The Reformation
Lionel Williamson, the former Australian Test winger, never played for Canterbury, but he was, unwittingly, the catalyst in the bitter battle for control in 1969 of the league club, which saw changes in the board, and the football club committee. It became known as the 'Canterbury Reformation' and was the most highly publicised leagues club/football club wrangle in the game's history. Dissatisfaction among some football club committeemen, coach Kevin Ryan, and a number of Canterbury supporters, with the league club board, and its allocations to the district club and junior league, had been simmering for some time. But the league club board's failure to approve the signing of Williamson in 1969 became the springboard to the battle.
According to Peter Moore, at that time both a football club committeeman and league club director, Williamson, who played for Innisfail in Queensland, was number one priority for Ryan. However, transfer fees were in vogue and the Queensland Rugby League wanted a fee of $8000. When the Canterbury football club applied to the board for the money to buy Williamson, they were told that the money wasn't available. Moore, who had been elected to the football club committee in 1968, explained that the refusal drove members of the football club and the league club board further apart. Ryan became the figurehead of the reform group as enthusiasm among its supporters became more apparent. Ryan rejected the fact that some had cast him as the "leader of the group". Just 12 months earlier, Moore stood for the league club board, and made it ... by two votes. Moore admitted that Ryan's support of the reform group was a major factor in harnessing votes, and for inspiring the backing that they ultimately received. One quote from Ryan was to live on after the fires had died. It was emotive and timely for the new group. Said Ryan: "The worst thing that can happen to a junior is to be born in the Canterbury-Bankstown area". It hit a nerve, not only in the district, but in the media.
An extraordinary meeting of the league club was called in the club auditorium. Members, drawn out by the publicity given the battle, voted overwhelmingly against the current board. A vote of 'no confidence' meant that the board would go to the normal September elections, only a month or so away, virtually fighting a losing battle. The reform ticket consisted of five - Kevin Ryan, Peter Moore, Reg Perrett, Graham Martin and Laurie McGowan. Two current board members, Fred Dunn and Ron Ibbitson were also supported by the reform group, even though they stated in the press that they were not a part of the ticket. Moore explained that the reform group supported Ibbitson and Dunn because they were debenture holders and the constitution stated that the league club board required two debenture holders among the seven man committee. As well as debenture holders, both Dunn and Ibbitson were members of the football club committee. Ibbitson was club secretary. What surprised most outsiders was the support the players gave the group. They distributed pamphlets, publicly voiced their disapproval of the incumbent board and were never frightened to be seen. Players such as Bob Hagan, John Rhodes, Clive Gartner, Ron Raper, George Taylforth and John Greaves, all senior men, were among more than a dozen current players who helped canvas votes on the Saturday and Sunday of voting days. For the first time players from a club took an active part in league club elections. Moore later made it clear that there was no dissatisfaction with the way the league club itself had been run, but what concerned the reform group was that the football club was being ignored.
"We owed it to our supporters to build a good football team, and to do that we needed more money, not for the sake of spending, but to spend wisely," Moore said.
"In previous years, we had been forced to stick with the same players. But history has shown you have to buy each year, and we didn't feel we were asking for too much.
"In the case of Lionel Williamson, we had devised a scheme to knock $5000 off the transfer fee, and the board still flatly refused to release money for him. We are all aware of where Williamson finished ... an outstanding winger who played for Australia for several years."
It was sad that such dedicated and vital men to the club as Ken Charlton was one of the board directors the reform group opposed. He had played well over 100 games with the club, was a life member, and was the guiding force in the formation of the league club back in 1956. Charlton believed he and the board had little to answer for. The league club operated smoothly, and there were grandiose plans to provide Canterbury League Club members with further amenities. The plan for a 'super club' was the major reason for restricting the grant to the football club. A number of Canterbury League Club members believed the incumbent board was justified. But the majority, however, longed for a successful football team. They had a taste of it in 1967 after a break of some 20 years, and they liked it. If the new group could promise them a bright new football future, everything else was secondary. At the league club elections in September, the reform group won in a landslide. The members had rallied behind the group, and now the football club members had to complete the job at the football club elections in December. The same enthusiasm applied and the reform group obtained every position they wanted on the committee. President Alan Schwebell who had been elected only one year earlier, and secretary Ron Ibbitson, after 10 years in the position, were the two office bearers to lose their places. Gordon Ferrier was the new president and Moore took over in his first role as secretary. Moore stayed close to the action and also stood on the management committee and schools committee.
