1987 NSWRL season

1987 New South Wales Rugby League
Teams13
PremiersManly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah (5th title)
Minor premiersManly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah (6th title)
Matches played162
Points scored5294
Attendance1658354
Top points scorer(s)Balmain colours.svg Ross Conlon (196)
Player of the yearParramatta colours.svg Peter Sterling (Rothmans Medal)
Top try-scorer(s)Canterbury colours.svg Terry Lamb (16)

The 1987 NSWRL season was the 80th season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Thirteen clubs competed for the New South Wales Rugby League premiership's J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in the grand final between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Canberra Raiders who were the first club ever from outside Sydney to appear in a premiership decider. This season, NSWRL teams also competed for the 1987 National Panasonic Cup.

Season summary

This was to be the last season that the moniker "New South Wales Rugby League" would be actually correct, as the following season two teams from Queensland would be introduced, heralding a new era of interstate club participation in the Winfield Cup premiership (although the name would not be changed to the Australian Rugby League until 1995). This would also ultimately lead to the decline of the historic Brisbane Rugby League premiership of Queensland.

Twenty-six regular season rounds were played from February through to August, resulting in a top five of Manly, Easts, Canberra, Balmain and Souths who battled it out in the finals.

Parramatta's captain and halfback Peter Sterling made a clean sweep of the 1987 season's major awards, winning the Rothmans Medal and Dally M Award as well as being named Rugby League Week's player of the year.

Western Suburbs moved their homeground to Campbelltown's Orana Park for the season, moving away from their home at Lidcombe Oval.

1987 would be the last year in which the NSWRL used the Sydney Cricket Ground for regular weekly matches, including all finals and the grand final. From 1988 league headquarters would move next door to the SCG to the new 40,000 seat, A$68 million Sydney Football Stadium.

Teams

The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with thirteen contesting the premiership, including five Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from Sydney, one from greater New South Wales and one from the Australian Capital Territory, though technically the ACT club, while known as the Canberra Raiders, actually played their home games at the Seiffert Oval in Queanbeyan which is located on the NSW side of the ACT/NSW state border to the south of the city.

Balmain
Tigers
Balmain Jersey 1984.png

80th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Bill Anderson
Captain: Wayne Pearce

Canberra
Raiders
Canberra Jersey 1984.png

6th season
Ground: Seiffert Oval
Coach: Don Furner & Wayne Bennett
Captain: Dean Lance

Canterbury-Bankstown
Bulldogs
Canterbury-Bankstown Jersey 1984.png

53rd season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Warren Ryan
Captain: Steve Mortimer

Cronulla-Sutherland
Sharks
Cronulla-Sutherland Jersey 1985.png

21st season
Ground: Caltex Field
Coach: Jack Gibson
Captain: David Hatch

Eastern Suburbs
Roosters
Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1984.png

80th season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Arthur Beetson
Captain: Hugh McGahan

Illawarra
Steelers
Illawarra Jersey 1984.png

6th season
Ground: Wollongong Stadium
Coach: Brian Smith
Captain: Perry Haddock

Manly-Warringah
Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Jersey 1985.png

41st season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Bob Fulton
Captain: Paul Vautin

North Sydney
Bears
North Sydney Jersey 1985.png

80th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Frank Stanton
Captain: Mark Graham

Parramatta
Eels
Parramatta Jersey 1986.png

41st season
Ground: Parramatta Stadium
Coach: John Monie
Captain: Peter Sterling

Penrith
Panthers
Penrith Jersey 1985.png

21st season
Ground: Penrith Stadium
Coach: Tim Sheens
Captain: Royce Simmons

South Sydney
Rabbitohs
South Sydney Jersey 1986.png

80th season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: George Piggins
Captain: Mario Fenech

St. George
Dragons
St George Jersey 1984.png

67th season
Ground: Sydney Cricket Ground
Coach: Roy Masters
Captain: Craig Young

