North Sydney Bears - Wikipedia North Sydney Bears North Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Club information Full name North Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Nickname ( s ) The Shoremen The Mounties The Bears Founded 7 February 1908 ( foundation club ) Exited 1999 Former details Ground ( s ) North Sydney Oval ( 20,000 ) Competition New South Wales Cup 2018 11th Team colours Records Premierships 2 -- 1921, 1922 Runners - up 1 -- 1943 Minor premiership 2 -- 1921, 1922 Wooden spoons 7 -- 1917, 1919, 1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1979 Most capped 285 - Greg Florimo Highest points scorer 1274 - Jason Taylor The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top - grade competition. The Bears are based on Sydney 's Lower North Shore, and have played at North Sydney Oval since 1910. There is a bid supporting a resurrection of the club in the NRL as the Central Coast Bears, based in Gosford, New South Wales. The club was established in 1908, making it one of the original founding members of the New South Wales Rugby Football League, and one of Australia 's first rugby league football clubs. North Sydney continued competing with some success in the first half of the 20th century in the NSWRL, and through the ARL and NRL premierships until they merged with Manly - Warringah Sea Eagles to form the Northern Eagles for the 2000 season. The merged club lasted only until 2002 when it split again, with the Bears not returning to first grade and being represented at the highest order in the NSWRL competition the second - tier rugby league competition, where they continue to play today. North Sydney were in a partnership with the Rabbitohs serving as Souths ' reserve grade side from 2007 until the agreement ended in 2018. In total, 247 players who had been affiliated with Souths played with Norths in The Intrust Super Premiership NSW. Until the end of season 2009, Souths were coached by the Bears ' record - breaking top points scorer, Jason Taylor. In September 2018, North Sydney announced that they had signed a 5 year deal to become the Sydney Roosters feeder club and reserve grade side with Taylor returning to the club as head coach. Contents 1 History 1.1 Northern Eagles 1.2 The New South Wales Cup 1.3 The Central Coast Bears 2 North Sydney Leagues Club 3 2018 squad 4 Team of the Century 5 Former players of note 6 Coaches 7 Club records 7.1 Club records 7.2 Club honours 8 Australian internationals 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links History North Sydney was formed as a foundation club of the newly arrived rugby league game in 1908 and were known as the Shoremen. Like the other Sydney district clubs, Norths were largely born from players and officials from the local Rugby Union club, Northern Suburbs Rugby Club. The club initially struggled to obtain access to North Sydney Oval, but council obstruction was removed and the Shoremen played their first real home game in 1910. Many good players such as Andy Morton, Jimmy Devereaux and Sid Deane were lost to English clubs in the years after making the semi-finals in the season of 1908. They were nearly dropped from the competition during World War I because of dwindling spectator numbers. Towards the end of the war, Norths ' fortunes improved, playing quality and spectators numbers increased and they won 2 premierships in 1921 -- 22 coached by Chris McKivat. Unfortunately, these would be their last first grade premierships and their last grand final appearance was in 1943. when an injury riddled North Sydney were beaten by Newtown 34 -- 7. North Sydney 's Captain - coach in the Grand Final of 1943 was the future doyen of rugby league broadcasters, Frank Hyde. Hyde, who was living in Lane Cove at the time, had been forced to switch from Balmain to Norths in 1941 due to the league 's residency rules which stated that a player was required to live in their club 's district. As Lane Cove was in North Sydney 's district, the club protested to the NSWRFL and claimed Hyde from Balmain. The team became known as the North Sydney Bears during the 1950s after accepting a sponsorship from the nearby Big Bear supermarket at Neutral Bay. The 1952 season saw North Sydney reach the finals for the first time since 1943. Norths went on to make the finals again in 1953 & 1954 losing to Souths and St George respectively. Norths then had to wait 10 years to make the finals again, this time against Balmain where they lost 11 - 9. The following year North Sydney came 2nd in the regular season but were defeated 47 - 7 by St George and then lost to South Sydney the following week 14 - 9. During that time, North Sydney produced arguably the