has won a total of eight First Grade titles. They are the reigning NRL premiers, having won the 2011 Grand Final
. The club's eight titles span five consecutive decades.
Cliff Lyons
holds the record for most first-grade games for Manly with 309. Steven Menzies
played 349 games, but 69 of these were for the now-defunct Northern Eagles
. The record for most points scored is held by Graham Eadie
with 1917 points and Matthew Ridge
has the highest total in one season, scoring 257 in 1995. Steven Menzies
holds the top try scoring record with 151. He is also the highest scoring forward in the history of the game.
The Sea Eagles have never won the wooden spoon
in their 62 seasons, the longest period of any current club. Since their first Grand Final appearance in 1951, the club has appeared in 18 Grand Finals in eight consecutive decades.
The North Sydney Bears
though suffered more than they anticipated. After having played in the 1943 Grand Final they hit the wall after the exodus of Manly players for 1947. The Bears lost half of their games in 1947, before spending the next four seasons at the bottom of the ladder.
Manly immediately adopted the maroon and white colours they had used for their Presidents Cup team since its inception and borrowed originally from the Freshwater SLSC of which Ken Arthurson & other players were members. They chose for an emblem the sea eagle – the native bird of prey of the Sydney coastline. The use of emblems on jerseys and as a marketing tool was way in the future, and a number of media writers simply referred to Manly as the "sea gulls". However, while they never raised an objection to being called sea gulls (emphasising how much of a non-issue emblems/marketing names were at the time) the club maintains that it has always officially been the Sea Eagles since their first day.
Manly's first premiership game was against Western Suburbs Magpies
at Brookvale Oval on Saturday 12 April 1947. Max Whitehead, who had first played for Norths in 1942 and was a member of their 1943 Grand Final team, was Manly's first captain. Whitehead was a big barrel-chested second rower who was used by Bonds as the model for their iconic "Chesty Bond" character. Their first win was against the Parramatta Eels
and the club finished their first season in second to last place.
Their first Grand Final appearance was in the 1951 season
, which they lost to South Sydney
. Manly-Warringah played in five Grand Finals before winning their first in 1972. They then won the following year in 1973 and again in 1976 and 1978.
Manly were powerful in the early 80s but were beaten in two Grand finals by Parramatta, but was victorious against the Canberra raiders in the 1987 Grand final. The Bob Fulton coached Sea Eagles returned to the play-offs in 1993 and 1994 but were beaten on both occasions in the first elimination semi-final by the Brisbane Broncos
.
In 1995, amidst the dramas of the Super League war, Manly produced one of its most dominating seasons in the club's history but in one of the league's most dramatic upsets, were upset by the Bulldogs
in the Grand Final.
In 1996 a Manly returned to the Grand Final and beat St George Dragons to win the title that had eluded them the season before. Rugby League in Australia was split in two leagues in 1997, the ARL and Super League, and Manly were one of the leading teams of the ARL's competition. For the third year in a row Manly reached the Grand Final, however lapses in their intensity which appeared during the season returned in the premiership decider against the Newcastle Knights
and the Sea Eagles were beaten on the full-time siren by a Knights try.
The Manly teams of 1995 to 1997 produced some of the most entertaining football in Sea Eagles' history, but also featured rugby league's stingiest defence. Many great players featured, including Des Hasler
, Geoff Toovey
, Nik Kosef
, Steve Menzies, Terry Hill
, Mark Carroll
, the ageless Cliff Lyons
and former NZ All Blacks Matthew Ridge
and Craig Innes.
After 1997 the club collapsed on the field and only recorded a 10th place in the 1998 season, and then missed the finals in 1999.
A meeting of the Football Club in 3 June 2004 saw the club members vote for the privatisation of the Football Club.
who was given a 17-match ban for striking Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks forward Keith Galloway
in the round two match. Furthermore, the season overall was dominated by the team's fear of playing matches at night, with most of their defeats occurring under lights. This was pointed out by the Channel Nine
commentators prior to its round eight, Friday night match against the Brisbane Broncos
at Suncorp Stadium (which was in fact Manly's first Friday night match in six years) which the Sea Eagles indeed lost by a scoreline of 38–12. The Sea Eagles suffered a late-season form slump with injuries plaguing the club, however wins over the Broncos in round 22 and the Raiders
in the final round ensured their first finals appearance since 1998. They crashed out of the finals with a 46–22 hammering from the minor premiers and bitter rivals Parramatta
.
This season also marked the beginning of the Sea Eagles' rivalry with the Melbourne Storm
. In round three, both teams had won their opening two matches leading into an early-season top-of-the-table match which Manly won 25–18. Although Manly's time at the top of the ladder was short-lived, it proved that Manly could match it with the best sides in the competition. Steve Matai
made his first grade debut in that match, a late replacement after John Hopoate
was suspended, then sacked by the club.
in round 14 in which Brett Stewart
scored a spectacular try in the last five minutes. Furthermore, their fear of playing matches at night were eliminated with the exception of losses to the eventual premiers Brisbane in round 10 and Melbourne in the final round.
Drawn an away final against their 1997 ARL Grand Final nemesis the Newcastle Knights
, the Sea Eagles led at halftime only to see their lead run down in a controversial second half. Although they did advance a week further, the Sea Eagles' season ended with a 28–0 shutout at the hands of the St. George Illawarra Dragons. That match also marked Ben Kennedy
's final game after two years in Manly colours.
after defeating North Queensland at the Sydney Football Stadium 28 – 6. Manly were beaten 34 – 8 by the Storm on 30 September at Telstra Stadium, the game being notable for the sickening but apparently legal tackle of Manly fullback Brett Stewart by the Storm's Michael Crocker. Melbourne was later stripped of the 2007 title for salary cap breaches. Manly were not recognised as the 2007 premiers (the premiers for 2007 and 2009 are instead being declared as null and void), despite calls by the fans and the Manly MP.
, many questioned whether Manly could be as competitive as in 2007 and losses in the first 2 rounds seemed to confirm this. Manly's first win came in round 3 at Brookvale with a 52–6 thrashing of the New Zealand Warriors
and followed this up with a 20–2 shutout of South Sydney
. In the round 5 grand final rematch against the Storm, Manly were soundly beaten 26–4 and doubt about their premiership credentials resurfaced. In Heritage Round (Rd 6) Manly had a season defining last gasp win over bitter rivals Parramatta, with Manly overcoming injuries before and during the game including to winger Michael Bani
who had to be stretchered off the ground after being knocked out.
Manly seemed to use this game as a springboard and entered a dangerous vein of form, notching up numerous impressive wins over top teams such as a 30–12 win over the Brisbane Broncos
at Suncorp Stadium
, a 42–0 annihilation of the Sydney Roosters
at Brookvale Oval
and a 34–14 win over the Gold Coast Titans
at Skilled Park in round 17. In round 18 Manly avenged their opening round loss to bitter rivals and eventual preliminary finalists Cronulla with a 34–6 hammering of them at Toyota Stadium
. In round 19, Manly once again faced historical rivals Parramatta and in a repeat of round 6, Manly lost halfback Matt Orford
and lock Luke Williamson
before the game and only minutes in five-eighth Jamie Lyon
and prop Jason King were forced off the field with injury. An emotional King was later shown by Channel 9 cameras in the changerooms flipping over a table in frustration. Despite the setbacks and an early challenge from the Eels, Manly ran away with the game and finished 28–10 winners.