Western Suburbs
Magpies
Western Suburbs Jersey 1984.png

80th season
Ground: Orana Park
Coach Steve Ghosn
Captain: Ian Schubert

Regular season

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 F1 F2 F3 GF
Balmain Tigers PAR
+24
CBY
+3
SOU
+32
CRO
+7
EAS
−13
CAN
+8
ILA
+21
NOR
+20
STG
+14
X PEN
−6
WES
+4
MAN
−34
PAR
+19
CBY
−3
SOU
−4
CRO
−6
EAS
0
CAN
+28
ILA
+2
NOR
+14
STG
−4
X PEN
+16
WES
−4
MAN
−18
SOU
−3
Canberra Raiders CRO
+17
X ILA
+13
NOR
−2
STG
+8
BAL
−8
PEN
+7
WES
+35
PAR
−8
MAN
−8
CBY
−19
SOU
+4
EAS
−15
CRO
+26
X ILA
+7
NOR
+6
STG
+17
BAL
−28
PEN
+18
WES
+18
PAR
−16
MAN
−2
CBY
+18
SOU
+24
EAS
+4
EAS
−9
SOU
+34
EAS
+8
MAN
−10
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NOR
+20
BAL
−3
PEN
+6
WES
+10
PAR
−12
MAN
+12
X SOU
−4
CRO
+16
EAS
−2
CAN
+19
ILA
−13
STG
−25
NOR
−6
BAL
+3
PEN
+10
WES
+16
PAR
+16
MAN
−30
X SOU
+2
CRO
+12
EAS
−2
CAN
−18
ILA
+12
STG
−2
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks CAN
−17
NOR
+6
STG
+8
BAL
−7
PEN
+2
WES
+12
PAR
+2
MAN
+5
CBY
−16
SOU
+10
X EAS
−2
ILA
+20
CAN
−26
NOR
−10
STG
−4
BAL
+6
PEN
+20
WES
0
PAR
+12
MAN
−22
CBY
−12
SOU
−6
X EAS
−4
ILA
−20
Eastern Suburbs Roosters X ILA
+6
NOR
+1
STG
+42
BAL
+13
PEN
−11
WES
−13
PAR
+12
MAN
−8
CBY
+2
SOU
−10
CRO
+2
CAN
+15
X ILA
+14
NOR
+1
STG
−7
BAL
0
PEN
+1
WES
+9
PAR
−30
MAN
+10
CBY
+2
SOU
−14
CRO
+4
CAN
−4
CAN
+9
MAN
−4
CAN
−8
Illawarra Steelers SOU
+23
EAS
−6
CAN
−13
X NOR
−14
STG
+4
BAL
−21
PEN
−10
WES
+20
PAR
+8
MAN
−10
CBY
+13
CRO
−20
SOU
−15
EAS
−14
CAN
−7
X NOR
+2
STG
−17
BAL
−2
PEN
−2
WES
+10
PAR
−3
MAN
−11
CBY
−12
CRO
+20
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles STG
0
PEN
+24
WES
+11
PAR
+22
X CBY
−12
SOU
−10
CRO
−5
EAS
+8
CAN
+8
ILA
+10
NOR
+8
BAL
+34
STG
+14
PEN
+2
WES
+1
PAR
+8
X CBY
+30
SOU
+3
CRO
+22
EAS
−10
CAN
+2
ILA
+11
NOR
−2
BAL
+18
X EAS
+4
X CAN
+10
North Sydney Bears CBY
−20
CRO
−6
EAS
−1
CAN
+2
ILA
+14
X STG
+2
BAL
−20
PEN
−9
WES
−4
PAR
−7
MAN
−8
SOU
−4
CBY
+6
CRO
+10
EAS
−1
CAN
−6
ILA
−2
X STG
+3
BAL
−14
PEN
+3
WES
+2
PAR
+17
MAN
+2
SOU
+8
Parramatta Eels BAL
−24
WES
−16
X MAN
−22
CBY
+12
SOU
+13
CRO
−2
EAS
−12
CAN
+8
ILA
−8
NOR
+7
STG
+1
PEN
+13
BAL
−19
WES
+19
X MAN
−8
CBY
−16
SOU
−4
CRO
−12
EAS
+30
CAN
+16
ILA
+3
NOR
−17
STG
+18
PEN
+26
Penrith Panthers WES
+10
MAN
−24
CBY
−6
SOU
−7
CRO
−2
EAS
+11
CAN
−7
ILA
+10
NOR
+9
STG
−8
BAL
+6
X PAR
−13
WES
−8
MAN
−2
CBY
−10
SOU
−2
CRO
−20
EAS
−1
CAN
−18
ILA
+2
NOR
−3
STG
0
BAL
−16
X PAR
−26
South Sydney Rabbitohs ILA
−23
STG
−5
BAL
−32
PEN
+7
WES
+3
PAR
−13
MAN
+10
CBY
+4
X CRO
−10
EAS
+10
CAN
−4
NOR
+4
ILA
+15
STG
+9
BAL
+4
PEN
+2
WES
0
PAR
+4
MAN
−3
CBY
−2
X CRO
+6
EAS
+14
CAN
−24
NOR
−8
BAL
+3
CAN
−34
St. George Dragons MAN
0
SOU
+5
CRO
−8
EAS
−42
CAN
−8
ILA
−4
NOR
−2
X BAL
−14
PEN
+8
WES
+34
PAR
−1
CBY
+25
MAN
−14
SOU
−9
CRO
+4
EAS
+7
CAN
−17
ILA
+17
NOR
−3
X BAL
+4
PEN
0
WES
+19
PAR
−18
CBY
+2
Western Suburbs Magpies PEN
−10
PAR
+16
MAN
−11
CBY
−10
SOU
−3
CRO
−12
EAS
+13
CAN
−35
ILA
−20
NOR
+4
STG
−34
BAL
−4
X PEN
+8
PAR
−19
MAN
−1
CBY
−16
SOU
0
CRO
0
EAS
−9
CAN
−18
ILA
−10
NOR
−2
STG
−19
BAL
+4
X
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 F1 F2 F3 GF
Bold – Home game     X – Bye     Opponent for round listed above margin

