Western Suburbs Magpies

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

Of all the founding clubs of Rugby League in Sydney, the Western Suburbs side seemed to forever be the battlers.

The Magpies and their supporters were seen as strugglers on and off the field for almost their entire 92 seasons in the premiership. The tag became so synonymous with Wests that in the late 1970s they even marketed themselves around the 'fibros' image.

Almost every decade saw Wests hit with some decision of the game's administration that would see their ability to compete brought into serious examination. Even at the formation of the competition in 1908, the club missed out on some good footballers.

The western suburbs of Sydney began at Marrickville in the early 1900s. The district was a strong rugby area, however Newtown got Marrickville. Wests RU club, who were first based at Parramatta before moving to Burwood, were left with the almost country like area to the south and west of Sydney's urban fringes.

While most of the founding Rugby League clubs of 1908 were formed from the mass walkout of their district rugby union club, in Wests' case this did not occur. There was a Western Suburbs rugby union club but its players were hesitant at joining the new game. There was also a simmering local dispute between the Wests district club (based at Burwood) and the Ashfield club, a team from the second division. Many of Ashfield's players found ways to avoid playing for Wests when called upon, preferring not to turn out in the bottle green jerseys of their district club.

The Ashfield club saw an opportunity with the arrival of Rugby League and it was they who formed the nucleus of the new Western Suburbs club. Unsurprisingly, they adopted Ashfield's black and white colours for new Rugby League club. The former Wests rugby union players eventually did join the League ranks, but it was as the short-lived Cumberland club. A handful of Cumberland players moved to Wests in 1909, but few played First Grade.

Wests struggled in the first decade of premiership Rugby League along with Annandale and North Sydney. They had to endure ten years before enjoying their first ever win over South Sydney. Under the captaincy of the great Herb Gilbert, Wests were the big improvers of 1917. From 1917 to 1921 the black-and-whites enjoyed their best form yet seen, holding a top four position throughout.

The club found its greatest honours in this period in the City Cup - a knockout contest held in the weeks following the premiership. Wests won the Cup in 1918 and 1919, before losing the 1920 decider in extra time to North Sydney. Then the NSWRL admitted St George into the competition, resulting in nine of Wests' First Graders being forced to the Dragons under the residential rule for the 1921 season. Amongst them was Gilbert. Wests fell back to the lower reaches of the Table.

The club toughed it out and as the 1920s passed they climbed back to the edge of the top four. In 1929 Wests signed Australian Test captain Jimmy Craig as captain-coach. By 1930 Wests were at the top of the Table and finished the season as minor premiers. In the semi-final Wests were confronted by Souths, who had won the past five premierships. The Rabbitohs took an early lead before Wests hit back to win by 9-5 and end Souths' long run.

With a 'right-of-challenge' up their sleeve, Wests lost the Final to St George by 14-6, resulting in the first ever Sydney Grand Final. Wests returned to form and crushed St George with seven tries, winning 27-2. After 23 seasons, the Western Suburbs club had finally achieved a premiership title.

Wests reached the Final in 1932 and defeated minor premiers South Sydney 23-8, forcing a Grand Final to decide the premiership winner. Scores were locked at 12-all with moments remaining. The Rabbitohs received a late penalty goal to edge in front 14-12. A last minute try from a dropped pass saw Souths win 19-12. With great players at the club including Vic Hey, Frank McMillan, Les Mead, Cliff Pearce and Alan Ridley, Wests were enjoying a golden era. While the club rejoiced in all of these players making the 1933 Kangaroo tour, their absence in the second half of the season saw Wests drop back to last place.

The club dramatically returned to form in 1934 and edged out Easts for the minor premiership (after a play-off). In the Final the two teams battled it out again. In a hard fought match, Wests led 15-7 before Easts cut it back to 15-12. The Tricolours couldn't breach the Wests defence again and they secured their second premiership. It was also around this time that the club began being referred to in the newspapers as 'The Magpies'.