Some hiccups against the Roosters in round 20, the Storm in round 22 and the Rabbitohs in round 23 meant Manly finished the regular season tied first with Melbourne and Cronulla but 2nd on points differential and Manly missed out on claiming their first minor premiership since 1997. In the qualifying final manly faced 7th placed St. George at Brookvale. This game was club legend Steve Menzies's last ever game at Brookvale and he opened the scoring with an unusual charge down try in which after kicking ahead to himself and falling over, the ball bounced up and hit him in the head before he finally grounded it. Manly were easy 38–6 winners and departing Dragons centre Mark Gasnier
was seen crying on the sidelines. After getting the week off, Manly faced the history making New Zealand Warriors whose late season charge got them into 8th place where they became the first 8th placed team to advance past qualifying finals with a dramatic and rare defeat of the Storm at Olympic Park. Despite an early challenge, Manly crushed the Warriors 32–6 and showcased their trademark wall of defense and attacking flair. With the win, Manly qualified for their 17th grand final where in a rematch of the 2007 decider, they would play the Melbourne Storm who had bounced back from the Warriors loss with wins over the Broncos and Sharks.
The story was very different for the Sea Eagles this time around as they decimated the Storm 40–0 to win their seventh premiership in front of 80,388 at ANZ Stadium. Ironically it was Michael Monaghan's replacement, the previously unknown Matt Ballin
who scored the first try of the match. The game was also notable for winger Michael Robertson
's hatrick and retiring legend Steve Menzies's try 10 minutes from full time, which he scored after coming back onto the field to replace the injured Steve Matai. Manly Brent Kite
was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal
after a powerhouse display which included a class try in the 58th minute. This is the largest winning margin in a grand final in rugby league history.
Manly paid a $100,000 fine for failing to adequately punish Stewart for his offence. Stewart faced a brief trial at the time, and a further, more comprehensive trial began in March 2010. As a result of Stewart's absence, Manly lost their first four games of the season, crashing to last place after round four (thus becoming the first defending premier since Melbourne in 2000 to lose their first four matches of a season), before finally achieving a 23–10 win against the Tigers in which Stewart scored three tries in his first match for 2009. A double against Souths
followed, before injury struck. Stewart only played five games overall in 2009 following a serious knee injury suffered in round six, before returning in round 25. The Sea Eagles snared fifth place at the end of the season and lost the first qualifying final to eventual grand final winners Melbourne 40–12 in a one-sided contest played at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium. Due to other unfavourable results occurring on the weekend, Manly were eliminated from the premiership race. This premiership was also stripped from the Storm.
Manly spent much of the middle of the season near the top of the ladder and were earmarked as a possible premiership contender with impressive wins over the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Wests Tigers
. Inconsistent form, injuries and suspensions caused a dramatic slide down the ladder and Manly were lucky to settle on 8th and just make the finals. Had it not been for the Melbourne Storm salary cap breach
earlier in the season, Manly would have missed the finals altogether for the first time since 2004. In round 25 ballplaying second-rower Glenn Stewart
was suspended for 4 matches for high shot on Sydney Roosters
captain Braith Anasta
and in round 26 centre Steve Matai
was suspended for 7 matches for a high tackle that knocked out Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs hooker Michael Ennis
. Their 2010 season ended with a dismal 28–0 hammering from the eventual premiers St. George Illawarra, although Manly were still in the game with 15 minutes remaining. Manly went into this game with 11 of their first choice players out with either injury or suspension and many of those who did play were still carrying injuries.
who signed a massive deal with the Bulldogs from the 2011 season onwards, as well as Josh Perry
and Ben Farrar
to the European Super League
. Manly have not made any huge signings for the 2011 season. This was mirrored with its lowly 8th placing in the 2010 season, its lowest placing since 2005. However, Brett Stewart
and David Williams
are expected to return from long-term knee injuries which wiped them out for all but 76 minutes of the 2010 season. Manly has also announced plans to take games into Asia in 2011 with Macau
, Singapore
and China
being likely destinations.
Manly's 2011 season started with an 18–6 loss to the Melbourne Storm
in Melbourne. Brett Stewart
made minimal impact in the match but escaped injury-free. This was followed with an upset 27–16 win over last year's beaten Grand Finalists, the Sydney Roosters
, where Manly went into the match without its captain Jamie Lyon
, Shane Rodney
, Dean Whare
and Glenn Stewart
through injury and also Jason King and Steve Matai
through suspension. Brett Stewart was appointed acting captain for the Roosters match. This is regarded as one of the most commendable wins in Manly's history and featured outstanding performances by its younger players including Kieran Foran
, Jamie Buhrer
, William Hopoate and Vic Mauro
. This was followed up with a 26–12 win over the Newcastle Knights
at home, before a desperately unlucky loss against the South Sydney Rabbitohs
by 32–30 which ended Manly's unbeaten run at Bluetongue Stadium, having won all of its matches at the venue beforehand.
Off-field controversy struck again when Anthony Watmough
and Terence Seu Seu were both stood down by the club for urinating in public prior to its round five match against Cronulla at Toyota Stadium. The Sea Eagles were in trouble midway through the second half, at 13–0 down, before scoring 19 unanswered points, including a try after the siren by Michael Oldfield, to give the Silvertails a 19–13 victory.
Despite the massive player turnover from last season the Sea Eagles surprisingly find themselves sitting in second place on the NRL Ladder, only behind another rebuilding team in the Melbourne Storm
. They have only lost five matches all season, all of them occurring at night. Manly won all of its matches at Brookvale Oval
this season, reinstating the notorious "Fortress Brookie" title to the ground. The Last game at Brookvale was a Top of the Table Clash against the Melbourne Storm, Manly went on to win this game 18 – 4 but the win was shadowed by a massive brawl between Glenn Stewart
and Adam Blair
, giving the game the nickname 'The Battle Of Brookvale'.
On Saturday 10 September Manly registered a commanding 42-8 win over the North Queensland Cowboys at the Sydney Football Stadium. After a disappointing first stanza, Manly put in a masterclass to score 42 unanswered points in the 2nd half, to progress to the preliminary final. In the match itself, they defeated the Brisbane Broncos
26-14 to be the first team through to the 2011 NRL Grand Final
, where they then met the New Zealand Warriors
who were vying for their first ever premiership.
A season of success culminated in Manly winning its eighth premiership, defeating the New Zealand Warriors
by 24–10 in the Grand Final
. Glenn Stewart
was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal
for his 34 tackles and a crucial try in the second half, making he and brother Brett Stewart the first ever brothers to score tries in the same Grand Final (in the 10 matches where this Stewart Brothers' double has occurred, Manly has won all 10 matches). Their second premiership in the NRL era means that they are only the second team (after the Brisbane Broncos
in 1998, 2000 and 2006) to win a premiership more than once since 1998.
Just 40 days after Manly's premiership win, the club sensationally dismissed head coach Des Hasler
after he was revealed to have breached his contract by trying to lure coaching staff and players to the Bulldogs where he would have started coaching in 2013. This meant that Geoff Toovey
, who was to take over as part of a succession plan, was immediately elevated to the role of head coach from the 2012 season onwards.
The club's first jersey was maroon with a large white 'V' on the front. Manly teams were one of the first to feature an emblem, with an 'MW' appearing in the early 1950s. Far from the flashy logos worn today, the Manly‘Sea Eagle’which appeared in the mid 1950s was often confused for a seagull by many, including the media.
Various changes to the jersey were introduced at irregular intervals. The classic 'V' design was radically changed during the years of Pepsi sponsorship during the 90s. In addition, the club has broken up the maroon jersey with hoops, bars, large eagles, player numbers, stripes, double stripes, top and bottoms, collars, no collars, reversed colours and even the use of blue.
