During this week, on March 4, 1953, Cronulla Shark number 80 and Life Member Steve 'Rock' Edmonds was born.
Edmonds, a local junior from the Taren Point club, stood out with his distinctive crop of blonde hair and quickly made a name for himself as a stylish winger. He celebrated his 71st birthday on Monday.
Despite making only one appearance in his debut season of 1972 at the age of 19, it was the following year that saw his career truly take off in the black, white, and blue jersey.
In 1973, Edmonds featured prominently in the first 11 games of the season, predominantly on the left wing outside Sharks Immortal Steve Rogers. However, an injury sidelined him for the latter part of the year, only to make a timely return for the Sharks' charge to their maiden grand final.
Despite his crucial role in replacing the injured Ray Corcoran in the preliminary final victory over the Newtown Jets, Edmonds found himself relegated to the reserves bench for the brutal decider, with state representative Corcoran returning to the starting lineup.
It wasn't until 1978 that Edmonds enjoyed his most triumphant season. This was the year he cemented his place in the starting thirteen, ultimately culminating in a grand final appearance at the season's end.
In the grand final, Edmonds displayed his prowess on the wing, making a standout copybook bootlace tackle on opposition winger Tom Mooney early in the match, setting the tone for Cronulla. His second-half try in the corner proved pivotal, an opportunistic four-pointer crafted from a pinpoint Steve Rogers bomb. This momentarily nudged the Sharks ahead of their fierce rivals, Manly Warringah. However, the determined silvertails from the Northern Beaches rallied back to seize the lead 11-9.
Despite the tense back-and-forth, a Steve Rogers penalty levelled the scores at 11-all. However, his subsequent late field-goal attempt fell short, leaving the scores deadlocked at full-time in front of a packed crowd of 51,500 fans.
Just three days later, both Cronulla and Manly were thrust into a grand final replay due to the Australian team announcement and imminent departure for England. Fatigue was evident as both teams took the field, but it was Manly who emerged victorious in the replay with a commanding 16-0 win. This victory secured their fourth premiership in front of a diminished crowd of 33,552 spectators.
The battered and bruised Sharks faced additional challenges, missing suspended players Greg Pierce and Dane Sorenson, along with injured stars Barry Andrews, Mick Mullane and Gary Stares. Despite their setbacks, the Sharks fought valiantly but ultimately fell short against a determined Manly side.
In 1979, Edmonds emerged as Cronulla's top try-scorer, notching an impressive 13 tries from 22 appearances, including a memorable hat-trick in the season's opener against the North Sydney Bears.
Despite not being renowned for his blistering pace, Edmonds possessed a keen sense for finding the try line, often capitalising on opportunities created by the talented backs alongside him during that era. Additionally, he occasionally took on goalkicking duties, particularly in lower-grade matches where his versatility shone.
However, Edmonds' first-grade career with the Sharks came to an abrupt halt in the opening round of 1981. Falling out of favour with the new coach, Greg Pierce, he was swiftly replaced by the incoming John Jarvie. Despite seeing out the remainder of the season, Edmonds ultimately decided to retire at the end of 1981, concluding his time with the club as one of its longest-serving players.
Even after hanging up his boots, Edmonds continued to receive recognition for his contributions. His stellar career saw him nominated for a wing spot in the Sharks Team of the Half Century in 2017 to mark the club's 50th anniversary.
Post retirement Edmonds has remained in the Shire where he resides with his wife of 44 years, Lesley. Only recently he has purchased an onsite van in Port Stephens which he gets to as often as possible to relax in the sun and cheer on his grandson Raiden who plays for the local Malabula Panthers.
STATISTICS
Positions: Winger, Centre; Fullback
Nickname: Rock
Playing height and weight: 5ft 10in, 13 stone 6lb (82 kilograms)
Years at club: 1973-81
Games for club: 213 1(13 in first grade, 95 games in reserve grade and five games in third grade)
Debut: Round 14, Sunday 18 June 1972 against St George at Endeavour Field
Last game: Round 1, Sunday 29 March 1981 against Penrith at Penrith Park
Points for Cronulla: 161 points in first grade from 45 tries and 13 goals; 181 points in reserve grade; 34 points in third grade and under 23s