References:

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (P) 24 18 1 5 2 553 356 +197 41
2 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters 24 15 1 8 2 390 353 +37 35
3 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 24 15 0 9 2 441 325 +116 34
4 Balmain colours.svg Balmain Tigers 24 14 1 9 2 469 349 +120 33
5 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 24 13 1 10 2 310 342 -32 31
6 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 13 0 11 2 353 316 +37 30
7 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 24 12 0 12 2 417 411 +6 28
8 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24 11 1 12 2 390 433 -43 27
9 St. George colours.svg St. George Dragons 24 10 2 12 2 394 409 -15 26
10 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney Bears 24 11 0 13 2 368 401 -33 26
11 Illawarra colours.svg Illawarra Steelers 24 8 0 16 2 372 449 -77 20
12 Penrith colours.svg Penrith Panthers 24 6 1 17 2 274 399 -125 17
13 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs Magpies 24 5 2 17 2 339 527 -188 16

Ladder progression

  • Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 5.
  • Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
  • Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.
  • Underlined numbers indicate that the team had a bye during that round.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
1 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 1 3 5 7 9 9 9 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 35 37 39 39 41
2 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters 2 4 6 8 10 10 10 12 12 14 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 25 27 29 29 31 33 33 35 35
3 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 2 4 6 6 8 8 10 12 12 12 12 14 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 26 28 28 28 30 32 34
4 Balmain colours.svg Balmain Tigers 2 4 6 8 8 10 12 14 16 18 18 20 20 22 22 22 22 23 25 27 29 29 31 33 33 33
5 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 0 0 0 2 4 4 6 8 10 10 12 12 14 16 18 20 22 23 25 25 25 27 29 31 31 31
6 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2 2 4 6 6 8 10 10 12 12 14 14 14 14 16 18 20 22 22 24 26 28 28 28 30 30
7 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 0 0 2 2 4 6 6 6 8 8 10 12 14 14 16 18 18 18 18 18 20 22 24 24 26 28
8 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 0 2 4 4 6 8 10 12 12 14 16 16 18 18 18 18 20 22 23 25 25 25 25 27 27 27
9 St. George colours.svg St. George Dragons 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 7 9 9 11 11 11 13 15 15 17 17 19 21 22 24 24 26
10 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney Bears 0 0 0 2 4 6 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 10 12 12 12 12 14 16 16 18 20 22 24 26
11 Illawarra colours.svg Illawarra Steelers 2 2 2 4 4 6 6 6 8 10 10 12 12 12 12 12 14 16 16 16 16 18 18 18 18 20
12 Penrith colours.svg Penrith Panthers 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 6 8 8 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 14 14 15 15 17 17
13 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs Magpies 0 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 6 6 6 8 10 10 10 10 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 14 16

