Roosters dominate season to claim 1976 Under 23s title

Fifty years on, the Roosters are proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the 1976 Under 23s team and remember it as one of the finest ever Roosters lower grade teams.

The Under 23s competition was played between 1973 and 1981 and then between 1985 and 1987. It replaced the old third grade competition, and the 1976 premiership would be the Club’s only Under 23s title.

The team was coached by Bill Anderson, who was later to become first grade coach of South Sydney (1980 – 1982) and Balmain (1987), a rugby league commentator with Channel 10, coach of the NSW Sheffield Shield cricket team and manager of Australian champion batsman Usman Khawaja.

32 players were used by the Roosters in the Under 23s team in 1976, all of whom had played for Roosters junior league clubs earlier in their careers.

Of those 32 players, 13 played first grade at some stage of the 1976 season and four others played first grade for the Club either prior to or after the 1976 season. By the time the finals came around 19-year-old Kevin Hastings and 20-year-old Robert ‘Rocky’ Laurie, after starting the season in Under 23s, were established first graders, who were to, later in their careers, go on to represent New South Wales. Neither played Under 23s in the second half of the season.

Apart from Hastings and Laurie, forwards Garry Metcalfe (prop), Mal Connor (hooker) and Michael Mosman (prop), John Mackay (second row) and fullbacks Eric Ferguson and Greg Townsend went on to have solid careers in first grade. John Rheinberger (centre) had played in a first grade premiership winning team for the Roosters in 1975, whilst halfback and captain Bob Farrugia (1975-1977), Bill Markou (1975-1978), Ray Cupic (1975), Michael Windeatt (1976), Stuart Kelly (1976), Peter Reed (1977), Garry Hardaker (1975), Mark Snuggs (1976) and Bill Healey (1978) all played first grade for the Roosters.

Sadly, six squad members have passed away (Robert ‘Rocky’ Laurie, Mal Connor, Ray Cupic, Bill Markou, Phil Jacobsen and Mark Snuggs) and we think of them as we reflect on the deeds of the team of which they were such an important part.

The team finished as minor premiers having lost just 2 (to 7th placed Western Suburbs and 4th placed Cronulla-Sutherland) of their 22 minor premiership games - five points clear of second placed Canterbury-Bankstown, who they would go on to play in both the major semi-final and Grand Final. They won their first 12 matches of the season, beating every other team in the competition and Manly-Warringah twice.

When including their two finals matches, the team lost just two games all year and conceded an average of just 8.29 points per game. No other team, in any grade in 1976, came close to such an outstanding defensive record. In exactly half of their games, including both finals matches, they held their opponents to single figures and in five games their opponents were tryless.

The full list of the 32 players used during the Under 23s season was as follows:

The full season record for the side was as follows:

Top Point Scorer: Bob Farrugia (22 games: 10 tries, 51 goals; 132 points)

Top Try Scorer: Bob Farrugia (22 games: 10 tries)

Back Row: Doug Fry (Club President), Bill Anderson (Coach), Eric Fergsuon, John Mackay, Garry Metcalfe, Michael Mosman, Peter Reed, Mal Connor, Sid Mooney (Sprint Co-Ordinator), Frank O’Connor (U23s Secretary), Mick Souter (Conditioner)

Middle Row: Paul West, Paul Burman, Bill Markou, Bob Farrugia (Captain), Stuart Kelly, John Rheinberger, Michael Windeatt

Front Row: Graham Lawrence, Ray Jones, Geoff Peard, Phil Jacobson, Ray Cupic, Garry Hardaker, Leo Daley

Kneeling: Shaun Kennedy (Ball Boy)

After earning a week off for being minor premiers, the Roosters faced Canterbury-Bankstown in the major semi-final. It was not a close game, with the Roosters prevailing 29-2 (when tries were worth just three points) with Eric Ferguson, Bob Farrugia, John Mackay, Peter Reed and Michael Mosman crossing for tries and Ferguson kicking 7 goals.

