THE last people off the Hill at Concord Oval following Randwick’s demise in the grand final last Saturday were the Ella brothers, Glen and Gary. 

Presumably they had been to the dressing room and paid their respects and condolences. 

Their resigned tread indicated they felt the loss as deeply as their old team­mates. 

Their impact on Sydney and Australian Rugby will be forever. Their football was a memorial to their name. The unprecedented five years of victory from 1978 to 1982 is as much the Ella era as Randwick’s glory. 

But now they have stepped back from the Randwick vision, now Parramatta have stamped their own authority on the competition so decisively, it is time to consider the direction and trend of the modern game. 

The gestation period has been taking place for a considerable time, at least for two years. 

Justifiably, the Rugby child that emerged with the win in the Bledisloe Cup will be considered the offspring of the Australian coach, Alan Jones. 

At Eden Park, purists said that New Zealand picked the wrong side and played the right football. They ran the ball blindly until they were black in the face as well as blue with frustration. Pragmatists looked at the game more dispassionately. 

Australia ran the ball discreetly as was seen with their two tries. But the essence of their football was the kicking game, for position and for pressure. 

If the teams’ jumpers had been reversed, New Zealand would have been ecstatic with their team’s disciplined game. Now they are talking of lopping the head of their coach, Brian Lochore, because he tried to popularise the international game, because he tried to sustain the cavalier spirit, because he tried to commercialise a product that was as old as the century itself. It had the same effect as trying to change Coca-Cola. 

Parramatta’s coach, Paul Dalton knew he had to change the format of four years of football after the major semi-final. For all Parramatta’s fundamental errors and failings when they had scoring opportunities against the Galloping Greens in that game at T. G. Millner Field, their football was predictable. 

He had been agonising over the captaincy for some time. Change was brought about by necessity when Peter Ferris was injured. Gregg Melrose succeeded him and Dalton’s dilemma was solved. 

Dalton also placed his faith in the lineout jumper, Michael van den Bout. He backed him, he dropped Peter Koen, and he was able to rest assured that nine times out of ten when the ball was thrown to van den Bout in the line, he would win it. 

But for all the improvement in their lineout play, their enhanced speed to the ball with the return of David Lowery, their variation of blindside moves, the major problem to be answered was just how much they ran the ball and how much they kicked it. 

Dalton knew the danger of Randwick’s forward march. He planned everything on turning them and running them back, retrieving the ball rather than running on to it. 

He knew they had only the one kicker in David Knox. And he liked the idea of Randwick’s quick interchange of players between Knox and five-eighth Acura Niuqila when in defensive positions. 

It worked well when there was no pressure­ on Randwick. In a grand final when time was more acutely precious it could work against them. 

Brad Selby was given the responsibility of varying the game plan, to drive the ball deep for distance, to chip it short behind Randwick’s centres and in front of their fullback. 

The strategy worked like a dream. The first half was almost fau·lt-free, and Parramatta, with the wind at their back, were so far in front by half-time that it would have taken an old Bondi tram to catch them. 

The concept of Rugby has altered dramatically in Sydney. The running game as it was known in Australia is not extinct. But it is suffering a little from palsy. 

How often did we see spectacular breaks in midfield in the Sydney competition this winter, sweeping back line moves or that rarity of rarities, a half-back or five-eighth stepping his way through a defence for a try? Infrequently at best. 

Eastwood began the season as the most exciting side in the competition. That reputation withered when the team lost Brett Papworth to representative duties.

In the end, the ‘Woods’ lack of creativity saw them disappear without trace. 

St. George were probably the most consistently enterprising of all the sides though a mid-season reticence crept into the team, coinciding with which was a decline in their fortunes. 

David Niu’s ability to handle the ball fluently and kick it quite prodigiously suggest his phone number will soon be on the selectors’ lists. 

In this regard, Wayne Owen deserved his State jumper and played with some distinction when he wore it. He was a three­quarter with pace and confidence to break tackles and beat a man. 

You can’t have 12 games on the trot without defeat without doing a lot of good and without doing a lot of things right. Randwick had their high spots as entertainers. They will never be accused of being dull. 

