NEWS: Sea Eagles v Bears: End of an era

[Jethro]

Sea Eagles and Bears play their final game in senior rugby league as an era comes to an end

Jon Geddes, Manly Daily
August 1, 2016 9:48am

IT has been one of rugby league’s fiercest rivalries and it started 70 years ago.

But one of the game’s great traditions had its swansong at Brookvale Oval last Saturday.

With no fanfare, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the North Sydney Bears played their final game of senior football against each other in front of a tiny crowd in the NSW Cup. Most spectators would have been blissfully unaware they were witnessing a piece of history.

Norths had the final say, winning the derby 32-18, in a game where Sea Eagle Jamil Hopoate scored three tries.

Next year, it will all be different when the Sea Eagles form a partnership with the powerful Blacktown Workers Club.

Click here to read the rest of the Manly Daily article at dailytelegraph.com.au​

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[Shoe1]

Good article

 

[Bearfax]

Oh the memories. I still recall one sunny afternoon at North Sydney Oval ( a beautiful ground to watch from), and Norths were looking good to give Manly a pasting. Then in the twinkling of an eye, a young Johnny Gibbs stepped his way through the entire Norths pack on several occasions in a ten minute period and game was over. I recall sitting next to a North Sydney supporter who grumbled that they had us but for that freak Gibbs.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Sign of the times, but the local derbies were definitely one of the highlights back in the day.
Norths had some poor teams but for some reason they always seemed to have giant forwards, and they gave Manly some tough games.

 

[The Wheel]

Excellent there were only a few hundred people there to watch - very typical of the crowds at North Sydney Oval. I wonder if their supporters met up in the phone box on Pittwater Rd pre the match @tookey would have been there!

 

[tookey]

Excellent there were only a few hundred people there to watch - very typical of the crowds at North Sydney Oval. I wonder if their supporters met up in the phone box on Pittwater Rd pre the match @tookey would have been there!

Don't you mean the phone booth in Miller St?

 

[mozgrame]

Sign of the times, but the local derbies were definitely one of the highlights back in the day.
Norths had some poor teams but for some reason they always seemed to have giant forwards, and they gave Manly some tough games.

I remember reading an article about Mark O'meley years ago. Debuted for the Bears as a 17 year old, in the front row. Peter Louis reckoned in the article that the bears went to NZ to battle the warriors once, and there was Ogre, 17 years old, yelling for the ball and screaming "Come and get me ya bastards!! whilst hitting it up. lol

Tough bugger, Ogre.

 

[tookey]

I remember reading an article about Mark O'meley years ago. Debuted for the Bears as a 17 year old, in the front row. Peter Louis reckoned in the article that the bears went to NZ to battle the warriors once, and there was Ogre, 17 years old, yelling for the ball and screaming "Come and get me ya bastards!! whilst hitting it up. lol

Tough bugger, Ogre.

He used to shave his head before a game and then rub decorub into it which he said made his head feel like it was on fire

 

[KNUCKLES]

Don't you mean the phone booth in Miller St?

That would make more sense

 

[mozgrame]

He used to shave his head before a game and then rub decorub into it which he said made his head feel like it was on fire

The bears had some good players in the 90's. Willie Leyshon, had a lot of trouble with injuries but a good player on his day. Nigel Roy, under rated winger and doing a good job now running the NTRL. Sean Rutgerson I always rated too. Tough and willing.

Joel Wilson as well. I seem to recall Joel had trouble playing on the left or right in the centres, but once Louis swapped him over, he killed it in a few games.

Who could forget that game in 1998 ( 23 August, dads birthday ) when the mighty bears beat the cowboys 62- 0?

 

[Woodsie]

Who could forget that game in 1998 ( 23 August, dads birthday ) when the mighty bears beat the cowboys 62- 0?

Nobody. It was there first win in 12 years wasn't it.