Steve Winter Wests Heritage Number 648 (1968)
Norths Player Number 633 (1973)
The chart below courtesy of the new Wests Archives website contains Steve’s complete time at Wests .
Website address www.westsarchives.com.au
On a particularly wet and nasty summers day I sat down with Steve Winter at his home to chat about his time before and after playing for the Western Suburbs Magpies.
The School Years.
Steve was born in West Tamworth on the 5th September 1947 and lived there until coming down to Sydney in 1968 to trial with St George.
Tamworth High’s Motto.
INDUSTRIA ‘diligence, hard work’
Living in West Tamworth meant Steve attended Tamworth High which has an outstanding Rugby League history.
The main aim of all boys who played Rugby League at Tamworth High was to play in the First XIII .
In 1964 Steve achieved this goal. Not only did he make the team but the First XIII went through the season undefeated and Steve played in every game.
A very good for and against.
The winning University Shield and State Champions.
Steve and his teammates won the University Shield as well as the State Knock Out competition and the State Championships.
Steve fifth from the right back row.
NSW State KO winners defeated Wollongong High 8-3 in the Final played at the SCG.
Coach and teacher Don Dennis.
Steve credits his coach Don Dennis for the teams success in 1964.
One or two players from this team made it to Sydney looking to play First Grade only Michael Ross did so.
Michael played at Balmain 1966-1973.
Note: there was a young teacher just out of teachers’ collage coaching the 6 stone 7 lbs team at Tamworth High.
His name Roy Masters.
Steve at a recent reunion with his Tamworth High University Shield teammate.
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1965 – 1967
After leaving school at the end of 1964 Steve worked at the Lands Department in Tamworth. In 1965 Steve played for West Tamworth under 18 team.
Then in 1966 Ex Balmain player Billy Bischoff was appointed captain coach of West Tamworth.
Billy was a great mentor for young Steve who had been selected to play First Grade at the age of only 17.
Billy Bischoff playing for Balmain.
The West Tamworth A Grade team won the competition in 1966 – 1969 with Billy as coach.
After winning the 1967 Grand Final special guest and ex Tamworth High student Monty Porter presented Steve with the Best and Fairest Award and at the same time asked Steve to trial for Saints in 1968.
Little known fact Monty Porter’s first Sydney Rugby League club was Wests.
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1968.
Steve arrives in Sydney and is staying at the Toxteth pub at Glebe which is run by ex Wests player Darcy Henry who also was born in Tamworth.
Steve was very good mates with Darcy’s younger brother Bill Henry.
Darcy Henry in Wests colours.
Steve plays a few trial games with Saints but does not feel he would happily fit into this famous club.
Darcy rings Bill Beaver about Steve and shortly after Steve is approached by Bill Beaver to play a trial for Wests under an assumed name.
Steve has a blinder thanks to a little help from fellow prop Noel Dolton. After the trial Bill Beaver offers Steve a contract for $5000 dollars over five years.
Not much compared to to-day’s huge contracts but Steve told me he would of played for nothing.
The two Noels, Kelly and Dolton.
The five year Agreement aka contract.
Steve was able to transfer from the Tamworth Lands department to the Sydney office.
Starting off the 1968 season in Third Grade then onto Reserve Grade until finally playing his first official First Grade game against Souths at Redfern Oval.
The Souths team contained many international including the complete Souths front row.
Program from this game.
Steve remembers that every scrum was a head butting contest with the Souths front row.
Two players had their debuts in this game Steve Winter and his best mate Tim Murphy.
In another First Grade game in 1968 against St George Steve scored a great try.
Program from this game.
Steve remembers very clearly his run in with the touch judge and being made to apologize to him by referee Laurie Bruyeres.
Six photos from the footage of this game showing Steve scoring a try (sorry about the poor quality).
One: Tim Murphy making the final pass to Steve.
Two: Steve at full pace.
Three: Steve placing the ball next to the post.
Four: Referee Laurie Bruyeres awarding Steve’s try.
Five: First to congratulate Steve his best mate #6 Tim Murphy.
Six: Steve surround by his Wests teammates.
Number 45 is Mick Alchin.
(Thanks to Phil Lee with his help with these stills)
Photo taken at the 2022 PPM Reunion.
Also in 1968 Wests played the touring French team in a game played at Lidcombe Oval and Steve was very much involved.
‘Not me Sir’ says Nev Hornery.
Steve is mentioned in this article.
Note the popular myth about Peter Dimond being responsible for Steve coming to Wests is incorrect.
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1969
In 1969 Steve has his own Footie card.
Wests started the year off with a bang winning the first five preseason games before going down in the preseason final to Souths at the SSG.
Tackling old fashioned style.
1969 was Steve’s best season at Wests playing in eight First Grade games and six First Grade Preseason games.
Team bonding 1969 style.
One game that Steve remembers well was the SCG game against Souths.
Steve in the background.
One of Steve’s favourite Wests players Bruce Beer.
Steve wearing his St George jumper at training.
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1970
Wests have a new coach in 1970 ex Wests player from the 1950’s Ron Watson.
Steve played a total of 27 games in 1970 nine in First Grade.
One of the few wins in 1970 was against Newtown.
Steve being tackled after a barging run in the good win over Newtown.
Also in 1970 Steve married Trish.
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1971
Steve tacking a Manly player.
The 1971 season started off with an outstanding win over Canterbury at Lidcombe Oval in the first round.
Wests 55 beat Canterbury 12.