That win earned the Roosters another week off as they watched the Canterbury-Bankstown Berries win their way into the grand final with an 18-17 win over 3rd placed Parramatta.

The Roosters were not able to field their semi-final winning team in the Grand Final, after right winger Bill Healey (later in life to become Deputy Chairman of the Roosters) suffered a collapsed lung on the Monday night before the game. Healey was replaced by Paul Burman, who had come on late in the semi-final as a replacement for Eric Ferguson.

The grand final had a fiery start with both forward packs exchanging punches and it took some cajoling from referee Kevin Roberts to settle the teams down. Once the football broke out it was the Roosters who took early control. A penalty goal to Roosters fullback Eric Ferguson from 30 metres out gave the Roosters first points and in the 17th minute, following another big charge from prop Garry Metcalfe, hooker Mal Connor dived over near the posts and with the Ferguson conversion the Roosters led 7-0.

28 minutes into the game, Metcalfe was again an absolute handful for the Berries defence, and after surging on to a pass from a tap kick, Metcalfe freed his arms to slip the ball to halfback and captain Bob Farrugia, who crossed for his 11th try of the season.

Leading 10-0 with half time approaching the Roosters put on a blind side move which saw second rower John Mackay relay a floating pass to lock forward Bill Markou who beat a number of defenders to the line. After a second successive missed conversion, the Roosters went to the break with a commanding 13-0 lead and the premiership was within their grasp.

With the Roosters dominating first half possession, the Berries made a tactical change at half time, bringing in hooker Pat English, who subsequently won the first six scrums of the half. With the benefit of that possession the Berries eventually broke down the Roosters defence when hard running second rower Geoff Robinson (who would go on to play nine seasons of first grade with Canterbury, including the 1980 and 1984 grand final wins), broke through three Roosters defenders to score under the posts and the Roosters lead was cut to 13-5 after the Ray Kear conversion.

A 53rd minute penalty goal restored the Roosters lead to 10 and the Roosters led 15-5. With the title just about secured, the Roosters shut out any possible Berries miracle finish by scoring again in the 73rd minute. Farrugia toed through a loose ball on halfway, before kicking it again and then diving on the ball 10 metres out from Canterbury’s line. Without a hand on him, Farrugia bounced to his feet and found prop Garry Metcalfe in support, who scored a most deserving try under the posts. The Ferguson conversion completed the scoring at 20-5. Late in the game Ray Cupic replaced Garry Metcalfe in the forwards and Geoff Peard, brother of John, came onto the field for Stuart Kelly at five eighth.

The Roosters were well deserved Premiers, having convincingly defeated their finals opponents. They had proudly defended their line throughout the season and conceded just one try in the final series.

The influence of first grade head coach Jack Gibson on the defensive mentality of the team is certainly worth noting, with all three grades training together in those days at the Roosters.

Halfback and captain Bob Farrugia, who was to be crowned the competition’s 1976 Player of the Year, recalls the club’s emphasis and pride in keeping their opposition from scoring.

“After the first few matches of the season in which we kept our opposition to low scores, the team was determined to keep each opponent to the lowest score possible, and each individual was committed to not letting their team mates down by missing crucial tackles”.

The strength and mobility of the Roosters forward pack would wear down opponents and restrict their ability to attack as a consequence.

Despite using 32 players through the season there was great stability in that first-choice forward pack. Garry Metcalfe (prop) missed just one game, Mal Connor (hooker) missed four, Michael Mosman (prop) missed three and Bill Markou (lock) missed only four.

That Roosters 1976 Under 23s team will be remembered for that extraordinary defensive resolve and for representing the club with great distinction. With the 13-import rule in its second season, the Club desperately need the Club’s juniors to step up - and with this group of players the Roosters had plenty who would fill the breach left by those forced out of the club by the introduction of the rule.

In 2026, 50 years later, we celebrate their achievements and their place in Roosters history.