Dragons Rugby League History

l History of Rugby League in Engadine l History of Engadine Dragons l Club Founder - late Barry McManus l
| President's Report 1958 l  50th Year - All Time Great A Grade Team l Tommy Bishop Shield l
l Past Club Executive |  Centenary Plaque-Anzac Oval |

Established in  1958 - Go the Mighty Dragons

 

HISTORY OF RUGBY LEAGUE IN ENGADINE        Top of Page

Extract from the Engadine District News special edition of  28th June, 1978  on the 21st birthday of the Engadine Dragons Junior Rugby League & Cricket Club

Although this feature is about the Engadine Dragons Rugby League and Cricket Clubs, this article traces the early history of Rugby League in the Engadine area.

Rugby League is the oldest code of football played in the Engadine area.

The following is quoted from J. E. Thompson's Engadine History booklet: "The Engadine Junior Rugby League Football Club, which commenced last year (1955) this year took part in the St. George District Competition. The lads are all keen, and the Club should develop well. Their colours are black and gold, and term themselves "The Tigers". The previous R.L. club formed in the 1930’s played in red and green colours. They did not take part in District competition matches, but rather Inter-District matches. There are many memories of the times Engadine met Heathcote on the Heathcote Playing Field".

Between the original Rugby League teams in the '30s and the formation of Engadine United in 1954, the Engadine "Rainbows" kept R.L. to the forefront in the area with regular social matches.

"The "Rainbows" was a name tagged on the side as the team played in a multitude of coloured jerseys. Matches were played against factory teams and against the Heathcote boys. Well-known local identify Ken Beames organised many of these matches.

Engadine United formed in 1954 played social matches that year and the following year entered the competition proper. A new committee was formed in 1955 with John Cooper as President, Denis Thompson as Secretary, and Lance Bartlett as Treasurer. A, B and E grade sides were entered in the competition as Engadine's representatives. Being short of experienced A grade players the Engadine officials secured the services of ex-St.George grade players "Ossie" Mullins, Harry Williams and Keith West. These players together with local boys Col Keenan, Kevin Macken, Norm McKenzie and John Edmonds made up the nucleus of the team.

Doug de Witt, Alan Jackson, Eddie, Ron and John Burke and Gordon Morrison were just a few of the local boys who represented the Tigers during the formation.

The first year Engadine won only one match as the competition was very strong. The next season, further St. George players in Ron Corps and Ken Laver played, however, the team had not much more success. It was decided at the end of that season to buy a captain-coach, as other teams in the competition had done this with great success.

Former Internationals "Dutchy" Holland, Bruce Hopkins, Johnny Hawke, also Mick Mullane and Matt McCoy former State players, were just a number of the captain-coaches playing with other teams.

The decision to buy a captain-coach resulted in New Zealand player Bill Woolsey being purchased for the season on a fee of £100, two other Kiwis in Ton Bakalich and Jim Miller were also paid to play on a fee of £50 each for the season. Engadine broached the International poaching ban of that time in securing these players and was the first club in Australia to do so. George Crawford, top Daily Telegraph R.L. reporter at that time, in his column "In Touch" devoted his whole article to the Engadine move in securing these players.

The Engadine Club tried to gain a clearance for the N.Z. players, and on application to the N.Z.R.F.L. had secured a reference only and not a clearance. So the Engadine Club of that time printed a letterhead and wrote their own clearance.

23 competition points were gained that year from 10 wins and 2 byes, but the Tigers were unlucky and missed the final four by one point. Coming from the bottom of the competition table to 5^th was a very good effort as their were 12 teams playing in the A grade that year.

Many other Kiwis followed their mates over and in the end Engadine was overrun with the New Zealanders.

At this stage Mason's Fowl Shed was purchased for the premises of the Engadine Leagues club with the view of obtaining liquor and poker machine licences, etc. Many improvements were made to the structure. These expenses coupled with payment of players, as well as all the teams wanting payment for time off work and match payments saw the death of the Club. These premises are now the Engadine Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd.

The Tigers were now in debt, and President John Cooper, Secretary Ray Graham and Treasurer George Beams had to face some very embarrassing moments.

The Tigers were eventually wound up and soon after the Saturday morning competition came into being and with it the birth of the "Dragons" which was formed mainly through the efforts of Barry and Ada McManus, to give the boys of Engadine an opportunity of playing competition sport.

 

ENGADINE DRAGONS J.R.L.F.C. HISTORY         Top of Page

Extract from the Engadine District News special edition of  28th June, 1978  on the 21st birthday of the Engadine Dragons Junior Rugby League & Cricket Club

The Engadine Dragons Club was formed in 1958 after the boys who were playing Australian Rules revolted and insisted on playing Rugby League.

