THERE IS A FASCINATING connection between the Roosters and Newcastle, linking a legend of Australian rugby league with one of the Hunter District’s most iconic sporting figures.A
Easts’ first great hooker Sandy Pearce was a one-time sparring partner of boxing great Les Darcy, the pair joining forces in the early years of World War I when Darcy trained in Sydney. Darcy even boarded at the Pearce family home at Double Bay late in 1914 and trained at the Pearce’s boatshed. Six years earlier, Pearce had been a member of Easts’ side which met Newcastle in the first league clash between the two districts at the RAS Showground on July 25, 1908. The Sydney Morning Herald described the game as ‘a fast one, with tigerish work amongst the scrummagers.’ The honours went to Easts, 34–17, with Dally Messenger weighing in with 18 points from two tries and six goals. The Daily Telegraph reported: ‘Messenger, bright and sparkling, gave one of his best displays and kicked wonderfully well.’
Messenger, who played all his club football with Easts, went to England with the New Zealand ‘All Golds’ in 1907–08, and continued to play some games with the Kiwis when they returned to Australia at the end of their tour. One of these games was in Newcastle, on April 25, 1908, in what was the first game of rugby league played in the Hunter region, and Dally managed to score the first try, goal and field goal of the match.
In the two seasons that the old Newcastle club competed in the Sydney competition, the teams met only twice, Easts finishing on top both times. In round 5, 1909, Easts became the first Sydney club to make the journey north to play in front of what was described as a ‘fair crowd’ at the Newcastle Sportsground, winning 18–16 after returned Kangaroos Dan Frawley and Albert Rosenfeld both chimed in with two tries. Easts and Newcastle were the beaten semi-finalists that year, after finishing well behind the top two teams, Souths and Balmain, on the competition ladder.
After that match it wasn’t until 1988 that Newcastle and Easts would meet again in premiership football. This time, it was the Newcastle Knights who ventured south to play Easts at the new Sydney Football Stadium. There was only a small crowd on hand to watch Easts score a comfortable 26–10 victory, powered by a strong attacking game by fullback Gary Wurth. Wurth and team-mates David Smith and Peter Johnston all wore Newcastle colours in the following seasons.
Easts and Newcastle figured in an historic match at Auckland’s Carlaw Park in 1992 — it was the first time either club had played a premiership match outside Australia. But the real spice in the Roosters-Knights rivalry began in the mid–1990s when Brad Fittler was guiding the fortunes of the Roosters and Andrew Johns was steering the Knights.
The clubs met in finals matches in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003, the Roosters claiming victories on all but one occasion.
EASTERN SUBURBS V NEWCASTLE
Head-to-head (1908–09): Played 2, Easts 2, Newcastle 0
Finals Head-to-head: Nil
Biggest wins: Easts — 34–17 at Agricultural Ground, July 25, 1908; Newcastle — no wins
Most points: Dally Messenger, 18 (2 tries, 6 goals); Newcastle — Stan Carpenter, 18 (9 goals)
Most tries: Dan Frawley, 4; George Cox, 2
Played for both clubs: Joe Shakespeare
SYDNEY ROOSTERS V NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Head-to-head (1988–2008): Played 36, Sydney Roosters 19, Newcastle 15, drawn 2
Finals Head-to-head: Played 5, Sydney Roosters 4, Newcastle 1
Longest winning streaks: Sydney Roosters — 8 games (2002–05); Newcastle — 2 games (on five occasions)
Biggest wins: Sydney Roosters — 48–4 at Aussie Stadium, June 18, 2004; Newcastle — 46–12 at Marathon Stadium, June 30, 2000; 40–6 at Marathon Stadium, September 8, 2001
Biggest crowd: 33,727 at Sydney Football Stadium, August 19, 2000 (preliminary final)
Most points: Sydney Roosters — Craig Fitzgibbon, 96 (2 tries, 44 goals); Newcastle — Andrew Johns, 124 (5 tries, 51 goals, 2 field goals)
Most tries: Sydney Roosters — Anthony Minichiello, 10; Newcastle — Andrew Johns, 8
Played for both clubs: Julian Bailey, Riley Brown, Richard Fa’aoso, Justin Holbrook, Peter Johnston, Craig Kimmorley, Adam MacDougall, Tim Maddison, Mike McLean, Clinton O’Brien, Sean Rudder, David Smith, Gary Wurth
