Manly's most obscure games/opponents since 1947

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Brissie Kid

Bencher
Thought this was interesting. Manly's most obscure games/opponents in first class games since 1947 (credit to Manly Warringah Sea Eagles - Head To Head - Rugby League Project )

Brisbane Firsts 4 games 1979-86. All mid week cup. Manly lost the first two at Leichhardt, won the next two in Brisbane.

South Queensland Crushers 4 games 95-97. All ARL comp & all won by Manly. Two games at Brookie.

Adelaide Rams 2 games in 98's first NRL comp. Manly won both (at Brookie & Hindmarsh).

Leeds Rhinos 2 games. WCC games in 2009 (won at Elland Rd) & '12 (lost at Headingly).

QLD Country 2 games. Both mid week cup games at Lang Park in 81 & 83. The 78-4 win in '83 I think is the most points by Manly in a first class game. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles - Records - Rugby League Project

Western Reds 2 games. Won in 95 at Brookie. Lost in 96 at WACA.

Auckland 1 game. A mid week cup draw at Leichardt in 1975. Auckland 'won' on penalty countback.

Central Districts 1 game. Falcons vs Sea Eagles. A mid week cup Manly win 51-2 at Leichardt in 1981. The Falcons were in the mid week cup as they won 1980 New Zealand Rugby League Inter-District Premiership.

Brisbane Easts 1 game. Amco Cup win in 1978 by Manly at Lang Park 27-10.

Great Britain 1 game. Manly won 30-0 at Brookie during the 1988 Lions tour. Toovey's second or third game in the top team.

London 1 game. Lead up to the WCC game in 2009 at what is now called the Twickenham Stoop ground vs London Broncos (or they may have been called London Harlequins RL at the time). Manly won 34-26. The team lists are interesting: Harlequins RL vs. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles - Rugby League Project

Newcastle Firsts 1 game at start of 1976 Amco Cup. Manly won 35-17 at Harker Oval in Newcastle.

North Coast 1 game in 1975 Amco Cup. Played at Lang Park (Manly won 44-2) but fairly certain this was NSW North Coast rep team and not a QLD team.

Western Division 1 game in 1974 Amco Cup played at Orange. Game was a draw but WD won on penalties countback. They beat Penrith in the final.

Brisbane Wests 1 game in 1976 Amco Cup that was another easy Manly win. Lang Park.

Wigan 1 game in 1987 WCC at Central Park in Wigan.

I think Manly have played other teams not listed here on tours to NZ & other states. There was also a state cup played in the 1960s.

Brookie Oval has been visited by Crushers, Rams, Western Reds & Gt Britain.

Dead clubs that regularly played Manly at Brookie include Norths, Wests, St George, Illawarra, Newtown & Balmain.
 
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Mal Reilly & Graham Eadie in the Manly v Western Division game at Orange.

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I went to those games and couldn't understand why they moved first to Carrara then Robina.

Seagulls Club was the best :)

If you mean the ground in west tweed heads...then I went to a few of those games as well!

Though back then I was young, rich, pretty, and famous so the tweed daily news or radio 97 used to let me corporate box it up.*



* we just spent advertising $$$$ with them.
 

Home to roost
4/6/2002
By ADAM LUCIUS - the Manly Daily
THE Manly-run Northern Eagles will play out their remaining matches on the Central Coast before reembracing their old colours, strip and home ground next season.

The threat of legal action convinced the Eagles not to walk away from their existing deal with NorthPower Stadium which covers three more home matches this season.

But after an all-day board meeting yesterday, the Eagles have decided to revert to the name Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in time for the 2003 season and play in the traditional maroon and white outfit.

The board viewed several potential playing strips yesterday and has asked for more versions before deciding on a new uniform.

The club will play most of its home matches at Brookvale Oval, with the option of shifting two or three games to maximise crowd support.

A majority of board members were in favour of an immediate return to Brookvale Oval, but decided against such a drastic move after taking legal advice.

"Not only is there a legal issue there but there is also a moral obligation," chief executive Ian Thomson said yesterday.

"We don't want to be seen as a club that walks way from its obligations."

NorthPower Stadium management, desperate to keep top-level rugby league at the ground, has approached the Eagles with an offer to play half their home games there next year.

But the offer is not likely to receive much support.

"They've come back to us with basically the same deal as this year and it's been shown that is not a viable concern," Thomson said.