As the "Tigers" catered for senior players only a necessity was there for sport for the youth of Engadine with this need Barry McManus, Alan Hemmett and Reg Lingard started boys in Aussie Rules, as this was the only sport played in the area for juniors. Boys’ Town, Sutherland, Engadine Primary were teams in the area playing Aussie Rules. Engadine catered for two teams, an under 12 side, called "Midgets" and looked after by Reg Lindgard, and an under 10 side, called "The Atoms" looked after by Barry McManus and Alan Hemmett. These two teams played in borrowed jumpers from Engadine Primary School which were a reddish/mauve colour.

The summer season of 1958 came and to keep the lads together teams were entered in the cricket competition and they were registered as Engadine Dragons.

At the completion of the cricket season saw a revolt and the lads insisted on playing Rugby League as a Saturday Schoolboys Competition was created catering for teams in the Sutherland Shire.

The Club continued with the red jumpers but added black "V’s". These jumpers and shorts were provided by George and Ed Brownscombe on trust, as the Club had no finances and were very lucky to receive this credit without strings. All the dealings were done at Sutherland, as the Engadine store had not officially opened at that stage.

Four teams were entered in the first season, a 6st 7lb "A", 6st 7lb "B", 5st 7lbs and 4st 7lbs.

The 4.7 and 6.7 "A" teams made the semi-finals but then bowed out.

Laurie Crosby had the 6.7 "A" team, Kevin Caldwell the 6.7 "B" team, Kel Keene and Col Keenan the 5.7 team and Barry McManus and Col Grimwood, the 4.7 team.

Stalwarts on the original committee were Ken Binner, Bernie Howard, Laurie Crosby, Bill Coates, Kel Keene, Bill Hadfield, Harold Barker, Bill Melrose, Harry Emptage and the late Claude Pollard.

As there was no oval in Engadine at the time, the boys trained at the back of Alan Thomas's old dairy in Woronora Road (cnr. Fairview Ave), after all the blackberry bushes had been mowed to grass level, courtesy of Jock Campbell courtesy of Boys' Town mower. The practice gained in side-stepping stumps and cow dropping coupled with swerving around blackberry bushes stood the boys in good stead for their matches.

It was a long wait for our first premiership which came in 1962, with the under 9A team being successful, the coaches being Kel Keene and Stan Bunt. By this stage the weight divisions had been replaced by age divisions.

In 1961 Engadine invited teams from Toronto down for social matches at the end of the season, and it was such a successful and enjoyable weekend that reciprocal visits were arranged and it is now an event of the year for the children and officials.

As the Club grew, the workers for the Club increased, with sterling service being given by chaps like Reg Sommer, Noel Foreshew, Ron Chapman, Clive Greenwood, Jack Marsh, Billy Moss, "Dogs" Keenan, Stan Bunt and many others who helped to keep the Club functioning.

In 1964 the first weekly magazine was produced called the "Dragons News".

In 1967 the first dressing shed at Anzac Oval was erected (an old Army hut) this palace was the joint property of the Dragons and the Eagles, a far cry from the dressing sheds of today.

On July 6, 1968 a resolution was passed by the Club to set up a committee of nine to investigate the formation of a clubhouse on Anzac Oval. This committee was empowered to decide (a) whether a licenced club was warranted, (b) whether finance was available and (c) a suitable site. Crown land adjacent to the Anzac Oval (only one oval at that stage) was applied for and after many years of negotiation it was added to the Oval complex, where the carpark now is, with the proviso that Sutherland Council allocate a more suitable area.

In 1970, Anzac Oval complex expanded from one oval and a rubbish tip to three ovals to accommodate the Dragons and Eagles, who between them in 1969 fielded 50 teams and had the use of the oval on alternate weekends.

The year 1971 saw the Dragon "explosion" with 28 Rugby League Teams, 12 Cricket teams, 5 Baseball teams, 3 Squash teams, 3 Ladies Hocky teams, Golf, Little Athletics and Drum Majorettes. The same year saw the Dragons successfully launch the Tommy Bishop Shield – an under 7's K.O. competition for teams from all Junior Leagues in the Metropolitan area.

In the Rugby League sphere the "Dragons" have won 59 premierships; won the under 8A competition for the lst seven seasons; Won one or more competitions ever year since 1966 inclusive. In 1971 the Club won 10 competitions out of a possible 30 from the 28 teams entered.

The structure of the Dragons has changed over the year with 1958-1968 Rugby League and Cricket, 1969-73 Sports Club and 1974 onwards as separate clubs for each sport.

 

PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1958        Top of Page

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Barry McManus       Top of Page

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Barry McManus joined the Militia in 1938 and left Australia on February 4th, 1941 on board the Queen Mary bound for Malaya. Barry became a prisoner of war in February 1942 and spent six months in the Changi prison camp before being sent to Thailand to work on the infamous Thai-Burma railway, which was completed in 1944. The last twelve months of the war he spent working in the copper mines on the island of Shijoku, just off Japan. Barry's fortitude and courage enabled him to survive the horrendous hell camps in which he was imprisoned for nearly four years.

