September 27, marks 30 years to the day since the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles won the 1987 NSWRL first grade premiership.
Under the coaching of Bob Fulton and the captaincy of Paul Vautin, the Sea Eagles beat Canberra Raiders 18 - 8 in the last ever rugby league grand final played at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground.
Manly dominated the 1987 season to finish minor premiers with the Sea Eagles recording a 12 game winning streak from rounds 9 to 21.
The Sea Eagles then beat Eastern Suburbs Roosters 10-6 in the major semi-final before overcoming the Raiders to win the Club’s fifth first grade premiership after tasting success in 1972, 1973, 1976, and 1978.
Since 1987, Manly have won first grade premierships in 1996, 2008, and 2011, to make it eight major titles since the Club was founded in 1947.
1987 Grand Final
Manly Sea Eagles 18 (Tries: Lyons, O'Connor. Goals: O'Connor 5/5) d Canberra Raiders 8 (Tries: O'Sullivan. Goals: Meninga 1/1, Belcher 1/1).
Clive Churchill Medal Winner: Cliff Lyons
Referee: Mick Stone
Crowd: 50,201
Manly team
1 Dale Shearer 2 David Ronson 3 Darrell Williams 4 Michael O’Connor 5 Stuart Davis 6 Cliff Lyons 7 Des Hasler 8 Paul Vautin (Captain) 9 Noel Cleal, 10 Ron Gibbs, 11 Kevin Ward, 12 Mal Cochrane 13 Phil Daley, 14 Mark Pocock. Coach: Bob Fulton
Canberra team
1 Gary Belcher 2 Chris Kinna 3 Peter Jackson 4 Mal Meninga 5 Matthew Corkery 6 Chris O’Sullivan 7 Ivan Henjak 8 Dean Lance (Captain), 9 Ashley Gilbert 10 Gary Coyne 11 Sam Backo, 12 Steve Walters 13 Brent Todd, 14 Kevin Walters, 15 Terry Regan. Coach: Wayne Bennett, Don Furner.
Manly’s 1987 season
Rd 1: drew St George 4-4, Rd 2: beat Penrith 42-18; Rd 3: beat Western Suburbs 22-11, Rd 4: beat Parramatta 26-4; Rd 6: lost to Canterbury 18-6; Rd 7: lost to South Sydney 18-8, Rd 8: lost to Cronulla 18-13; Rd 9: beat Eastern Suburbs 18-10, Rd 10: beat Canberra 18-10, Rd 11: beat Illawarra 22-12, Rd 12: beat North Sydney 30-22, Rd 13: beat Balmain 48-14, Rd 14: beat St George 20-6, Rd 15: beat Penrith 12-10, Rd 16: beat Western Suburbs 26-25, Rd 17: beat Parramatta 30-22, Rd 19: beat Canterbury 32-2, Rd 20: beat South Sydney 16-13, Rd 21: beat Cronulla 30-8, Rd 22: lost to Eastern Suburbs 26-16, Rd 23: beat Canberra 20-18, Rd 24: beat Illawarra 28-17, Rd 25: lost to North Sydney 32-30, Rd 26: beat Balmain 26-8. Major semi-final: beat Eastern Suburbs 10-6, Grand Final: beat Canberra 18-8.
Record: 26 games, won 20, lost 5, drawn 1, 96 tries, 98 goals, 1 field goal, 581 points. 30 players used.