greatest winger the game has ever seen in Ken Irvine. Irvine held the record for most first grade tries for one club ( 171 ) until he was overtaken by Melbourne player Billy Slater. New South Wales representative Queenslander, Bruce Walker, captained the Bears in the final of the 1976 Amco Cup. It would be 17 long years before North Sydney made the finals series again when they finished 3rd in the 1982 season. North Sydney were coached that year by the great Ron Willey. Norths were knocked out of the finals series that year in consecutive games, firstly losing to Manly and then Eastern Suburbs the following week. In 1986, North Sydney made the finals series again, this time they were eliminated by Balmain in the first week. The nineties saw finals appearances and near misses in 1991, and 1994 -- 1998, In that time period Norths made the preliminary final 4 times but fell short on each occasion. In 1991, North Sydney finished the regular season in 3rd place and defeated arch rivals Manly in the first week of the finals. In the next match, North Sydney had the chance to make their first grand final in 48 years if they could defeat Penrith. After being behind on the scoreboard 12 - 0, Norths fought their way back into the match to level the scores at 14 - 14. Normally a reliable goal kicker, Darryl Halligan missed 4 shots at goal and only kicked 1 from 5 including a penalty miss in the dying minutes. Penrith won the match 16 - 14 despite the fact that Norths scored more tries in the game. On 14 July 1994, the club was fined $87,000 for breaching the salary cap. That year they came within one match of the grand final but lost to Canberra. North Sydney remained loyal to the Australian Rugby League during the Super League war of the mid-1990s. In the 1996 ARL season Norths came within one match of the Grand Final but lost the game to the St George Dragons 29 - 12. The following year saw two separate national rugby league championships, and confirmation of the club 's intention to move north to New South Wales ' Central Coast. In the 1997 season, North Sydney again made the preliminary final against Newcastle at The Sydney Football Stadium. The winner of the match was to play minor premiers Manly in The Grand final. With the score 12 - 8 in favor of Newcastle with under 10 minutes to play Jason Taylor set up Michael Buettner for a try which made the score 12 - 12. Normally a very reliable kicker and one of the most accurate in the competition, Taylor had already missed two previous conversions in the match but if he was to kick this goal it could send North Sydney through to their first grade final since 1943. Taylor ended up missing the goal. With the scores locked at 12 - 12, Newcastle player Matthew Johns kicked a field goal with 2 minutes to play to make it 13 - 12. With only seconds remaining Norths frantically threw the ball around and lost it, the ball was swooped up by Newcastle 's Owen Craigie and he raced away to score a try and won the game. In 1998, Norths finished 5th on the table and qualified for the finals. Once again they were eliminated from the finals after losing both their matches in consecutive weeks. Against Parramatta 25 - 12 and then the following week against Canterbury 23 - 2. By the start of the 1999 NRL season the future looked bright with plans for the move north well underway, but one unfortunate and apparently non-negotiable outcome of the Super League war 's peace deal was a criterion designed to reduce the number of teams in the NRL to fourteen. On August 28, 1999, Norths played their final game as a first grade side against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville. Norths won the game 28 - 18. Northern Eagles Main article : Northern Eagles Due to having a debt of around $4 million, the North Sydney club was not considered under the NRL 's inclusion criteria, although in later years other clubs, such as Cronulla, West Tigers, the Warriors and the Gold Coast have all incurred significantly larger debts. The joint venture club played out of Brookvale Oval and North Power Stadium ( now BlueTongue Stadium ) at Gosford, a ground successfully lobbied and built for the Bears, but poor on - field performances and factional fighting led to the collapse of the Northern Eagles in 2002, after only three years. After this, the Northern Eagles ' licence then reverted to the Manly - Warringah Sea Eagles, leaving the foundation club out of the top flight of rugby league in Australia after more than 90 years. The New South Wales Cup North Sydney play in the second - tier NSW Cup competition, serving as the reserve side for the Sydney Roosters. They have also been affiliated with the New Zealand Warriors, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Melbourne Storm in the past. In the 2007 NSWRL Premier League the North Sydney Bears made the Grand Final facing off against Sydney rivals Parramatta. They were beaten 20 - 15 by Weller Hauraki, scoring a controversial try with just 13 seconds to go, which many believed should not have been allowed due to a forward pass. North Sydney finished the 2008 season as NSW Cup minor premiers and were eliminated in the finals in straight sets. In 2009 the Bears lost to Balmain Tigers in extra time to miss out on the Grand Final 19 -- 18. 