The team has been officially known as the "Sea Eagles" ever since the club entered the first grade competition in 1947. There was some confusion over this in the 1950s, when a journalist named Jim Mather (Sydney Daily Telegraph) began referring to the team as the "Seagulls" in his reports. This was picked up by other journalists and some fans, and at a time when club logos and nicknames were not used as prominently as they are today, the team was often referred to as the "Seagulls" in this era. However, officially Manly have always been the "Sea Eagles".
Manly would change their Sea Eagle logo in 1998 following the introduction of the new competition. A new stylised sea eagle appeared under the 'Sea Eagles' banner, much more fierce and aggressive than its predecessor. It featured predominatley maroon, white, yellow and blue to symbolise the connection the club had with its major sponsor at the time Pepsi. This logo would not last however when the ill fated merger with North Sydney Bears
in 2000 saw them take on the Northern Eagles
moniker instead.
Upon their return in 2003, Manly opted to revert back to the previous logo but tweaked the logo slightly to focus on the sea eagle itself and include Warringah in the clubs name again. They also returned to their original colours of maroon and white, a symbol of their roots steming back from 1947. This logo has been in use since then.
A commemorative logo was used throughout the 2006 season to mark the 60th anniversary of their inclusion in the competition.
During the 2007 pre-season, the club introduced a limited number of 65 playing and memorabilia green and white jerseys, for a trial match against the Melbourne Storm
.
and attempted to stop the rival code spread to the area. Because of this, the club decided instead to acquire Brookvale Showground in order to host matches, which was supported by Warringah Council.
The ground was mostly renovated between 1965 and 1980, including the construction of two grandstands along both the southern end (Southern Stand) and western side (Jane Try Stand) of the ground. In the early 1990s, these two grandstands were connected by the Ken Arthurson
Stand. The ground has also retained grassy hill areas along the eastern and northern edges. On 1 September 2008, the Southern Stand was renamed the Fulton-Menzies Stand.
Today the ground has a capacity of about 23,000. In 2006, the ground saw its largest average attendance over an entire season, with an average of 15,484 patrons watching each of the club's 11 matches played there. The record crowd at the ground is 27,655, set in the final round of the 1986 season. Since the club started playing in 1947, over five and a half million spectators have visited the ground.
In recent years, Manly have received criticism over the state of facilities at Brookvale Oval. In 2007, Manly stepped up their campaign for government funding to improve the stadium, culminating in a "Save Brookvale Oval" Rally on 21 November. As of September 2008, $4,000,000 of Warringah Council funding and a $6,000,000 NSW State Government grant has been secured by the club to allow for the initial redevelopment of the Jane Try Stand (with an additional level) and improvements to the Southern Stand and other amenities. A further $10,000,000 is being sought from the Federal Government for the development of an eastern stand, with the intention of maintaining a 10-metre deep grassed area in front of it.
OUT
In 2006, a Dream Team of former Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles players was selected by a panel of selectors which featured former Manly-Warringah administrator Ken Arthurson
, respected rugby league
writer Ian Heads, the club Chairman Kerry Sibraa and journalist Phil Rothfield.
¹ Sharp was also coach of the Northern Eagles
between 2000 and 2002.
, Wendy Harmer
, Hugh Jackman
, Thomas Keneally
,
Kerri Pottharst
,
Layne Beachley
,
Shelley Taylor-Smith
,
Shelley Oates-Wilding
,
Tracey Spicer
,
Nici Andronicus,
Naomi Flood,
Melissa Femia,
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor
,
Louise Sauvage
,
Debbie Watson,
Brooke Hanson
,
Anne Sargeant
,
Amy O'Mara,
Johanna Griggs
,
Zali Steggall
,
Jean Hay, AM,
Doug Mulray
, Peter Phelps
,
Mike Goldman
, Miles Stewart
and Sarah Murdoch
.
Manly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club based on the Northern Beaches
Northern Beaches (Sydney)
The Northern Beaches is an informal term used to describe the northern coastal suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, located near the coast of the Pacific Ocean...
of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
's (NRL's) Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. The club first appeared in the 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League season
New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1947
The 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the fortieth season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football competition, Australia's first. The addition of two teams, Manly-Warringah and Parramatta, saw ten teams from across the city contest during the 1947 premiership, the first...
and currently plays home matches out of its ground Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval is a sporting ground located within Brookvale Park at Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia. The ground is owned by Warringah Council and is primarily used by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team...
whilst being based at the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Academy of Sport in Narrabeen.
Since winning their first premiership in 1972, the club has won a total of eight First Grade titles. They are the reigning NRL premiers, having won the 2011 Grand Final
2011 NRL Grand Final
The 2011 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the NRL's 2011 Telstra Premiership season. It was played between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the New Zealand Warriors on the afternoon of Sunday, 2 October, and it was the first time the two sides have met in a...
. The club's eight titles span five consecutive decades.
Cliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons is an indigenous Australian former international-level rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s...
holds the record for most first-grade games for Manly with 309. Steven Menzies
Steven Menzies
Steven "Steve" Menzies is an Australian professional rugby league footballer best known for his stellar career with the Manly Sea Eagles. He currently plays for the Catalans Dragons of the European Super League after agreeing a one-year deal which will be his final season in his professional...
played 349 games, but 69 of these were for the now-defunct Northern Eagles
Northern Eagles
The Northern Eagles were a rugby league team, that competed in the National Rugby League between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL by the merger of the North Sydney Bears and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 2000...
. The record for most points scored is held by Graham Eadie
Graham Eadie
Graham "Wombat" Eadie , is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s who has been named amongst the nation's finest of the 20th century...
with 1917 points and Matthew Ridge
Matthew Ridge
Matthew John Ridge is a New Zealand television presenter as well as a former All Black, and rugby league captain for the Manly Sea Eagles, New Zealand Warriors and Kiwis....
has the highest total in one season, scoring 257 in 1995. Steven Menzies
Steven Menzies
Steven "Steve" Menzies is an Australian professional rugby league footballer best known for his stellar career with the Manly Sea Eagles. He currently plays for the Catalans Dragons of the European Super League after agreeing a one-year deal which will be his final season in his professional...
holds the top try scoring record with 151. He is also the highest scoring forward in the history of the game.
The Sea Eagles have never won the wooden spoon
Wooden spoon (award)
A wooden spoon is a mock or real award, usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition, but sometimes also to runners-up. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous events...
in their 62 seasons, the longest period of any current club. Since their first Grand Final appearance in 1951, the club has appeared in 18 Grand Finals in eight consecutive decades.
History
The movement to set up rugby league in Sydney had gained serious momentum and Manly, as with all the other Sydney district rugby clubs, endured internal agonies as the new "League" was considered.The NSWRL accepted Manly's application and, along with Parramatta, they were granted admission to the 1947 competition.The North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
though suffered more than they anticipated. After having played in the 1943 Grand Final they hit the wall after the exodus of Manly players for 1947. The Bears lost half of their games in 1947, before spending the next four seasons at the bottom of the ladder.
Manly immediately adopted the maroon and white colours they had used for their Presidents Cup team since its inception and borrowed originally from the Freshwater SLSC of which Ken Arthurson & other players were members. They chose for an emblem the sea eagle – the native bird of prey of the Sydney coastline. The use of emblems on jerseys and as a marketing tool was way in the future, and a number of media writers simply referred to Manly as the "sea gulls". However, while they never raised an objection to being called sea gulls (emphasising how much of a non-issue emblems/marketing names were at the time) the club maintains that it has always officially been the Sea Eagles since their first day.
Manly's first premiership game was against Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
at Brookvale Oval on Saturday 12 April 1947. Max Whitehead, who had first played for Norths in 1942 and was a member of their 1943 Grand Final team, was Manly's first captain. Whitehead was a big barrel-chested second rower who was used by Bonds as the model for their iconic "Chesty Bond" character. Their first win was against the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
and the club finished their first season in second to last place.
