Western Suburbs Red Devils

Australian rugby league club, based in Figtree, Wollongong, NSW

This article is about the rugby league club based out of the Illawarra, New South Wales. For the Sydney team, see Western Suburbs Magpies.

Western Suburbs Red Devils

Club information
Full name| Western Suburbs Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)| Red Devils
Short name| West
Colours| Red
Blue
Founded| 1949; 76 years ago (1949)
Website| http://www.westsdevils.com.au/home
Current details
Ground(s)|

* Figtree Oval (Sid Parrish Park),
Figtree, New South Wales

Competition| Illawarra Rugby League
Records
Premierships| 16 (1957, 1959, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018)
Runners-up| 10 (1958, 1973, 1979, 1983, 1993, 1995, 2005, 2012, 2016, 2022)
Minor premierships| 9 (1977, 1978, 1983, 1991, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018)

The Western Suburbs Red Devils (Wests Illawarra, Wests Wollongong, Wests Red Devils or simply Wests Devils) are an Australian rugby league football team based in Figtree, a suburb of Wollongong. The club is a member of the Country Rugby League and compete in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership. The club play out of Figtree Oval, Figtree. Wests wear red and blue jerseys and have won 16 premierships. Wests Illawarra Leagues club is a thriving club in Unanderra.

## History

[edit]

Wests formed in 1949 with the amalgamation of clubs in the district (primarily Unanderra and Mount Keira). The Leagues Club was established in Unanderra and opened in 1956. The Red Devils won the premiership the following year with a 22–6 win over Wollongong. They repeated this effort in 1959 when they defeated Northern Suburbs 12–6 in the Grand Final.[1]

With Don Parish at the helm as captain-coach, Wests took back-to-back titles in 1969–70. Warren Ryan continued this trend the following two seasons when he took over, defeating Thirroul (18–11 in 1971, and 23–9 in 1972). Cronulla Sharks legend, Tommy Bishop also guided the team to a premiership in 1978.[1]

Wests were again premiers two years later, winning in 1980 and 1981. The following year the Illawarra Steelers were accepted into the NSWRL premiership, thus all the sides in the league became feeder clubs to this side. Being premiers, a large portion of the Red Devils were contracted to the Steelers. This made life difficult in the 1982 premiership for the Red Devils, but within three years they won another premiership. They followed this up with another in 1989 and 1991.

The Red Devils went through a dry spell from here, not winning the premiership for 18 years. They came close during Brendon Reeves' reign in 2005. They did eventually break the drought in 2009 when they defeated reigning premiers, Thirroul, 14–4 under coach Paul McGregor in his first season.[2] They went back-to-back with a 24–0 win in 2010, again over the Butchers. In 2011, Wests made it a treble of grand final wins with a 34–24 victory over Helensburgh. The Red Devils were unable to match the team of the 60-70s that won four consecutive premierships when they lost 20–16 to finals rivals Thirroul in the 2012 grand final.

In 2018 Wests found enough to hold off Thirroul 18–16 to claim their first Illawarra League crown in eight seasons. The Devils ran in four first-half tries to lead 18–0 at the break before a second-half fightback saw the Butchers get within two with 18 minutes to play.[3]

## Players

[edit]

This article may contain unverified or indiscriminate information in embedded lists. Please help clean up the lists by removing items or incorporating them into the text of the article. (July 2016)

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### Notable former players

[edit]

Player  | Country Firsts | City Firsts | Country Origin | New South Wales | Australia

|
|
|
|
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Years  | Apps  | Years  | Apps  | Years  | Apps  | Years  | Apps  | Years  | Apps
Bob Fulton[4] |  |  | 1967–1978  | 9  |  |  | 1971–72, 1974  | 6  | 1968–78  | 51
Graham Lye | 1969–70  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
David Waite[5] | 1973  | 1  |  |  |  |  | 1973–74  | 2  | 1973–74  | 6
John Dorahy[6] | 1972–73  | 2  | 1980  | 1  | 1988  | 1  | 1979  | 2  | 1978  | 2
Royce Ayliffe[7] |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1982  | 3  | 1981  | 1
Garry Jack[8] | 1986  | 1  | 1984–85  | 2  | 1987  | 1  | 1984–89  | 17  | 1984–88  | 29
Steve Roach[9] | 1986-86  | 2  | 1984  | 1  | 1988, 1990  | 2  | 1984–86, 1988, 1990–91  | 17  | 1985–86, 1988–91  | 27
Jason Ryles[10] |  |  |  |  | 2001, 2003, 2005  | 3  | 2002–05  | 8  | 2001–02, 2004–05  | 15
Brett Stewart[11] |  |  |  |  | 2007  | 1  | 2007–12  | 8  | 2007  | 1
Glenn Stewart[12] |  |  |  |  | 2008, 2010–11  | 3  | 2009, 2012  | 5  | 2008–09  | 5
Bruce Olive  | 1959–62  |  |  |  |  |  | 1958  |  |  |
Allan Maddalena |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1969  |  |  |
Brian Hetherington[13] | 1977, 1984  | 2  | 1986  | 1  |  |  | 1984, 1986  | 2  |  |
Brett Rodwell[14] |  |  |  |  | 1991, 1993, 1995  | 3  | 1995  | 1  |  |

* Beau Ryan
* Jackson Hastings (2014– Sydney Roosters)
* George Jennings

Players in bold represent current NRL players.