2010 was a poor season for the Bears, who received the wooden spoon. However this was turned around in the 2011 season with the Bears reaching the preliminary final and losing to eventual premiers the Canterbury Bulldogs. Deon Apps and Curtis Johnston represented the Bears in the 2011 NSW Residents side with Johnston finishing up leading try scorer for the competition by the end of the regular season with 28 tries, Johnston would play 110 games with the Bears NSW Cup scoring 97 tries in 6 seasons. 2012 saw the Bears make the semi finals, missing out on the minor premiership by points differential to the Bulldogs. They lost their first semi final to Newcastle Knights but had a chance to remain in the running of the competition the week after only to give up a 24 -- 6 lead to the Newtown Jets and lose in extra time 32 - 30 from a Daniel Mortimer 35 - metre penalty goal. The Newtown Jets went on to beat Balmain Tigers in the 2012 NSW Cup Grand Final. In 2013, the Bears recorded several large victories in the regular season and finished third. They defeated the Newcastle Knights 32 - 28 in the first week of the finals, and were then eliminated by minor premiers and eventual NSW Cup premiers the Cronulla Sharks in the preliminary final, who recorded a convincing 38 - 6 win. This was the third consecutive season that the Bears had been eliminated in the finals by the team which would eventually win the premiership. This was also Matt King 's final game of Rugby League. After three consecutive top four finishes, season 2014 was a horror year for the Bears, who recorded only two wins throughout the entire season and finished with the wooden spoon, eight points below the second - last placed Manly Warringah. Season 2015 saw a strong improvement as the Bears won nine games throughout the season and returned to the NSW Cup finals, only to be eliminated by the Bulldogs in Week One, and finished eighth. In the 2016 NSW Cup North Sydney finished the season in 10th place and therefore missed the finals. In the 2017 season, Norths finished 6th on the ladder and qualified for the finals. On 3 September 2017, Norths played against Newcastle in the first elimination match and were defeated 40 - 18 ending their season. On September 19, it was announced that Ben Gardiner was leaving as coach of the club after two and a half years in charge. On 11 October 2017, Shane Millard was announced as new head coach by the club. On 20 May 2018, it was revealed that North Sydney were in advanced negotiations to sign former NRL player Todd Carney. South Sydney who have a partnership with Norths were not happy with this decision and declared that there would be no NRL pathway for Carney and declared that they might withdraw their relationship with Norths as a result. North Sydney chairman Perry Lopez said of the deal `` We are the North Sydney Bears, we 're not South Sydney, '' The decision is based on what 's best for our club. At the end of the day, if they do n't like the decision the Bears make, they can take it up with us. `` If Souths do n't agree with what we 're doing and decide it 's not in our interest, we will look at the other avenues we have to ensure we have a competitive ISP side. At the end of the day, we are the North Sydney Bears and we 'll look to not just have a competitive side but a winning side. This decision comes on the back of that. Our club is a 1908 foundation club, ''. `` We are here to win games and show our fans a product they can be proud of. We are super excited to have a player of Todd Carney 's calibre join the mighty North Sydney Bears ''. On 21 May 2018, Carney officially signed with North Sydney, in reaction to the signing, General Manager of football at Souths Shane Richardson said `` We 've spoken to Norths about Todd Carney and it 's our position that we will develop our young halves, as opposed to bringing in a player from outside the club in this instance, '' Richardson said. `` ' The ' Rabbitoh Way ' is to build a culture that rewards young players for hard work, a culture that has respect for the club and its people, respects the members and sponsors