Saints marched into Dubbo in 1955
THE ink had hardly dried on last week’s Dubbo Photo News story when a message arrived from reader Doug Ford “With time on my hands and the recent passing of Norm Provan, I was promoted to drag out my articles from 1955 when St George came to play Dubbo at No 1 Oval”.
It was an extraordinary event given Saint George had been in three of the four previous grand finals and just been beaten in the Preliminary Final by South Sydney Rabbitohs who dominated the first decade after the Second World War.
Most of the Dragons were to become part of the legend the next season when St George began a run of unprecedented, probably never to be repeated, 11 successive titles.
Future NSWRL multiple premiership-winning coaches Ken “Killer” Kearney and Norm “Sticks” Provan were joined by the likes of Bobby Bugden, Kevin Brown, Ross Kite, Mera Lees, Brian Orrock and Tommy Ryan who had joined the Dragons from Rockhampton during the season.
Ryan was later a publican in Cobar where he lent his considerable knowledge to the local Roosters.
The Sydney superstars rattled up a cricket score, racing over for 19 tries and kicked 12 goals to win 81-18. It’s worth remembering a try was worth only three points
in those days so it’s fair to say the St George Dragons of 1955 had scored one of the fastest ever centuries on the famous ground!
Amongst the Dubbo try-scorers was Tommy Rutherford, the fleet-footed Dubbo (later Macquarie) fullback. His father Jim coached Dubbo to a multitude of Cup wins when he led the league team in 1940. He is regarded as one of St George’s best-ever second-rowers.
Amongst the crowd was Clem Madden, the recently retired St George President. Clem was born in Wellington, spent 10 years as Dragon’s leader and was now working in Dubbo.
The Dragons were hosted at a Cabaret after the match where entertainment was provided by Noel O’brien and Ron Stevens. Dubbo RSL Club President Jim Oriel and
Secretary Jim Dormer handled the arrangements for the visit.
St George 81 (Ross Kite 3, Geoff Weekes 3, Brian Graham 2, Kevin Moffatt 2, Mera Lee’s 2, Geoff Brown, H Melville, S Pert, Norm Provan and Ken Kearney tries; Brian Graham 5, Ros Kite 2, Kevin Brown, Melville, Pert, Provan and Dwyer goals) d Dubbo 18 (Giddys, Rich, Rutherford and Pilon tries; Campion, Pearce, Moore goals)
“The Spirit Of The Red V” is published by Stoke Hill Press in association with the St George DRLFC. For more information about the book, garmstrong@bigpond.com or via www.stokehillpress.com