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Cement trucks, Bear hunts, Northern Eagles and Silvertails: 10 reasons why Manly have made enemies
By Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph
September 22, 2011 8:52AM
How many people do you know whose second team is Manly? Zero?
For the uninitiated, here are the 10 reasons Manly have made so many enemies over four decades.
1. The Silvertails
With no salary cap in the 1980s, the rich bought champions and the poor survived on chook raffles, meat trays, juniors and cheap country imports.
Ken Arthurson had the biggest chequebook in the ARL via a thriving leagues club and superstar Bob Fulton's close friendship with the late Kerry Packer.
In 1980 Arthurson almost destroyed Western Suburbs Magpies by signing second-rower Les Boyd, hooker Ray Brown and fullback or centre John Dorahy in one swoop. Grudge matches between the two clubs became known as the Silvertails versus Fibros.
But even today, Arthurson still brushes off criticism of the Magpies raid. "Did it ever occur to people that Wests pinched those three blokes in the first place? Dorahy from Illawarra, Boyd from Cootamundra and Brown from the Riverina," Arthurson said.
Still, no other club could compete with them financially. They even tried to pinch Peter Sterling from Parramatta in the mid-1980s and Wally Lewis and Gene Miles from the Brisbane competition.
"I laughed at the Silvertails tag because Freddy Jones used to work on the wharf and Terry Randall drove a truck," Arthurson said. "They were as working class as you could get."
2. Northern Eagles
Manly were blamed for killing off North Sydney Bears after a disastrous merger that lasted just two years. It was a marriage that was never going to work because of such a long history of rivalry between the two clubs.
It did nothing for Manly's popularity as the battling Bears were everyone's second team in those days because they were so hopeless.
Even these days, as the Bears attempt to re-establish themselves on the Central Coast, the rivalry still exists with Manly desperately trying to keep north of the harbour bridge as their own junior nursery.
3. Bear hunt
It wasn't just Western Suburbs who felt the pain of Manly's spending power. The Bears lost champion winger Ken Irvine to Manly in 1971 and the freakish Cliff Lyons in 1986. Manly also signed John Gray and Don McKinnon from North Sydney.
"They came to us because they wanted to win premierships," said veteran official Peter Peters, "That was as important as money. They wanted to be win." Arthurson backs it up by revealing: "I tried to talk Ken Irvine into staying at Norths because he was a life member, but he was determined to sign with us."
4. Arko's power
Ken Arthurson was the boss of the NSW Rugby League and ARL from 1983 to 1995 when the Super League war erupted. For more than a decade he was the most influential figure in the game.
Manly's perceived favouritism was one of the reasons so many of the clubs were prepared to listen to Super League executives when the breakaway competition was being discussed and planned. And it was the chance to finally become as wealthy as the Sea Eagles.
5. Whingers
One of the most famous quotes in rugby league history came from Bob Fulton when he declared he'd like to run referee Bill Harrigan over with a cement truck.
The Sea Eagles refuse to just sit back if they feel the NRL has treated them poorly. Coach Des Hasler is still complaining about his champion fullback Brett Stewart being suspended for a month in 2009.
6. Seven tackles
Manly beat Parramatta in a semi-final replay in 1978 on the way to beating Cronulla in the grand final - thanks to controversial referee Greg Hartley. Hartley blundered with his tackle counts seven times - six times favouring Manly.
He also sent off Ray Price, who was later exonerated by the judiciary.
7. Rabbitoh raid
Manly are the only club to win premierships in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. They did it in 1972 by pinching champion prop John O'Neill and Test centre Ray Branighan from South Sydney, outraging Rabbitohs fans.
Arthurson said: "It's funny no-one complained when we lost our greatest player in history Bob Fulton to Eastern Suburbs, yet we weren't allowed to sign anyone."
8. The Poms
Manly have hardly won a competition without importing champions from Great Britain. From Malcolm Reilly, who was their greatest import, to 1987 grand final man-of-the-match Kevin Ward, the Sea Eagles had the cash to raid the English rugby league as often as other Sydney teams.
They had three world-class Poms in 1976 - lock Steve Norton, halfback Gary Stephens and second-rower Phil Lowe - when they steamrolled their way to the title.
9. The 'Bozo' Factor
The league Immortal has always been perceived as having a huge influence over selections for representative football.
Whether it's City-Country, State of Origin or the Kangaroos, Bozo has been involved as either a coach or selector for more than two decades.
Whenever a Manly player is chosen in borderline decisions, it's supposedly because Bozo is involved.
"Bozo's the most competitive person you'll ever meet," Arthurson said. "Of course he loves Manly, but he loves winning too. He has always picked the best available in consultation with the coaches, no matter what club they play for."
10. Enemies within
Paul Vautin v Bob Fulton; Peter Peters v the current board; Max Delmege v the Penn family. Don't worry about fans from other clubs, they even don't get on among themselves. The 1987 premiership-winning skipper Paul Vautin fell out with coach and league Immortal Bob Fulton. They didn't speak for years.
Vautin also fell out with the late chief executive Doug Daley when he was forced to join the Roosters in 1990 after Manly refused to make him an offer.
Max Delmege, the former property tycoon who bailed out the club when they were broke and about to fold, couldn't get on with the Penn family.
Club legend Peter "Zorba" Peters has been involved in feuds with the Delmege family, more recently with new chief executive David Perry, and board members Melinda Gainsford-Taylor and Bob Reilly.