Their first Grand Final appearance was in the 1951 season
New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1951
The 1951 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the forty-fourth season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Ten teams from across the city competed for the newly-created J. J...
, which they lost to South Sydney
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
. Manly-Warringah played in five Grand Finals before winning their first in 1972. They then won the following year in 1973 and again in 1976 and 1978.
Manly were powerful in the early 80s but were beaten in two Grand finals by Parramatta, but was victorious against the Canberra raiders in the 1987 Grand final. The Bob Fulton coached Sea Eagles returned to the play-offs in 1993 and 1994 but were beaten on both occasions in the first elimination semi-final by the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
.
In 1995, amidst the dramas of the Super League war, Manly produced one of its most dominating seasons in the club's history but in one of the league's most dramatic upsets, were upset by the Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
in the Grand Final.
In 1996 a Manly returned to the Grand Final and beat St George Dragons to win the title that had eluded them the season before. Rugby League in Australia was split in two leagues in 1997, the ARL and Super League, and Manly were one of the leading teams of the ARL's competition. For the third year in a row Manly reached the Grand Final, however lapses in their intensity which appeared during the season returned in the premiership decider against the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
and the Sea Eagles were beaten on the full-time siren by a Knights try.
The Manly teams of 1995 to 1997 produced some of the most entertaining football in Sea Eagles' history, but also featured rugby league's stingiest defence. Many great players featured, including Des Hasler
Des Hasler
Des Hasler is an Australian former professional rugby league player and current head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He played in 309 matches in a first-grade career spanning 16 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, with whom he won two premierships...
, Geoff Toovey
Geoff Toovey
Geoffrey "Geoff" Toovey is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional player of the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He was educated at Davidson High School...
, Nik Kosef
Nik Kosef
Nik Kosef is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He was a state and national representative whose club career was spent with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Northern Eagles...
, Steve Menzies, Terry Hill
Terry Hill
Terry Hill is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played in the National Rugby League competition primarily in the centres...
, Mark Carroll
Mark Carroll (rugby league)
Mark Carroll is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A prop-forward, he represented Australia internationally and New South Wales in State of Origin and played club football for the Penrith Panthers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and...
, the ageless Cliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons is an indigenous Australian former international-level rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s...
and former NZ All Blacks Matthew Ridge
Matthew Ridge
Matthew John Ridge is a New Zealand television presenter as well as a former All Black, and rugby league captain for the Manly Sea Eagles, New Zealand Warriors and Kiwis....
and Craig Innes.
After 1997 the club collapsed on the field and only recorded a 10th place in the 1998 season, and then missed the finals in 1999.
Resurrection
The joint venture collapsed and Manly retained the Northern Eagles licence for the 2002 season until returning to the competition as Manly for the 2003 season. The 2003 and 2004 seasons produced very few moments of joy for Sea Eagles supporters. The club improved its playing stocks for 2005, and reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1998. Manly have not missed the finals since, whilst every other club have missed the finals at least once since 2004.2005 season
Manly made an unexpected bright start to the 2005 season, at one stage leading the competition outright after round seven. However their season was marred early by the dismissal of John HopoateJohn Hopoate
John Hopoate is a former professional rugby league footballer and boxer. He played club football for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Wests Tigers and Northern Eagles in the National Rugby League competition. Hopoate also gained selection for Tonga, in the Australian national team and in the New...
who was given a 17-match ban for striking Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks forward Keith Galloway
Keith Galloway
Keith Galloway is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League competition. He previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks...
in the round two match. Furthermore, the season overall was dominated by the team's fear of playing matches at night, with most of their defeats occurring under lights. This was pointed out by the Channel Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
commentators prior to its round eight, Friday night match against the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
at Suncorp Stadium (which was in fact Manly's first Friday night match in six years) which the Sea Eagles indeed lost by a scoreline of 38–12. The Sea Eagles suffered a late-season form slump with injuries plaguing the club, however wins over the Broncos in round 22 and the Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
in the final round ensured their first finals appearance since 1998. They crashed out of the finals with a 46–22 hammering from the minor premiers and bitter rivals Parramatta
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
.
This season also marked the beginning of the Sea Eagles' rivalry with the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
. In round three, both teams had won their opening two matches leading into an early-season top-of-the-table match which Manly won 25–18. Although Manly's time at the top of the ladder was short-lived, it proved that Manly could match it with the best sides in the competition. Steve Matai
Steve Matai
Stephen "Steve" Matai is a professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League. He plays as a centre. He is a New Zealand international of Samoan Heritage...
made his first grade debut in that match, a late replacement after John Hopoate
John Hopoate
John Hopoate is a former professional rugby league footballer and boxer. He played club football for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Wests Tigers and Northern Eagles in the National Rugby League competition. Hopoate also gained selection for Tonga, in the Australian national team and in the New...
was suspended, then sacked by the club.
2006 season
Season 2006, its 60th season in the competition, saw an average season in which the Manly side again advanced to the finals, finishing fifth. For this season only, a commemorative 60th anniversary logo was used on the player jerseys. Despite losing their first two matches of the season (both by small margins) the Sea Eagles built on their 2005 season to once again advance to the play-offs. Highlights in the season included wins over the Roosters in round 4, the Bulldogs in round 7, the Storm in round 11 and a last-gasp win over the defending premiers Wests TigersWests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
in round 14 in which Brett Stewart
Brett Stewart
Brett Stewart is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He is an Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative fullback known for pace and his prolific try-scoring...
scored a spectacular try in the last five minutes. Furthermore, their fear of playing matches at night were eliminated with the exception of losses to the eventual premiers Brisbane in round 10 and Melbourne in the final round.
Drawn an away final against their 1997 ARL Grand Final nemesis the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
, the Sea Eagles led at halftime only to see their lead run down in a controversial second half. Although they did advance a week further, the Sea Eagles' season ended with a 28–0 shutout at the hands of the St. George Illawarra Dragons. That match also marked Ben Kennedy
Ben Kennedy
Ben Kennedy , is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s...
's final game after two years in Manly colours.
2007 season
In 2007, Manly played in their 15th grand final against MelbourneMelbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
after defeating North Queensland at the Sydney Football Stadium 28 – 6. Manly were beaten 34 – 8 by the Storm on 30 September at Telstra Stadium, the game being notable for the sickening but apparently legal tackle of Manly fullback Brett Stewart by the Storm's Michael Crocker. Melbourne was later stripped of the 2007 title for salary cap breaches. Manly were not recognised as the 2007 premiers (the premiers for 2007 and 2009 are instead being declared as null and void), despite calls by the fans and the Manly MP.
2008 season
With the departure of hooker Michael MonaghanMichael Monaghan
Michael Monaghan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Warrington Wolves in the European Super League.He played with the Canberra Raiders from 2001 to 2003....
, many questioned whether Manly could be as competitive as in 2007 and losses in the first 2 rounds seemed to confirm this. Manly's first win came in round 3 at Brookvale with a 52–6 thrashing of the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
and followed this up with a 20–2 shutout of South Sydney
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
. In the round 5 grand final rematch against the Storm, Manly were soundly beaten 26–4 and doubt about their premiership credentials resurfaced. In Heritage Round (Rd 6) Manly had a season defining last gasp win over bitter rivals Parramatta, with Manly overcoming injuries before and during the game including to winger Michael Bani
Michael Bani
Michael Bani is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league player. He has played for the North Queensland Cowboys and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League...
who had to be stretchered off the ground after being knocked out.
