Frank Stanton (rugby league)

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Frank Stanton is an Australian former rugby league player and a successful club and national representative coach. His playing and club coaching career was with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. He enjoyed success as coach of the Australian national side from 1978 to 1983, being at the helm in the period when the Kangaroos began to consistently dominate the other rugby league playing nations.

[edit] Player

Stanton was a versatile back who played 128 first grade games for Manly between 1961 and 1969. He played at Centre in Manly's 1968 Grand Final loss to South Sydney.

He made two state appearances for New South Wales and was honoured with national selection for the 1963 Kangaroo tour. He appeared in 18 minor matches on tour and did not play in any Tests with the Australian selectors at the time having a wealth of three-quarter talent available in Langlands, Gasnier, Dimond, Cleary, Irvine and Johns.

[edit] Coach

In 1975 he took over as coach of Manly-Warringah from Ron Willey and was in charge for five seasons till the end of 1979. He guided Manly to premiership success in 1976 and 1978. The 1976 win was a triumph for the astute and powerful Manly triumvirate of captain Bob Fulton, coach Stanton and club secretary Ken Arthurson who would all go onto higher honours in the game.

Stanton was appointed coach of New South Wales in 1982 being the first year the contest became a three game series. Queensland won the series 2-1 and Ted Glossop returned to coach the Blues in 1983. Stanton again coached New South Wales in the 1984 series to another 2-1 loss against the Maroons.

Stanton was appointed Australia's Test coach in 1978 and in the next five years was rewarded with whitewash wins over Great Britain (1979 and 1982), New Zealand (1978, 1980 and 1982) and France (1981 and 1982). His 1982 side also won the first ever Test played against Papua New Guinea.

The 1978 Kangaroo tourists, after a successful 2-1 Ashes campaign in England, wound up the French section of the tour with egg on their faces. They lost both Tests in France. Whilst the refereeing in the first Test came in for criticism Stanton acknowledged no excuses for the Australian defeat in the second Test. The 1982 Kangaroo touring side avenged the French embarrassment of 1978. They were Australia's most successful ever national side going through the 23 match tour of Papua New Guinea, England and France unbeaten and becoming known as the Invincibles.

Stanton retired as national coach in 1983 and was succeeded by Arthur Beetson. He was the Chief Executive of the Manly club during the late 1980s. Stanton was the interim Chief Executive of the Melbourne Storm for a period in 2004 and up till 2006 was a Board Director of the Storm.

[edit] Sources

• Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney