1981 NSWRL Grand Final
Sunday, 27 September 1981 · Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, New South Wales
1981 NSWRL Grand Final result: Parramatta def. Newtown, 20-11, at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, New South Wales on Sunday, 27 September 1981.
Sourcing caveat: This match was played under the pre-1983 scoring system, where a try was worth 3 points (not the 4-point try introduced from the 1983 season) — 4 tries × 3 + 4 goals × 2 = 20 for Parramatta, and 3 tries × 3 + 1 goal × 2 = 11 for Newtown, both reconciling exactly under try=3.
Result
| Team | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Parramatta | 20 |
| Runner-up | Newtown | 11 |
Attendance: 57,333
NRL 1981 — full season ladder & finals series
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Diff | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Suburbs | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 385 | 225 | +160 | 32 |
| 2 | Newtown | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 326 | 268 | +58 | 30 |
| 3 | Parramatta | 22 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 398 | 246 | +152 | 29 |
| 4 | Cronulla-Sutherland | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 339 | 337 | +2 | 27 |
| 5 | Manly-Warringah | 22 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 350 | 317 | +33 | 26 |
| 6 | Western Suburbs | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 311 | 352 | -41 | 23 |
| 7 | North Sydney | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 322 | 355 | -33 | 18 |
| 8 | St. George | 22 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 320 | 399 | -79 | 17 |
| 9 | South Sydney | 22 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 322 | 423 | -101 | 17 |
| 10 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 340 | 344 | -4 | 16 |
| 11 | Penrith | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 305 | 350 | -45 | 16 |
| 12 | Balmain | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 293 | 395 | -102 | 13 |
Qualified for the finals series — top 5 (“final five”) that season.
Finals series
Major Preliminary Semi-Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep 1981 | Parramatta Eels 10–8 Newtown | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, NSW | 17,265 |
Minor Preliminary Semi-Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep 1981 | Manly-Warringah 14–11 Cronulla-Sutherland | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, NSW | 21,635 |
Major Semi-Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep 1981 | Parramatta Eels 12–8 Eastern Suburbs Roosters | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, NSW | 27,600 |
Minor Semi-Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Sep 1981 | Newtown 20–15 Manly-Warringah | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, NSW | 22,440 |
Preliminary Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 1981 | Newtown 15–5 Eastern Suburbs Roosters | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, NSW | 25,243 |
Grand Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 1981 | Parramatta Eels 20–11 Newtown | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, NSW |
Match officials
| Referee | Greg Hartley |
Scorers
| Parramatta | Tries: Graeme Atkins — minute unconfirmed; Steve Ella — minute unconfirmed; Brett Kenny — minute unconfirmed; Brett Kenny — minute unconfirmed (full-time siren intercept) Goals: Michael Cronin (4/6) |
| Newtown | Tries: Brian Hetherington — minute unconfirmed; Tom Raudonikis — minute unconfirmed (early 2nd half); Graeme O'Grady — minute unconfirmed Goals: Paul Morris (1/3) |
Teams
| Parramatta | Newtown | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve McKenzie | Fullback | Phil Sigsworth | 1 |
| 2 | Graeme Atkins | Wing | John Ferguson | 2 |
| 3 | Michael Cronin | Centre | Brian Hetherington | 3 |
| 4 | Steve Ella | Centre | Mick Ryan | 4 |
| 5 | Eric Grothe | Wing | Ray Blacklock | 5 |
| 6 | Brett Kenny | Five-eighth | Paul Morris | 6 |
| 7 | Peter Sterling | Halfback | Tom Raudonikis | 7 |
| 8 | Ray Price | Lock | Graeme O'Grady | 8 |
| 9 | John Muggleton | Second Row | Mick Pitman | 9 |
| 10 | Kevin Stevens | Second Row | Phil Gould | 10 |
| 11 | Ron Hilditch | Front Row | Steve Blyth | 11 |
| 12 | Steve Edge | Hooker | Barry Jensen | 12 |
| 13 | Bob O'Reilly | Front Row | Craig Ellis | 13 |
| Substitutes | ||||
| 14 | Steve Sharp | Ken Wilson | 14 | |
| 18 | Paul Taylor | Jim Walters | 15 | |
| Shane McKellar | 20 | |||
| Geoff Bugden | 26 | |||
| Jack Gibson | Coach | Warren Ryan | ||
Clive Churchill Medal
The Clive Churchill Medal was first awarded in 1986; no official best-on-ground medal existed for this Grand Final.
Match context
Few Grand Finals carry as much romance as 1981, which pitted two of the competition's longest droughts against each other before 57,333 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Parramatta, admitted to the premiership in 1947, had never won a title in 35 seasons; battling Newtown, one of the foundation clubs of 1908, were playing their first Grand Final in 26 years. Master coach Jack Gibson had arrived at Parramatta that season, while Newtown were guided by Warren Ryan and led by the fiery veteran Tommy Raudonikis. The match was desperately tight early: Parramatta clung to a 7-6 half-time lead, and when Raudonikis crossed early in the second half, one of three Newtown tries alongside Brian Hetherington and Graeme O'Grady, the Jets hit the front and a famous upset loomed. Then Parramatta's brilliant young backline took over. Steve Ella scored after a contentious play in which a knocked-down Bob O'Reilly pass was ruled to have come off a Newtown hand, Graeme Atkins crossed, and Brett Kenny finished a two-try afternoon by racing away with an intercept on full-time to seal a 20-11 win, Mick Cronin adding four goals. Captain Steve Edge became the first player to captain two different clubs to premierships, having led St. George to victory over these same Eels in 1977. Gibson's laconic line to the delirious blue-and-gold crowd, 'Ding, dong, the witch is dead', entered rugby league folklore, and the celebrations back at Cumberland Oval literally burned the old ground down when a bonfire destroyed the grandstand. The victory launched the game's last true dynasty: Parramatta would win again in 1982 and 1983. For Newtown the afternoon proved a poignant farewell to the big stage: deep financial trouble followed as recession bit, and after the 1983 season the Jets were expelled from the premiership over mounting debts, never to return to the top grade. The 1981 decider thus remains the final Grand Final appearance in the old club's history.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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