that invest financially and emotionally into what we are doing here at South Sydney, and a culture of developing young players that want to play for South Sydney and that we see having a future NRL career ''. On 1 July 2018, Carney 's move to North Sydney was blocked after Carney refused to pay a $15,000 release fee. The Northern Pride who Carney was contracted with demanded that Norths pay the fee which the club refused to do and hoped that a deal could be met between Carney 's management team and The Queensland Cup side before the June 30 transfer window closed. Carney spoke to the media saying `` I had that option with the Bears but Souths have blocked that, I 'm sure something will come up ''. Carney 's blocked move coincided with the departure of Souths contracted player Robbie Farah who spent the first 12 weeks playing for North Sydney. On 25 August 2018, Norths lost their last game of the season against the New Zealand Warriors due to a last minute try scored by Chanel Harris - Tavita. Norths came into the game with an outside chance of making the finals but the loss ensured Norths finished outside the top 8 and with a bad point points differential meant they finished in second last place on the table. On 5 September 2018, North Sydney announced that they were ending their agreement with Souths to act as their reserve grade side and had signed a 5 year deal to join the Sydney Roosters as their new feeder club team for the 2019 season. Former North Sydney player and the club 's leading record point scorer Jason Taylor was named as new head coach. The Bears have won eight premierships in reserve grade, making them the second most successful club currently participating in the competition. They last won a premiership in 1993, defeating Newcastle in the grand final 5 - 4. The Bears have also been the only team to have participated in every season of reserve grade since the competition 's inception in 1908. The Central Coast Bears Main article : Central Coast Bears There is a movement for a return to first - grade Rugby League for the club, with the North Sydney Bears moving to Gosford ( on the Central Coast, New South Wales ) and becoming the Central Coast Bears. The Bears bid committee is lobbying the NRL for inclusion as the next expansion team. They are headed up by Perry Lopez and Greg Florimo and has the corporate backing of a number of local Central Coast and some North Shore businesses. The proposed team would play 11 games in Gosford and 1 game at North Sydney Oval ( obviously against Manly as part of a heritage or rivalry round ). North Sydney legend David Fairleigh is proposed to become the inaugural coach. Prominent rugby league personalities who have publicly backed the club include Phil Gould, Andrew Johns and Peter Sterling while support has also come from as high up as Federal Treasurer and North Sydney MP Joe Hockey. Bears fan Alan McLoughlin, a Central Coast resident, set up a Facebook petition to bring the Bears to Gosford. The Central Coast Bears have 7,200 financial members with new members joining weekly. They were aiming for 5,000 by March 2011, when the official bid was due to be handed in to the NRL but passed that mark in 2010. Mortgage House signed a three - year deal to sponsor the Central Coast Bears, also becoming a major jersey sponsor for the Bears. In November 2010, it was reported that Ken Sayer, CEO of Mortgage House, planned to underwrite the bid for $10 million to help ensure their financial equity was shored up when the bid was submitted. Both major political parties showed support for the Central Coast Bears bid in 2010 -- 2011, with Labor supporting the bid by granting $100,000 for the Bears, and the Liberal party supporting the bid by promising to acquire land at Mt Penang, Central Coast, NSW to build a state - of - the - art Sports Centre of Excellence in the lead up to the 2011 New South Wales state election. With weekly membership drives and ongoing community involvement, the Central Coast Bears targeted entry into the NRL in 2015, but this date passed without admission. In 2016, it was reported that there were moves for the Bears to buy the Gold Coast Titans franchise. The General Manager of Norths and most capped player of the club Greg Florimo said at the time of North Sydney 's first public interest in purchasing The Gold Coast licence as `` the last chance ''. Florimo then went on to say `` I do n't see too many other options presenting themselves, The energy and finance that we put into the Central Coast bid really did n't come to fruition... so we 're going hard to the plate on this ''. Throughout 2017 there was much media speculation around North Sydney and their moves to purchase