Minor Semi Replay, 1978: Manly 17 Parramatta 11

1978 Minor Semi Final Replay: Manly 17 d Parramatta 11

Parra signs Arthur Beetson "mid week" while preparing for the semifinal replay

1978 Minor Semi Final Replay: Manly 17 d Parramatta 11

1978 Minor Semi Final Replay: Manly 17 d Parramatta 11

Story by tele1

I was 14 years old and going to school in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. My best mate Tim at the time was a mad Manly supporter so we both agreed to go to Sunday's (Game 1) Semi Final. If that game was not dramatic enough with Parramatta cruising for victory only to be shell shocked with the ferocity of Manly's late game comeback.

Simon Booth and Russell Gartner absolutely killed Parramatta. As much as I hate Manly - Russell Gartner is probably the fastest footballer I ever saw. His speed in Games 1 and 2 were the difference, as well as the inspirational and courageous, and often forgotten Simon Booth.

Neither Tim or I was satisfied with a 13-all draw and agreed to skip school early so that we could see the replay. Glad we did decide to "wag" in the afternoon because a near capacity crowd in excess of 42,000 turned up. Only the Grand Final itself would have more people attending. A staggering statistic is that the Parramatta Manly mid week semi final replay had an extra 10,000 in attendance compared to the paltry 30,000 that attended the Manly Cronulla mid week Grand Final Replay.

The atmosphere prior to kick off was electric - and even though Tim and I had seats in the Sheridon Stand that were pretty good, I was a little disappointed that the Sheridon was mainly filled with Manly supporters.

After the 13-all draw and with key injuries to Graham Murray and Key Hey - schoolboy Peter Sterling made his first grade debut. And Sterling distinguished himself playing at fullback - despite being targeted time and time again by Manly.

Once again Parramatta were cruising to victory when a reckless Ray Price was sent from the field for attacking the head of Graham Eadie. That was it - GAME OVER. Parramatta never recovered from this and even though John Grey was later also sent off for an elbow to the head - I could NEVER have predicted that Game 2 would end exactly the same as Game 1 - with Russell Gartner and Simon Booth DESTROYING Parramatta. Russell Gartner's emphatic game winning try scored from inside his own 22 still haunts me . even to this day.

After the match Greg Hartley copped a thrashing by the media for miscounting tackles. I did not help anybody - especially Parramatta fans to find out that Manly had scored off a bomb on the 7th tackle.

Parramatta appealed the NSWRL for another replay but were denied.

Manly went on to win the 1978 Grand Final - having to play a Grand Final replay mid week (again) to win the title.

Who knows what Parramatta could have done had they prevailed, but they did not.

After the 1977 Grand Final loss to St George - this 2 game melodrama played over thew space of 3 days was and still is the second hardest loss I have ever experienced as a Parramatta fan - even harder than the 1976 Grand Final loss to Manly and the 1975 semi final loss to Manly.

But collectively these 3 losses in 1975(semi) 1976 (GF) and 1978 (semi and replay) made my dislike for Manly permanent. You could only imagine my JOY in 1982 and 1983 when Parramatta destroyed Manly in successive Grand Final defeats - redemption and revenge was, after all, well and truly due by then

Go The Eels