MAGPIES TEAM OF THE CENTURY

On Friday September 24, 2004 Western Suburbs honoured their greatest ever players by naming their Team of the Century.

The above image is a copy of a painting of the Team of the Century that hangs proudly in the Wests Ashfield Leagues Club.

Fullback – Frank McMillan

Wingers – Peter Dimond, Alan Ridley

Centres – Harry Wells, Cliff Pearce

Five Eighth – Vic Hey

Halfback – Keith Holman

Lock – Les Boyd

2nd Row – Kel O’Shea, Arthur Clues

Front Row – John Donnelly, Ed “Tedda” Courtney

Hooker – Noel Kelly (Captain)

Reserves – Tom Raudonikis, John Dorahy, Neville Charlton, Bill Carson

Coach – Roy Masters

prelude

On the 20th April 1908 the first official games of Rugby League were played in the Sydney Premiership.

Western Suburbs and Balmain played the second game in a double-header at Birchgrove Park. Since that time, there have been a total of 15 Premierships won between the clubs and a host of State of Origin, Kangaroo and Premiership stars produced. To celebrate the history and prestige associated with two of Australia’s most famous Rugby League Teams, as well as embrace their unification into the Wests Tigers, it was decided to select a:

Wests tigers teAm of the century

A panel of judges spanning the different eras from both Clubs selected nominees according to strict criteria.

The panel comprised Keith Barnes (Balmain), Kevin Humphreys (Balmain), John ‘Chow’ Hayes (Wests), Rick Wayde (Wests) and Ian Heads (Independent). A Western Suburbs and a Balmain Tigers team was selected by the panel representing each club, before the unenviable task of selecting the best combined team took place. The team below was the final selection.

Wests Tigers Team of the Century (Western Suburbs players in Bold)

Fullback – Keith Barnes

Wing – Peter Dimond

Centre – Charles Fraser

Centre – Harry Wells

Wing – Alan Ridley

Five-Eight – Vic Hey

Halfback – Keith Holman

Front Row – Steve Roach

Hooker – Ben Elias

Front Row – Noel Kelly

Second Row – Paul Sironen

Second Row – Arthur Beetson

Lock – Wayne Pearce

Reserve – Kel O’Shea

Reserve – Jim Craig

Reserve – Tom Raudonikis

Reserve – Harry Bath

Coach – Norm “Latchem” Robinson

Western suburbs teAm of the 1960s

Fullback – Don Parish

Wingers – Dave Barsley, Peter Dimond

Centres – Gil MacDougall, Roy Ferguson

Five-eighth – Denis Pittard

Half-back – Arthur Summons

Lock – Kevin Smyth

Second Row – Kel O’Shea, John Hayes

Props – Bill Carson, Dennis Meaney

Hooker – Noel Kelly

Reserves – John Armstrong, Barry Bryant, Neville Charlton, Jim Cody, John Elford

Coach – Jack Fitzgerald

Western suburbs teAm of the 1970s

Fullback – John Dorahy

Wingers – Russell Mullins, Don Rogers

Centres – Ron Giteau, Steve Knight

Five-eighth – Graeme O’Grady

Half Back – Tom Raudonikis

Lock – Les Boyd

Second Row – John Elford, Geoff Foster

Props – Jim Murphy , John Donnelly

Hooker – Ray Brown

Reserves – Johnny Baker, Bruce Gibbs, Mick Liubinskas, Wayne Smith

Coaches – Don Parish , Roy Masters