Manly seemed to use this game as a springboard and entered a dangerous vein of form, notching up numerous impressive wins over top teams such as a 30–12 win over the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
at Suncorp Stadium
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
, a 42–0 annihilation of the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
at Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval is a sporting ground located within Brookvale Park at Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia. The ground is owned by Warringah Council and is primarily used by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team...
and a 34–14 win over the Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
at Skilled Park in round 17. In round 18 Manly avenged their opening round loss to bitter rivals and eventual preliminary finalists Cronulla with a 34–6 hammering of them at Toyota Stadium
Toyota Stadium
is a 45,000 seat retractable roof stadium in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 2001 and is often used as home to the J. League club Nagoya Grampus...
. In round 19, Manly once again faced historical rivals Parramatta and in a repeat of round 6, Manly lost halfback Matt Orford
Matt Orford
Matthew Orford is an Australian professional rugby league player, last playing for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League competition...
and lock Luke Williamson
Luke Williamson
Luke Williamson is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for the Harlequins RL in the European Super League competition. He has previously played for the Adelaide Rams, Canberra Raiders, Northern Eagles and Manly Sea Eagles...
before the game and only minutes in five-eighth Jamie Lyon
Jamie Lyon
Jamie Lyon is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently captains for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League...
and prop Jason King were forced off the field with injury. An emotional King was later shown by Channel 9 cameras in the changerooms flipping over a table in frustration. Despite the setbacks and an early challenge from the Eels, Manly ran away with the game and finished 28–10 winners.
Some hiccups against the Roosters in round 20, the Storm in round 22 and the Rabbitohs in round 23 meant Manly finished the regular season tied first with Melbourne and Cronulla but 2nd on points differential and Manly missed out on claiming their first minor premiership since 1997. In the qualifying final manly faced 7th placed St. George at Brookvale. This game was club legend Steve Menzies's last ever game at Brookvale and he opened the scoring with an unusual charge down try in which after kicking ahead to himself and falling over, the ball bounced up and hit him in the head before he finally grounded it. Manly were easy 38–6 winners and departing Dragons centre Mark Gasnier
Mark Gasnier
Mark Gasnier is an Australian former rugby league player, a state and national representative centre three-quarter. He played eleven top-grade seasons with the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL, interrupted by two seasons of rugby union played with the French club Stade Français. He was a...
was seen crying on the sidelines. After getting the week off, Manly faced the history making New Zealand Warriors whose late season charge got them into 8th place where they became the first 8th placed team to advance past qualifying finals with a dramatic and rare defeat of the Storm at Olympic Park. Despite an early challenge, Manly crushed the Warriors 32–6 and showcased their trademark wall of defense and attacking flair. With the win, Manly qualified for their 17th grand final where in a rematch of the 2007 decider, they would play the Melbourne Storm who had bounced back from the Warriors loss with wins over the Broncos and Sharks.
The story was very different for the Sea Eagles this time around as they decimated the Storm 40–0 to win their seventh premiership in front of 80,388 at ANZ Stadium. Ironically it was Michael Monaghan's replacement, the previously unknown Matt Ballin
Matt Ballin
Matthew Ballin is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League . He primarily plays at hooker.-Early years:...
who scored the first try of the match. The game was also notable for winger Michael Robertson
Michael Robertson (rugby league)
Michael Robertson is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing for London Broncos of Super League...
's hatrick and retiring legend Steve Menzies's try 10 minutes from full time, which he scored after coming back onto the field to replace the injured Steve Matai. Manly Brent Kite
Brent Kite
Brent Kite is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing in the NRL with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. A Tonga and Australia international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative front-row forward, he has played club football for the St. George Illawarra...
was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal
Clive Churchill Medal
The Clive Churchill Medal has been presented to the man-of-the-match of the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final match ever since the 1986 season. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian history, following his death in 1985...
after a powerhouse display which included a class try in the 58th minute. This is the largest winning margin in a grand final in rugby league history.
2009 season
The 2009 season boded poorly as a result of two incidents on the day of Manly's season launch. Second-rower Anthony Watmough was assaulted by a sponsor after allegedly making inappropriate comments to his daughter . Brett Stewart later that night was charged with the sexual assault of a 17-year old girl outside his apartment block, which he was subsequently cleared of, an incident which led to the dammning Four Corners investigation, "Code of Silence". Stewart was cleared of the charge in late September 2010 by a jury which took 45 minutes to reach their decision.Manly paid a $100,000 fine for failing to adequately punish Stewart for his offence. Stewart faced a brief trial at the time, and a further, more comprehensive trial began in March 2010. As a result of Stewart's absence, Manly lost their first four games of the season, crashing to last place after round four (thus becoming the first defending premier since Melbourne in 2000 to lose their first four matches of a season), before finally achieving a 23–10 win against the Tigers in which Stewart scored three tries in his first match for 2009. A double against Souths
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
followed, before injury struck. Stewart only played five games overall in 2009 following a serious knee injury suffered in round six, before returning in round 25. The Sea Eagles snared fifth place at the end of the season and lost the first qualifying final to eventual grand final winners Melbourne 40–12 in a one-sided contest played at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium. Due to other unfavourable results occurring on the weekend, Manly were eliminated from the premiership race. This premiership was also stripped from the Storm.
2010 season
In 2010, Manly started the season with a team of many new faces, including young play-maker Kieran Foran. After narrowly losing their first two games of the season, Manly won their third, following three matches against Newcastle, the Warriors and the Sharks before a late season slump saw them settle for eighth position on the ladder. Manly players were not involved in any further violations in 2010, and embarked on an active program of community engagement, which includes activities such as reading at schools and raising money for charities.Manly spent much of the middle of the season near the top of the ladder and were earmarked as a possible premiership contender with impressive wins over the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
. Inconsistent form, injuries and suspensions caused a dramatic slide down the ladder and Manly were lucky to settle on 8th and just make the finals. Had it not been for the Melbourne Storm salary cap breach
Melbourne Storm salary cap breach
The Melbourne Storm salary cap breach was a major breach of the National Rugby League's strictly enforced salary cap by the Melbourne Storm club over a period of five years...
earlier in the season, Manly would have missed the finals altogether for the first time since 2004. In round 25 ballplaying second-rower Glenn Stewart
Glenn Stewart
Glenn Stewart is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League . An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative second-row forward, Stewart has played all of his club football to date with Manly,...
was suspended for 4 matches for high shot on Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
captain Braith Anasta
Braith Anasta
Braith Anasta is a Greek-Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League...
and in round 26 centre Steve Matai
Steve Matai
Stephen "Steve" Matai is a professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League. He plays as a centre. He is a New Zealand international of Samoan Heritage...
was suspended for 7 matches for a high tackle that knocked out Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs hooker Michael Ennis
Michael Ennis
Michael Ennis is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the National Rugby League. A New South Wales State of Origin representative hooker, he previously played for the Brisbane Broncos, St George Illawarra Dragons and the Newcastle Knights...
. Their 2010 season ended with a dismal 28–0 hammering from the eventual premiers St. George Illawarra, although Manly were still in the game with 15 minutes remaining. Manly went into this game with 11 of their first choice players out with either injury or suspension and many of those who did play were still carrying injuries.
