1971 South Sydney Team Photo Signed Coote And Mccarthy Collage Framed

Against a battle-hardened Souths side with a larger pack, the young Dragons went into the Grand Final as clear underdogs. The first half was a gruelling affair with the only points coming from an Eric Simms field goal. At half-time Souths were in front by the unlikely scoreline of 1-0.

Souths raced ahead in the second half and at one stage held an 11-0 lead. The Dragons fought back with tries to Barry Beath and Ted Walton. Graeme Langlands added the extras, including a magnificent sideline conversion. With the score at 11-10 and with only 12 minutes remaining, Saints looked to be getting on top of their more fancied rivals. However a match-winning try from Bob McCarthy showed the experience of the Rabbitohs, who won their fourth title in a five-year period. The premiership victory remains South Sydney’s most recent to date.