1974 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams	12
Premiers	Eastern Suburbs (10th title)
Minor premiers	Eastern Suburbs (12th title)
Matches played	138
Points scored	4382
Attendance	1278823
Top points scorer(s)	Graham Eadie (216)
Player of the year	Graham Eadie (Rothmans Medal)
Top try-scorer(s)	Kevin Junee (23) Bill Mullins (23)
← 1973 1975 →

The 1974 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 67th season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Twelve teams, including six of 1908's foundation clubs and another six from across Sydney, competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final match for the WD & HO Wills Cup between the Eastern Suburbs and Canterbury-Bankstown clubs. This season NSWRFL teams also competed for the inaugural Amco Cup.

Season summary

The preseason saw Eastern Suburbs defeat South Sydney 43–0 in the final of the preseason competition at the Sydney Sports Ground, while Parramatta beat Cronulla 20–8 in the playoff for third at Belmore Oval.^[1]

This season the NSWRFL made the financial commitment to bring suburban football grounds up to a higher standard in order to take more games to the fans on a home-and-away basis.^[2]

Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March until August, resulting in a top five of Eastern Suburbs, Manly-Warringah, Canterbury-Bankstown, Western Suburbs and Souths who battled it out in the finals. This season would mark the first time since 1950 where St. George failed to make the finals and the first time since 1911 that Balmain would finish last and take out the wooden spoon.

The 1974 Rothmans Medal was awarded to Manly-Warringah's fullback Graham Eadie. Rugby League Week awarded their player of the year award to Eastern Suburbs' forward Arthur Beetson.

Teams

Balmain Tigers 67th season Ground(s): Leichhardt Oval & Lidcombe Oval Coach: Alan Mason Captain: John Spencer	Canterbury-Bankstown 44th season Ground: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Malcolm Clift Captain: Barry Phillis	Cronulla-Sutherland 8th season Ground: Endeavour Field Coach: Noel Thornton Captain: Greg Pierce	Eastern Suburbs 67th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Jack Gibson Captain: Arthur Beetson
Manly-Warringah 28th season Ground: Brookvale Oval Coach: Ron Willey Captain: Fred Jones	Newtown 67th season Ground: Henson Park Coach: Clarrie Jeffries Captain: Lionel Williamson	North Sydney 67th season Ground: North Sydney Oval Coach: Noel Kelly Captain: Tim Pickup	Parramatta 28th season Ground: Cumberland Oval Coach: Dave Bolton Captain: Denis Pittard
Penrith 8th season Ground: Penrith Football Stadium Coach: Jack Clare Captain: Mike Stephenson	South Sydney 67th season Ground: Redfern Oval Coach: Clive Churchill Captain: Bob McCarthy	St. George Dragons 54th season Ground: Kogarah Oval Captain-coach: Graeme Langlands	Western Suburbs 67th season Ground(s): Lidcombe Oval & Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Don Parish Captain: Tommy Raudonikis

Ladder

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Eastern Suburbs	22	19	0	3	513	198	+315	38
2	Manly-Warringah	22	15	0	7	526	316	+210	30
3	Canterbury-Bankstown	22	13	0	9	364	308	+56	26
4	Western Suburbs	22	12	1	9	402	305	+97	25
5	South Sydney	22	12	1	9	317	327	-10	25
6	North Sydney	22	11	2	9	297	272	+25	24
7	Newtown	22	9	2	11	278	261	+17	20
8	St. George	22	10	0	12	331	363	-32	20
9	Penrith	22	9	0	13	353	465	-112	18
10	Cronulla-Sutherland	22	9	0	13	314	437	-123	18
11	Parramatta	22	5	0	17	237	454	-217	10
12	Balmain	22	4	2	16	255	481	-226	10

Finals

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
			Date and Time	Venue	Referee	Crowd
Qualifying Finals
Manly-Warringah	14–20	Canterbury-Bankstown	31 August 1974	Sydney Cricket Ground	Keith Page	23,600
Western Suburbs	24–8	South Sydney	1 September 1974	Sydney Sports Ground	Laurie Bruyeres	26,276
Semi-finals
Eastern Suburbs	17–19	Canterbury-Bankstown	7 September 1974	Sydney Cricket Ground	Keith Page	31,432
Manly-Warringah	20–23	Western Suburbs	8 September 1974	Sydney Cricket Ground	Laurie Bruyeres	40,050
Preliminary final
Eastern Suburbs	25–2	Western Suburbs	14 September 1974	Sydney Cricket Ground	Laurie Bruyeres	43,072
Grand final
Canterbury-Bankstown	4–19	Eastern Suburbs	21 September 1974	Sydney Cricket Ground	Laurie Bruyeres	57,214

Chart

	Qualifying final					Major semi-final					Preliminary final					Grand final
						1	Eastern Suburbs	17								Canterbury		4
							Canterbury	19								Eastern Suburbs		19
	2	Manly	14								Eastern Suburbs		25
	3	Canterbury	20			Minor semi-final					Western Suburbs		2
						Manly		20
	4	Western Suburbs	24			Western Suburbs		23
	5	South Sydney	8

Grand final

“Master coach” Jack Gibson's first title – and the Roosters’ first for twenty-nine years – was won by one of the most talented club teams in the Australian game's history. In rugby union convert Russell Fairfax and giant threequarters Mark Harris and Bill Mullins, Easts had three attacking players who dominated Canterbury with their brilliance.

Eastern Suburbs 19 (Tries: Beetson, Harris, Mullins. Goals: Peard 3, Brass 2.)

defeated

Canterbury-Bankstown 4 (Goals: Cutler 2.)

Player statistics

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

Top 5 point scorers Points Player Tries Goals Field Goals 200 Graham Eadie 10 85 0 188 John Brass 7 83 1 136 Eric Simms 2 65 0 136 Reg Walton 4 62 0 135 John Dorahy 6 58 1 Top 5 try scorers Tries Player 21 Kevin Junee 19 Bill Mullins 14 Bob Fulton 14 Chris Anderson 14 Glenn West

Top 5 goal scorers Goals Player 85 Graham Eadie 83 John Brass 65 Eric Simms 62 Reg Walton 60 Henry Tatana