the struggling Gold Coast Titans licence when it went on sale by The NRL. North Sydney reportedly placed a $7 million bid to purchase The Gold Coast Licence and as part of the bid if they were to be successful was to rename the side The Gold Coast Bears and continue to play games at Robina plus taking two games to North Sydney Oval with one game being held against fierce rivals The Manly - Warringah Sea Eagles. The Gold Coast colors would also change to Norths red and black with the logo being changed as well to fit the proposed new club. On November 3, 2017, it was revealed that Norths had failed in their bid to purchase The Gold Coast licence. On 14 December 2017, it was officially announced by The NRL that the consortium of Darryl Kelly and self made property tycoon Rebecca Frizelle had won the bid to purchase The Gold Coast Titans. On 22 February 2018, it was announced that North Sydney were in talks with a Western Australian consortium with the possibility of creating a franchise and to seek inclusion into The NRL. North Sydney Leagues club Rebranded as Norths, the North Sydney Leagues Club was established by the district 's football club, the North Sydney Bears, in 1955 in a house in the Sydney suburb of Neutral Bay. In 1964, the club moved to new premises, its current location, in Abbott Street, Cammeray. In the fifty years the new building has stood, a number of redesigns and refurbishments have taken place. In 2014 facilities comprised two dining areas, function rooms, a 530 - seat auditorium, a fitness and wellness centre, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, a bottle shop, a TAB, two squash courts, a courtesy bus service, a members rewards program and a multi-level car park for 320 vehicles. Membership in 2016 stood at 21,500. In 1996, Norths merged with the North Sydney Bowling Club, which was established in 1888 and is the second oldest club ( by one day ) in Australia. This Bowling Club was transformed and re-branded as The Greens North Sydney in November 2014. Norths also amalgamated with the Seagulls, a border club at Tweed Heads on the far north coast of New South Wales, the oldest provincial rugby league club in Australia. Darren Nicholls playing for the North Sydney Bears in the New South Wales Cup 2018 squad 2018 North Sydney Bears Squad First team squad Coaching staff Dean Hawkins - FE, HB Rhys Kennedy - PR Thomas Freebairn - FE, LK Ky Rodwell - PR Connor Tracey - HB Vincent Leuluai - PR, SR Jacob McCudden - LK, SR Jacob Gagan - WG Latrell Robinson - FB Max Bailey - PR Thomas Perrin - FB, WG Latrell Robinson - CE, WG Billy Brittain - HK Viliami Kaveinga - CE, WG Sam Johnstone - PR, SR Braidon Burns - WG Jesse Martin - LK Arisento Bou Sleiman - WG Curtis Johnston - WG Matt McIlwrick - HK Head coach Shane Millard Assistant coaches Legend : ( c ) Captain ( s ) ( vc ) Vice captain ( s ) Updated : 16 July 2018 Source ( s ) : North Sydney Bears & ( 2 ) Team of the century On 26 August 2006 the club announced their `` Team of the Century ''. Position Player FB Brian Carlson WG Ken Irvine CE Jim Devereux CE Greg Florimo WG Harold Horder FE Tim Pickup HB Jason Taylor PR Gary Larson HK Ross Warner PR Billy Wilson SR David Fairleigh SR Mark Graham LK Peter Diversi Bench Sid Deane Bench Ken McCaffery Bench Billy Moore Bench John Gray Coach Chris McKivat Former players of note This list of `` famous '' or `` notable '' persons has no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria. Please help to define clear inclusion criteria and edit the list to contain only subjects that fit those criteria. ( May 2018 ) Australia George Ambrum Martin Bella Cec Blinkhorn Albert Broomham Kerry Boustead Brian Carlson Brett Dallas Peter Diversi David Fairleigh Mario Fenech Greg Florimo Bill Hamilton Harold Horder Ben Ikin Ken Irvine Peter Jackson Les Kiss Gary Larson Denis `` Dinny '' Lutge Ken McCaffery Don McKinnon Billy Moore Mark O'Meley Tim Pickup Jason Taylor Duncan Thompson Bruce Walker Lloyd Weier Billy Wilson New Zealand Fred Ah Kuoi Clayton Friend Mark Graham Daryl Halligan Sean Hoppe Wales Merv Hicks Jim Mills Coaches No. Name Years % Premierships Runners - up Minor Premierships Wooden spoons Chris McKivat ^ 1921 -- 1922 25 20 80 % 1921, 1922 -- 1921 -- Jimmy Devereux 1924 -- 1925 20 9 10 45 % -- -- -- -- Tedda Courtney 1930 14 11 14 % -- -- -- -- Tom Wright 1931 14 6 8 0 43 % -- -- -- -- 5 Arthur Edwards 1933 14 5 8 36 % -- -- -- -- 6 Frank Burge ^ 1935, 1945 32 17 14 53 % -- -- -- -- 7 Laurie Ward 1937 8 5 0 38 % -- -- -- -- 8 Bob Williams 1938 -- 1939 28 8 18 29 % -- -- -- -- 9 Arthur Halloway 1940 -- 1941 28 7 20 25 % -- -- -- 1941 10 Roy Thompson 1941 14 10 21 % -- -- -- 1941 11 Jack O ' Reilly 1942 14 