Most memorable Manly game in your lifetime

[Andy 1972]

One game that sticks out for me for enjoyment was the 1996 semi against Cronulla to get in the grand final. The week before this game I went to my local chinese shop in a Manly jersey to pick up dinner. Two idiot Cronulla fans were there telling me that Cronulla were going to "flog you Manly b****es next week." We flogged them 24-0, and after the game I went to the same shop in the same jersey, and lo and behold one of these cretins was there again. I remember looking at him and saying "Gee, how good were Cronulla today." To which I was told to "f... off." I've never laughed so hard.

Andy1972
Manly Forever.

 

[KOMORI]

'95, round 17 v Drugcastle.

Watched it at Hill St Night Club @ Cooloongatta (free entry before 9; 2 for 1 drinks before midnight.... WIN!!)

Spud Vs "the chief"

Tooves and Cliffy Vs the Johns bros....

We got up 34-18, Spud OWNED Harragon, Cliffy schooled the Johns and I drunkenly swear he dummied to a touch judge who damn near dropped his flag to catch a ball that EVERYONE, including the defense, thought was going to him.... All the while Cliffy wanders over the line as nonchalant as you please.... Tooves scores from a scrum on halfway.... I went home with a girl who looked just like a young angelina Jolie... So much win!

😉

 

[mickqld]

'95, round 17 v Drugcastle.

Watched it at Hill St Night Club @ Cooloongatta (free entry before 9; 2 for 1 drinks before midnight.... WIN!!)

Spud Vs "the chief"

Tooves and Cliffy Vs the Johns bros....

We got up 34-18, Spud OWNED Harragon, Cliffy schooled the Johns and I drunkenly swear he dummied to a touch judge who damn near dropped his flag to catch a ball that EVERYONE, including the defense, thought was going to him.... All the while Cliffy wanders over the line as nonchalant as you please.... Tooves scores from a scrum on halfway.... I went home with a girl who looked just like a young angelina Jolie... So much win!

😉

There used to be some great nightclubs in Cooly now there's hardly any. Coolangatta hotel and the Sands is about it these days.

 

[Merdy33]

1976 Grand Final. I watched it at a mate's place. We were only young kids at the time, but it cemented a friendship which has lasted to this day

1978 Final v Wests. My parents were at a wedding and I watched it at my grandmother's. I remember Wombat jumping in the air after he kicked a vital goal, and Randall smashing Donnelly a couple of times

1981 semi final v Cronulla at the SCG. Being from the bush it was my first live game

1986 semi final v Paramatta at Brookvale, the day the ground record was set. A couple of mates and I were about 10 deep where the Arthurson stand is now. We had to win by a certain number of points to make the top 3. We lost.

1987 v Souths at Redfern. Ronny Gibbs' try was mentioned earlier, but he also hit Fenech in a crunching tackle at one stage. Nothing spectacular about it, but Fenech got up, played the ball and then slumped back to the ground clutching his shoulder. Just something that stuck in my mind.

Forget the year, but it was about 2003-2004. We were flogged by Penrith at Penrith. A mate and I decided to go to Brookvale to watch the next game against Newcastle. We turned it around and won. Great day.

2007 GF - my first live GF
2008 GF
2011 GF

Heaps more, but these are what came to mind straight away.

 

[Boozo]

One game that sticks out for me for enjoyment was the 1996 semi against Cronulla to get in the grand final. The week before this game I went to my local chinese shop in a Manly jersey to pick up dinner. Two idiot Cronulla fans were there telling me that Cronulla were going to "flog you Manly b****es next week." We flogged them 24-0, and after the game I went to the same shop in the same jersey, and lo and behold one of these cretins was there again. I remember looking at him and saying "Gee, how good were Cronulla today." To which I was told to "f... off." I've never laughed so hard.

Andy1972
Manly Forever.

I live amongst 'em Andy so any victory over Cronulla is special but I remember that one well 'cos I copped so much sh*t from rabid Cronulla supporters all week before the game. It was an especially sweet day and following week at work. They hate us because any time they make a final, Manly smack their butts.

There was another final against the Sharks in '95 where they were home and hosed, way out in front only to see Manly run them down and win 24-20. I have both these games on a tape called 'Shark Fin Soup'

I attend most Manly games at Shark Park and after decades of fruitless trips, the best win was beating them there 29-27 in '07. The Sea Eagles had endured years of dud calls (the scene of the infamous 'cement truck' incident when Hotpants Harrigan sent Des to the bin) and hadn't won there in 21 years. They returned in '08 to smack them 34-6 and smash the hoodoo once and for all down there. Shark Park is now a happy hunting ground us.

 

[effnic]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-05-29/miraculous-manly-cruise-home-against-penrith/1581736

This.

I actually shed tears at fulltime from excitment. So happy i have it on dvd.

 

[Dan79]

I am surprised it took so long for this one to be mentioned in the thread. I live in Newcastle, so it was a very memorable game for me, i was on the hill just above the corner where Harragon and Spud had some of the biggest hits you would ever see. A great moment surrounded by knights fans, including the idiots i went with as a teenager.

'95, round 17 v Drugcastle.