Manly were as exciting as any team in the latter stages of the season. A back row of tremendous mobility in Gary Palmer, Cameron Douglas and David Reen and a half of exceptional talents in Phillip Cox enabled the Blues to capitalise on the power of their right winger, Steve Holdstock, and send him to the head of the try-scoring table. 

Eastern Suburbs did not have the big men to manhandle packs around Woollahra Oval so they settled for running them off their feet. Scott Van Houten was a half of outstanding quality. 

His pace off the back of the scrum was exceptional. 

Parramatta kept their best until last. During the season they looked machine-like, then vulnerable, then overwhelming. Their cohesion and efficiency in the forwards were compensations for lack of sheer weight. And they were fast and strong. 

Their midfield attack was often bull-at-a-gate, but to penetrate the defensive line of Neil Catt and Mick Carter was like trying to run the gauntlet of the Berlin wall. 

Obviously other clubs had their moments of delirium, but overall they were not exceptional in outlook or performance. 

Clearly, it is a time when boots rather than legs are dominating Rugby. Undoubtedly, evolution will change all that, bringing forth new streams of lava of excitement. 

But how often in a lifetime do we see a three sided volcanic eruption called Ella? 

FIRST GRADE – PARRAMATTA v RANDWICK 

WHEN Parramatta centre Neil Catt calmly potted a 25m field goal in the 53rd minute of last Saturday’s grand final against Randwick, the Shute Shield was on its way back to the west.

KEEP READING FOR MATCH REPORTS OF ALL FOUR GRADE GRAND FINALS

Catt’s dropped goal, following a towering first half penalty from his own side of halfway, halted a brief Randwick revival and put the defending champions on the way to a 30-12 win. 

It was the first time in Parramatta’s 52 year history that the club had notched back-­to-back premierships. 

And in doing so, the Two Blues sent Randwick crashing to its heaviest defeat in 10 successive grand finals. 

Ironically, Catt’s memorable role in the title decider was his last hurrah with the club. 

The blockbusting inside back is in the process of building a house on the central coast and will link up with former Parramatta and test winger Mick Martin at Avoca next season. 

From there, he hopes to represent NSW Country and join his Parramatta centre partner Mick Carter in the state team. 

Catt’s two points scoring efforts were undoubtedly the turning points in a one ­sided grand final. 

Parramatta and Randwick were level at 3 all when Catt lined up a penalty goal attempt from 53m in the 13th minute. 

It was a kick of monstrous proportions but Catt landed it with consummate ease. 

As Parramatta skipper Gregg Melrose remarked later: “When Neil’s kick went over you could see it had hit Randwick hard. 

“I knew then we were going to win.” 

The Two Blues raced in two tries in the opening half to open up a 24-3 lead at the break, a margin no one thought conceivable before the game. 

But the Galloping Greens to their credit, rallied immediately after the interval and in only nine minutes had reduced the deficit to 12 points.

Then Catt struck and the Two Blue fans were purring. 

By widening the difference to 15 points, Catt effectively put the flame out in Randwick’s fight back. 

Greens coach Bob Dwyer said: “Catt’s field goal was the clincher. It put them out of reach.” 

Test full-back Andrew Leeds added the finishing touches with a field goal soon after. 

For Parramatta coach Paul Dalton, who was guiding the Two Blues for the last time, it was a day to remember. 

His team had gone into the grand final as rank outsiders to retain their premiership crown after going down to Randwick 24-3 in the major semi-final a fortnight earlier. 

But the Two Blues turned on an awesome display of power, control and absolute commitment to give Dalton the best farewell present he could have hoped for. 

In a chaotic dressing room later, Dalton moved the press corps to the toilet block so he could be heard above the celebrations. 

There he rated the Two Blues performance as far superior to the one a year earlier, when Parramatta took the title from Randwick with a 19-12 victory. 

“They played to instructions perfectly today,” Dalton said. 

“We went out there to turn Randwick’ around and bustle them. 

“Randwick aren’t very good when they are going backwards and that’s just what we did to them. 

