1980 NSWRFL season

1980 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams	12
Premiers	Canterbury-Bankstown (3rd title)
Minor premiers	Eastern Suburbs (14th title)
Matches played	138
Points scored	4415
Attendance	1,498,634
Top points scorer(s)	Steve Gearin (220)
Rothmans Medal	Geoff Bugden
Top try-scorer(s)	John Ribot (16) Wayne Wigham (16)
← 1979 1981 →

The 1980 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 73rd season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Twelve clubs, including six of 1908's foundation teams and another six from around Sydney competed for the J.J. Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Canterbury-Bankstown and Eastern Suburbs clubs. NSWRFL clubs also competed in the 1980 Tooth Cup and players from NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team.

Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March till August, resulting in a top five of Easts, Canterbury, Wests, St. George and Souths who battled it out in the finals.

The 1980 season also saw the retirement from the League of future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Arthur Beetson.

Mid-way through the season, players contracted to NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team in two games against the Queensland team in 1980. After that the experimental 1980 State of Origin game was played, and NSWRFL clubs' players represented Queensland for the first time.

The 1980 season's Rothmans Medallist was Newtown prop Geoff Bugden. The inaugural Dally M Award, named in honour of rugby league's first "Master" Dally Messenger, went to South Sydney's Robert Laurie. Rugby League Week gave its player of the year award to Eastern Suburbs' halfback Kevin Hastings.

Balmain 73rd season Ground: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Dennis Tutty Captain: Allan McMahon	Canterbury-Bankstown 46th season Ground: Belmore Oval Coach: Ted Glossop Captain: George Peponis	Cronulla-Sutherland 14th season Ground: Endeavour Field Coach: Tommy Bishop Captain: Greg Pierce	Eastern Suburbs 73rd season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Bob Fulton Captain: Royce Ayliffe
Manly-Warringah 34th season Ground: Brookvale Oval Coach: Allan Thomson Captain: Max Krilich→Graham Eadie	Newtown 73rd season Ground: Henson Park Coach: Warren Ryan Captain: Tommy Raudonikis	North Sydney 73rd season Ground:North Sydney Oval Coach: Ron Willey Captain: Kevin Wilson	Parramatta 34th season Ground: Cumberland Oval Coach: John Peard Captain: Ray Price→Ron Hilditch
Penrith 14th season Ground: Penrith Park Coach: Len Stacker Captain: Tim Sheens	South Sydney 73rd season Ground: Redfern Oval Coach: Bill Anderson Captain: Robert Laurie→Nathan Gibbs	St. George 60th season Ground: Kogarah Oval Coach: Harry Bath Captain: Craig Young	Western Suburbs 73rd season Ground: Lidcombe Oval Coach: Roy Masters Captain: Warren Boland

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Eastern Suburbs	22	14	2	6	339	249	+90	30
2	Canterbury (P)	22	15	0	7	361	334	+27	30
3	Western Suburbs	22	14	0	8	429	308	+121	28
4	St. George	22	13	2	7	367	321	+46	28
5	South Sydney	22	12	1	9	392	318	+74	25
6	Parramatta	22	11	2	9	420	317	+103	24
7	Manly	22	11	2	9	335	354	-19	24
8	Newtown	22	11	1	10	348	357	-9	23
9	Cronulla	22	9	2	11	350	346	+4	20
10	Balmain	22	7	0	15	330	382	-52	14
11	North Sydney	22	6	1	15	282	405	-123	13
12	Penrith	22	2	1	19	294	556	-262	5

Home	Score	Away	Match information
			Date and time	Venue	Referee	Crowd
Qualifying Finals
Canterbury-Bankstown	22–17	Western Suburbs	6 September 1980	Sydney Cricket Ground	Greg Hartley	21,948
St. George	16–5	South Sydney	7 September 1980	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack Danzey	33,552
Semi-finals
Eastern Suburbs	7–13	Canterbury-Bankstown	13 September 1980	Sydney Cricket Ground	Greg Hartley	28,883
Western Suburbs	13–7	St. George	14 September 1980	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack Danzey	28,451
Preliminary final
Eastern Suburbs	41–5	Western Suburbs	20 September 1980	Sydney Cricket Ground	Greg Hartley	28,596
Grand final
Canterbury-Bankstown	18–4	Eastern Suburbs	27 September 1980	Sydney Cricket Ground	Greg Hartley	52,881

	Qualifying final					Major semi-final					Preliminary final					Grand final
						1	Eastern Suburbs	7								Canterbury		18
							Canterbury	13								Eastern Suburbs		4
	2	Canterbury	22								Eastern Suburbs		41
	3	Western Suburbs	17			Minor semi-final					Western Suburbs		5
						Western Suburbs		13
	4	St. George	16			St. George		7
	5	South Sydney	5

Canterbury's loss of long serving fullback Stan Cutler with a broken leg suffered in the major semi-final, and the Roosters' form in the preliminary final resulted in Easts being warm favourites. But the Bulldogs, boasting two sets of brothers in the Hughes and Mortimers came ready to play expansive football. The Roosters began well and Noel Cleal was a constant threat but Canterbury's forwards led by Robinson and Coveney began to get on top. Canterbury's Chris Anderson scored the first try of the match after receiving a blatantly forward pass^[1] from Chris Mortimer in the lead up. The Roosters hit back and only desperate cover defence from Steve Mortimer on Easts' winger Steve McFarlane prevented a Roosters try. Ken Wright kicked two penalty goals for the tricolours, resulting in a 7–4 lead to the Bulldogs at half time.

After the break Steve Gearin edged the Bulldogs clear with three successive goals after aggressive play from the Roosters – led by John Tobin's focus on the Hughes brothers – was penalised by referee Greg Hartley. The final Canterbury try by Gearin has been ranked amongst the best of all-time. Five minutes from full-time Greg Brentnall raced downfield and put up a high kick. Gearin followed through at speed and outjumped opposing winger David Michael, catching the ball on the full to score and secure a Bulldogs victory.^[2]

It was Canterbury's third premiership and had come after a wait of thirty-eight years. It was the last Grand final to be played on a Saturday afternoon with the deciders since then being played on a Sunday.

Referee: Greg Hartley

Canterbury-Bankstown 18 (Tries: Anderson, Gearin. Goals: Gearin 6 from 6)

Eastern Suburbs 4 (Goals: Wright 2)

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 22.

Top 5 point scorers Points Player Tries Goals Field Goals 197 Ken Wilson 5 90 2 188 Steve Gearin 12 76 0 176 Mick Cronin 6 79 0 166 Graham Eadie 2 80 0 160 Ron Giteau 8 68 0 Top 5 try scorers Tries Player 16 Wayne Wigham 14 John Ribot 12 Steve Gearin 12 Neville Glover 12 Marvin Hicks

Top 5 goal scorers Goals Player 90 Ken Wilson 80 Graham Eadie 79 Mick Cronin 78 Wayne Miranda 76 Steve Gearin

• 1980 State of Origin

• Haddan, Steve (2007) The finals – 100 Years of National Rugby League Finals, Steve Haddan Publishing, Brisbane
• Rugby League Tables – Season 1980 The World of Rugby League
• at rabbitohs.com.au
• 1980 J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup at rleague.com^{[dead link‍]}
• MSWRFL season 1980 at rugbyleagueproject.com