Balmain
Tigers
Sean Fagan of RL1908.com
Few
clubs can produce an honour roll of champions
to match that of the Balmain Tigers.
Almost a century of rugby league greats including
Jimmy Craig, Charles ‘Chook' Fraser, Pony Halloway,
Latchem Robinson, Joe ‘Chimpy' Busch, Pat Devery,
Harry Bath, Tom Bourke, Fred de Belin, Bobby Lulham,
Billy Marsh, Keith Barnes, Wayne Pearce, Ben Elias,
Paul Sironen, Steve Roach and Tim Brasher.
Balmain
Rugby League Club was born at a public meeting
held at Balmain Town Hall in Darling Street, on
January 23, 1908. The meeting saw over 600 crowd
the room, and much anger was vented against the
RU administration. There were wild cheers went
it was announced that with only an exception or
two, the entire Balmain RU team had agreed to
join the new club.
Balmain
RU club had been a foundation member of Sydney
RU in 1874, winning its only premiership the next
year - ultimately it remnants merged with what
was left of its Glebe counterpart and together
became the Drummoyne RU club.
The
Balmain RL club continued the use of the RU club's
black and gold colours. The origins of the distinctive
colour combination is unknown. Theories have it
that the colours are reflective of the blackwattle
plants indigenous to the local Blackwattle Bay.
It is also claimed that Balmain sporting identity
Bill Beach wore a black and gold jumper while
defending his world rowing title in England in
the late 19th century.
The
rugby league club's horizontally striped jersey
led to the team being called the ‘Tigers', but
they were also known as ‘The Watersiders' - after
the club's first home ground Birchgrove Oval located
adjacent to the Harbour.
The
Balmain club's first captain was prop forward
Robert Graves. In 1907 he had played in the ‘rebel'
NSW matches against Bakerville's New Zealanders,
and later became a member of the First Kangaroos
to England.
Balmain
became the fourth of the founding clubs to win
a premiership title when they finished at the
top of the 1915 season. However, the Tigers could
have had a title as early as 1909 if events had
not conspired against them.
After
losing the opening two games of 1909 Balmain went
through the rest of the season undefeated. The
Balmain side that included Alfred "Duce"
Latta, Pony Halloway and Bob Graves lost its first
two matches, before winning every game from then
on to join Souths in the Final. Both teams were
far superior to the rest of the competition, and
the Final was keenly anticipated.
The NSWRL though was still looking to recoup money
owed on the Wallabies raids, and decided to make
the Final a double-header with an unscheduled
4th ‘Kangaroos v Wallabies' game. The Final was
relegated to the under-card and all proceeds of
the day were to go to the League. Understandably
both Souths and Balmain voiced their disapproval
to the downgrading of the Final.
The
earlier kick-off time also meant many players
would struggle to arrive on time after Saturday
moring work duties. Both club's apparently agreed
with each other not to play. But in a move that
would ensure the two clubs were bitter rivals
for the rest of the century, Souths turned up
ready to play, kicked off, picked up the ball
and scored a try.
The referee then awarded Souths the game and with
it the title, much to Balmain's protestations
in the week that followed. Only a small crowd
attended the League's "gala" day, but it was enough
to clear the monies owed by the NSWRL.
The
club did not reach the top echelon of clubs again
until 1915 - but what a return it would be as
the Watersiders went on to win five of the next
six premierships. It was the first time Sydney
had been so dominated by one club.
With
the 1915 premiership awarded at the end of the
home and away series, Balmain and rivals Glebe
were set for a late season top-of-the-table clash.
The winner would, barring major form loss, go
on to take the premiership. At the Sydney Sports
Ground over 20,000 were on hand to witness a hard
fought match in cold, drizzling late-winter rain.
Balmain
converted a handy 5-2 lead into a comfortable
12-2 win over the luckless Glebe side to kick
two points clear on the table. In the last round
a loss by the yet beaten Balmain side to Souths
would see them forced into a Final against Glebe
for the title. Again at the Sports Ground, Balmain
prevailed over the Rabbitohs by 7-4 and claimed
their maiden premiership.
Arguably, this Balmain side can still be considered
its best ever. Defensively, they were astounding
- allowing on 71 points from 14 games. The side
included Lyall Wall, a great fullback, ex-Kiwi
Test player Bill Kelly, Jack Robinson, Charles
‘Chook' Fraser, Bob Craig, Jimmy Craig and ‘Pony'
Halloway.
In
1916 Balmain and Souths finished the season in
equal first place, resulting in a Final being
played for the title. In a dour game held at the
SCG, Balmain took an early lead after smart work
from 'Pony' Halloway after a scrum win. Souths
hit back with their own first-half try to level
scores, before Balmain's Charles' Chook' Fraser
landed a penalty goal for a 5-3 advantage.