5 9 0 36 % -- -- -- -- 12 Frank Hyde 1943 -- 1944, 1950 49 17 28 35 % -- 1943 -- 1950 13 Harry Forbes 1946 14 5 9 0 36 % -- -- -- -- 14 Cliff Pearce 1947 -- 1948 36 12 21 33 % -- -- -- 1948 15 Harry McKinnon 1949 18 5 12 28 % -- -- -- -- 16 Laurie Doran 1951 18 5 13 0 28 % -- -- -- 1951 17 Ross McKinnon ^ 1952 -- 1953, 1959 58 32 25 55 % -- -- -- -- 18 Rex Harrison 1954 -- 1955 37 20 15 54 % -- -- -- -- 19 Bruce Ryan ^ 1956 18 5 12 28 % -- -- -- -- 20 Trevor Allan 1957 -- 1958 36 18 17 50 % -- -- -- -- 21 Greg Hawick 1960, 1985 33 12 21 0 36 % -- -- -- -- 22 Bob Sullivan 1961 -- 1962 36 13 21 36 % -- -- -- -- 23 Fred Griffiths 1963 -- 1966 75 39 32 52 % -- -- -- -- 24 Billy Wilson 1967 22 8 13 36 % -- -- -- -- 25 Colin Greenwood 1968 22 18 0 18 % -- -- -- -- 26 Roy Francis 1969 -- 1970 44 17 25 39 % -- -- -- -- 27 Merv Hicks 1971 -- 1972 44 12 30 27 % -- -- -- -- 28 Noel Kelly 1973 -- 1976 89 33 52 37 % -- -- -- -- 29 Bill Hamilton 1977 -- 1978 45 15 28 33 % -- -- -- -- 30 Tommy Bishop ^ 1979 22 20 0 9 % -- -- -- 1979 31 Ron Willey ^ 1980 -- 1982 72 31 39 43 % -- -- -- -- 32 John Hayes ^ 1983 -- 1984 50 22 26 44 % -- -- -- -- 33 Brian Norton 1985 -- 1986 34 15 18 44 % -- -- -- -- 34 Frank Stanton ^ 1987 -- 1989 68 25 40 37 % -- -- -- -- 35 Steve Martin ^ 1990 -- 1992 69 35 32 51 % -- -- -- -- 36 Peter Louis ^ 1993 -- 1999 161 96 58 7 60 % -- -- -- -- 37 Kieran Dempsey ^ 1999 8 6 0 25 % -- -- -- -- ^ Did not play first grade for Norths Club records Club records 5 Biggest Wins 62 points, 62 -- 0 against North Queensland Cowboys at North Sydney Oval on 23 August 1998 54 points, 60 -- 6 against North Queensland Cowboys at North Sydney Oval on 16 April 1995 52 points, 64 -- 12 against Balmain Tigers at North Sydney Oval on 30 May 1999 52 points, 55 -- 3 against Penrith at North Sydney Oval on, 16 July 1978 45 points, 45 -- 0 against Cumberland at Wentworth Park on 25 July 1908 Biggest Loss 56 points, 3 -- 59 against Glebe at Wentworth Park on 17 July 1915. Highest Points 64 points, Norths defeated Balmain Tigers 64 -- 12 at North Sydney Oval on 30 May 1999. Highest Score Conceded 60 points, Brisbane Broncos defeated Norths 60 -- 6 at QSAC Stadium on 26 April 1998. Most appearances for the club 285, Greg Florimo 285 games ( 1986 - 1998 ) Most Tries for the club 171, Ken Irvine in 176 games ( 1958 - 1970 ) Most Goals for the club 563, Jason Taylor in 147 games ( 1994 - 1999 ) Most Points for the club 1,274, Jason Taylor ( 32 tries, 563 goals, 20 field goals ) in 147 games ( 1994 - 1999 ) Most Points in a season 242, Jason Taylor ( 10 tries, 98 goals, 6 field goals ) in 1997 Most Consecutive Wins 9 matches, 24 July 1920 -- 14 May 1921 9 matches, 13 June -- 14 August 1994 Most Consecutive Losses 12 matches, 3 June -- 26 August 1979 Home and Away Attendances 47,398 at Sydney Cricket Ground vs St George on 9 May 1959 23,089 at North Sydney Oval vs Manly on 13 May 1994 Finals Attendance Record 60,922 at Sydney Cricket Ground vs Newtown on 4 September 1943 NSWRFL Grand Final Club honours Premierships : ( 2 ) 1921, 1922 Runners - Up : ( 1 ) 1943 Minor Premierships : ( 2 ) 1921, 1922 Wooden Spoons : ( 7 ) 1917, 1919, 1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1979 Finals Appearances : 1908, 1921, 1922, 1928, 1935, 1936, 1943, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1964, 1965, 1982, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 Undefeated Season : 1921 ( 8 games : 7 wins 1 draw ) Reserve Grade Premierships : 1940, 1942, 1955, 1959, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993 Third Grade Premiership ( and equivalent competitions ) : 1937, 1945, 1946, 1959 President 's Cup : 1918, 1933 H ' Jersey ' Flegg Memorial Trophy : 1998 Sevens : Runners - Up : 1996, 1997 City Cup : Winners : 1920, 1922 Runners - Up 1913, 1959 League Cup : Runners - Up : 1919 State Championship : Runners - Up : 1945 Pre-season Competition : Runners - Up : 1964, 1966, 1977 Midweek Cup ( as Amco Cup ) : Runners - up : 1976 Channel 10 Challenge Cup : Winners : 1978 Australian internationals George Ambrum 1972 Martin Bella 1986 -- 1989 Tom Berecry 1911 -- 1912 Cec Blinkhorn 1921 -- 1922 Albert Broomham 1909 -- 1912 Michael Buettner 1996 Brian Carlson 1958 -- 1961 Tedda Courtney 1910 Arch Crippin 1936 Brett Dallas 1996 Sid Deane 1908 -- 1914 Jim Devereux 1908 -- 1909 Peter Diversi 1954 -- 1955 David Fairleigh 1994 -- 1996 Greg Florimo 1994 -- 1995 Nevyl Hand 1948 -- 1949 Harold Horder 1920 -- 1922 Ben Ikin 1998 Ken Irvine 1959 -- 1968 Clarrie Ives 1921 -- 1922 Peter Jackson 1991 -- 1992 Les Kiss 1986 Gary Larson 1995 -- 1997 Dinny Lutge 1908 -- 1909 Ken McCaffery 1957 Don McKinnon 1982 Keith Middleton 1950 Billy Moore 1995 -- 1997 Andy Morton 1908 -- 1909 Fred Nolan 1937 -- 1938 Herman Peters 1921 -- 1922 Tim Pickup 1972 -- 1974 Con Sullivan 1910 -- 1914 Bob Sullivan 1954 Duncan Thompson 1919 -- 1922 Roy Thompson 1937 -- 1938 Bruce Walker 1978 Laurie Ward 1937 -- 1938 Lloyd Weier 1965 -- 1966 Billy Wilson 1963 See also Sydney portal Rugby league portal National Rugby League reserves affiliations List of rugby league clubs in Australia References Jump up ^ Dillon, Robat ( 7 May 2009 ). `` Burraston fears full - time Central Coast team ''. theherald.com.au. 