The 1972 Eastern Suburbs season was the 65th in the club's history. They competed in the NSWRFL's 1972 premiership, winning 18 of their 25 matches and finishing runners-up, defeated by Manly-Warringah.

Team

• Coach- Don Furner
• Captain- Ron Coote
• Lineup-
• FB Allan McKean
• WG Jim Porter
• CE Harry Cameron
• CE Mark Harris
• WG Bill Mullins
• FE John Ballesty
• HB Kevin Junee
• PR John Armstrong
• HK Peter Moscatt
• PR Arthur Beetson
• SR Greg Bandiera
• John Quayle
• LK Ron Coote (c)
• SR Laurie Freier
• Mick Alchin
• Johnny Mayes
• Kel Jones
• Dick Thornett
• Phil Hawthorne
• C. Boyd
• C. Renilson
• P. Flanders

Ladder

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Manly-Warringah	22	18	1	3	460	255	+205	37
2	Eastern Suburbs	22	17	1	4	514	297	+217	35
3	St. George	22	16	2	4	398	221	+177	34
4	South Sydney	22	14	0	8	456	331	+125	28
5	Newtown	22	11	2	9	402	371	+31	24
6	Canterbury-Bankstown	22	12	0	10	382	373	+9	24
7	Western Suburbs	22	8	1	13	367	398	-31	17
8	Cronulla-Sutherland	22	8	0	14	332	378	-46	16
9	North Sydney	22	7	1	14	320	405	-85	15
10	Balmain	22	6	1	15	333	455	-122	13
11	Penrith	22	5	1	16	278	490	-212	11
12	Parramatta	22	4	2	16	317	585	-268	10

Season summary

• Eastern Suburbs finished the season as runners-up, beaten by Manly Warringah 19-14in the grand final.
• Allan McKean was the highest point scorer for the New South Wales Rugby League(NSWRL) in the 1972 season.