1980 Roosters grand final team - reminiscing

[Carlos Parra]

Fullback: Martin Leonard GURR (Nickname: Hammer)
Student - Age Today: 63 years and 260 days

Winger: David MICHAEL
Age Today: 63 years and 302 days

Centre: Kerry Richard BOUSTEAD (Nickname: Bowie)
Student - Age Today: 62 years and 290 days

Centre: Noel CLEAL (Nickname: Crusher)
Pig Farmer - Age Today: 64 years and 225 days

Winger: Stephen Glenn MCFARLANE (Nickname: Bozo)
Clerk - Age Today: 63 years and 220 days

Five Eighth: Ken WRIGHT
Age Today: 66 years, 48 days

Halfback: Kevin HASTINGS (Nickname: Horrie / GOD)
Age Today: 65 years and 144 days
Other:

• Amco Cup player of the series in 1979
• Rugby League Week Player of the Year in 1980, 1981 and 1982
• Won the Rothmans Medal in 1981
• Won the Dally M Halfback of the Year in 1980, 1981 and 1982
• Won the "Toughest Competitor Alive" event in 2015

Lock: Gary William Edward WARNECKE
Electrician - Age Today: 65 years and 100 days

Second Row: Desmond Charles O'REILLY (Nickname: Big Des)
Student - Died: Monday, 7th March, 2016 (Aged 61 years and 109 days)

Second Row: John TOBIN (Nickname: Tobes)
Age Today: 62 years and 290 days

Front Row / Captain: Royce AYLIFFE
Age Today: 66 years and 148 days

Hooker: John LANG
Machinist - Age Today: 71 years and 203 days

Front Row: John Michael HARVEY (Nickname: Harves)
Cellarman - Age Today: 67 years and 40 days

[zac]

feel sick every time i see that steve gearin try

[Tom Verlaine's Ghost]

It was a funny year. Lost the first three and everyone thought, here we go, this is going to be a repeat of the previous year. But we had a truckload of new players and it all took a while to come together. Once Cleal, Lang, Tobin and co found their feet, we were very hard to beat.

Goalkicking was a problem; at different stages we tried Fairfax, Hastings, Barry Andrews, Ken Wright and even Noel Cleal. Ron Giteau solved that problem in 1981.

I really enjoyed 1980. Disappointing to lose the big one, but so many highlights, especially the preliminary final where we demolished Wests and Kenny Wright had a blinder.

[easts4eva]

My very first 'life's not fair' lesson lol.

[Bruce Pickett]

feel sick every time i see that steve gearin try

Agree. That and the extremely overated Scott Sattler tackle. Both get repeated ad nauseaum.

Nauseating.

[Thirteen]

Agree. That and the extremely overated Scott Sattler tackle. Both get repeated ad nauseaum.

Nauseating.

Scott Sattler was an average player who is still today riding the wave of that tackle.

[bondi paul]

Warnecke !!!!!

[redwhiteblue]

Agree. That and the extremely overated Scott Sattler tackle. Both get repeated ad nauseaum.

Nauseating.

I was in San Francisco so as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't count if you are in another country..

[redwhiteblue]

Fullback: Martin Leonard GURR (Nickname: Hammer)
Student - Age Today: 63 years and 260 days

Winger: David MICHAEL
Age Today: 63 years and 302 days

Centre: Kerry Richard BOUSTEAD (Nickname: Bowie)
Student - Age Today: 62 years and 290 days

Centre: Noel CLEAL (Nickname: Crusher)
Pig Farmer - Age Today: 64 years and 225 days

Winger: Stephen Glenn MCFARLANE (Nickname: Bozo)
Clerk - Age Today: 63 years and 220 days

Five Eighth: Ken WRIGHT
Age Today: 66 years, 48 days

Halfback: Kevin HASTINGS (Nickname: Horrie / GOD)
Age Today: 65 years and 144 days
Other:

• Amco Cup player of the series in 1979
• Rugby League Week Player of the Year in 1980, 1981 and 1982
• Won the Rothmans Medal in 1981
• Won the Dally M Halfback of the Year in 1980, 1981 and 1982
• Won the "Toughest Competitor Alive" event in 2015

Lock: Gary William Edward WARNECKE
Electrician - Age Today: 65 years and 100 days

Second Row: Desmond Charles O'REILLY (Nickname: Big Des)
Student - Died: Monday, 7th March, 2016 (Aged 61 years and 109 days)

Second Row: John TOBIN (Nickname: Tobes)
Age Today: 62 years and 290 days

Front Row / Captain: Royce AYLIFFE
Age Today: 66 years and 148 days

Hooker: John LANG
Machinist - Age Today: 71 years and 203 days

Front Row: John Michael HARVEY (Nickname: Harves)
Cellarman - Age Today: 67 years and 40 days

That was the year I started collecting Scanlens bubble gum cards. I had Kerry Boustead, Royce Ayliffe, Kevin Hastings, Marty Gurr and Johnny Lang. I think Royce was on one of my school folders.

[Carlos Parra]

It was a funny year. Lost the first three and everyone thought, here we go, this is going to be a repeat of the previous year. But we had a truckload of new players and it all took a while to come together. Once Cleal, Lang, Tobin and co found their feet, we were very hard to beat.

Goalkicking was a problem; at different stages we tried Fairfax, Hastings, Barry Andrews, Ken Wright and even Noel Cleal. Ron Giteau solved that problem in 1981.

I really enjoyed 1980. Disappointing to lose the big one, but so many highlights, especially the preliminary final where we demolished Wests and Kenny Wright had a blinder.

Great memories. From that era I remember Noel and Les Cleal tearing up St George at Jubilee Oval with massive barnstorming runs up the middle. I can't remember the year though.

[Team Evil]

I was 9 years old, had moved to Sydney from Melbourne, and went to Rosebay public. Hence followed the Roosters ever since.
I can remember switching between the Collingwood game and Roosters, we lost both and it took me a very long time to see us win.

[Headless Chook]

feel sick every time i see that steve gearin try

What about the Chris Anderson try off a pass that was at least a metre forward but not called by Bulldogs member Greg Hartley!

[Tom Verlaine's Ghost]

Great memories. From that era I remember Noel and Les Cleal tearing up St George at Jubilee Oval with massive barnstorming runs up the middle. I can't remember the year though.

1982. Les only played the one season in Sydney.

[Inflictor]

The thing that piissed me off from that era is the pillaging of our team by Manly.

[King Salvo]

Not sure what happened in that GF game although I did hear that Fulton flogged then at training leading up to the game. They looked flat and played accordingly.

The only break or half break I recall them making all game was David Michael's one.

Hartley penalised them out of the game in my view and missed several forward passes which one of them led to a try and was awarded the Golden Bulldog as the Dogs player of the match in the Grand Final.

$5 Grand final ticket for General Admission