He conceded the decision to stick with NorthPower Stadium for the remainder of this season would not be popular with supporters.

But he has asked for understanding and patience as the club continues to unhinge itself from the messy joint venture divorce.

"There is a lot of emotion attached to the name Manly, to the colours and to Brookvale Oval," Thomson said.

"But as I've said all along, we've got to take the emotion out of this and come up with decisions on a business level.

"The best thing the fans can do is keep supporting us at Brookvale and turn up at NorthPower."

The Eagles' short-term future has been assured after a picking up local property developer Max Delmege as a sponsor for the rest of this season.

The deal with Delmege is believed to be worth about $500,000 a season and includes the redevelopment of the club's Brookvale headquarters.
 

Home to roost
4/6/2002
By ADAM LUCIUS - the Manly Daily
THE Manly-run Northern Eagles will play out their remaining matches on the Central Coast before reembracing their old colours, strip and home ground next season.

The threat of legal action convinced the Eagles not to walk away from their existing deal with NorthPower Stadium which covers three more home matches this season.

But after an all-day board meeting yesterday, the Eagles have decided to revert to the name Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in time for the 2003 season and play in the traditional maroon and white outfit.

The board viewed several potential playing strips yesterday and has asked for more versions before deciding on a new uniform.

The club will play most of its home matches at Brookvale Oval, with the option of shifting two or three games to maximise crowd support.

A majority of board members were in favour of an immediate return to Brookvale Oval, but decided against such a drastic move after taking legal advice.

"Not only is there a legal issue there but there is also a moral obligation," chief executive Ian Thomson said yesterday.

"We don't want to be seen as a club that walks way from its obligations."

NorthPower Stadium management, desperate to keep top-level rugby league at the ground, has approached the Eagles with an offer to play half their home games there next year.

But the offer is not likely to receive much support.

"They've come back to us with basically the same deal as this year and it's been shown that is not a viable concern," Thomson said.

He conceded the decision to stick with NorthPower Stadium for the remainder of this season would not be popular with supporters.

But he has asked for understanding and patience as the club continues to unhinge itself from the messy joint venture divorce.

"There is a lot of emotion attached to the name Manly, to the colours and to Brookvale Oval," Thomson said.

"But as I've said all along, we've got to take the emotion out of this and come up with decisions on a business level.

"The best thing the fans can do is keep supporting us at Brookvale and turn up at NorthPower."

The Eagles' short-term future has been assured after a picking up local property developer Max Delmege as a sponsor for the rest of this season.

The deal with Delmege is believed to be worth about $500,000 a season and includes the redevelopment of the club's Brookvale headquarters.
Good article.

Around that time I remember zorba at the turnstiles at gosford asking everyone where they had travelled from. Everyone around me going in had driven up from the northern beaches or north shore
 
The worst of that is the NRL and stats gurus all treating Manly 2002 as being the third NE season. That's fake news. The NRL licence went to Manly after the end of the 2001 season when the joint venture dissolved. Northern Eagles - Head To Head - Rugby League Project

The funniest thing is the Eels are the team who have played the most games at Brookie after Manly. Rugby League Tables / Brookvale
Most Norths fans would have you believe that we cheated them out of the NRL licence, they genuinely believed they had some right to it
 
Can't find anywhere on the net a list of the highest crowds Manly has played in front of for any game. So I've had a go at compiling it from using various other lists. Hope i haven't missed any. Not sure if the the first one really counts as it was four teams.

104,538 v Newcastle, Homebush 6 March 1999 (Manly 'home' game at NRL double header)
81,988 v Warriors, Homebush 2 Oct 2011 (grand final)
81,491 v Rorters, Homebush 6 Oct 2013 (grand final)
81,392 v Storm, Homebush 30 Sept 2007 (grand final)
80,388 v Storm, Homebush 5 Oct 2008 (grand final)
57,343 v Eels, SCG 18 Sept 1976 (grand final)
54,399 v St George, SCG 1957 (grand final)
54,357 v Rorters, SCG 16 Sept 1972 (grand final)
54,255 v Souths, SCG 21 Sept 1968 (grand final)
53,241 v Souths SCG 1970 (grand final)
52,347 v Brisbane, Lang Pk 14 May 2016 (Manly 'home' game)
52,186 v Eels, SCG 26 Sept 1982 (grand final)
52,044 v Cronulla, SCG 1973 (grand final)
51,510 v Cronulla, SCG 1978 (grand final)
50,859 v Broncos, Lang Park Rd 26 2011(away)
50,201 v Canberra SCG 1987 (grand final)
50,130 v Rorters SCG Rd 6 1974 (away)

