While acknowledging that St. George were indeed “a powerhouse” of sport, from the mid 1950’s through until the early seventies, the Western Suburbs Magpies were also flying high.
The Australia Day 1961 matches referred to in ‘Today’s Tale’ of April 21st. correctly demonstrate a powerful Saints’ presence at both International and NSW levels. Wests had Bob Simpson in the Adelaide Test (technically on sabbatical in Western Australia, however, returning ‘home’ for Wests versus Paddington on Remembrance Day 1961) and Alan Davidson was out injured. Simmo scored 85 and 3 in the classic draw, with ‘Slasher’ Mackay and Lindsay Kline holding out against all odds.
As a scribe mentioned, “Davo’s bowling was badly missed”. Alan had created history in the first Test of the 1960-61 series (the ‘Tied Test’) by becoming the first Player to Take 10 wickets (he actually took eleven at 20 each) and score 100 runs (44 and 80) in the history of Test Matches to that time.
Wests and Saints were ‘arm wrestling’ in both rugby league and cricket in that era. The Magpies played four of the league Grand Finals during the Dragons eleven year reign. Saints’ two closest calls were 1962 and ’63 and there were several controversies which we don’t need to go into here.
On the grade cricket field, Wests won the Belvidere Cup in 1956-57, 59-60, 63-64 and back to back premierships in 1971-72 and 72-73. Simmo and Davo were well supported with the likes of Ken Muller, Wally Wellham, Jim deCourcy and Grahame Corling.
Saints countered by winning First Grade cricket comps in 1960-61, 65-66, and the ‘three-peat’ from 1968 to 1971.
And there were some monumental semi-finals, played at the SCG and generally before crowds comparable with Sheffield Shield attendances. Warren Saunders recalls one of those epics, captaining St. George and desperately trying to get Alan Davidson out. Davo and George Theodore, Wests ‘keeper, put on 99 for the last wicket, to win. Theodore scored one.
Wests could also trot out Internationals across a range of sports. Rugby league stars like Keith Holman, Kel O’Shea, Peter Dimond, Harry Wells, Arthur Summons, Noel Kelly joined forces with Saints’ greats to provide the impetus to finally beat the Poms in Ashes Tests.
Alan Davidson training with Western Suburbs Rugby League Players
Similarly, Wests and Saints Players were mainstays of the Benaud Teams that defeated England from 1958-59 and through the sixties.
‘Golden Girl’ Betty Cuthbert, Marlene Matthews and Gloria Cooke represented from Wests at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, before Cuthbert moved on to neighbouring Cumberland. Bob Lay represented as a 100 metre sprinter at Tokyo in 1964.
The Magpie fraternity worked together, with Alan Davidson training at Pratten Park in the winter time with the league players to maintain his stamina for the arduous overseas tours and Keith Holman sprint training with Olympians Marlene Matthews and Gloria Cooke.
Wests and Saints were first into the licensed club industry in the mid-fifties. The Dragons establishing the famed ‘Taj Mahal’ on the Princes Highway at Kogarah and ‘Millionaires’ Wests kicked off, equally successfully, on Liverpool Road, Ashfield.
Wests instigated the ‘Magpie Awards’ in 1961 and Alan Davidson was the inaugural winner. The prestigious Award continues today and recipients in the early sixties included Olympic butterfly champion Kevin Berry and respective Test Captains Arthur Summons and Bob Simpson.
Possibly the greatest example of the traditional Saints-Wests friendly rivalry is the enduring ‘Gladiators’ shot of Artie Summons and Norm Provan, embracing in the SCG mud after the 1963 grand final.
The two magnificently competitive Clubs have provided the eternal image of NRL rugby league.
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