Then it happened again - the NSWRL allowed the entry of a new club (Canterbury) and Wests lost players and part of its junior area. The club slid back down the ladder and was rarely sighted in big matches again for the next fifteen seasons. Wests lost further junior areas in 1947 when Parramatta entered the competition and a premiership seemed a long way away.

While the loss of juniors to the Eels ultimately had a detrimental effect on the Magpies, it was not immediate. In 1948 Wests won the Club Championship and finished at the top of the premiership Table, six points ahead of Newtown and Balmain. In the Grand Final Wests were pitted against Balmain who were chasing their third title in a row. The Tigers led the game until the final quarter when a 40 metre run by Wests' second rower Kevin Hansen saw him tackled right on the try line. The referee awarded the try and Wests held an 8-5 break until fulltime to record their third premiership win.

Wests were again a top shelf team in 1949 with the halves pairing of Frank Stanmore and Keith Holman showing the way. Finishing the season in second place, Wests lost to fourth place Balmain in extra-time to abruptly and unexpectedly end their semi-final campaign. Wests lost the decider of 1950 to Souths in a close and physical encounter by 21-15. Still it was a golden era for players and supporters of the Magpies as the club enjoyed many fine wins.

In the first round of the 1952 season Wests were unbeaten, defeating every other club in the competition. This nine match winning streak ultimately resulted in them easily taking the minor premiership title. However, they had to battle the second round and the play-offs without Stanmore, Holman and Arthur Collinson, who had all left with the touring Kangaroos to England and France. Souths routed Wests in the first semi-final meaning the Magpies would not have the luxury of a win in the Final to take the title.

Forced into a Grand Final their opponents turned out to again be Souths, who were seeking their third premiership in a row. Wests seemed to have an uncanny knack of ending other clubs' premiership winning streaks (1930 and 1948) and the omens for a Wests win looked good. In a match now more remembered for refereeing controversy than the deeds of the Magpies players, Wests won the decider 22-12 scoring six tries to two. It was the fourth premiership win for the Western Suburbs club.

Wests had stunned the Rugby League world back in 1934 when they rose from wooden spooners to premiership winners in one season. In 1953 they produced another stunner - except this time they went the other way! After the 1952 Grand Final win Wests finished the next season in last place.

They stayed at the bottom until 1956 when the club took on a new image as big spenders. Now tagged as 'the millionaires', for going on a spending spree in an effort to buy a premiership, Wests hauled in big names Harry Wells, Kel O'Shea, Darcy Henry, Ian Johnson, Dick Poole, Arthur Summons and Ian Moir. By 1958, now under the coaching of Vic Hey, Wests had a side that had almost entirely been imported to the club.

In the meantime St George had set the new standard of Rugby League in Sydney, winning the previous two seasons. Wests finished in second place behind the Dragons and they met in the major semi-final. The Magpies crushed the fancied St George side by 34-10 to claim a place in the Grand Final. St George fought their way through to the decider, but the Magpies were favoured to end yet another club's attempt at three titles in a row.

Wests lost powerful forward O'Shea before the game and fielded a team with no Grand Final experience. Before a record crowd of over 62,000 the Magpies were down 10-9 heading into the final stages of the game. However, two late tries saw the Dragons kick clear to win 20-9. As St George marched on through the 1960s as perennial winners of the premiership, it was Wests who looked the team most likely to bring their run to an end.

The teams met in the Grand Final three years in a row (1961-63) yet Western Suburbs were unable to stop St George in the match that mattered the most. In any other era the team that Wests produced would now be remembered as one of the best ever seen. The closest they came to winning was the 1963 Grand Final with Summons and Noel Kelly leading the way. Wests had defeated St George in the semi-final and knew they had the Dragons' measure. The Dragons won the Grand Final 8-3 in atrocious conditions that produced a mud-bath. The Magpies rued the lopsided 18-7 penalty count against them, along with two critical decisions of the referee that both favoured St George.