The
second half saw the defensive lines in control
and with the clock counting down Balmain were
forced to repel attack after attack from the Rabbitohs.
Balmain proved to be too resolute though and held
on to win the premiership after a scoreless second
half. It was their second title in two seasons.
Balmain
and South Sydney continued to camp at the top
of the 1917 table, but late season losses by the
Rabbitohs left them adrift of Balmain as it took
its 3rd title in a row. The Watersiders took the
title in a crushing style, losing only one game
during the season. They amassed 269 points (the
second highest yet recorded) while allowing opponents
an average of a meagre four points a game (61
points).
In 1918 the club sought to be the first to claim
four titles in a row and to become the most successful
club in the League (Souths and Easts also had
3 titles). Unfortunately, the season long absence
of star player Jimmy Craig to injury seemed to
disrupt the Balmain campaign and the Tigers finished
mid-table as the Rabbitohs took their fourth premiership.
Balmain
responded immediately by being clear winners in
1919 and then again in 1920 to be the first club
to reach five premiership wins. The 1920 side,
playing in a nine team competition, finished a
staggering seven points clear of its nearest rivals
- in fact the League called the season off early
as the Tigers lead proved unassailable.
Over
the next few seasons Balmain remained a top club,
but were unable to push for another premiership
until 1924 when they reached the Final against
South Sydney. Thanks largely to a Reg "Wip"
Latta try engineered by the freakish skills of
the ever present Charles "Chook" Fraser,
the Watersiders beat the Rabbitohs by 3-0. It
marked the end of what would be Balmain's most
successful period ever in the history of the club.
In the first era of Sydney rugby league, Balmain
were the most successful and dominant club. At
the end of the 1924 season Balmain held six premiership
titles - it represented more than a third of the
competitions held so far.
The
mid-1930s saw the famous international half-back
Joe ‘Chimpy' Busch join Balmain in the latter
seasons of his career. Busch became captain-coach
of Tigers at a time when the club was at one of
its lowest ebbs. In 1935 Busch's creative attacking
play saw the club rise from the bottom of the
table and it continued into 1936.
When
Busch retired mid-season to concentrate on his
coaching, Balmain pushed towards the top of the
premiership ultimately reaching the deciding Final
against the devastating Easts side of the era.
The Tri-Colours won easily, but Busch had left
a platform that would see Balmain become the top
side of the 1940s.
From
1938 to 1950 Balmain only missed finishing in
the Top 4 semi-final play-offs once. It was the
Balmain club's second glory period.
At
the start of the era the Tigers enjoyed the services
of great players including Sid Goodwin, Frank
Hyde, Tom Bourke, Athol Smith, Billy Bischoff,
George Watt and Jim Quealey. They soon secured
the 1939 premiership with a team the Rugby League
News called "one of the most evenly balanced sides
the club has fielded".
From
1941 to 1943, with Balmain watching on, the (Grand)
Final deciders saw five different clubs involved
as fortunes ebbed. Yet, through all three seasons
Balmain was the most consistently successful team.
The
Tigers finished the regular season in equal first
place in all three years, yet points differentials
left the Tigers exposed to the vagaries of elimination
games and premature ends to their campaigns resulted.
In 1944 the Tigers arrived in the finals in 2nd
place, one point behind Newtown. Coached by Norm
‘Latchem' Robinson, Balmain was determined to
make amends for the past three seasons.
The
side still included the ever present Bourke, Watt
and Goodwin, along with new heroes in Arthur Patton,
Stan Ponchard, Joe Jorgenson, Pat Devery and Jack
Hampstead. Balmain met Newtown in the Final winning
a close game by 19-16 with some great last-ditch
cover defence.
Newtown exercised their "right of challenge" calling
for a Grand Final - in a low scoring affair Balmain's
Jorgenson kicked two late penalty goals to give
the Tigers a 12-8 win and their 8th title.
1945
saw the fourth placed Balmain reach the Final
against Easts. With both clubs on 8 premiership
titles (3 behind Souths), the battle to edge ahead
was a determined affair. The final score was 22-18
with Easts' Dick Dunn proving the difference as
Balmain went down.
Boosted
by the inclusion of powerful forwards Fred de
Belin and Harry Bath, Balmain pounced upon St
George (1946) and Canterbury (1947) to win successive
premierships, leaving them just one title behind
South Sydney.
Balmain's
Pat Devery (a play-making five-eighth) and Bath
were by all accounts the greatest young players
seen in the Australian game for years. The club
was rightfully looking toward a golden period
with teams built around these two gifted players.
But their hopes evaporated when both left after
1947 for the big money on offer in England.
Initially,
the Tigers overcame the disappointment and reached
the 1948 Grand Final against Wests. Balmain's
success over the 40s had seen them claw back to
within one title win of Souths as the most successful
club in the competition, and the Grand Final gave
them the chance to draw level.
