Tommy Bishop on Cliff Watson, his time with Cronulla and the most violent grand final ever

TOMMY Bishop, a veteran of the most violent grand final in rugby league history, sits down with MIKE COLMAN to re-live some of the glory days.

Disappointed players including Cliff Watson (L) and Tommy Bishop (front) after Manly-Warringah defeated Cronulla-Sutherland in 1973 first grade Grand Final at SCG in Sydney, 15/09/73. Picture: News Ltd Archive (copyright)

AT his peak in the late 1960s and early 70s, Cliff Watson was the most feared man in rugby league but his close friend and teammate Tommy Bishop could hardly recognise him when they met for the final time a few months back.

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“I went down to Sydney to see him,” Bishop said from his Redcliffe home. “I didn’t realise how sick he was. He was such a big man, and to see him like that … the cancer had him.”

Watson died in June, aged 78, reviving memories for Bishop of the days when they were the dynamic duo for St Helens, Great Britain and the Cronulla Sharks.

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In 1973 Bishop was captain-coach and Watson chief enforcer when the Sharks played their first grand final against the Sea Eagles at the SCG.

The scoreboard said that the Bobby Fulton-inspired Manly won the game 10-7. The jury is still out on who won the fight in what is regarded as the dirtiest grand final ever played.

“We didn’t go out to fight,” Bishop said. “They had some tough boys like John O’Neill, Terry Randall and Malcolm Reilly. The instructions were that if they started anything, not to back off.”

The 1973 grand final resembled a back alley brawl.

When I mention an incident halfway through the first half when Tommy throws a punch, then runs behind Watson as two Manly forwards chase him, he laughs.

“Well that’s just being smart isn’t it? If you are going to stand behind someone Cliff is your man,” Bishop said.

“I remember ‘Lurch’ O’Neill gave Cliff a headbutt and Cliff didn’t blink. He said, ‘That’s not how you make porridge lad, this is how you do it’ and whoosh, he gave him one back with interest.

“Another time Malcolm Reilly came in to make some trouble, saw Cliff and backed off, and Malcolm Reilly didn’t back off from anybody.”

It was that sort of presence that Bishop was looking for when he travelled to England to sign Watson for the Sharks in 1972.

Bishop was Cronulla’s captain-coach that day.

“We had some good young players like Steve Rogers, Greg Pierce and John Maguire but we were getting pushed around a bit. Cliff was just what we needed.”

Bishop came to Australia towards the end of the 1969 season after winning everything on offer with St Helens.

“Ernie Christensen, the Sydney sportswriter, asked me if I wanted to come out and play with the Roosters and I jumped at it,” he said. “We flew out with our kids and Ernie was there to meet us at the airport. He told me there was a problem. Easts had changed their mind.

Bodies hit the floor at the SCG.

“He said Cronulla was interested. I went there and it turned out brilliantly.”

After his success with the Sharks, Bishop headed to Brisbane to play with Norths in 1974-75.

“Bobby Bax was coach and I learnt a lot from him. He was a great psychologist. One time we were playing Brothers and we were down at half-time. Bobby walked in, pointed at me and said, ‘You — this is all your fault’ and walked straight out.

“I was furious. I’d been trying my guts out but nothing was working. I thought, ‘I’ll show you’ and we went on to win. At fulltime he was waiting for me with a big smile on his face. He said, ‘It worked’.”

Bishop later made his home in Queensland.

After finishing his career coaching in Sydney, Bishop retired to the Gold Coast before he and Betty, his wife of 58 years, moved closer to family, including eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren at Redcliffe.

At 77 he goes to the gym every day and remains a keen student of the game.

And he still maintains innocence for that fight in ’73.

“They started it,” he said

And Big Cliffy finished it.

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Originally published as Tommy Bishop on Cliff Watson, his time with Cronulla and the most violent grand final ever