## Honours

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### Team

[edit]

* Illawarra Rugby League First Grade Premierships: 16

1957, 1959, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018

* Illawarra Rugby League Reserve Grade Premierships: 8

1985,1964, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011

* Illawarra Rugby League Under-18's Premierships: 7

1962, 1992, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2016, 2018

## See also

[edit]

* Berkeley Eagles
* Collegians Wollongong
* Corrimal Cougars
* Dapto Canaries
* Helensburgh Tigers
* Thirroul Butchers

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Western Suburbs History
2. ^ Gandon, Mike (7 September 2009). "Red Devils cap off year of domination – Local News – Sport – Rugby League". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
3. ^ "Gutsy Devils tackle their way to 2018 title". 9 September 2018.
4. ^ "Bob Fulton – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
5. ^ "David Waite – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
6. ^ "Search results for "john dorahy" - Rugby League Project".
7. ^ "Royce Ayliffe – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
8. ^ "Search results for "garry jack" - Rugby League Project".
9. ^ "Steve Roach – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. 24 August 1962. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
10. ^ "Jason Ryles – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. 17 January 1979. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
11. ^ "Brett Stewart – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. 27 February 1985. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
12. ^ "Glenn Stewart – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. 11 January 1984. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
13. ^ "Brian Hetherington – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. 14 January 1954. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
14. ^ "Brett Rodwell – Career Stats & Summary". Rugbyleagueproject.org. 23 May 1970. Retrieved 14 October 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* Western Suburbs Official Site
* Wests Red Devils Homepage (Sportingpulse)
* Country Rugby League Homepage
* Illawarra Rugby League Homepage

* v
* t
* e

Illawarra Rugby League

1st Grade|

* Collegians Collie Dogs
* Corrimal Cougars
* De La Salle Caringbah
* Dapto Canaries
* Thirroul Butchers
* Western Suburbs Red Devils

Other Divisions|

* Avondale Greyhounds
* Berkeley Eagles
* Figtree Crushers
* Helensburgh Tigers
* Mount Kembla Lowries
* Northern Suburbs Bulldogs
* Windang Sharks
* Port Kembla Blacks
* Woonona-Bulli Bushrangers

Former Teams|

* Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles
* Cronulla-Caringbah Sharks
* Gerringong Lions
* Jamberoo Superoos
* Kiama Knights
* Shellharbour Sharks
* University of Wollongong

* v
* t
* e

Country Rugby League (NSWRL)

Federation|

* Country Rugby League (former)
* New South Wales Rugby League (current)

Representative Teams|

* Country Origin (City vs Country Origin)

CRL Divisions|

* Canberra
* George Tooke Shield
* Central Coast
* Illawarra
* Macarthur
* Newcastle
* Northern Rivers
* Western

CRL Groups|

* Region 1: (2, 3)
* Region 2: (4, 19, 21)
* Region 3: (9, 20)
* Region 4: (10, 11, 14)
* Region 5: (7, 16)

CRL Cups|

* Barwon Darling
* Hastings
* Mid West
* Newcastle & Hunter
* Outback
* Western Riverina
* Woodbridge

Illawarra Teams|

* Berkeley Eagles
* Collegians
* Corrimal Cougars
* Dapto Canaries
* Helensburgh Tigers
* Thirroul Butchers
* Wests Red Devils

Newcastle Teams|

* Central Charlestown Butcher Boys
* Cessnock Goannas
* Kurri Kurri Bulldogs
* Lakes United Seagulls
* Macquarie Scorpions
* Maitland Pickers
* Northern Hawks
* South Newcastle Lions
* The Entrance Tigers
* Western Suburbs Rosellas
* Wyong Roos

Group 7 Teams|

* Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles
* Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Magpies
* Gerringong Lions
* Jamberoo Superoos
* Kiama Knights
* Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs
* Nowra-Bomaderry Jets
* Shellharbour Sharks
* Stingrays of Shellharbour
* Warilla-Lake South Gorillas

Other Cups|

* Clayton Cup
* Presidents Cup
* NSW Challenge Cup

Former Competitions|

* Groups: (1, 5, 12, 13, 18, 19 (Southern Tablelands), 19 (Canberra))
* Crookwell
* Kennedy

Related Articles|

* List of CRL clubs
* Maher Cup

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