A TRIBUTE TO JACK GIBSON

As a player he was feared, as a coach he was feted, as a man he was admired. (reference)

Jack Gibson was the most influential of coaches rugby league has had. His approach, methods and principles are still evident in the game today, for decades after he gave up coaching. In a time before jack ex players would step up to coach but now coaches are bred for the job. He also introduced the Monday night video replay into the coaches tool box.

the use of video evidence is not always conclusive, but it sure beats the
memory bank of most witnesses (reference)

Jack has always showed the ability to produce quality one liners or quotes that without fail perfectly summed up a situation. No one will forget his famous quote, "ding dong the witch is dead" after parramatta won a grand final after 34 years. Some how he alway knew the right quote for the right situations.

A former Easts, Newtown and Western Suburbs front-rower who played 162 first grade games, Gibson began coaching at the Roosters in 1967, taking the Bondi side that hadn't won a game the previous year to the semi-finals. His premiership-winning Roosters and Eels teams are regarded as some of the most brilliant club sides ever assembled. He also coached the NSW state origin team in 1989-1990. In 16 seasons of coaching over 21 years, his teams made the finals 11 times, won five premierships, three pre-season titles, one Amco Cup and five club championships. And every club was better for his involvement.

The gap between Gibson and the rest accelerated from that trip, the first by a rugby league coach to the US. He was the first to introduce tackle counts, regulated weight training, more scientific fitness assessment, video analysis and more.

He was The Innovator. The Master Coach. The Caring Coach. (reference)

Played strong, done fine (Jack Arthur gibson, 1929-2008)

Milestones and main events of rugby league

• 1907: NSW Rugby League formed.
• 1908: First Club formed (Glebe), followed by Souths, Newtown, Easts, Norths, Balmain, Wests, Newcastle and Cumberland. First Premiership games played in NSW. NSW wins first interstate game over QLD. Souths win first Premiership. First Kangaroo tour.
• 1909: Members of the 1908-09 Rugby Union Wallabies agreed to play Rugby League.
• 1910: Presidents Cup introduced for competition between junior representative teams. First England team tours Australia. First country competition (in Newcastle).
• 1911: Rugby League first played at Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Sports Ground. Dally Messenger scored 72 points in three-match series against QLD.
• 1912: McKivat’s 1911-12 Kangaroos first to win the Ashes.
• 1913: Rugby League first played in Sydney schools.1916: Interstate football suspended due to war, (resumed in 1919).
• 1919: First Australian tour to New Zealand.
• 1920: First edition of The Rugby League News published.
• 1922: First QLD win over NSW.1924: First radio broadcast of Rugby League.1928: First official City v Country match. First night match at Sydney Showground.
• 1942: Interstate football suspended due to war, (resumed in 1945).1947: Clive Churchill signs with Souths.
• 1950: Australia wins Ashes after 30 years. Death of League founder, J.J. Giltinan. (Giltinan Shield is established in 1951.)
• 1957: Australia hosts the Rugby League World Cup for the first time.
• 1961: Rugby League’s first televised game, (Balmain v Norths). First Rugby League Sevens tournament played.
• 1965: Record Grand Final attendance. 78,056 fans watch Saints win tenth consecutive Premiership.
• 1967: Live telecast on all four channels of Souths v Canterbury Grand Final.1974: Home and away football introduced. Big League Magazine replaces The Rugby League News.
• 1977: First drawn Grand Final, (St George v Parramatta).
• 1979: First night Rugby League match played at the SCG.1980: First State of Origin game played at Lang Park. QLD wins 20-10.
• 1982: Winfield sponsorship of the NSWRL commences.
• 1986: Peter Sterling wins inaugural Clive Churchill Medal for best player in the Grand Final.
• 1988: Rugby League leaves the SCG for the Sydney Football Stadium.
• 1989: Tina Turner is signed to Rugby League’s advertising campaign. What You Get Is What You See becomes the game’s anthem. Premiership crowds top 2 million for the first time. NSWRL Coaching and Development Academy is established at Narrabeen.
• 1990: Salary cap is introduced by NSWRL.
• 1991: The Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Bill passes through Parliament, ending cigarette-company sponsorship of sport.
• 1992: Bill Harrigan wins the Rugby League Week Players’ Poll rating as the premiership’s best referee.
• 1995-1997: Super League war.
• 1998: National Rugby League formed.
• 2000: Sydney hosts the Olympic Games. First Grand Final played at Stadium Australia.
• 2001: Telstra becomes major sponsor of the NRL.
• 2002: Souths are re-instated into the national competition. Bulldogs salary cap scandal sees them penalised 17 competition points and fined $500,000.2003: The Hoodoo Gurus perform That’s My Team for the new NRL ad campaign. NRL computer game launched. Total attendance for Rugby League exceeds 3.17 million.
• 2005: The NRL record the codes highest ever crowd average for a regular season with on average 16,468 attending each game that season.
• 2006: The NRL holds the first ever Rugby League Grand Final in the competitions 98 year history involving no New South Wales teams. Brisbane win their sixth Grand Final, defeating Melbourne in the final 15 – 8.
• 2007: The Telstra Premiership grows to 16 clubs with the Gold Coast Titans joining.