Barry married Ada in 1946, moving to Engadine in 1948. Working as a roof tiler and bricklayer until his war injuries forced an early retirement.

As the population of Engadine grew, Barry and Ada realised there was a real need for something to be done to give boys an opportunity to participate in playing sport and so began the formation of the Engadine Dragons.

Barry was the Club's President for both Cricket and Rugby League from 1959 to 1963 and was duly honoured with life membership by both clubs.

In 1960 to 1962 he was Secretary of the Boys Committee for the Sutherland Shire division of the St. George Junior Rugby League and also delegate to the St. George Junior Rugby League. Then, in 1963, the Cronulla-Sutherland Junior League and the Sharks grade club were formed with Barry as Secretary of the Sharks 2nd division team in their formation year. The Cronulla-Sutherland Junior League rewarded his services with life membership.

Barry was also a committeeman with the Sutherland Shire Junior Cricket Association from 1960-1963 and he also coached Representative teams besides coaching our Club sides with his wife Ada doing the scoring.

Barry was also involved with the RSL movement in which he served with great distinction for countless years. Some of his achievements were:

• Life Membership of RSSAILA
• Life Membership of Engadine RSL Memorial Club
• Past President of both these bodies.
• Life Membership of Engadine RSL Fishing club.

Barry was also deeply involved with the welfare and legacy functions of the RSL movement.

In later years Barry derived great pleasure in following his son Barry (Jnr.), who was an outstanding all round sportsman, in his sporting achievements. Winning the "Cricketer of the Year" in the Sutherland Shire Junior Cricket Association in 1965, he was also an excellent half or five-eighth in Rugby League. Barry also coached teams in both sports. Barry (Jnr.) has made the State Touch Football Team for several years, also being selected in the Australian Team in various age groups. He also was a classy boxer, holding the Professional State Featherweight Title for a period of time.

The Cronulla-Sutherland District Junior Rugby League named the A Grade Premiership the Barry McManus A Grade Trophy.

Barry (Snr.) passed away on 25th May 1993.

50th Year - All Time Great A Grade Team   Top of Page

The 50th year all time great team was chosen by a panel of ex-players and coaches covering the 50 years of Engadine Dragons:

Mark Elder, Bert Fleming, Mick Fleming, Barry Mcmanus, Craig Airey & Larry Warner.

Team Coach:    Craig Airey
Team Manager: Trevor Rogers

Tommy Bishop Shield     Top of Page

Inaugurated by our Club in 1971, it was metropolitan knockout competition for Under 7's. It is now established as probably the best and certainly the most entertaining knockout competition in NSW.

The Tommy Bishop Shield was played at the Anzac Oval grounds in Engadine from 1971 to 1976 and was passed over to the Cronulla-Sutherland Minor League in 1977 and played at the Endeavour Field (now Toyota Park) ever since. The winners in 1971 and 1972 were teams of the Engadine Dragons and some of the then seven year olds were well known personalities in Sydney Football circles - Mark McGaw, Michael Porter and Brett Longville.

The story goes that at the end of the 1971 season the New Zealand Under 14's side of TE ATATU were invited over for an end of season game by a junior club in the Cronulla-Sutherland District. This club could not fulfill its commitments, so the Secretary of the Engadine Dragons at the time, Graeme Morrison, took on the New Zealanders and accommodated them. It would not have been much of an event with one game only, so Graeme tried to organise a knockout event for the undefeated Engadine Dragons Under 7's. Eight clubs agreed to come to Engadine to participate as support entertainment for the main attraction, namely the Under 14's game between Engadine and Te Atatu. The eight districts were South Sydney, North Sydney, Penrith, Parramatta, St George, Western Suburbs, Balmain and Cronulla-Sutherland. South Sydney's Zetland Juniors met Cronulla-Sutherland's Engadine Dragons in the final which was won by the later side with the match winning try being scored after the bell by Mark McGaw. There were between 2,000 and 3,000 people at Anzac Oval that day with all three ovals being used thanks to the co-operation of the local soccer club. The then President of Cronulla-Sutherland Junior Rugby Football League, Arthur Horner officiating by presenting the Tommy Bishop Shield to the winners.

The under 7's being small and Tommy Bishop (captain/coach of the Sharks, former captain of the Great Britain team and a patron of the Engadine Dragons) not much taller, was asked if he would allow his name to be used. He agreed and the rest is history.

The inaugural Tommy Bishop Shield day was such a success that all the participating districts wanted to send a team the following year. The following years the number of participating districts had grown and in 1977 the Cronulla-Sutherland Minor League took over and carried on the traditional annual event and the number of teams growing each year.

The Tommy Bishop Shield is more than a competition now, it is an institution everybody wants to be in. To win the Tommy Bishop Shield is the most sought after trophy in junior league today.
 

Past Executive     Top of Page
 

Centenary of Rugby League 1908 to 2008    Top of Page