A vid for the old maggie fans

[fibrodreaming]

good pack that year -

2 years that i know off that we were ripped off.
1978 & 2010.

and i wont talk about the 60's considering the youth on this forum who only know Wests Tigers -

First of all, many thanks to Simon for the link – it brought back happy memories.

Second, to AHX, I hope you don’t mind me adding 1963 to your list. I have mentioned it in a previous post, and won’t go into the particulars here; but the 1963 grand final was the most egregious instance of a team being robbed in the history of our game. It is the only case I know of a team being robbed of a premiership by a corrupt official.

I would judge Hartley’s officiating as the second most egregious instance of being robbed. He was promoted from reserve grade with orders to nail the magpies – and he did.

By comparison, Smith’s knees in Lote’s back is just a case of gutless officials not blowing obvious penalties at the back end of important games. There are too many examples of this type of thing to mention here.

Whenever I read on this forum that our current team lacks mongrel, I reflect on the magpies in the late 1970s – they had mongrel to spare; and yet, despite this, they were ultimately unsuccessful.

They were minor premiers in 1978, and yet lost the two semi-finals in which they appeared; Hartley having a role in the outcome of the second match.

In 1979, they came equal third (forth on points difference) but lost the semi to Canterbury comfortably.

The thing I learnt from the magpies of that era was that a “knock-em-down-drag-em-out” style may get you to the semis, but once you are there, you can’t intimidate your way to the grand final. For that you need not just toughness, but finesse. The magpies of that time were long on toughness, but short on finesse.

The conclusion I draw from all this is that mongrel is not enough.

Cheers

Fibro

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Nah nah nah - we beat Manly in 78, Hartley took it away for us, that was our year!
We would of beat Cronulla in the grand final
Believe we had the wood on the Sharks.
That would of changed our history - but Hartley …. im sorry - cant talk
It was Hartley.
Biggest criminal act in Maggie history.
After that what was the point -
They stole our history!
Hartley destroyed my childhood - it wasnt finese.
Roy Masters knew what he was doing.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

i encourage all Balmain & Wests Tigers fans to watch the ABC documentary "The Fibros & the Silvertails"
There you will find the truth.

 

[westTAHger]

i encourage all Balmain & Wests Tigers fans to watch the ABC documentary "The Fibros & the Silvertails"
There you will find the truth.

that was a great documentary, loved it.
wanted to smack the tele seeing Ken Arthurson putting his spin on it, and of course Hartley was in their as well. :imp:

 

[fibrodreaming]

Nah nah nah - we beat Manly in 78, Hartley took it away for us, that was our year!
We would of beat Cronulla in the grand final
Believe we had the wood on the Sharks.
That would of changed our history - but Hartley …. im sorry - cant talk
It was Hartley.
Biggest criminal act in Maggie history.
After that what was the point -
They stole our history!
Hartley destroyed my childhood - it wasnt finese.
Roy Masters knew what he was doing.

Dear AHX, my hand trembles over the keyboard as I compose this response – one doesn’t like to shatter another’s childhood illusions.

The truth is that a grand final between the magpies and Cronulla in 1978 was by no means a sure thing for the magpies. We beat them by only one point in the second round and, more importantly, they beat us in the first semi-final.

Looking back, Cronulla was the only team that worried me in 1978\. We could intimidate all the others, but not Cronulla. They gave as good as they got. Their pack was the equal of ours.

Our major deficiency in 1978 was the lack of classy backs. Dorahy and Raudonikis were the only exceptions. If a team was able to hold us in the forwards, we didn’t have the backs to bring it home.

Cheers

Fibro

 

[cunno]

How about Donnelly throwing haymakers at Randall??
What a matchup!

Thanks for the vision and reminders of an era of rugby league that was enjoyable to see, Terry Randall was as tough as they come and yet big Dallas had the guts to take him on first up just to set the tone for the game… ah memories....

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Terry Randall Cunno was more than a match for Les Boyd.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Nah nah nah - we beat Manly in 78, Hartley took it away for us, that was our year!
We would of beat Cronulla in the grand final
Believe we had the wood on the Sharks.
That would of changed our history - but Hartley …. im sorry - cant talk
It was Hartley.
Biggest criminal act in Maggie history.
After that what was the point -
They stole our history!
Hartley destroyed my childhood - it wasnt finese.
Roy Masters knew what he was doing.

Dear AHX, my hand trembles over the keyboard as I compose this response – one doesn’t like to shatter another’s childhood illusions.

The truth is that a grand final between the magpies and Cronulla in 1978 was by no means a sure thing for the magpies. We beat them by only one point in the second round and, more importantly, they beat us in the first semi-final.

Looking back, Cronulla was the only team that worried me in 1978\. We could intimidate all the others, but not Cronulla. They gave as good as they got. Their pack was the equal of ours.

Our major deficiency in 1978 was the lack of classy backs. Dorahy and Raudonikis were the only exceptions. If a team was able to hold us in the forwards, we didn’t have the backs to bring it home.
\
\
\
Cheers

Fibro

My hand trembles too.
Its called Hartleitus.

We had Wayne Smith, we had Ron Giteau, we had slick wingers in Cain & Broughton.

You remember what Buddy Cain did to Cronin @ Lidcombe.