A
hotly disputed late try by the Magpies saw Balmain's
hopes shattered as they lost by 8-5. The 1950s
would see another successful era for the Rabbitohs
and the chance for Balmain (and everyone else!)
to join Souths at the top of the 'title-tally'
was gone.
The
Tigers, with Keith Barnes now in the team, had
some joy in 1956 when they suddenly ended that
Souths run in the Final (by 36-33), earning Balmain
a place in the Grand Final. Unfortunately, Balmain
ran straight into even bigger juggernaut - the
first premiership of the St George ‘11 seasons'
rout. The Tigers would also become the Dragons'
victims #9 (1964) and #11 (1966) during an inconsistent
decade for Balmain.
The
1969 season saw Balmain again feature in the finals
but few thought that Souths would be troubled
in completing their third Grand Final win in a
row. Yet the Tigers were almost first into the
decider when they led the Rabbitohs by 13-12 until
a late 45m goal by Simms won the game for Souths.
The Balmain side was captained by Englishman Dave
Bolton and included Arthur Beetson (until suspended),
Keith Outten, Peter Provan, Len Killeen and Gary
Leo. The Tigers upstaged the more fancied Manly
side in the Final with their only try of the game
snatching victory.
Balmain
took the field in the Grand Final as 7/2 outsiders
and tackled their way to a memorable 11-2 win.
That day Balmain confounded Souths, the critics
and just about every rugby league fan in Sydney.
Their
fierce tackling and great fighting spirit kept
knocking down the oncoming Rabbitohs while they
chalked up winning points themselves and scoring
the only try of the game. The Tigers were well
pleased to have got one back on their rivals,
and as it turned out, ensure Souths didn't win
five premierships in a row.
The
club struggled for consistency again in the 1970s,
though the 1976 season saw Brian Lockwood and
Neil Pringle inspire a productive season. The
Tigers won the pre-season competition in 1976,
won the mid-week Amco Cup over North Sydney and
featured in the semi-finals.
It was not until 1985 that Balmain again established
itself as a premiership force, finishing the regular
season one win behind first place. The semi-finals
were quickly over though for the Tigers side that
included stars Garry Jack, Ben Elias, Steve Roach,
Wayne Pearce and England's Garry Schofield and
Tony Myler.
The
club's improved showing continued in 1986 as the
Tigers fought from a 5th-place play-off to reach
the Final - the ‘sudden-death' experience would
count for volumes two years later.
After
losing a semi-final to Souths in 1987, Balmain
finished 1988 in another 5th-place play-off. The
Tigers, bolstered by Paul Sironen and Test internationals
Gary Freeman and Ellery Hanley, easily accounted
for Penrith to reach the semi-finals. The mid-week
win came at a price though with Steve Roach cited
and then suspended for the remainder of the season.
Balmain had no problem in defeating Manly to reach
the second week of the finals and a match against
Canberra. The Raiders were beaten by 14-6 largely
thanks to Hanley, and the old Tigers fans came
out of the woodwork as the elusive 12th premiership
title seemed attainable.
The
Final against Cronulla hung in the balance until
Hanley again proved to be the difference, edging
Balmain to 9-2 win and their first Grand Final
since 1969.
Against
Canterbury in the decider Balmain took an early
lead, however hopes were dimmed when Hanley was
flattened in a tackle by Terry Lamb. Unable to
continue in the 2nd half, Balmain faltered without
the Englishman and lost to the Bulldogs by 24-12.
The
Tigers returned to the Grand Final in 1989 and
met Canberra who had come from 4th place. Balmain
led by 12-2 at half-time and with ninety seconds
left in the game were up by 14-8. Canberra jagged
a converted try from a last minute bomb to send
the match into extra-time.
Balmain
coach Warren Ryan had gambled on holding the lead
in regular time when he replaced Roach and Sironen.
However, when extra-time eventuated the Tigers
were forced to battle on without their forward
leaders - it proved critical to the outcome as
the Raiders completed the comeback to win by 19-14.
For
Balmain the result was shattering as one of their
best assembled teams of any era were left holding
nothing.
The
club exited the 1990 play-offs after a loss to
Manly, and as the decade endured Balmain did not
again see any September action.
Balmain
also struggled off the field with its future,
at one point abandoning Leichhardt Oval for Parramatta
Stadium and a name change to Sydney Tigers.
The
club returned to its roots at the back end of
the ‘90s, but the financial demands of the modern
game, and the pressures within the game itself,
saw a merger become an increasing reality as 1999
arrived.
After
apparently reaching a decision to merge with Parramatta
as the Parramatta Tigers, a mid-season vote of
the football club's members saw the Balmain Tigers
merge with fellow foundation club Western Suburbs.
From
2000 onwards the Balmain club has operated as
a joint venture with the Magpies as the Wests
Tigers.
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