2011 season
At the end of the 2010 season Manly lost Trent HodkinsonTrent Hodkinson
Trent Hodkinson is an Australian rugby league player who currently plays at halfback for the Canterbury Bulldogs. He previously played for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles...
who signed a massive deal with the Bulldogs from the 2011 season onwards, as well as Josh Perry
Josh Perry
Josh Perry is an Australian professional rugby league player for St Helens RLFC in the Super League competition...
and Ben Farrar
Ben Farrar
Ben Farrar is an Australian professional rugby league player who currently plays for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League competition....
to the European Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. Manly have not made any huge signings for the 2011 season. This was mirrored with its lowly 8th placing in the 2010 season, its lowest placing since 2005. However, Brett Stewart
Brett Stewart
Brett Stewart is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He is an Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative fullback known for pace and his prolific try-scoring...
and David Williams
David Williams (rugby league)
David Williams is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League. He plays on the wing and can also play in the centres...
are expected to return from long-term knee injuries which wiped them out for all but 76 minutes of the 2010 season. Manly has also announced plans to take games into Asia in 2011 with Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
being likely destinations.
Manly's 2011 season started with an 18–6 loss to the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
in Melbourne. Brett Stewart
Brett Stewart
Brett Stewart is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He is an Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative fullback known for pace and his prolific try-scoring...
made minimal impact in the match but escaped injury-free. This was followed with an upset 27–16 win over last year's beaten Grand Finalists, the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
, where Manly went into the match without its captain Jamie Lyon
Jamie Lyon
Jamie Lyon is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently captains for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League...
, Shane Rodney
Shane Rodney
Shane Rodney is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for Harlequins RL of Super League. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers, winning the 2003 NRL premiership with them. and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles whom he won the 2011 NRL Grand Final with...
, Dean Whare
Dean Whare
Dean Whare ' is a New Zealand rugby league player who currently plays for the Manly Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. His position is at .-Playing career:...
and Glenn Stewart
Glenn Stewart
Glenn Stewart is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League . An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative second-row forward, Stewart has played all of his club football to date with Manly,...
through injury and also Jason King and Steve Matai
Steve Matai
Stephen "Steve" Matai is a professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League. He plays as a centre. He is a New Zealand international of Samoan Heritage...
through suspension. Brett Stewart was appointed acting captain for the Roosters match. This is regarded as one of the most commendable wins in Manly's history and featured outstanding performances by its younger players including Kieran Foran
Kieran Foran
Kieran Foran is a New Zealand rugby league player who has represented his country. He currently plays for the Manly Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He plays as a five-eighth or half-back though he can also play centre...
, Jamie Buhrer
Jamie Buhrer
Jamie Buhrer is a rugby league player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL competition. He was educated at Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown. He plays as a Second Row or Lock.-National Youth Competition:...
, William Hopoate and Vic Mauro
Vic Mauro
Vic Mauro is an Australian rugby league player of Italian heritage who plays for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He plays in the second-row and can also play as a prop....
. This was followed up with a 26–12 win over the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
at home, before a desperately unlucky loss against the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
by 32–30 which ended Manly's unbeaten run at Bluetongue Stadium, having won all of its matches at the venue beforehand.
Off-field controversy struck again when Anthony Watmough
Anthony Watmough
Anthony Watmough is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the National Rugby League...
and Terence Seu Seu were both stood down by the club for urinating in public prior to its round five match against Cronulla at Toyota Stadium. The Sea Eagles were in trouble midway through the second half, at 13–0 down, before scoring 19 unanswered points, including a try after the siren by Michael Oldfield, to give the Silvertails a 19–13 victory.
Despite the massive player turnover from last season the Sea Eagles surprisingly find themselves sitting in second place on the NRL Ladder, only behind another rebuilding team in the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
. They have only lost five matches all season, all of them occurring at night. Manly won all of its matches at Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval is a sporting ground located within Brookvale Park at Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia. The ground is owned by Warringah Council and is primarily used by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team...
this season, reinstating the notorious "Fortress Brookie" title to the ground. The Last game at Brookvale was a Top of the Table Clash against the Melbourne Storm, Manly went on to win this game 18 – 4 but the win was shadowed by a massive brawl between Glenn Stewart
Glenn Stewart
Glenn Stewart is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League . An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative second-row forward, Stewart has played all of his club football to date with Manly,...
and Adam Blair
Adam Blair
Adam Blair is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League until 1 November 2011, when he will join the Wests Tigers. A New Zealand international representative forward, Blair spent six seasons with the Storm, winning...
, giving the game the nickname 'The Battle Of Brookvale'.
On Saturday 10 September Manly registered a commanding 42-8 win over the North Queensland Cowboys at the Sydney Football Stadium. After a disappointing first stanza, Manly put in a masterclass to score 42 unanswered points in the 2nd half, to progress to the preliminary final. In the match itself, they defeated the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
26-14 to be the first team through to the 2011 NRL Grand Final
2011 NRL Grand Final
The 2011 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the NRL's 2011 Telstra Premiership season. It was played between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the New Zealand Warriors on the afternoon of Sunday, 2 October, and it was the first time the two sides have met in a...
, where they then met the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
who were vying for their first ever premiership.
A season of success culminated in Manly winning its eighth premiership, defeating the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
by 24–10 in the Grand Final
2011 NRL Grand Final
The 2011 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the NRL's 2011 Telstra Premiership season. It was played between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the New Zealand Warriors on the afternoon of Sunday, 2 October, and it was the first time the two sides have met in a...
. Glenn Stewart
Glenn Stewart
Glenn Stewart is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League . An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative second-row forward, Stewart has played all of his club football to date with Manly,...
was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal
Clive Churchill Medal
The Clive Churchill Medal has been presented to the man-of-the-match of the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final match ever since the 1986 season. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian history, following his death in 1985...
for his 34 tackles and a crucial try in the second half, making he and brother Brett Stewart the first ever brothers to score tries in the same Grand Final (in the 10 matches where this Stewart Brothers' double has occurred, Manly has won all 10 matches). Their second premiership in the NRL era means that they are only the second team (after the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
in 1998, 2000 and 2006) to win a premiership more than once since 1998.
Just 40 days after Manly's premiership win, the club sensationally dismissed head coach Des Hasler
Des Hasler
Des Hasler is an Australian former professional rugby league player and current head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He played in 309 matches in a first-grade career spanning 16 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, with whom he won two premierships...
after he was revealed to have breached his contract by trying to lure coaching staff and players to the Bulldogs where he would have started coaching in 2013. This meant that Geoff Toovey
Geoff Toovey
Geoffrey "Geoff" Toovey is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional player of the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He was educated at Davidson High School...
, who was to take over as part of a succession plan, was immediately elevated to the role of head coach from the 2012 season onwards.
Emblem and colours
Upon entering the NSWRL, the Manly club took on the colours of maroon and white. These were adopted from the colours of the President's Cup side who wore the colours of the local Freshwater Surf Lifesaving Club, which was previously established in the area in 1908.The club's first jersey was maroon with a large white 'V' on the front. Manly teams were one of the first to feature an emblem, with an 'MW' appearing in the early 1950s. Far from the flashy logos worn today, the Manly‘Sea Eagle’which appeared in the mid 1950s was often confused for a seagull by many, including the media.
Various changes to the jersey were introduced at irregular intervals. The classic 'V' design was radically changed during the years of Pepsi sponsorship during the 90s. In addition, the club has broken up the maroon jersey with hoops, bars, large eagles, player numbers, stripes, double stripes, top and bottoms, collars, no collars, reversed colours and even the use of blue.
The team has been officially known as the "Sea Eagles" ever since the club entered the first grade competition in 1947. There was some confusion over this in the 1950s, when a journalist named Jim Mather (Sydney Daily Telegraph) began referring to the team as the "Seagulls" in his reports. This was picked up by other journalists and some fans, and at a time when club logos and nicknames were not used as prominently as they are today, the team was often referred to as the "Seagulls" in this era. However, officially Manly have always been the "Sea Eagles".