Watched it at Hill St Night Club @ Cooloongatta (free entry before 9; 2 for 1 drinks before midnight.... WIN!!)

Spud Vs "the chief"

Tooves and Cliffy Vs the Johns bros....

We got up 34-18, Spud OWNED Harragon, Cliffy schooled the Johns and I drunkenly swear he dummied to a touch judge who damn near dropped his flag to catch a ball that EVERYONE, including the defense, thought was going to him.... All the while Cliffy wanders over the line as nonchalant as you please.... Tooves scores from a scrum on halfway.... I went home with a girl who looked just like a young angelina Jolie... So much win!

😉

 

[Bradza]

There used to be a bloke on the old one eyed eagle site that copied and sold old games (illegally of course). We bought the following games from him that were mentioned above;
61-0 v Dragons
46-12 v Canberra 1991
48-14 v Balmain in 1987
64-12 v Parra in 1988
Beating Roosters 34-6 in 1996 in one of the first Monday night games at SFS

Mostly they were games he had copied from the tv so the quality was only average. The 61-0 was actually filmed from the back of the Jane Try stand and has no commentary or sound except for the crowd noise. It makes it pretty strange to watch!

I also have the 34-24 win over the Roosters from 1997 on video. It was actually 0-18 down after 20 mins but we came back to 16-18 at half time. Beaver put Andrew Hunter away for the final try and the Brookie hill is going ballistic as he runs 60 metres down the sideline. That never fails to put a big smile on my face!

 

[Shoe1]

I used to love the midweek cup games, and one I had on video for some time was Manly flogging Queensland Country 78-4 - 1983 KB Cup at Lang Park. Manly had a fair few reserve graders in, and I remember the blake brothers carving them up at will - Phil may have got 4 tries, and he gave one to Bruce Walker when he was already over the line.

There were also games against a combined brisbane side which had many future broncos and origin players in it. These matches were truly exciting and exotic, because teams competed from separate league universes.

Check out some of the teams here:
http://soaringseaeagles.hammersites.net/results/midweekcup.htm

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

For me it was round 7 in 1975 agaist Newtown at Henson Park . Manly won 25-12.

Memorable because it was the first game of footy I ever went to . I knew nothing about nothing back in those days . We lived at Petersham at the time , so Dad took me a long .

Memorable because on that Sunday arvo I discovered this great club and began a journey that has brought me countless years of enjoyment .

I basically became a Manly tragic that day because they won . I often wonder what would have become of me if the Jets had got up instead of Manly , but geez I'm so glad they didn't .

I echo these comments but my first match @ Brookie was in May 1967. Manly vs Sharks. I was eight. Manly won 39-5 and the young Bozo set up Les Hanigan at least 5 times for a quintuplet. When there was 5 minutes left someone yelled out 'Come on Sharkies there's still time !".

But for me, apart from the '08 GF, the stand out match, which triggered the most violent passions at the time, it still gives me goosebumps thinking about it, was the 1978 Sept day Ray Price kicked Eadie in the head in the in-goal. 43,000 people were at the SCG on a WEDNESDAY !. If Hartley hadn't sent Price off, there would have been 22,000 Manly fans on the pitch. Despite not being able to see properly Eadie kicked 4, . . . . .and there was the famous, splendid, enemy-destroying try scored by Russell Gartner from behind the scrum, he beat Peter Sterling ! and he never looked faster than he did on that day - that moment.
What a match ! MWSE 17, Parra 11.

 

[bones]

I used to love the midweek cup games, and one I had on video for some time was Manly flogging Queensland Country 78-4 - 1983 KB Cup at Lang Park. Manly had a fair few reserve graders in, and I remember the blake brothers carving them up at will - Phil may have got 4 tries, and he gave one to Bruce Walker when he was already over the
http://soaringseaeagles.hammersites.net/results/midweekcup.htm

I remember that game. Billy J Smith was on the commentary. I had it on video for ages too but it's long gone now.

 

[jabroni]

Manly's comeback win against the sharks this. The vibes in the supportahs area was amazing.

 

[HELLAS_EAGLES]

Beafa - i remember that game. One of Cliffy's best ever. The Saturday arvo game on the ABC were the best. Thanks for posting this game - great memories. I recall some of my mates were at this game and were copping it all day, as we had lost the lower grades. Cliffy's magic soon put a halt to that.

Cheers.

 

[lsz]

http://www.nrl.com/Video/tabid/10959/Default.aspx

Worth a look...

You can find games from 2005 on

 

[Nuttybott]

Most memorable Manly game in your lifetime

Can you remember something that was not in your lifetime? 😀

On the topic – there are so many memories of wonderful Manly victories that it's almost impossible to choose one. Following the fortunes of the mighty Sea Eagles has been one constant in my life since childhood. In fact it has been in my life longer than practically anything else - longer than my kids, my job, my relationships, my home … no wonder we get emotional about our footy!

Oddly, one match that stands out is one I never saw. It was 1971, I was a kid with Saturday arvo sporting commitments, but Manly were playing the match of the day against the might of Souths, who back then really were a genuinely mighty side. But we had been building, and that year had brought in Mal Reilly to join the other superstar we had in Bobby Fulton.