100 years of rugby league

From humble beginnings the game of rugby league has grown to become an iconic part of the everyday life in Australia. A 100 years of Rugby League is a salute to those who pioneered the game. To the ones who, through generations, have passed the game on a little stronger, and to those who will take it further in the future. From the foundations of rugby league in 1908 to the showpeice of 2009 rugby league has endoured 100 years of turmoil, passion, brutality, legends, and triumphs. the game has evolved from amaturism to a professional showcase of talent,skill,strength, and pride that the players put on show today. with the foundation of the NSWRL in 1908 the game of rugby league has strengthened throughout it's first 100 years. with help of Dally Messenger and his convert to league from union wich helped league lift off. over the next few years we see the dominence of the golden south sydeny team in the competition to the dominence of the great st goerge team of the 1950's and 60's wich would see them win 11 straight premierships.

In 1980 rugby league saw the arrival of State of Origin, Mate against Mate. with the first game going to the queensland side wich consisted of Meninga, "choppy" Close, Lewis, Reddy and Lang. Next there was the super league war of 1997 wich saw two media moguls murdock and packer fight it out for control of rugby league revenue. the war collapsed in 1997 when the NRL was formed in 1998 to unify the league code. in the 20th century rugby league we see alot of rules introduced to bring the game out of park footy into professionalism and the birth of elite ahletes. Also the game see's a big player exodus from NRL to the English Super League as they go on the hunt for a bigger pay packet.

thrught the history of rugby league we have seen alot of changes over years. They might of been seen at the time to be nesecarily for the good of the game, but over time has changed the game into what it is now, a spectical of rugby league art.

100 greatest players

1908-1945
Vic ARMBRUSTER, Jack BEATON, Cec BLINKHORN, Dave BROWN, Frank BURGE, Joe ‘Chimpy’ BUSCH, Billy CANN, Ted COURTNEY, Jimmy CRAIG, Les CUBITT, Dan DEMPSEY, Viv FARNSWORTH, Charles ‘Chook’ FRASER, Dan FRAWLEY, Herb GILBERT, Tom GORMAN, Howard HALLETT, Arthur ‘Pony’ HALLOWAY, Vic HEY, Harold HORDER, Chris McKIVAT, Frank McMILLAN, Peter ‘Mick’ MADSEN, Dally MESSENGER, Herb NARVO, Ernie NORMAN, Andy NORVAL, Sid ‘Joe’ PEARCE, Sid ‘Sandy’ PEARCE, Wally PRIGG, Albert ROSENFELD, Ray STEHR, Herb STEINOHRT, Viv THICKNESSE Duncan THOMPSON, George TREWEEK, Benny WEARING, Eric WEISSEL.


1946-2007
Keith BARNES, Harry BATH, Arthur BEETSON, Brian BEVAN, Kerry BOUSTEAD Roy BULL, Brian CARLSON, Clive CHURCHILL, Brian CLAY, Arthur CLUES, Bradley CLYDE, Ron COOTE, Michael CRONIN, Laurie DALEY, Brian DAVIES, Graham EADIE, Andrew ETTINGSHAUSEN, Brad FITTLER, Bob FULTON, Peter GALLAGHER, Reg GASNIER, Eric GROTHE, Duncan HALL, Brian HAMBLY, Keith HOLMAN, Ken IRVINE, Andrew JOHNS, Les JOHNS, Ken KEARNEY, Noel KELLY, Brett KENNY, Johnny KING, Terry LAMB, Allan LANGER Graeme LANGLANDS, Glenn LAZARUS, Wally LEWIS, Darren LOCKYER, Eddie LUMSDEN, Bob McCARTHY, Mal MENINGA, Gene MILES, Steve MORTIMER, Barry MUIR, John O’NEILL, Kel O’SHEA, Wayne PEARCE, Ray PRICE, Norm PROVAN, John RAPER, Tom RAUDONIKIS, Steve ROACH, Steve ROGERS, John SATTLER, Billy SMITH, Peter STERLING, Arthur SUMMONS, Ken THORNETT, Ian WALSH, Steve WALTERS, Shane WEBCKE, Harry WELLS,

rugby league introduction.

Rugby League was first played in Australia in 1908, after a working class rugby union player named dally messenger making the jump to rugby league which saw more union players, bored with the old English game, make the switch.

within barely three seasons, the 13-man form of rugby became the favourite winter sport of NSW and Queensland- a position rugby league continues to hold today. (Sean Fragan)

for a century the clubs have the heart and soul of the game, with tribal loyalties feeding the veracious rivalries that drive the footballers and fans alike into their weekend winter battles. Winning the season,s premiership is all that matters.(Sean Fragan)

Rugby league footballers have traditionally enthralled spectators with
combination of raw bone-breaking toughness, together with exhilarating movement
of the ball from man-to-man.

Rugby league players make the game their own in the pursuit of victory, whith individual brilliance, or with their teamates.

like the gladiators of Ancient Rome, those that succeed are glorified as legends for evermore. (Sean Fragan)