A month later Moore took over as secretary-manager of the league club after Aub Oxford found the position intolerable and resigned. Moore's appointment was for three months, at which time the club appointed former international Ken McCaffery to the post. In just three months, the reform group had swept to power, in both the league club and football club, removing those they believed opposed their policies, but unable to cast aside the bitterness. Moore reflected on the affair, fully satisfied that he and the reform group had no choice.
Charlton, who retained his integrity throughout his career with the club, believed that the football club was receiving sufficient money from the league club, but that it was not spent wisely. There is little doubt that this was an emotional issue among club supporters, in which the incumbent board appeared to have no support, and were seen as the arch-villains in it all. When the dust had cleared, such did not appear to be quite the case, for all the board wanted was a 'super club' for members. Their aims and ambitions simply opposed those of the reform group. Someone had to lose.
One problem of electing a new committee in December was that it didn't give the club much time to sign players for a competition only three or four months away. Most other clubs had been busy chasing players since the end of the premiership in September. It was essential, however, that the club did well in 1970. Moore explained that a bad year would set the club back to where it was before. The Reformation may have been seen as being worthless. The previous committee had signed Queensland international prop Dennis Manteit, but the new committee was not keen to retain him. Rather than become involved in a legal battle, the new committee agreed to honour the contract. As Moore said: "it would be ridiculous paying out $50,000 in a court battle. If we had to pay it, why not use him."
But Manteit wasn't the only newcomer. With Moore elected fulltime secretary, Canterbury signed Wayne Peckham, Ron Costello, centre Alan Burwell from Hull Kingston Rovers, Neville Hornery, a fire and brimstone second-rower from Wests, Peter Inskip, a goalkicking fullback from the country, Kiwi international prop Bill Noonan, and halfway through the year, halfback Les Hutchings, another country representative. It was judicious buying when one considers the short time the club had available. Moore went to New Zealand to sign Kiwi Test halfback Graham Cooksley, but when he got there Cooksley decided not to come. Instead, Moore bought a prop forward.
He had been told after missing Cooksley that the best young player in New Zealand was a prop called Bill Noonan, who had already made the Test team. Moore went to Noonan's house and within an hour had a signature on a contract. Hutchings, the Country Firsts halfback, only just made the season cut-off date of June 30. Moore left Belmore at 6am and drove to Hutchings' home town, Condobolin. He found Hutchings at training, talked him into coming to Sydney and spoke to NSWRL secretary Ken Stephen from Condobolin by phone just before midnight on June 30 to register him. But far more was happening behind the scenes. The club changed its jumper design to evenly spaced blue and white bars and embarked on a scholarship scheme to help alleviate some of the financial strains for the young players who wanted to follow tertiary education.
The decision to change the design of the jumper was part of the new image ... to give the club a fresh start, as it were. When Moore showed the design to the then president of the NSW Rugby League, Bill Buckley, he said: "Now you've got a real football jumper". Buckley liked the English style of design, of which the Canterbury jumper reminded him. The jumper lasted three years - until the end of 1972. In 1973 the club went back to its old style, which remains in vogue today.
Seven Canterbury players - Costello, Terry Reynolds, John Rhodes, John Greaves, Dennis Scahill, Hornery and Inskip played representative football in 1970. Costello played for Australia against England. Such rewards and recognition had not come to the Canterbury club for some time.
For Kevin Ryan, in his fourth year as first grade coach, it was the first season in retirement as a player. But he knew the time had come and had decided to step aside for the youth of the area, a timely exit in view of the emphasis on the juniors, and Ryan's concern for them. The first scholarship was awarded to Scahill, who had already played through much of 1969 in first grade. Scahill, because of his technical college studies at night, told Ryan he would have trouble attending training every week. Ryan conferred with Moore. He believed the problem could be solved and refused to allow a young player of Scahill's ability to retire because of problems over study.
