ST George Illawarra and Wests Tigers may be out of the NRL finals race but their clash at 3.05pm this Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground will be special.
It was on Saturday, August 24, 1963 — 50 years to the day — when St George defeated Western Suburbs, 8-3, in the mud and one of the game’s most extraordinary and enduring images was snapped by the legendary Fairfax photographer John O’Gready.
Dragons great and skipper Norman Provan and Western Suburbs skipper and five-eighth Arthur Summons embraced at the end of the gripping contest, both mud-caked and almost unrecognisable.
The headline in the Sun Herald, the day after, on August 25, 1963, read: ‘‘Who’s This’’. The Provans/Summons Trophy became an everlasting image.
Since named The Gladiators, the trophy is presented to the premiership-winning team on grand final day.
This is a St George Illawarra home game at the Sydney Cricket Ground and surviving members of the 1963 grand finals team have been invited.
Provan is coming down from his home on the Queensland sunshine coast and so too, Summons, for the big occasion.
Dragons skipper Ben Creagh said he and the team understood and respected the significance of the day.
‘‘It will be a special day for all the players who take to the field as there’s been a lot of history created at this venue,’’ Creagh said.
“The Gladiator image is etched in rugby league lore and is synonymous with the game.
“The team have been training hard throughout the week and will continue to do so in the build-up to the game.’’
On August 24, 1963, Saints 8 (George Evans, Johnny King tries; Red Gasnier one goal) defeated Wests 3 (Gill McDougall try).
In round five this season, the Dragons defeated Wests Tigers 13-12 with a Jamie Soward field goal.
SAINTS 1963: Graeme Langlands, Johnny King, Reg Gasnier, Billy Smith, Eddie Lumsden, Bruce Pollard, George Evans, Monty Porter, Ian Walsh, Kevin Ryan, Elton Rasmussen, Norm Provan (captain/coach), Johnny Raper
DRAGONS 2013: Jason Nightingale, Brett Morris, Chase Stanley, Charly Runciman, Daniel Vidot, Adam Quinlan, Nathan Fien, Jack Stockwell, Mitch Rein, Ben Creagh (c), Tyson Frizell, Leeson Ah Mau, Jack de Belin. Interchange: Matt Prior, Michael Weyman, Will Matthews, Bronson Harrison
MAGPIES 1963: Don Parish, John Mowbray, Bob McGuinness, Gil McDougall, Peter Dimond, Arthur Summons (c), Don Malone, Denis Meaney, Noel Kelly, Jack Gibson, Kel O’Shea, John Hayes, Kevin Smyth. Coach: Jack Fitzgerald
WESTS TIGERS 2013: James Tedesco, David Nofoaluma, Bodene Thompson, Tim Simona, Lote Tuqiri, Benji Marshall, Braith Anasta, Keith Galloway, Joel Luani, Adam Blair, Liam Fulton, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Suaso Sue. Interchange: Ava Seumanufagai, Jack Buchanan, Matt Bell, Curtis Sironen, Shaun Spence, Masada Iosefa (2 omits)
Do you remember the glory days?
