What a Game!! - St George vs Wests

Kogarah Oval - Sunday 14th July, 1968

Who can remember this great game between Western Suburbs and the star studded St George. Were you there?  I was and so was the 'web master'. I went to school at Marist Brothers Kogarah right in the heart of Dragon country so it was a chance to catch up with a few schoolmates who followed Saints. A kid I played football with at Arncliffe Scots was the St George ball boy. It was played at Kogarah Oval on the 14 July 1968 on a cold but fine Sunday afternoon. Saints had 8 internationals playing for them that day. Also 2 players who made history that year.  Stan Gordon the winger scored 28 tries in 1968 making him the leading try scorer and Dennis Preston who beat Graeme Langlands to become Saints leading points scorer for 1968.  West’s had beaten St George in the first round, which was played at Lidcombe Oval on 24 th April.

The score that night was also in the Magpies favor 22 – 6 but that is another What a Game!!

The West’s team was not per program they had 2 of their in form players out with injury’s Jim Cody and Rod Smith.  Johnny Baker and Johnny Armstrong replaced them. This was Johnny Bakers first run in First Grade since he had come down from the Lithgow area.  West’s had a few rookies playing in this game. Tim Murphy at the age of 19 was playing only his second game in the top grade and also aged 19 Big Steve Winter had only played a few games since he had come from sunny Tamworth and lets not forget the old hard heads like Ken Stonestreet, Alan Allison and Dave Barsley. One of my favorite players made quite an impact in this game as he did most weeks…. Mick Alchin. He scored a classic wingers try plus his defense was punishing to say the least. Speaking of big tackles I have just looked at the video of the game ( tenth time I think) just now and I saw Alan Allison almost knock Johnny Raper onto the Princess Highway at Carlton. 

" Mad Mick " Alchin..legend!

        Anyway lets get on with the game….  West’s were at the southern end of Jubilee Oval and Saints were defending the Rockdale end. Saints kick off straight to Mick Alchin…for some reason they did this 10 or 12 times during the game.  West’s scored first with a long-range penalty taken by Fred Ford who almost kicked it on to the car park of the recently opened Rockdale Plaza. Then Barry Glasgow the boy from Tullibigeal landed a 40-yard field goal. West’s 4 Saints 0. West’s defence is rock solid….. some extra strong tackles by John Elford helped keep Saints out. Then after many sets of 4 tackles Graeme Bowen goes over next to the posts, Dennis Preston converts and it's now Saints 7 West’s 4. Are the 'webmaster' and I worried - a big NO.  Steve Winter receives a caution for telling the Touch Judge that perhaps he should go to Gibb and Beman on Monday.  Dennis Preston has got his kicking boots on today Saints 9 West’s 4. West’s keep attacking and at last Mr. Laurie Bruyeres gives West’s a well-deserved free kick. A. Ford kicks one more.

Laurie Bruyeres

Laurie Bruyeres and Tony

Half Time score Saints 9 West’s 6. 
        In the second half, West’s come out firing on all cylinders…Tony Ford lands 2 more penalties and the score is 10 –9 in the Magpies way. Mick Alchin slips a Saints player a shot to the head and old radar boot Preston makes it Saints 11 West’s 10. Then it happened...I don’t know what but it did. West scored 3 unanswered tries.
Try number one went like this….Murphy passes to Baker on the St George side of half way Baker then slips it inside to Glasgow who brilliantly draws 2 defenders and passes the ball to Alchin who runs 20 yards to score.

Tony Ford misses one and the score is West’s 13  Saints 11.

Second try… Langlands kicks to Alchin he catches the ball 10 yards out from his line takes the tackle then after many passes Tim Murphy passes what they now call a flat pass to Steve Winter who scores near the posts.This was to be Steve’s only try in first grade for West’s over the next 5 years. Ford puts the ball between the posts and onto Jubilee Avenue. Now it is West’s 18 - Saints 11. 

Try number 3….this try was the one that broke Saints and also the best try seen at Kogarah Oval for many years. Langland’s kicks from the restart of play to yes that’s right Alchin who, with much skill, stops it from going into touch and takes the tackle. Armstrong is dummy half passes the ball to Allison who is tackled. Baker at dummy half passes to Armstrong he runs straight and hard nice pass to Alchin who accelerates down the right wing beats 2 tackles makes 20 yards basketballs it inside to Barry Bryant who quickly passes it to Ken Stonestreet who passes it back inside to Bryant who looks for support sees the ex threequarter Johnny Armstrong looming on his inside.. passes to him… Armstrong puts the foot down and scores adjacent to the uprights. Ford then converts. It's  West’s 23 - Saints 11 and the game is as good as over.

Big smiles all round on the hill. West’s won plenty of good ball from the scrums thanks to a great front row and a first rate hooker named Ken “Nebo” Stonestreet. Ken played for N.S.W in1969 and scored a try in that match to boot. 

