Wally O'Connell is a Manly Champion.
Having been admitted to the Sydney top-grade competition in 1947 the young Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 1949 had suffered three lean seasons and set about to secure the services of O'Connell, then regarded as one of the stars of the Australian game. The Manly committee secured O'Connell with a 350 pound offer but his registration for the 1950 season was thwarted when Eastern Suburbs blocked the transfer on residential grounds. The Easts committee were dissatisfied with residential evidence O'Connell was able to table for himself and sought proof that O'Connell's wife had also already made the move to Manly. O'Connell was unable to provide this on-the-spot at the meeting, the transfer was blocked and on principle he chose to sit out the 1950 season thereby also jeopardizing his representative career.
O'Connell played two seasons with Manly as captain-coach' leading them to 2nd place on the 1951 competition ladder and to the club's first Grand final appearance. He was unable to play in that match due to a fractured bone in his wrist, so was forced to watch from the sideline as his team lost to Souths by a record grand final margin.
1. Eadie
2. Irvine
3. Lyon
4. Fulton
5. O'Connor
6. O' Connell
7. Toovey
8. Bull
9. Krilich
10. Randall
11. Menzies
12. G. Stewart
13. Reilly
14. Lyons
15. Bull
16. O'Neill
17. B. Stewart
Coach. Stanton
Manager. Arthurson
Team Of The Century - Ken Irvine (Wing), Bob Fulton (Reserve)
100 Greatest Players - Kerry Boustead, Roy Bull, Graham Eadie, Bob Fulton, Ken Irvine, John O'Neill
Indigenous Team Of The Century - Dale Shearer (Wing), Cliff Lyons (Lock)
Secondary Schools Centenary Team - Steve Menzies (2nd Row), Les Boyd (Front Row)
Men Of League - Centenary Of Club Greats - Bob Fulton, Cliff Lyons, Steve Menzies, Malcolm "Mal" Reilly and Graham Eadie
NSWRL Team Of The Century Ken Irvine (Wing), Bob Fulton (5/8), Roy Bull (Reserve)