Men of League Heritage Round kicks-off this weekend (30 March – 2 April), honouring the game’s history and remembering the great players and the people that have been involved in your club, that make Rugby League the greatest game of all. Round 5 of the 2012 NRL Premiership is a chance to celebrate the great and rich traditions of all the NRL clubs – from the foundation members all the way to the league’s newest entrants.
Each club has its own unique story and a special piece of history in Australian sport. The Men of League Foundation continues to support all members of the rugby league family when they need a helping hand. Men of League Ambassadors will make appearances at collection points at all venues.
The Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies have a proud history in this competition, and to signify Heritage Round, the Wests Tigers take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs, a club both have had many famous encounters with over the years. Specifically, this match celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1952 grand final, when Western Suburbs won their fourth premiership by defeating South Sydney 22-12. The sides had faced off in the semi-final, with the third placed Rabbitohs defeating the Magpies 18-10. Souths progressed to the final, where they knocked off North Sydney 26-12 to book a date with Wests in the grand final challenge.
While the Rabbitohs were in front at the halftime break 7-5, they were run down by the Maggies in the second half. Don Schofield scored a double, while leading points scorer George Bain crossed for a try and kicked two goals in what was a highly controversial decider. This match was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the home of many classic encounters between these sides and a field which many still consider to be the spiritual home of our great game. But it was only a couple of years ago where we saw another vintage encounter, with the Wests Tigers tragically losing 23-22 in Round 10, 2010.
While this weekend’s clash won’t take place on the ground itself, the match will occur only a stone’s throw away at Allianz Stadium. A win in Heritage Round over the Rabbitohs would be a nice way to kick-start the Wests Tigers’ 2012 premiership campaign. So get down to the ground and be part of another chapter in the heritage of the greatest game of all.