Note the ex Wests players in the Canterbury team. John Armstrong, Ron Costello and Nev Hornery.
Barry Bryant tackling ex Magpie Nev Hornery with Steve in support.
Due to a very serious knee injury the 1971 season for Steve was spent mainly on the sideline.
The injury happened during a game against Manly played at Wests old home ground Pratten Park .
Steve being helped off the field by Ken Stonestreet and Manly winger Derek Moritz.
A sad sight. Steve limps off Pratten Park.
Still photos taken off a Super 8 film shot by Billy Owens.
Steve did not return to play again for the duration of the 1971 season.
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1972
In 1972 Wests had a new First Grade coach Ex Magpie Don Parish.
Also a few new team mates.
John Walker, Stephen Knight and Olaf Pratti to name but a few.
In a familiar patten Steve played all four pre-season Cup games.
In Steve’s five seasons at Wests he played in 17 pre-season Cup games.
Steve’s last First Grade game at Wests.
Steve’s last game for the Magpies was played in Reserve Grade alongside Wests great Ken Stonestreet.
Steve started with Ken and finished with Ken.
This was Ken’s last game also. Both Steve and Ken went out winners.
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1973 & 1974
The North Sydney Years.
I ask Steve why he left Wests to continue his Rugby League career at Norths. A few reasons, Steve’s five year contract had finished at Wests, Steve and Trish were living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and Noel Kelly said he needed his forward pack to be tougher.
1973 would turn out to be Steve’s best season in the Sydney Rugby League competition.
Steve’s second game at Norths. Steve was reunited with ex Magpie Barry Glasgow.
The three Magpies who became Bears.
Tim Murphy, Barry Glasgow and Steve.
Steve returns to Lidcombe Oval.
Try time for Steve at Norths.
Unfortunately for Steve he injured his other knee and missed two games. But unlike previous seasons Steve was so highly regarded by Noel Kelly that Steve went straight back into Norths First Grade team.
Very good win by Norths.
In all Steve played 19 First Grade, four Pre-Season cup games in the 1973 season.
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1974
With both knees now shot Steve was to spend most of the season on the wrong side of the fence.
Steve’s only First Grade games was an AMCO Cup game against Northern Division.
Note a very young Dallas Donnelly playing in the front row for Northern Division.
For the second half of the 1974 season with both knees heavily strapped Steve was playing in Reserve Grade.
Steve scoring another try.
Steve’s last game in the Sydney Rugby League competition.
John ‘Chow’ Hayes.
The coach of the Norths Reserve Grade Team was one of Steve’s good mates Chow Hayes.
Steve along with many other players rated Chow as an outstanding coach.
Between 1968 and 1974 Steve played a total of 140 Grade games for both Wests and Norths.
My research shows Steve scored a total of 10 tries for both clubs in all grades.
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In 1975 at the age of 28 Steve decided to buy a brewery truck. This was a popular means of employment for many footballers.
Tim Murphy, Steve’s best mate joined Steve in this venture.
One day whilst delivering kegs Steve was flagged down by Darrell Bampton who had recently been appointed captain coach of Collegians Wollongong, Darrell asked Steve if he would be interested in playing for Collegians Wollongong in the 1975 season. The money was good so Steve agreed to play for one season.
Darrell Bampton playing for Souths.
Steve would go into each game with both knees very heavily strapped.
Collegians won a few games and Steve enjoyed his season with them.
Not so much the drive from his home on the Northern Beaches to Wollongong three times a week.
Steve at the age of 29 retired from First Class Rugby League although he did played Touch football for many years after.
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Before saying goodbye to Steve I asked him a few questions about his time as a Rugby League player and his life in general.
Steve spoke about the men who had made the biggest influence on his life since those days at Tamworth High to 2025.
Coach Don Dennis
Coach Don Dennis was one name that was mentioned many times during my interview also Billy Bischoff (tough bastard) both these men had a huge influence on a young footballer.
Two Wests and North Sydney coaches were very important to Steve both on and off the field.
Noel Kelly and Chow Hayes.
Steve stayed with the Kellys when perhaps it was most needed.
Noel who Steve said treated him like a son also encouraged Steve to move to the Northern Beaches something that Steve is forever grateful for.
To quote Steve ‘These men were all a great influence in my life’
We spoke about players who Steve played with and against and many names were spoken of.
Mick Alchin and Ken Stonestreet.
Barry Glasgow, Ken Stonestreet, John O’Neill, Mick Alchin, Bruce Beer, Noel Kelly, Chow Hayes, Barry Bryant and many many more.
Bruce Beer and Noel Kelly.
We decided not to name his favourite ground but Steve’s least favourite.
No contest North Sydney Oval with its famous rock hard cricket pitch area.
We should not forget Cumberland Oval.
A special mention to Tim Murphy, Steve’s best mate.
They played their first First Grade game at Wests together and were joined at the hip at all PPM reunions.
A wonderful and special friendship that lasted up until Tim’s death in 2022.
Steve and Tim in 2012 at a PPM reunion at the SCG.
Steve weighing 15 stone aka 96kg in 1970.
2025 a very fit Steve Winter weighing 12 and a half stone aka 80kg.
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Steve now lives at Narrabeen with his lovely and understanding wife of 55 years Trish.
Steve and Trish raised four great sons whom they are very proud of.
Also nine grand children who they love and adore.
To quote Steve ‘Living the Dream in Narrabeen’
I would like to thank Steve for his time and truthfulness also Trish for the coffee and cake.