Manly would change their Sea Eagle logo in 1998 following the introduction of the new competition. A new stylised sea eagle appeared under the 'Sea Eagles' banner, much more fierce and aggressive than its predecessor. It featured predominatley maroon, white, yellow and blue to symbolise the connection the club had with its major sponsor at the time Pepsi. This logo would not last however when the ill fated merger with North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
in 2000 saw them take on the Northern Eagles
Northern Eagles
The Northern Eagles were a rugby league team, that competed in the National Rugby League between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL by the merger of the North Sydney Bears and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 2000...
moniker instead.
Upon their return in 2003, Manly opted to revert back to the previous logo but tweaked the logo slightly to focus on the sea eagle itself and include Warringah in the clubs name again. They also returned to their original colours of maroon and white, a symbol of their roots steming back from 1947. This logo has been in use since then.
A commemorative logo was used throughout the 2006 season to mark the 60th anniversary of their inclusion in the competition.
During the 2007 pre-season, the club introduced a limited number of 65 playing and memorabilia green and white jerseys, for a trial match against the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
.
Stadium
When Manly were accepted into the competition, the local Manly Council denied the club permission to use Manly Oval as a home ground. The council at the time was very pro-rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and attempted to stop the rival code spread to the area. Because of this, the club decided instead to acquire Brookvale Showground in order to host matches, which was supported by Warringah Council.
The ground was mostly renovated between 1965 and 1980, including the construction of two grandstands along both the southern end (Southern Stand) and western side (Jane Try Stand) of the ground. In the early 1990s, these two grandstands were connected by the Ken Arthurson
Ken Arthurson
Kenneth Richard "Arko" Arthurson AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Affectionately known as "The Godfather of Manly", he played, coached and was later an administrator at the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership...
Stand. The ground has also retained grassy hill areas along the eastern and northern edges. On 1 September 2008, the Southern Stand was renamed the Fulton-Menzies Stand.
Today the ground has a capacity of about 23,000. In 2006, the ground saw its largest average attendance over an entire season, with an average of 15,484 patrons watching each of the club's 11 matches played there. The record crowd at the ground is 27,655, set in the final round of the 1986 season. Since the club started playing in 1947, over five and a half million spectators have visited the ground.
In recent years, Manly have received criticism over the state of facilities at Brookvale Oval. In 2007, Manly stepped up their campaign for government funding to improve the stadium, culminating in a "Save Brookvale Oval" Rally on 21 November. As of September 2008, $4,000,000 of Warringah Council funding and a $6,000,000 NSW State Government grant has been secured by the club to allow for the initial redevelopment of the Jane Try Stand (with an additional level) and improvements to the Southern Stand and other amenities. A further $10,000,000 is being sought from the Federal Government for the development of an eastern stand, with the intention of maintaining a 10-metre deep grassed area in front of it.
Current squad
2012 Player Transfers
IN- Ben Farrar
Ben FarrarBen Farrar is an Australian professional rugby league player who currently plays for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League competition....
(from Catalans DragonsCatalans DragonsThe Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom...
) - Lorenzo Ma'afu
Lorenzo Ma'afuLorenzo Ma'afu is a rugby league player He plays as a prop or in the second-row. He was born in New Zealand with Tongan heritage.-Playing career:...
(from Canterbury BulldogsCanterbury BulldogsThe Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
) - Liam Roach (from South Wales ScorpionsSouth Wales ScorpionsSouth Wales Scorpions Rugby League Football Club is a professional rugby league club formed in 2009, based in Neath, Wales. They are owned by a consortium of South Wales businessmen, led by Phil Davies...
) - Nick Skinner (from Canberra RaidersCanberra RaidersThe Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
)
OUT
- Matthew CrossMatthew CrossMatt Cross is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers & Gold Coast Titans. He plays as a prop or in the second-row. He is the brother of Ben Cross.Cross spent the 2009 NRL season with...
(Retirement) - Will HopoateWill HopoateWilliam "Will" Hopoate also known as Viliami in Tonga is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the NRL. A New South Wales State of Origin three-quarter back, he has also represented NSW City...
(Mormon MissionMissionary (LDS Church)The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
) / Parramatta EelsParramatta EelsThe Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League... - Michael Robertson
Michael Robertson (rugby league)Michael Robertson is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing for London Broncos of Super League...
(to London BroncosLondon BroncosLondon Broncos are a professional rugby league football club based in London, England. The club has competed in the Super League competition since its introduction in 1996...
) - Shane RodneyShane RodneyShane Rodney is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for Harlequins RL of Super League. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers, winning the 2003 NRL premiership with them. and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles whom he won the 2011 NRL Grand Final with...
(to London BroncosLondon BroncosLondon Broncos are a professional rugby league football club based in London, England. The club has competed in the Super League competition since its introduction in 1996...
) - Terence Seu Seu (Released)
Notable players
In 1990, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club recognised their players, past and present, with a team announced to reflect the best squad up to that point. That team is listed below.In 2006, a Dream Team of former Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles players was selected by a panel of selectors which featured former Manly-Warringah administrator Ken Arthurson
Ken Arthurson
Kenneth Richard "Arko" Arthurson AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Affectionately known as "The Godfather of Manly", he played, coached and was later an administrator at the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership...
, respected rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
writer Ian Heads, the club Chairman Kerry Sibraa and journalist Phil Rothfield.
Coaches
- Harold Johnston – 1947
- Ray StehrRay StehrRaymond Ernest Stehr was an Australian rugby league footballer, a state and national representative player whose club career was played at Sydney's Eastern Suburbs club. He has been named as one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.-Early life:Stehr was born in the country New...
– 1947–1948 - George Mullins – 1949
- Wally O'ConnellWally O'ConnellWally O'Connell OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team. He played in ten Tests between 1948 and 1951 as captain on one occasion...
– 1950–1952 and 1966–1967 - Roy BullRoy BullRoy Bull , was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1940s and 50s who spent his whole career - as player, coach & administrator - with the Manly-Warringah club in Sydney. In addition to playing in three New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership grand finals, he was a representative...
– 1953 - Ray NormanRay NormanRay Norman was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. A state and national representative, his club career was played with Annandale, the South Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs clubs in the NSWRFL....
– 1954 - Pat DeveryPat DeveryPat Devery is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach of the 1940s and 50s. An Australian international representative half, he played in Australia for the Balmain club, winning the 1944, '46 and '47 grand finals with them...
– 1955–1956 - Ken ArthursonKen ArthursonKenneth Richard "Arko" Arthurson AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Affectionately known as "The Godfather of Manly", he played, coached and was later an administrator at the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership...
– 1957–1961 - Ron WilleyRon WilleyRon Willey was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He was a representative for the Australian national side. Post-playing, Willey had a long and successful first grade and State representative coaching career.-Club career:...
– 1962 and 1970–1974 - Tony PaskinsTony PaskinsTony Paskins was a rugby league footballer who played in the New South Wales Rugby League and English Rugby Football League competition as well as playing rugby union for the Randwick club in Sydney....
– 1963 - Russell PepperellRussell PepperellGeorge Russell "Russ" Pepperell was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s, '40s and '50s, and coach of the 1950s and '60s who at representative level played for England, and Cumberland, and at club level for Seaton, and Huddersfield, playing at , i.e...
– 1964–1965 - George HunterGeorge Hunter (rugby league)George Hunter was an Australian rugby league player of the 1940s, 50's and 60's, who also coached the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles first grade team...
– 1968–1969 - Frank StantonFrank Stanton (rugby league)Frank "Biscuits" Stanton is an Australian former rugby league player and a successful club and national representative coach. His playing and club coaching career was with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles...