Ken Stonestreet

West’s had one more try to score a simply wrap round between Bruce Beer and rookie lock John Baker. Final score West’s 28 - St George 19.  This was only the second time in 14 seasons that Saints had been beaten on their home ground the first time was West’s in 1966 when they beat Saints 12 to 9.  Also the crowd of 16,205 was the second biggest ever at Kogarah Oval. 

As luck would have it I ran into two mates from school after the game and I heard their usual excuses why the Mighty St George had lost. It was a good day to be a young Magpie fan. If you have any memories of this day please send me an email or perhaps you would like to nominate another  What a Game from the Kelly Kids era.

Daily Telegraph 15th July, 1968 13 POINTS IN FIVE MINUTES Wests Rampage over the Saints By Ian HeadsWestern Suburbs Rugby Leaque-team, studded with locally produced youngsters, yesterday thrashed St. George 28-19 at Kogarah Oval.A crowd of 16,205 - the second biggest ever at Kogarah Oval saw West's turn on a fantastic second half try scoring spree. In five minutes West's rattled up 13 points from three superb tries and two goals through a bewildered St. George defense. This burst carried them from an 11-10 deficit to a 23-11 lead and it demoralized St. George. St. George had never before been on the wrong end of such a scoring spree West's supporters screamed themselves hoarse hoarse as first winner Mick Alchin. then forwards Steve Winter and John Armstrong raced over for tries between the 22nd and 27th minutes of the second-half. "They were . just too good: they played too well," commented St. George captain Johnny Raper after the match. West's Indeed were far too good once they took charge in the second-half Two wins St. George must be glad West's, now on 16 points, have almost certainly frittered away too many chances to make the semi-finals. But West's will bow out with two memorable victories over St. George. They had defeated St. George 22-6 in the first round. Yesterday's defeat was only St.George's second on their home ground in 14 seasons - the other was against West's in 1966. After yesterday's performance West's no doubt are the 'best-worst' team in the competition. On their day they are capable of  toppling any side in the competition. "Its unreal.. what would you do with them?" coach Noel Kelly said in the dressing room after yesterday's match. Kelly has had to contend with hot and cold  performances throughout the season But yesterday's performance as in the first round against St.George was one of West's, "hottest." Yesterday's win was built around the youngsters in the side. Prospects Young five-eighth Tim Murphy, centre Barry Glasgow, prop Steve Winter, full-back Tony Ford and second-rower Barry Bryant were the stars. Murphy and Winter both 19-year-old rookies are great prospects. Murphy playing only his second grade game, wrought havoc with the St. George defence in the second-half. He had a hand in all three of West's' superb tries in the second-half scoring spree. Yesterday' s game revealed how much St. George need half-back Billy Smith. Smith could not play be cause of injuries. The blanket cover he provides around the ruck was sadly missing. Lock Johnny Raper did everything the could in attack and defence to get the team firing but the old St.George spirit was not there. St.George looked a shade the better side in the first-half and led 9-6 at the break after a smart try by second-rower Graharn Rowen set up by five-eighth Tony Branson. But they fell away in the second-balf. particularly in defence. West's last try by lock John Baker was one of the easiest scored against St. George in recent years. Nippy half-back Bruce Beer slipped around "the open side of a scrum and passed to Baker who raced through a feeble defence. Western Suburbs 28: St. George:19

July 20, 21, 1968- Rugby League News Juniors' part in great winOne of the most satisfying features of lost weekend's spectacular victories was the major contribution made by players from the junior ranks of their district clubs. Take a look at the Wests team that downed St. George-for the second time this season. They included five-eighth Tim Murphy, 19, whose only previous first grade game had been against Souths the previous weekend. He was in Wests' third grade premiership-winning side last season. Murphy was a district junior product, having played for Burwood Christian Brothers and Burwood United. He was drawn from the President's Cup team to Wests' lower grades last season. Other ex-juniors from the district were fullback and goal-kicker Tony Ford, winger Dave Barsley, halfback Bruce Beer, second rower John Armstrong, and also two forwards chosen but unable to play: lock Rod Smith and second rower Jim Cody. The memorable match at Kogarah allowed John Armstrong, chosen in Cody's place, to restore himself to favour by a strong display. It also brought to light emergency lock, 20year~old John Baker. Baker came from Lithgow Workers club, having previously played for Portland Colts. He was in the Western Division side against New Zealand at Lithgow last season.

*******   Well, we found out yesterday who's the best footballer in Australia.    The name is plain William smith and I believe he was sitting in the stand at Kogarah Oval.  St George without Billy went like Lewis without Martin.    Western Suburbs cut them up and groaning Saints fans wished their hearts out for a Smithy called Bill.    One wonders after yesterdays salutory lesson whether St George will continue to allow Billy to get pumped up with pain killers, to run out and to play in games that he shouldn't.    St George are quoted at even-money to win the premiership, but should they be without Smith those odds will go blowing in the wind.