The Sydney Roosters are the only club to have been in continued competition since the foundation of rugby league in Australia in 1908.
From Herbert “Dally” Messenger and Dave Brown to Arthur Beetson and Brad Fittler, the history of the Roosters has been built by some of the greatest players and some of the greatest teams the game has ever known.
The formation of Eastern Suburbs Rugby League club in 1908 has proved pivotal to the success of the new code when Dally Messenger, the highest profile rugby union player of the day, agreed to play rugby league. Messenger was instrumental in winning the club’s first three premierships (1911-1913).
In the 1930s, when people looked to their sporting heroes for diversion from the day to day worries of the great depression, Dave Brown, a centre three-quarter who would break many of Messenger’s records, mesmerised the rugby league world with his point scoring ability.
In 1975, the Jack Gibson-coached Roosters became the yardstick of premiership success for a new generation.
The Sydney Roosters have won twelve premierships to date, with their most recent premiership success in 2002. Since then, they have featured in three grand finals (2003-2004, 2010).
Official team store
The Sydney Roosters official team store is located on the Bronte Road entrance to the Club.
Colours
Red, white and blue
Emblem
Sydney Roosters
Home ground
Allianz Stadium, Moore Park
Nicknames
Easts, Tri-Colours, Roosters, Sydney Roosters
Club Formation
24 January 1908, Paddington, Town Hall
First Match
20 April 1908 v Newtown at Wentworth Park (Eastern Suburbs 32 defeated Newtown 16)
Premierships 12
(1911, 1912, 1913, 1923, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1945, 1974, 1975, 2002)
Most First Grade Games For Club
Luke Ricketson, 301
Most Points For The Club
Craig Fitzgibbon – 1,210 (30 tries, 545 goals)
Most Career Tries
Anthony Minichiello, 114 (as at July 2012)
Most Tries In A Season
Dave Brown, 39 (1935)
Australian Test/World Cup Captains
8 – Dally Messenger (1908-10), Larry O’Malley (1909), Dave Brown (1935-36), Wally O’Connell (1948), Arthur Beetson (1973), John Brass (1975), Bob Fulton (1978), Brad Fittler (1995-2001).
New Zealand Captains
4 - Gary Freeman, Hugh McGahan, Quentin Pongia, Richard Barnett
Papua New Guinea Captain: 1 – Adrian Lam
Most Points In A Match
Dave Brown, 45 – 5 tries, 15 goals (v Canterbury, 1935)
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