1981 1982 1983 1986 
Post by Electric Eel on May 14, 2020 18:59:11 GMT 10
1981 Craven Mild Cup: Parramatta 22 d Manly 5
Rugby League Week
March 19, 1981
Ian Heads
They all laughed when Kevin 'Stumpy' Stevens followed Jack Gibson up to Parramatta this year.
"He's got one crook leg and he's over the hill anyway," was the general run of opinion.
But Stumpy may have the last laugh, judging by what happened at Cumberland on Sunday.
The chunky second-rower was one of the very best of a red-hot Parramatta side which outgunned Manly all over the paddock, and finally beat them 22-5.
Afterwards team-mates presented Stevens with the game ball - his second win in three matches.
Stevens is looking like a born-again footballer under Gibson's coaching.
With Bob O'Reilly out of the side on Sunday he had to take over the key role as ball player in the forwards - and he did a topline job.
Backing it up with an occasional shrewd kick and some bullocking defence, Stumpy came up trumps.
And so did Parra.
With some grandstand shaking defence, the Eels were just too tough and too well organised for Manly on Sunday.
They spilt plenty of ball, but it didn't seem to matter.
Playing with rare intensity, a tribute to Gibson's coaching, Parramatta applied almost non-stop pressure to the Manly defence.
They had the game territorially 75-25, and the final margin of four tries to one was even a little flattering to Manly.
Only for a brief few minutes did Manly get into the game.
A smart Johnny Gibbs break led to a try for Geoff Gerard seconds before halftime, trimming Parramatta's lead to 12-5.
Early on Ron Hilditch, the Eels' late replacement, featured in a bone-shaking collision with Les Boyd.
Hilditch went on to figure brilliantly in two Parramatta tries - scoring one himself, and setting up another for Steve Ella.
At 12-5 Manly had a chance of getting back.
But within 10 minutes of the re-start the chance was gone when Geoff Coburn and Phil Mann sent Ella darting over for his second try.
Prop Coburn and centre Ella were two of a number of highly impressive young Eels on the day.
The match provided a real baptism of fire for Manly's new man Mark Broadhurst.
In his first match in four months Broadhurst came through with considerable credit, taking the ball up time and time again - and slipping away deft passes.
He should be a winner for the Eagles.
Rugby League Week
March 19, 1981
Ian Heads
They all laughed when Kevin 'Stumpy' Stevens followed Jack Gibson up to Parramatta this year.
"He's got one crook leg and he's over the hill anyway," was the general run of opinion.
But Stumpy may have the last laugh, judging by what happened at Cumberland on Sunday.
The chunky second-rower was one of the very best of a red-hot Parramatta side which outgunned Manly all over the paddock, and finally beat them 22-5.
Afterwards team-mates presented Stevens with the game ball - his second win in three matches.
Stevens is looking like a born-again footballer under Gibson's coaching.
With Bob O'Reilly out of the side on Sunday he had to take over the key role as ball player in the forwards - and he did a topline job.
Backing it up with an occasional shrewd kick and some bullocking defence, Stumpy came up trumps.
And so did Parra.
With some grandstand shaking defence, the Eels were just too tough and too well organised for Manly on Sunday.
They spilt plenty of ball, but it didn't seem to matter.
Playing with rare intensity, a tribute to Gibson's coaching, Parramatta applied almost non-stop pressure to the Manly defence.
They had the game territorially 75-25, and the final margin of four tries to one was even a little flattering to Manly.
Only for a brief few minutes did Manly get into the game.
A smart Johnny Gibbs break led to a try for Geoff Gerard seconds before halftime, trimming Parramatta's lead to 12-5.
Early on Ron Hilditch, the Eels' late replacement, featured in a bone-shaking collision with Les Boyd.
Hilditch went on to figure brilliantly in two Parramatta tries - scoring one himself, and setting up another for Steve Ella.
At 12-5 Manly had a chance of getting back.
But within 10 minutes of the re-start the chance was gone when Geoff Coburn and Phil Mann sent Ella darting over for his second try.
Prop Coburn and centre Ella were two of a number of highly impressive young Eels on the day.
The match provided a real baptism of fire for Manly's new man Mark Broadhurst.
In his first match in four months Broadhurst came through with considerable credit, taking the ball up time and time again - and slipping away deft passes.
He should be a winner for the Eagles.