This day I went to the lengths of asking my mum to tape record Frank Hyde's 2SM commentary so I could listen when I got home. When I got home and listened I wasn't disappointed, we scored a clear cut win. And Frank's call of our 2 superstars combining down the left for a couple of classic tries always sticks in my mind. Reilly had chipped and ran through and Bozo was beating players with a subtle swerve and speed. Frank was in awe of these guys, he said Reilly doesn't so much run, he lopes along like a gazelle.

Anyway I later saw a couple of highlights on the tv news, but never got to watch the whole match. Though we didn't go on to win our first premiership that year, everyone knew from then on it was just a matter of time.

I remember this game too! It was in Round 7 on 8th May 1971 at the SCG. I remember it particularly well, because it was the first time I had ever seen Manly beat Souths, the Premiers and top side of the day. Well, I say "seen"...I didn't actually SEE it, and neither did anyone else who wasn't there at the ground, because 1971 was the season the NSWRL ordered a blackout of TV coverage of Sydney rugby league games*

Like you, I exprerienced the game through Frank Hyde's commentary on 2SM. I remember Frank used to pronounce Mal Reilly's name as "Riley". I remember he also said before the game that he would be delighted to see Manly win.

And win they did! Even though Souths were missing several of their big stars through injury that day (including skipper John Sattler), Manly produced a scintillating three tries to one performance to win 15-7...leaving one very delighted little boy dancing with joy around his living room in Springwood. 😀

By the way, you don't still have your recording of that game by any chance, do you? I would love to hear it again!

*It's funny, but I have never met one single other person who remembers this [the TV blackout] - but it definitely happened. After the 1970 season, the League decided that TV coverage was the reason for falling attendances at games, and promptly banned all TV coverage for the 1971 season. The only game shown on TV at all that year was the Grand Final between Souths and St George...and even THAT wasn't shown live, just an hour long highlights package later that Saturday night.

Other than that, the blackout was total...and that is what makes me think that maybe your memory of seeing the highlights of the 1971 Manly-Souths game on the news may be mixed up with another season, as no news film was allowed to be shot at all that year. That is why - try as you might - you will never find any film footage of a 1971 Sydney league game apart from the GF. But because the ban produced no significant increase in matchday attendances, the League relented and re-instated TV coverage for 1972.

But as I said, NO-ONE else seems to remember this happening...even Bob Fulton (who was actually playing in the Sydney comp in 1971) didn't remember it when I asked him. Go figure... :huh:

 

[Manly To Win!]

Toss up between the 2008 match against Parra at Parra when Bryant had to play on with an injured leg, the 2nd comeback against Penrith at Brookvale in 2007 when Burns kicked the winning penalty goal, the game last year vs Souths when Hodgkinson kicked 2 field goals in the last 7 minutes to win the match, the 2006 match vs Melbourne at Brookvale which we won 34-12 in which Bryant scored and we dominated, the 2nd half of the semi vs Nth Qld this year when we scored 4 times in quick succession to end the match, the Cronulla match this year when Oldfield scored in the last second to win the match, the 2006 game against Newcastle at Newcastle in which we won and Johns got reported for swearing at the touch judge, the 2006 game vs Roosters at Brookvale which we won 30-22 and everyone stood and sang 'Eagle Rock' after the siren sounded, the 2008 Grand Final... and I could go on awhile longer.

We really do follow an excellent club.

 

[brookie for ever]

TERRY HILL TRY AGANIST BRISBANE TO WIN GAME LATE 90S
REMEMBER IT EVERY DAY LOVE TO GET A COPY

 

[WAMF]

Another memorable game was in 1980 when I scored my first try playing in the under 7's for the Rose Bay Rams.

 

[bones]

TERRY HILL TRY AGANIST BRISBANE TO WIN GAME LATE 90S
REMEMBER IT EVERY DAY LOVE TO GET A COPY

I think that game finished in a draw.

 

[HELLAS_EAGLES]

Some of the most memorable games for me have already been chosen. Therefore I'll pick another. I can still remember Cliffy on a lazy Saturday in April 1991 (round 6) destroying the Premiers Canberra at Bruce Stadium. The score was 46 to 12. In typical Manly style, the first half was outstanding with the maestro doing what he did best; putting people through gaps that only he could see. He did everything right. The second half was controlled and we just never gave them a sniff. Remember watching it at home and fortunately I recorded it. It was a live Sat arvo game with Arthur Beetson and Warren Bowland commentating. I would watch that tape over and over and over. Gave me so much joy. This is outside the scope of the question but does anyone remember Toovey scoring a try in 1992 game against Penrith where he went from a scrum 60 metres beating 6-7 players. He then handed off to one of my all time favs Craig Hancock to score. Was at Brookie that day. Can still remember the roar for the little Warrior. I have that on tape too.

Beafa - i remember that game. One of Cliffy's best ever. The Saturday arvo game on the ABC were the best. Thanks for posting this game - great memories. I recall some of my mates were at this game and were copping it all day, as we had lost the lower grades. Cliffy's magic soon put a halt to that.

Cheers.