"Actually it was Ryan who suggested that the league club pay Dennis not to work during the day. So they paid him a living allowance, match payments and looked after board, so that he could study at tech during the day, leaving him free to train at night," said Moore. The plan worked so well that Canterbury made the scholarship plan a vital ingredient in their efforts to look after, not just the young talent in the Canterbury area, but the young players they bought from outside. One of those players in 1970 was Chris Anderson, who went on to earn some of the greatest honours the game has to offer. In April, 1970, a friend of Moore's, Jim Mitchell, who had played with Belmore CYO, advised Moore that he had seen an outstanding schoolboy playing with Marist Brothers, Forbes. Mitchell taught at the school. Moore made arrangements to watch him in Junee at a schoolboys carnival. However the plane developed engine trouble and Moore didn't make it. Later in the year, Anderson was playing in another schoolboys knockout in Yanco, but because of thick fog, the plane couldn't land at Wagga. The plane was diverted to Canberra where Moore rented a hire car knowing that he would only reach Yanco in time for the final. His only hope was that Forbes High School made the final. They did, and Anderson who was playing fullback, did not let him down. Anderson scored four tries and set up two in a 30 minute final against the champions, Yanco.
But Moore, to be doubly sure, later sent John Greaves, who was injured and unavailable for first grade, to watch him. Greaves left a note on Moore's desk, with the words: "Will play for Australia". The club brought Anderson and his parents to Sydney to discuss his future. Canterbury agreed to pay the final two years of his schooling, and all doctor and dental bills. Anderson's family agreed and the 16-year-old was signed to play with the club, starting 1972. It meant that Anderson would finish his schooling in Forbes, staying there for the rest of 1970 and through 1971. However, Canterbury were forced to change their minds when Anderson came to Sydney for a holiday in August/September. The club thought it would be a good opportunity to sit him on the third grade reserves bench for the semi-finals at the SCG so that he might sap up the atmosphere. Canterbury put him on the field in the last few minutes of the match and he won the game for them. It was obvious that he was too good to leave in schoolboy football and he was brought to Sydney the following year.
Much had happened at the start of 1970, and Canterbury's confidence in a successful season, so necessary for the club, was buoyed by victory in the pre-season competition, the Wills Cup. Canterbury beat Souths in the semi-final and St George in the final. It was the dream start they needed and when the club won six of the first seven premiership matches, the fans started to flock back to the club's matches. By the end of the preliminary rounds, they had played five matches-of-the-day at the Sydney Cricket Ground and while crowds were on the decline in Rugby League, Canterbury attracted 85,000 more spectators than in the previous year. To make the semi-finals, Canterbury had to beat St George at the Sports Ground in the last match. What followed was one of the most courageous wins in the club's history. The scoreline (10-4) tells its own story, for St George were unable to score a try. The two clubs faced each other one week later in the minor semi-final, and St George won - without scoring a try again. Canterbury led 7-0 10 minutes into the second half, but Saints fullback Graeme Langlands kicked five goals from five attempts in the last 30 minutes, most of them from scrum penalties. Add a field goal and St George won 12-7.
While the first grade side had moved up the ladder, so too, had the reserves and third grade. For only the second time in the club's history, Canterbury made the semi-finals in all three grades, the thirds reaching the final where they were beaten 9-7 by Souths. What also gave Canterbury confidence in the future was that the President's Cup team made the semi-finals, as did the Jersey Flegg side. The S.G. Ball team only missed out on the semi-finals on averages. It was a mighty effort after the turmoil that preceded the season.
The loss of Les Johns for almost the entire season was a major blow, although Inskip proved his value, playing 23 matches and scoring 157 points, from a try and 77 goals. There were other losses - off the field. Fred Dunn retired after 21 years with the club, and Stan Parry C.B.E., 35 years the club's patron and one of the influential men behind Canterbury's introduction in 1935, decided to call it a day. In a letter from his private secretary, D.E. Oates, he proposed that Frank and Kevin Stewart should be the new co-patrons. His suggestion was eagerly accepted by the club.
Canterbury continued to develop their juniors, although they considered it folly not to buy players they considered then to be of quality. Yet the only major newcomer in 1971 was country fullback Garry Dowling, midway through the year. His signing was prompted by another serious injury to johns, who played just 10 games, and the belief that his career was near the end.