“It’s a marvellous way to go out.” 

Dalton admitted he had not discarded the prospect of coaching a representative side next year, saying: “My one ambition now is to coach a team to beat Queensland at Ballymore.” 

Parramatta dominated the match almost from the outset. 

The Two Blues continually pilfered possession from Randwick at the breakdown and more than matched the Greens in the set pieces. 

Dynamic breakaway duo Tim Cahalane and David Lowery, who when working in tandem are virtually unstoppable, led the waves of Two Blue raids. 

Their ability to secure quality ball at the breakdown eventually frustrated Randwick, and at the end of the game the Greens had degenerated into a mistake ridden rabble.

When Randwick did get a sniff of possession, the Two Blues snuffed out any potential danger with a watertight defence. 

Halfback Glen Goddard covered superbly while Catt and Carter in the centres were impassable objects. 

Randwick coach Bob Dwyer was understandably disappointed with his team’s showing. 

“The guy we really missed today was (Wallaby full-back) Glen Ella,” Dwyer said. 

“He adds so much confidence and urgency to the team. 

“If he had been out there he would have made things happen. 

“As it turned out we let things happen.” 

PARRAMATTA 30 (Tim Cahalane, Paul Meehan tries; Andrew Leeds 2 goals, 3 penalty goals, field goal, Neil Catt penalty goal, field goal) d RANDWICK 12 (David Knox 4 penalty goals). Crowd 10,824. 

RESERVE GRADE – WARRINGAH v MANLY 

WARRINGAH stalwart Grant Andrews finished his career on a fitting note when he led the Green Rats to a 12-3 win over Manly in Saturday’s reserve grade grand final. 

The most experienced back in Sydney Rugby, Andrews potted two second half field goals to set up Warringah’s proudest moment. 

Since joining the first division competition, the Green Rats had never won a premiership in first or reserve grade before Saturday. 

And it was a deserved farewell for Andrews to spearhead Warringah’s nine point win. 

Veteran inside centre Rick Davidson played a major role in the victory also, kicking two penalty goals. 

For Manly, former Country five-eighth, Leon De Marigny landed a single penalty goal. 

It was a disappointing day for Manly coach Andrew Black, who has guided the Blues to the past two grand finals only to finish bridesmaids both times. 

THIRD GRADE – MANLY v WESTERN SUBURBS 

MANLY grabbed the third grade title from third place when it downed Western Suburbs 12-0 in the title decider at Concord Oval on Saturday. 

The Dennis Beeby-coached Blues completed a memorable late season charge by outplaying Wests in a two-tries to nil victory. 

A fortnight earlier, Manly had toppled Randwick 21-6 in the minor semi and then eliminated Sydney University 12-7 in the final. 

It was the first time this season Manly had got the better of the black and whites, having lost the preliminary round matches 12-6 and 22-0. 

Fielding a side which contained three former first graders, including flying finisher Phil Speer, Manly was simply too strong for hot favourite Wests. 

Outside centre Kevin Carlton, a member of the Blues’ top line-up last winter, grabbed one of the Manly tries, with breakaway Owen Wiseman scoring the other. 

Second Tower Craig Hannam continued his consistency with the boot by converting both tries. 

FOURTH GRADE – SYDNEY UNIVERSITY v MANLY 

LIVEWIRE half-back Gordon Fell was the toast of Sydney University on Saturday after scoring the only try in the Students’ 6-0 win over Manly in the fourth grade grand final. 

Fell’s four pointer, converted by winger Rick Francis, was the only difference between two evenly matched sides. 

Led by prop Tony Abbott and former first grade five-eighth Stephen Quayle, the University fourth grade side kept the club’s colours flying after a disappointing effort in first grade this winter. 

Abbott, an aptly named trainee priest, captain-coached the Students and was an inspiration to his forwards with a driving display up front. 

Manly, who toppled minor premier Warringah in the major semi-final to take the short cut into the grand final, was unable to reproduce that form against University. 

But with three teams in the grand finals, and the first grade side reaching the final, season 1986 was certainly a huge success for the Seasiders.