Highest Brookie crowds are:
27655 Manly v Parramatta Brookvale 31-Aug-1986
26168 Manly v Canberra Brookvale 28-Aug-1994

Highest Attendances for Manly vs Current NRL Clubs
Attendance Opposition Venue Date
52,347 Brisbane Suncorp Stadium 14 May 2016
50,201* Canberra SCG 27 September 1987
41,127* Canterbury SFS 24 September 1995
52,044* Cronulla SCG 15 September 1973
21,374 Gold Coast Titans Skilled Park 4 July 2008
81,392* Storm ANZ Stadium 30 September 2007
104,583 Knights Stadium Australia 6 March 1999
81,988* Warriors ANZ Stadium 2 October 2011
32,611 North Qld SFS 22 September 2007
57,343* Parramatta SCG 18 September 1976
30,609 Penrith Sydney Sports Ground 23 March 1969
54,255* South Sydney SCG 21 September 1968
19,227 St. George Illawarra Dragons Brookvale Oval 13 September 2008
81,491* Roosters ANZ Stadium 6 October 2013
27,564 Wests Tigers ANZ Stadium 23 August 2008
* is grand final
 
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Can't find anywhere on the net a list of the highest crowds Manly has played in front of for any game. So I've had a go at compiling it from using various other lists. Hope i haven't missed any. Not sure if the the first one really counts as it was four teams.

104,538 v Newcastle, Homebush 6 March 1999 (Manly 'home' game at NRL double header)
81,988 v Warriors, Homebush 2 Oct 2011 (grand final)
81,491 v Rorters, Homebush 6 Oct 2013 (grand final)
81,392 v Storm, Homebush 30 Sept 2007 (grand final)
80,388 v Storm, Homebush 5 Oct 2008 (grand final)
57,343 v Eels, SCG 18 Sept 1976 (grand final)
54,399 v St George, SCG 1957 (grand final)
54,357 v Rorters, SCG 16 Sept 1972 (grand final)
54,255 v Souths, SCG 21 Sept 1968 (grand final)
53,241 v Souths SCG 1970 (grand final)
52,347 v Brisbane, Lang Pk 14 May 2016 (Manly 'home' game)
52,186 v Eels, SCG 26 Sept 1982 (grand final)
52,044 v Cronulla, SCG 1973 (grand final)
51,510 v Cronulla, SCG 1978 (grand final)
50,859 v Broncos, Lang Park Rd 26 2011(away)
50,201 v Canberra SCG 1987 (grand final)
50,130 v Rorters SCG Rd 6 1974 (away)

Highest Brookie crowds are:
27655 Manly v Parramatta Brookvale 31-Aug-1986
26168 Manly v Canberra Brookvale 28-Aug-1994

Highest Attendances for Manly vs Current NRL Clubs
Attendance Opposition Venue Date
52,347 Brisbane Suncorp Stadium 14 May 2016
50,201* Canberra SCG 27 September 1987
41,127* Canterbury SFS 24 September 1995
52,044* Cronulla SCG 15 September 1973
21,374 Gold Coast Titans Skilled Park 4 July 2008
81,392* Storm ANZ Stadium 30 September 2007
104,583 Knights Stadium Australia 6 March 1999
81,988* Warriors ANZ Stadium 2 October 2011
32,611 North Qld SFS 22 September 2007
57,343* Parramatta SCG 18 September 1976
30,609 Penrith Sydney Sports Ground 23 March 1969
54,255* South Sydney SCG 21 September 1968
19,227 St. George Illawarra Dragons Brookvale Oval 13 September 2008
81,491* Roosters ANZ Stadium 6 October 2013
27,564 Wests Tigers ANZ Stadium 23 August 2008
* is grand final

That first match ( sporting event ) at the Olympic Stadium was awesome.
To be part of that crowd for the double header is something I'll never forget, the Newcastle chant rocked the place when they had the concrete overhangs at each end.
Four mates went together - 2 x Manly, 2 x Dragons and we all walked away losers but at least Tezza scored the first try ( from memory )
 

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