An important step was the signing of Bob Hagan as fulltime manager-coach. It was to be his only season on a fulltime basis. In 1972, he relinquished the job, continuing as coach only. In 1972 Canterbury lost their first four matches, the first 55-12 to Wests, a shattering performance at Lidcombe. Wests scored eleven tries and eleven goals. It was not much better in the next two matches where Parramatta beat them 38-14 at Belmore and Manly won 38-11 at Brookvale. Yet in the second round Canterbury beat both Wests and Parramatta and stormed home to finish equal fifth with Balmain, two points from the semi-finals.
The consolations, however, were the grand final victories in reserve and third grade, the first premiership win for third grade, the second in reserve grade and the first time the club had won two premierships on the one day. The reserves shared the minor premiership with Manly and the thirds were second behind St George.
They, more than anything else, reflected the 'new Canterbury'. It brought new meaning to football in the Canterbury area. What pleased most Rugby League people was the manner in which the young Canterbury players played the game. Much of the credit went to reserve grade coach Mal Clift, and third grade coach Ray Thompson. Both teams, particularly the reserve grade side, provided thrilling examples of running Rugby League, so much so that this may have been the start of the era of "The Entertainers" as the 1980 Canterbury first grade premiership side was to be labelled.
Canterbury won the reserve grade grand final 11-5 against St George, scoring three tries to one. The side included Anderson, Noonan, Ray Strudwick, Peter Van Gulik, Rod Jackson, with Barry Phillis as captain. Saints had Dennis Preston, Stan Gordon, Phil Hawthorne, Ross Strudwick, Graeme Sams and Apisai Toga in their side. In third grade, Canterbury scored five tries to one in beating St George 19-5. St George remained a great club in those days and had each of their three sides in the grand final ... and lost all of them, the first grade by 16-10. jack Gibson was Saints' coach.
When 1972 started there was no Les Johns at fullback. One of the sweetest sights for any Canterbury fan was that of Johns, his small frame roving at the back of the team, knowing instinctively where he would be needed, and the Canterbury fans knowing that at any time without warning he would turn a match that was seemingly lost. Johns' last match was against Penrith at Penrith the previous year. He badly damaged his knee - again - but this time for good.
Although he was keen to play in 1972, specialists diagnosed cruciate knee damage. Johns' career, which had begun with Canterbury in 1963, was over. He played 115 matches, 110 of them in first grade. The real test of Canterbury's revival lay in the ability of its team to follow the 1971 performance with another strong showing. It was not necessary to win premierships, but to stay near or at the top. While the first grade side failed to make the finals, finishing fifth for the second consecutive year, reserve grade again won the premiership; the thirds were beaten in the grand final. Clift's coaching shone through again, his side playing with flair. Yet they had the best defensive record of any team in reserve grade. There was little doubt that they were the best team in their competition, even though they were beaten 7-4 (no tries) in the major semi-final by St George. In the grand final Canterbury beat Saints 14-3, and lost only four matches all year, playing the running game at its best. Saints thirds, with the aid of former international Billy Smith, who had returned from a serious injury in the latter stages of the year, beat Canterbury 18-7 in the grand final.
That year, 1972, saw the introduction of Test second-rower Geoff Connell, and Kiwi internationals, centre Bernie Lowther and prop Henry Tatana to Canterbury. Including matches as a replacement, Tatana played 13 first grade games, yet 15 in reserve grade. He scored 42 points in the former and 126 points in the latter. Canterbury's hopes of making the first grade semi-finals ran out after losing the first three matches of the second round. Although they won four of their last five matches, it was too late. Success wasn't confined to the grade ranks. Canterbury won the S.G. Ball Cup, were runners up in the President's Cup and, semi-finalists in the Flegg Cup. It was obvious from the performances of 1972 that the club had to start proving what it had preached ... that if the local talent was good enough, the players would be given their chances, By the end of the year, Canterbury made a commitment to those players, and what followed was a new look side. The club was looking at the end of an era and players who either retired or left at the end of the year included John Greaves, John Rhodes, Neville Hornery, Ron Costello, Alan Burwell and Ron Raper. Another to sever his ties was Bob Hagan who re-turned to Brisbane after playing 50 games, 46 in first grade, and coaching the club for two seasons. These players had served the club proudly, and Canterbury made no secret of how appreciative they had been of their services. They were part of an era that saw Canterbury begin its long climb back.