The point is the truth never unravelled itself. It didnt play out.

We never had our day in the sun thanks to Greg Hartley.

We earned our right to reach the 78 grand final.

How can Graham O'Grady score from his own kick and be ruled offside.

Crime of the Century

 

[cunno]

Terry Randall Cunno was more than a match for Les Boyd.

AHX it would be like putting two pit bulls head to head, I am told Boyd off the field was nothing like when he crossed the white line onto the field, igor randall was toughness personified from what I saw.

 

[cunno]

Nah nah nah - we beat Manly in 78, Hartley took it away for us, that was our year!
We would of beat Cronulla in the grand final
Believe we had the wood on the Sharks.
That would of changed our history - but Hartley …. im sorry - cant talk
It was Hartley.
Biggest criminal act in Maggie history.
After that what was the point -
They stole our history!
Hartley destroyed my childhood - it wasnt finese.
Roy Masters knew what he was doing.

Dear AHX, my hand trembles over the keyboard as I compose this response – one doesn’t like to shatter another’s childhood illusions.

The truth is that a grand final between the magpies and Cronulla in 1978 was by no means a sure thing for the magpies. We beat them by only one point in the second round and, more importantly, they beat us in the first semi-final.

Looking back, Cronulla was the only team that worried me in 1978\. We could intimidate all the others, but not Cronulla. They gave as good as they got. Their pack was the equal of ours.

Our major deficiency in 1978 was the lack of classy backs. Dorahy and Raudonikis were the only exceptions. If a team was able to hold us in the forwards, we didn’t have the backs to bring it home.
\
\
\
Cheers

Fibro

My hand trembles too.
Its called Hartleitus.

We had Wayne Smith, we had Ron Giteau, we had slick wingers in Cain & Broughton.

You remember what Buddy Cain did to Cronin @ Lidcombe.

The point is the truth never unravelled itself. It didnt play out.

We never had our day in the sun thanks to Greg Hartley.

We earned our right to reach the 78 grand final.

How can Graham O'Grady score from his own kick and be ruled offside.

Crime of the Century

You are on the mark AHX about the refereeing and it is pretty well explained in that book mentioned in your footer.

 

[PYMBLEPETE]

Wow, some raw wounds despite all the years.

I was at that match in 1978 and many others in that era. I dont want to go into the refereeing as I cant recall it being the issue others obviously believe it was. However that was a very good Wests team that year, in fact probably the best I was ever to see and it was ripped apart a year or so later, primarily by Arthurson. I bear a greater grudge against that guy than anyone else involved.

However; when Brown Boyd and Dorahy signed with Manly the first time Wests played Manly after that was at Lidcombe Oval and I had the very great pleasure of watching Wests win all 3 grades that day, including a comprehensive win in firsts, and I think that Manly scored only one try in all 3 games. Until 2005, the sweetest day of league I ever watched.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I'm sure in 30 yrs time people will still be talking about that scrum against the Roosters and what could have been, the way people talk about 63, 78 and 89

On reflection both clubs had some rotten luck in finals series and it has carried over to their lovechild as well

 

[barrytiger]

QUESTION
what happens these days if you miss a penalty goal?do the opposition drop out from the 20 metre line? im not real sure of the rule for this these days

 

[happy_tiger]

LOL…the old days when u brought ur own seat for the hill, and it was full of tinnies

Tinnies aaaahhhh they were the days Ink

When I could throw them at referees and NSW players at SOO games

 

[fibrodreaming]

AHX says:

1. “Terry Randall was more than a match for Les Boyd.” I disagree, Boyd was a more damaging ball runner than Randall. Randall was a rock in defence.
2. “My hand trembles too. It’s called Hartleyitis.” Very droll AHX.
3. “We had Wayne Smith, we had Ron Giteau, we had slick wingers in Cain & Broughton.” Yes precisely – I rest my case.

PymblePete says: “….that was a very good Wests team that year, in fact probably the best I was ever to see.” That’s the tragedy of it all Pete. All those years and that’s the best we could do. By the way, I think the teams of the early 1960s were probably better; certainly had better backs.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

I'm not argue with you - we both saw it differently i guess
but we both saw what hartley did -
crime of the century
you cant change that Fibrodreaming

 

[fibrodreaming]

AHX - Please don't get me wrong; perhaps I have been a trifle pedantic, but I have enjoyed your banter and your passion.

We are; however, in fundamental agreement. We had a very good side in 1978 and were robbed of our chance at the title.

By the way, it is not just magpie fans that hate Hartley, Parramatta fans do also. You may recall Hartley also refereed the Manly Parra semi. Manly's winning try came on the 7th tackle. Parra fans were outraged and were convinced that Hartley had dudded them.

So Hartley played a critical role in determining the outcome of two semis. No wonder Manly’s premiership win was so controversial, and no wonder Arthurson was so defensive about it in that documentary you mentioned.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Fibrodreaming- dont get me wrong either
Im with you -
Can we both agree that Hartley should be in goal?
He stole our dreams.
We were entitled to challenge Cronulla in the
grand final of 78.

 

[fibrodreaming]

Agreed AHX; but not just Hartley, there were others in the NRL hierarchy who brought him out of reserve grade with the express instruction to nobble the magpies. They should be cooling their heels with him.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Kevin Humphries for one -