– 1975–1979 - Allan Thomson – 1980
- Ray Ritchie – 1981–1982
- Bob FultonBob FultonRobert "Bob" Fulton AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century.As a player Fulton won...
– 1983–1988 and 1993–1999 - Alan ThompsonAlan Thompson (rugby league)Alan Thompson is a former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. He primarily played at five-eighth....
– 1989 - Graham Lowe – 1990–1992
- Peter SharpPeter SharpPeter Sharp is an Australian professional rugby league coach. He is currently the assistant coach of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in Australia's National Rugby League....
– 1999 and 2003¹ - Des HaslerDes HaslerDes Hasler is an Australian former professional rugby league player and current head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He played in 309 matches in a first-grade career spanning 16 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, with whom he won two premierships...
– 2004–2011 - Geoff TooveyGeoff TooveyGeoffrey "Geoff" Toovey is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional player of the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He was educated at Davidson High School...
– 2012–
¹ Sharp was also coach of the Northern Eagles
Northern Eagles
The Northern Eagles were a rugby league team, that competed in the National Rugby League between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL by the merger of the North Sydney Bears and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 2000...
between 2000 and 2002.
Records and statistics
- Biggest win: 70-7 vs Penrith (1973 NSWRFL season)
- Biggest loss: 6-68 vs Cronulla-Sutherland (2005 NRL season)
- Most consecutive wins: 15 (1995 ARL season)
- Most consecutive losses: 8 (1950 & 1998-99)
Honours
- New South Wales Rugby LeagueNew South Wales Rugby League premiershipThe New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
, Australian Rugby LeagueAustralian Rugby LeagueThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
and National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
: 8
-
- 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2008, 2011
- New South Wales Rugby LeagueNew South Wales Rugby League premiershipThe New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
, Australian Rugby LeagueAustralian Rugby LeagueThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
and National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
runners-up: 10
- New South Wales Rugby League
- 1951, 1957, 1959, 1968, 1970, 1982–83, 1995, 1997, 2007
- New South Wales Rugby League, Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League minor premierships: 9
- 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1983, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1997
- New South Wales Rugby League Club Championships: 4
- 1972, 1983, 1987, 1988
- Pre-Season Cup titles: 1
- 1980
- World Club ChallengeWorld Club ChallengeThe World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
: 1
- World Club Challenge
- 2009
- KB CupAmco CupThe Amco Cup was a mid-week rugby league competition held in Australia between 1974 and 1989. The format was usually a straight knock-out, but various group formats were used between 1979 and 1982...
: 2
- KB Cup
- 1982, 1983
- Sevens: 3
- 1990, 1994, 1995
- First Division, Premier LeagueNSWRL Premier LeagueThe New South Wales Cup is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales previously known as the NSWRL Premier League. It has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve grade competition. It is now the premier open age competition in the state...
: 5
- First Division, Premier League
- 1954, 1960, 1969, 1973, 1988
- Jersey Flegg: 4
- 1961, 1974, 1987, 1988
- Presidents Cup: 2
- 1946, 1970
- Third Grade: 1
- 1952
- 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2008, 2011
Supporters
The Sea Eagles, nicknamed the Silvertails, are well known as a team that most working-class rugby league fans traditionally love to hate. Notable supporters of the club include Jim Anderson, Allen AylettAllen Aylett
Dr. Allen Aylett is a former Australian rules football player and administrator. He was the chairman/president of the North Melbourne Football Club during the 1970s and then again from 2001–2005...
, Wendy Harmer
Wendy Harmer
Wendy Harmer is an Australian author, writer, radio show host, and comedienne.-Early life and career:...
, Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
, Thomas Keneally
Thomas Keneally
Thomas Michael Keneally, AO is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982 which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor...
,
Kerri Pottharst
Kerri Pottharst
Kerri Ann Pottharst OAM is an Australian professional beach volleyball player and Olympic gold medallist.Pottharst was born in Adelaide, South Australia and currently resides in Sydney....
,
Layne Beachley
Layne Beachley
Layne Beachley is a former professional surfer from Manly, Australia. She won the World Championship seven times.-Surfing career:At the age of 16 Beachley became a professional surfer. By the age of 20 she was ranked sixth in the world. Beachley became the Women's ASP World Champion in 1998, and...
,
Shelley Taylor-Smith
Shelley Taylor-Smith
Shelley Taylor-Smith is a former Australian long-distance swimmer.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Taylor-Smith suffered from scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, throughout her school years. The condition required her to wear a back brace, although she was successful in national age...
,
Shelley Oates-Wilding
Shelley Oates-Wilding
Shelley Oates-Wilding is an Australian sprint canoer who competed from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, she earned her best finish of eighth in the K-4 500 m event at Atlanta in 1996.-Reference:*...
,
Tracey Spicer
Tracey Spicer
Tracey Spicer is an Australian journalist, who worked as a national presenter for Network Ten's news bulletins Ten Weekend News, Ten Morning News and Ten Late News - Weekend Edition in the 1990's and 2000's....
,
Nici Andronicus,
Naomi Flood,
Melissa Femia,
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor is a retired Australian athlete, who specialised in sprint events.In 1995 Gainsford-Taylor won the World Indoor championship over 200 m...
,
Louise Sauvage
Louise Sauvage
Alix Louise Sauvage OAM is an Australian paralympic wheelchair racer.Sauvage is often regarded as the most renowned disabled sportswoman in Australia. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic games in front of a home crowd...
,
Debbie Watson,
Brooke Hanson
Brooke Hanson
Brooke Louise Hanson OAM is a former Australian swimmer.A swimmer since the age of four, Hanson was the youngest swimmer on the Australian national team at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, where she finished fourth in the 200 m breaststroke...
,
Anne Sargeant
Anne Sargeant
Anne Sargeant, OAM, is a retired Australian netball player and current sports commentator. Sargeant played in the Australian national team from 1978–1988, captaining the side for six years....
,
Amy O'Mara,
Johanna Griggs
Johanna Griggs
Johanna Leigh Griggs is a former swimmer and current television presenter from Australia.-Swimming career:Griggs represented Australia at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990—winning a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke event....
,
Zali Steggall
Zali Steggall
Zali Steggall is Australia's most internationally successful alpine skier, winning a bronze medal in slalom at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, and a World Championship gold medal in 1999. Steggall's long Olympic career extended from Albertville in 1992 to Salt Lake City in 2002...
,
Jean Hay, AM,
Doug Mulray
Doug Mulray
Douglas John Mulray is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter.-Radio career:...
, Peter Phelps
Peter Phelps
Peter Phelps is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He is notable for his role of Peter Church in the television drama, Stingers and Trevor Cole, in Baywatch...
,
Mike Goldman
Mike Goldman
Mike Goldman is an Australian television and radio host, probably best known for his various roles in Big Brother Australia series.-Television:...
, Miles Stewart
Miles Stewart
Miles Stewart is an athlete from Australia, who competes in triathlon.Originally a speedskaeter from Wollongong he rose to the elite ranks of the emerging sport of triathlon in the early '90s whilst living on Queensland's Gold Coast.Palmarès* 3 time winner of the Hervey Bay Triathlon.* He won the...
and Sarah Murdoch
Sarah Murdoch
Sarah Murdoch is an Australian model and actress.-Career:Brought up in Sydney, Australia, Murdoch attended The McDonald College of the Performing Arts, a performing arts school in Sydney, where she studied ballet...
.
Sources
- Rugby League History; Sean Fagan
- Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, 1999; Alan Whiticker and Glen Hudson
- ABC of Rugby League, 1995; Malcolm Andrews
- Heritage Report on Brookvale Oval, Mayne-Wilson & Associates; August 2005