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Jump up ^ `` Dominant Knights Eliminate Depleted Bears ''. 3 September 2017. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bears Farewell Coach Ben Gardiner ''. 19 September 2017. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017. CS1 maint : Archived copy as title ( link ) Jump up ^ Proszenko, Adrian ( 20 May 2018 ). `` Norths and Souths set for split as defiant Bears sign Carney ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 June 2018. Jump up ^ `` Todd Carney officially signs with North Sydney Bears against Rabbitohs ' wishes ''. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018. Jump up ^ https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/carney-s-bears-stint-sunken-by-star-s-refusal-to-pay-15-000-fee-20180630-p4zoqo.html Jump up ^ http://www.sportingnews.com/au/league/news/matt-mcilwrick-robbie-farah-south-sydney-rabbitohs-wests-tigers/ctfuibrfmyjs1flfmr8qrcln3 Jump up ^ https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2018/08/25/warriors-break-bears-hearts-with-last-gasp-try/ Jump up ^ https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2018/09/05/roosters-and-bears-form-new-partnership/ Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017. CS1 maint : Archived copy as title ( link ) Jump up ^ Bears get logo, now for an NRL jersey Archived 24 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Adrian Proszenko Jump up ^ Proszenko, Adrian ( 7 February 2010 ). `` Heavy Hitter ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010. Jump up ^ Heighington can bear to wait if Central Coast get up Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine... The Sydney Morning Herald. Jump up ^ `` NRL 's ' talk to the hand ' to Central Coast Bears bid team has left a rugby league heartland furious ''. Retrieved 2018 - 02 - 13. Jump up ^ Toohey, Barry ( 21 November 2010 ), `` $10 million on table to get Central Coast Bears over the line ''. The Sunday Telegraph ( Australia ) Jump up ^ `` Keneally comes bearing gifts in not - so - unfriendly territory ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. 31 August 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` O'Farrell to Reserve Land for Central Coast Bears ''. Liberal Party of Australia, NSW Division. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Jump up ^ Home Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine... Central Coast Bears ( 18 February 2013 ). Jump up ^ Meyn, Travis ( 24 February 2016 ). `` Titans declare they ' are n't going anywhere ' after moves by the Bears to take over the club ''. The Courier Mail. Retrieved 21 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bears may be Titans ' only chance : Florimo - Nine Wide World of Sports ''. wwos.nine.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` Dailytelegraph.com.au - Subscribe to The Daily Telegraph for exclusive stories ''. www.dailytelegraph.com.au. Jump up ^ `` Couriermail.com.au - Subscribe to The Courier Mail for exclusive stories ''. www.couriermail.com.au. Jump up ^ Press, Australian Associated ( 14 December 2017 ). `` NRL finally announce sale of Gold Coast Titans to Kelly - Frizelle team ''. the Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Jump up ^ Proszenko, Adrian ( 22 February 2018 ). `` ' Western Bears ' : North Sydney Bears back in hunt for NRL return after secret talks with WA group ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 June 2018. Jump up ^ norths History www.norths.com.au Archived 4 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived 13 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Further reading Andrew Moore, David Middleton, North Sydney Rugby League Football Club ( 1996 ). The Mighty Bears ! : a social history of North Sydney Rugby League. Macmillan. ISBN 9780732908690. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Alan Whiticker ; Greg Anderson ( 1988 ). The History of The North Sydney Bears. Sherborne Sutherland Publishing. ISBN 9781862750012. External links Official website North Sydney Bears Est. 1908 in Sydney, New South Wales The Club History ( Northern Eagles ) Records Players Honours Coaches Home grounds North Sydney Oval Central Coast Stadium Culture North Sydney Leagues Club Important figures Denis Lutge Chris McKivat Harold Horder Duncan Thompson Frank Hyde Brian Carlson Ken Irvine Don McKinnon Greg Florimo Les Kiss David Fairleigh Gary Larson Billy Moore Jason Taylor League NSWRL ARL NRL New South Wales Cup Premierships ( 2 ) 1921 1922 Seasons -- 92 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 Other competitions Current S.G. Ball Cup Harold Matthews Cup NSWRL Women 's Premiership Past Amco Cup Jersey Flegg Cup Affiliations South Sydney Rabbitohs Central Coast Bears Tweed Heads Seagulls Manly - Warringah / North Sydney District Rugby League North Sydney Bowling Club North Sydney Chess Club National Rugby League ( 2018 ) Overview Australian Rugby League Commission History NSWRL premiership Winfield Cup NSWRL ARL Super League Super League war All time club list Premiers Grand Final Finals system Current team squads Current head coaches Wooden spooners Records Golden point games Rivalries Judiciary Salary cap Expansion Stadiums Reserves affiliations Rugby League Professionals Association Men of League Foundation Women in League NRL Women 's Premiership NRL SuperCoach SuperCoach Finals Current teams Brisbane Broncos Canberra Raiders Canterbury - Bankstown Bulldogs Cronulla - Sutherland Sharks Gold Coast Titans Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Melbourne Storm Newcastle Knights New Zealand Warriors North Queensland Cowboys Parramatta Eels Penrith Panthers South Sydney Rabbitohs St. George Illawarra Dragons Sydney Roosters Wests Tigers Former teams Balmain Tigers ( 1908 -- 99 ) Western Suburbs Magpies ( 1908 -- 99 ) North Sydney Bears ( 1908 -- 99 ) Newtown Bluebags / Jets ( 1908 -- 83 ) Glebe Dirty Reds ( 1908 -- 29 ) Newcastle Rebels ( 1908 -- 09 ) Cumberland ( 1908 ) Annandale Dales ( 1910 -- 20 ) University ( 1920 -- 37 ) St. George Dragons ( 1921 -- 98 ) Illawarra Steelers ( 1982 -- 98 ) Gold Coast - Tweed Giants / Gold Coast Seagulls / Gold Coast Chargers ( 1988 -- 98 ) Western Reds / Perth Reds ( 1995 -- 97 ) South Queensland Crushers ( 1995 -- 97 ) Hunter Mariners ( 1997 ) Adelaide Rams ( 1997 -- 98 ) Northern Eagles ( 2000 -- 02 ) Annual events World Club Series ( World Club Challenge ) State Championship NRL Grand Final Breakfast Foundation Cup Queen 's Birthday Clive Churchill Medal 1989 League Legends Cup Charity Shield Auckland Nines All Stars J.J. Giltinan Shield Awards Dally M Awards Dally M Medal Rothmans Medal Hall of Fame The Immortals Media Thursday Night Football Friday Night Football Super Saturday Sunday Football Monday Night Football Monday Night with Matty Johns NRL 360 The Footy Show The Sunday Footy Show Continuous Call Team Monday Night Football on Triple M NRL Dream Big League Rugby League ( video games series ) Intrust Super Premiership NSW Current Clubs Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles Canterbury - Bankstown Bulldogs Mount Pritchard Mounties New Zealand Warriors Newcastle Knights Newtown Jets North Sydney Bears Penrith Panthers St. George Illawarra Dragons Wentworthville Magpies Western Suburbs Magpies Wyong Roos Previous Clubs Adelaide Rams Annandale Auckland Vulcans Balmain Tigers Bankstown City Bulls Brisbane Broncos Canberra Raiders Central Coast Centurions Central Coast Storm Cronulla Cobras Cronulla - Sutherland Sharks Glebe Gold Coast Chargers Illawarra RLFC Illawarra Steelers Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Melbourne Storm North Queensland Cowboys Parramatta Eels Perth Reds Shellharbour City Dragons South Queensland Crushers St. George Dragons St Mary 's Cougars South Sydney Rabbitohs Sydney Roosters Sydney University Wests Tigers Windsor Wolves Seasons 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Finals 2017 Finals 2018 Finals Related articles Grounds Premiers Records Wooden spooners National Rugby League reserves affiliations NRL State Championship Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=North_Sydney_Bears&oldid=865503580 '' Categories : North Sydney Bears South Sydney Rabbitohs Defunct NSWRL / ARL / SL / NRL clubs 1908 establishments in Australia North Sydney, New South Wales Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Archived copy as title Webarchive template wayback links Use dmy dates from August 2017 Use Australian English from August 2017 All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2017 Unverifiable lists of persons from May 2018 CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Edit links This page was last edited on 24 October 2018, at 09 : 54 ( UTC ). 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Question: when did the north sydney bears leave the nrl
Answer: 1999