Finals

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Qualifying Finals
Balmain colours.svg Balmain Tigers 12–15 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 5 September 1987 Sydney Cricket Ground Greg McCallum 22,134
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters 25–16 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 6 September 1987 Sydney Cricket Ground Mick Stone 15,852
Semi-finals
Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 46–12 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 12 September 1987 Sydney Cricket Ground Mick Stone 24,744
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 10–6 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters 13 September 1987 Sydney Cricket Ground Greg McCallum 36,399
Preliminary final
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs Roosters 24–32 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 20 September 1987 Sydney Cricket Ground Mick Stone 26,790
Grand final
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 18–8 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 27 September 1987 Sydney Cricket Ground Mick Stone 50,201

References:

Chart

Qualifying finalMajor semi-finalPreliminary finalGrand final
1Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly10Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly18
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs6Canberra colours.svg Canberra8
2Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs25Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs24
3Canberra colours.svg Canberra16Minor semi-finalCanberra colours.svg Canberra32
Canberra colours.svg Canberra46
4Balmain colours.svg Balmain12South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney12
5South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney15

Grand final

1987 (1987) NSWRL Grand Final  ()
12 Total
MAN Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 612 18
CAN Canberra colours.svg 08 8
Date27 September 1987
StadiumSydney Cricket Ground
LocationMoore Park, New South Wales
Clive Churchill MedalCliff Lyons (MAN)
National anthemJulie Anthony
RefereeMick Stone
Attendance50,201
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters
Commentators

Background

Manly dominated the 1987 season with a 12-match winning sequence between May and July and Bob Fulton's elusive goal of coaching a side to grand final victory began to look a possibility. The path to glory had been four years in the making. In 1983, Bob Fulton had returned to the club as coach, the second year running that they lost to Parramatta and he set about pursuing a stable of players needed to win a premiership.

50,201 fans were on hand on an unseasonably warm day, with the temperature peaking at 31.1°C to watch the last rugby league grand final played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and the first to involve a club from outside the Sydney area.

Network 10 televised a memorable pre-match entertainment themed to commence celebrations of New South Wales' 200th birthday. The ceremony involving a symbolic building of a huge model of the Sydney Harbour Bridge by representatives of the Navy's apprentices, while singer John Williamson performed his song "True Blue". There were repeated playing of the Bicentennial jingle "making this State great." Australian soprano Julie Anthony sang Advance Australia Fair before kickoff.

Ten's commentary team for the game was Rex Mossop and Graeme Hughes with David Fordham the sideline reporter and special comments from Australian and New South Wales representatives Peter Sterling and Wayne Pearce.

Teams

The sole survivors of the Manly's 1983 loss to Parramatta were Noel Cleal and club captain, Paul Vautin. Vautin had been largely overlooked by the Australian selectors (including being surprisingly overlooked for the 1982 Kangaroo tour after representing both Australia and Queensland earlier that year). Vautin's leadership of the Sea-Eagles was an integral factor in the club's success, though there was allegedly tension between Vautin and Cleal in 1987. Despite still recovering from broken arm suffered on the successful 1986 Kangaroo tour, the Manly club board had wanted Fulton to make Cleal the captain to replace Vautin. Fulton however retained Vautin as captain with Cleal as his deputy. In 1984 young halfback Des Hasler, who had spent several seasons warming the bench at Penrith trialed with the club and became a mainstay of the Manly side having achieved Test selection against New Zealand in 1985 as well as being a 1986 Kangaroo Tourist. 1986 Rothmans medallist, winger-turned-hooker, Mal Cochrane, a reliable goalkicker and a deceptive open runner was also an asset to the side. The forwards were Vautin, "Crusher" Cleal, "Rambo" Ron Gibbs, Kangaroo Tour prop Phil Daley and Great Britain international, Castleford's Kevin Ward, who was flown back out to Australia specifically for the grand final. Manly's masterstroke was the signing of former rugby union international centre Michael O'Connor from St. George who was the current NSW Origin and Australian test goal kicker.