Wests then went into decline and 'the millionaires' tag became a distant memory as the Magpies struggled on with what they could. They did not return to the play-offs again until 1974 when they lost the Final 25-2 to eventual premiers Easts. Under coach Keith Holman the Magpies enjoyed success in the 1977 Amco Cup with a 6-5 win over the Roosters. The team included John Dorahy, Tom Raudonikis, Graeme O'Grady, Gavin Miller, Ron Giteau and Peter Rowles.

Roy Masters took over the coaching position for the 1978 season and immediately signalled a new era for Wests. Led up front up by tough forwards John Donnelly and Les Boyd, the Magpies were to prove a formidable opponent for all clubs. Playing at Lidcombe Oval the Magpies became the first team to win every home match during the season. Portrayed as the underdogs with their 'fibros' image, Wests were drawing large home crowds in a period fondly remembered by many.

Wests won the minor premiership and had two chances to reach the Grand Final. In the first they locked horns with Cronulla, who were fielding a strong pack that rivalled Wests' as the best in the competition. With only minutes left in the game the scores were locked at 10-all. Two late penalty goals to the Sharks saw the Magpies downed 14-10 and forced into the Final against Manly. Wests appeared to have the ascendancy over their 'silvertail' rivals who were backing up after a mid-week replay. However two Wests 'tries' were disallowed and Manly held on to win 14-7, leaving the Magpies out. It was a disappointing end for what was an enthralling season for Wests' and their supporters.

In 1979 Western Suburbs continued their good form, but worries about finances and the potential loss of stars Boyd, Dorahy, Raudonikis and hooker Ray Brown to wealthier clubs took its toll. The Magpies entered the minor preliminary semi-final as favourites over Canterbury, but failed to deliver as the Berries took control winning 20-6. Wests lost most of their stars for 1980 and it was left to youngsters such as Terry Lamb to take charge in a bit-part team they few gave a chance of achieving anything. Yet with the play-offs in sight, the Magpies were leading the Table. A loss of form though saw the club struggle in the semis and they battled on to eventually reach as far as the Final.

In 1983 the NSWRL voted to reduce the competition to twelve clubs by excluding Newtown and Western Suburbs. Both were at the bottom of the Table, struggling financially and were apparently unfashionable clubs. Wests took the issue to court and won their reinstatement. However, while the off-field battle was being fought they could not sign any players. At the end of the 1984 season the NSWRL again cut Wests from the competition. Wests went back to court, won again, but lost on appeal. With Wests then heading to the High Court and the 1985 season rapidly approaching, the NSWRL relented and allowed Wests back in.

The club sought to secure its future by moving to Orana Park at Campbelltown for the 1987 season and beyond. The area had a huge junior base, but mostly in the under 14s grades and younger. It would be a long wait before they would provide Wests with talent to take on the premiership.

With coach Warren Ryan at the helm in 1991 Wests climbed back up the Table and finished in equal fifth place. Youngsters Jason Taylor, Darren Britt and Jim Dymock aided the experienced players David Gillespie, Andrew Farrar and Paul Langmack. Wests defeated Canterbury in a mid-week play-off, but were then forced to play Canberra in the semi-final only four days later. The Magpies scored a converted try to lead 6-0, before eventually losing 22-8. The 1992 season saw Wests again reach the semis, but were beaten by Newcastle.

By the time of the arrival of the NRL in 1998 Wests were still struggling for survival. Their on-field performances in 1998 and 1999 were dismal, taking the wooden spoon in both seasons. By mid 1999 the NRL's looming 14-team competition for 2000 had triggered a merger between Wests and their fellow founders of 1908, Balmain. At the end of nine decades of fighting a seemingly never ending battle for survival and competitiveness, the club appeared tired and had nothing left. The efforts to keep the club going in the 80s and 90s had used up all the energy.

Western Suburbs continue to stand-alone in junior levels and have resisted pressures to merge with Balmain through all grades.

Copyright © 2006 - Sean Fagan. All rights reserved - the article above may not be reproduced (in full or part) in any form without written permission.