VERY old news I know, but I'm bored and felt like the giggle. Haters gonna hate.
By Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph
September 22, 2011 8:52AM
How many people do you know whose second team is Manly? Zero?
For the uninitiated, here are the 10 reasons Manly have made so many enemies over four decades.
1. The Silvertails
With no salary cap in the 1980s, the rich bought champions and the poor survived on chook raffles, meat trays, juniors and cheap country imports.
Ken Arthurson had the biggest chequebook in the ARL via a thriving leagues club and superstar Bob Fulton's close friendship with the late Kerry Packer.
In 1980 Arthurson almost destroyed Western Suburbs Magpies by signing second-rower Les Boyd, hooker Ray Brown and fullback or centre John Dorahy in one swoop. Grudge matches between the two clubs became known as the Silvertails versus Fibros.
But even today, Arthurson still brushes off criticism of the Magpies raid. "Did it ever occur to people that Wests pinched those three blokes in the first place? Dorahy from Illawarra, Boyd from Cootamundra and Brown from the Riverina," Arthurson said.
Still, no other club could compete with them financially. They even tried to pinch Peter Sterling from Parramatta in the mid-1980s and Wally Lewis and Gene Miles from the Brisbane competition.
"I laughed at the Silvertails tag because Freddy Jones used to work on the wharf and Terry Randall drove a truck," Arthurson said. "They were as working class as you could get."
2. Northern Eagles
Manly were blamed for killing off North Sydney Bears after a disastrous merger that lasted just two years. It was a marriage that was never going to work because of such a long history of rivalry between the two clubs.
It did nothing for Manly's popularity as the battling Bears were everyone's second team in those days because they were so hopeless.
Even these days, as the Bears attempt to re-establish themselves on the Central Coast, the rivalry still exists with Manly desperately trying to keep north of the harbour bridge as their own junior nursery.
3. Bear hunt
It wasn't just Western Suburbs who felt the pain of Manly's spending power. The Bears lost champion winger Ken Irvine to Manly in 1971 and the freakish Cliff Lyons in 1986. Manly also signed John Gray and Don McKinnon from North Sydney.
"They came to us because they wanted to win premierships," said veteran official Peter Peters, "That was as important as money. They wanted to be win." Arthurson backs it up by revealing: "I tried to talk Ken Irvine into staying at Norths because he was a life member, but he was determined to sign with us."
4. Arko's power
Ken Arthurson was the boss of the NSW Rugby League and ARL from 1983 to 1995 when the Super League war erupted. For more than a decade he was the most influential figure in the game.
Manly's perceived favouritism was one of the reasons so many of the clubs were prepared to listen to Super League executives when the breakaway competition was being discussed and planned. And it was the chance to finally become as wealthy as the Sea Eagles.
5. Whingers
One of the most famous quotes in rugby league history came from Bob Fulton when he declared he'd like to run referee Bill Harrigan over with a cement truck.
The Sea Eagles refuse to just sit back if they feel the NRL has treated them poorly. Coach Des Hasler is still complaining about his champion fullback Brett Stewart being suspended for a month in 2009.
6. Seven tackles
Manly beat Parramatta in a semi-final replay in 1978 on the way to beating Cronulla in the grand final - thanks to controversial referee Greg Hartley. Hartley blundered with his tackle counts seven times - six times favouring Manly.
He also sent off Ray Price, who was later exonerated by the judiciary.
7. Rabbitoh raid
Manly are the only club to win premierships in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. They did it in 1972 by pinching champion prop John O'Neill and Test centre Ray Branighan from South Sydney, outraging Rabbitohs fans.
Arthurson said: "It's funny no-one complained when we lost our greatest player in history Bob Fulton to Eastern Suburbs, yet we weren't allowed to sign anyone."
8. The Poms
Manly have hardly won a competition without importing champions from Great Britain. From Malcolm Reilly, who was their greatest import, to 1987 grand final man-of-the-match Kevin Ward, the Sea Eagles had the cash to raid the English rugby league as often as other Sydney teams.
They had three world-class Poms in 1976 - lock Steve Norton, halfback Gary Stephens and second-rower Phil Lowe - when they steamrolled their way to the title.
9. The 'Bozo' Factor
The league Immortal has always been perceived as having a huge influence over selections for representative football.
Whether it's City-Country, State of Origin or the Kangaroos, Bozo has been involved as either a coach or selector for more than two decades.
Whenever a Manly player is chosen in borderline decisions, it's supposedly because Bozo is involved.
"Bozo's the most competitive person you'll ever meet," Arthurson said. "Of course he loves Manly, but he loves winning too. He has always picked the best available in consultation with the coaches, no matter what club they play for."
10. Enemies within
Paul Vautin v Bob Fulton; Peter Peters v the current board; Max Delmege v the Penn family. Don't worry about fans from other clubs, they even don't get on among themselves. The 1987 premiership-winning skipper Paul Vautin fell out with coach and league Immortal Bob Fulton. They didn't speak for years.
Vautin also fell out with the late chief executive Doug Daley when he was forced to join the Roosters in 1990 after Manly refused to make him an offer.
Max Delmege, the former property tycoon who bailed out the club when they were broke and about to fold, couldn't get on with the Penn family.
Club legend Peter "Zorba" Peters has been involved in feuds with the Delmege family, more recently with new chief executive David Perry, and board members Melinda Gainsford-Taylor and Bob Reilly.
VERY old news I know, but I'm bored and felt like the giggle. Haters gonna hate.