Their opponents were to be the Canberra Raiders who, after 5 years of competition, had reached their first grand final. The Raiders were co-coached by Kangaroos coach Don Furner and Queensland coach Wayne Bennett who had jointly won the Dally M Coach of the Year award for their efforts in lifting the Raiders from easy beats to premiership contenders. The team included players such as captain Dean Lance, Queensland and Kangaroo Tour fullback Gary Belcher, centres Mal Meninga (himself a test veteran who had returned after breaking his arm against Manly earlier in the year) and Peter Jackson, hooker Steve Walters and front rowers Sam Backo and New Zealand test player (and former NZ Water Polo international) Brent Todd with a young Kevin Walters also on the bench. Also sitting on the Raiders bench for the game as emergencies were young Glenn Lazarus and Laurie Daley, though neither would be used in the grand final.


Team details
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Position Canberra Raiders
Name Number Number Name
Dale Shearer 1 Fullback 1 Gary Belcher
David Ronson 2 Wing 2 Chris Kinna
Darrell Williams 3 Centre 3 Mal Meninga
Michael O'Connor 4 Centre 4 Peter Jackson
Stuart Davis 5 Wing 5 Matthew Corkery
Cliff Lyons 6 Five eighth 6 Chris O'Sullivan
Des Hasler 7 Half back 7 Ivan Henjak
Phil Daley 13 Prop forward 13 Brent Todd
Mal Cochrane 12 Hooker 12 Steve Walters
Kevin Ward 11 Prop forward 11 Sam Backo
Ron Gibbs 10 Second row 10 Gary Coyne
Noel Cleal 9 Second row 9 Ashley Gilbert
Paul Vautin (c) 8 Lock forward 8 Dean Lance (c)
Paul Shaw 20 Replacement 20 Kevin Walters
Mark Pocock 24 Replacement 16 Terry Regan
Bob Fulton Coach Don Furner and
Wayne Bennett
RLP


Match summary

First half

From the outset Manly's Cliff Lyons attempted to find gaps out wide in Canberra's defence and kept the Raiders hemmed in on their own side of half-way with his astute kicking. Lyons stepped inside the Raiders' defence and after a seventy-metre burst found Noel Cleal stampeding on to the ball but Cleal's final pass to Des Hasler was ruled forward. Another promising Manly raid broke down when Lyons' reverse pass to O'Connor was put to ground.

Manly continued to put pressure on the Raiders defence with both speedsters Michael O'Connor and Dale Shearer trying to catch the Raiders out with long range kicks to their in-goal area in front of the SCG hill, but both were only just beaten to the ball each time by Gary Belcher and Gary Coyne respectively.

In the 27th minute Lyons eventually broke through on his third threatening attempt. Scurrying from a scrum win on the Canberra quarter-line, Lyons brushed off the tackle of Chris O'Sullivan and stepped inside Belcher to score.

Just before half time, Ron Gibbs was sent to the head bin for a brief period, replaced by Paul Shaw.

The Sea Eagles led 6-0 at half-time, with a ball-and-all tackle by Belcher on Dale Shearer just two metres from the Canberra tryline preventing the lead being greater.

Second half

From the restart kick-off Belcher fielded the ball in his in-goal but was penalised for shepherding behind Chris O'Sullivan as he ran the ball out. It was a gift penalty for O'Connor to take Manly out to an 8-0 lead.

The Sea Eagles kept the pressure on Canberra by charging down two attempted clearing kicks by a tiring Mal Meninga. Only occasionally did the Raiders break through. After a run by Peter Jackson, Manly's Phil Daley was penalised for a high tackle and Meninga's goal finally put Canberra on the scoreboard.

Fatigue and the heat began to take a toll on the players, though one of the more surprising efforts was Manly's English prop Kevin Ward who ran and tackled strongly all day. Meninga, who had only played 60 minutes of football since breaking his arm in a game against Manly almost two months earlier, was replaced by Kevin Walters after 15 minutes of the second half and Manly's Gibbs, Cleal and Cochrane all went down hurt at different stages as the pace of the match slowed (for his part, Cochrane still can't remember the second half). Soon after a successful penalty goal from O'Connor, a Dale Shearer cross field kick from the Raiders 22m line was grounded over the line by O'Connor in the Paddington corner. While Manly winger David Ronson was thought to be offside (though he didn't get involved in the play, he was still within 10 metres of O'Connor), many claim that the Manly centre should have been ruled offside as he got the ball "rather quickly" (television replays would prove inconclusive as there was no footage of where O'Conner was when Shearer kicked). However, referee Mick Stone ruled that Manly's international centre was onside and O'Connor was awarded the try. He converted his own try (giving him 4/4 goals at that point) and Manly had a premiership winning 16-2 lead.

A brief hope of a fightback loomed after an ingeniously constructed "trojan horse" move by Canberra. Chris O'Sullivan went down "injured" after being tackled and then miraculously popped up in the next passage of play to take the inside pass from Ivan Henjak and score. With Meninga off the ground, Gary Belcher converted to narrow the scores to 16-8.

Ron Gibbs' return from the head-bin helped snap the Sea Eagles out of their complacency. Daley's tackle on Canberra replacement Terry Regan and Dale Shearer's try-saving tackle on Ashley Gilbert three minutes from full-time ended any chance of a Canberra fightback. Paul Vautin led the charge back up-field with Hasler being bundled into the corner post after a run-around movement with O'Connor. The Manly centre also had a try taken off him just minutes after his previous try when Mick Stone ruled a pass from Cliff Lyons had gone forward.

Right on full-time, O'Connor landed his fifth goal from five attempts after the Raiders were penalised in front of their own posts for being offside after a tap-kick restart. The 18-8 scoreline was a fair indication of Manly's supremacy on the day and a just result considering the Sea Eagles' consistency throughout the year. Manly captain Paul Vautin saying "Canberra almost produced a fairytale finish, but unfortunately the last couple of pages were ripped out... we were the best team today and we had been all year."

Manly became the first team other than Canterbury-Bankstown or Parramatta to win the grand final during the 1980s (Manly had been beaten grand finalists in 1982 and 1983, losing both times to Parramatta).

For Manly coach Bob Fulton, premiership glory in a nine-year coaching career was finally achieved. For the dual Canberra coaches it marked a milestone. It was a sad ending to the long club coaching career of Don Furner, the man who brought Canberra into the competition. For his partner Wayne Bennett, the tactician behind the side, it was a disappointing exit but another door was about to open on his own stellar coaching career with the Brisbane Broncos and a continuing career as Queensland Origin coach.

Scoreboard

1987 NSWRL Winfield Cup Grand Final
Sunday, 27 September
15:00 AEST (UTC+10)
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg 18 – 8 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders
Tries: 2
Lyons rugby ball 27'
O'Connor rugby ball 54'
Goals: 5
O'Connor rugby goalposts icon 27'pen 41'pen 51'55'pen 78' (5/5)
1st: 6–0
2nd: 12–8
Report
Tries: 1
O'Sullivan rugby ball 69'
Goals: 2
Meninga rugby goalposts icon pen 46' (1/1)
Belcher rugby goalposts icon 70' (1/1)

World Club Challenge

Having won the premiership, the Manly side travelled to England to play British Champions Wigan on 7 October. This was only the second match of its kind, being the first time the Australian and British premiers faced off since 1976. 36,895 spectators turned out at Central Park in Wigan, to see the Sea Eagles go down 8–2 in a tryless game which saw Ron Gibbs sent off in his last game for Manly following a high tackle on Wigan centre Joe Lydon.

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26.


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