Wests Panthers

Infobox_nrl_club | clubname = Wests Panthers


fullname = Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club
emblem = Panther (adopted 1968)
colours = Black, Red
founded = 1915 (as Wests)
sport = Rugby league
league = Queensland Cup
Mixwell Cup
Brisbane Rugby League
Winfield State League
ground = Purtell Park
capacity = 18,000 (record)
ceo= Darren Bell
captain =
coach =
season = 2003
position = 12th from 12
premierships = 1916, 1920, 1922, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1975, 1976, 1992, 1993
runners = 1927, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1950, 1956, 1991, 1994, 1998
minors =
spoons =
win = 86-10 v Bundaberg Grizzlies at Purtell Park, 1998
loss = 0-78 v Norths Devils at Bishop Park, 2003

The Western Suburbs Panthers, often simply referred to as Wests, are a rugby league club from Brisbane, Australia, and until their merger with the Hills District in 2006 they were the oldest surviving club in Brisbane.

History

The club's roots trace back to the first game of rugby league played in the state - a game between North Brisbane and Toombul in 1909. By 1914, a club from Toowong had also entered the Brisbane junior competition, and by 1915 it had merged with North Brisbane senior club, forming the Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club.

After winning their first premiership in 1916, they became the first major club in Queensland to go through the season undefeated in 1920, something they would do again in 1922, winning the first premiership conducted by the newly-formed Brisbane Rugby League. In 1927 one of the club's best known players, Tom Purtell, began 56 year association with the club. Purtell was a hooker for Wests until 1941, and was involved with the club in a management level until 1969, including a 20 year unchallenged stint as President.

Although they won a total of 12 premierships, their most successful period was the early 1990s. Even though the Brisbane Broncos had already had a huge effect on the standard of play and the and popularity of the local club competition, Wests were runners-up in 1991, and Premiership winners in 1992 and 1993, before again being runners up in 1994. They were a founding member of the Queensland Cup in 1996, and were runners-up to Norths in 1998. However after the turn of the century Wests were losing more games than they were winning, and following a disastrous year in 2003 when the lost all 22 games of the season, including a club record 78-0 loss to Norths at Bishop Park, the club decided to depart the Qld Cup competition, deciding to instead guarantee their survival by participating in lower grades only, and planning to re-enter the Qld Cup competition at a later date.

In 2005 Wests made the Mixwell Colts Challenge grand final, although after leading at half-time they were eventually defeated by Norths. At seasons' end the Broncos, who had had a feeder club arrangement in place with Wests for the past few years, pulled out and linked with the Aspley Devils. At the same time Wests merged with Hills District to form the Western Districts Panthers for 2006 onwards.

Crest

saw all BRL clubs adopt a logo with a stylised Q, similar to the QRL logo used at the time, however by 2002 Wests had reverted to using the older club logo on their jerseys.

Colours

When the Toowong and North Brisbane merged to form Wests in 1915, the club's colours were to be red and blue, a combination of Toowong's blue and black and North Brisbane's red and black. However due to a shortage of blue dye due to World War I, red and black were adopted as the official colours. Wests constitutional design includes 4" (100mm) red and black bands, commencing with black on the shoulders. Sleeves then also commence with the first band being black, with the socks having red tops. During the Second World War, Wests adopted a maroon jersey with a black V, due to clothing shortages at the time.

Home grounds

"Main Article: Purtell Park"

Wests' first home ground was the Botanical Gardens, but played at Lang Park between 1955 and 1973. In 1974, the club moved wholly to its training premises on Mount Coot-tha, naming their new home Purtell Park after club stalwart Tom Purtell. Purtell Park had the abormality of being on a slope, with the southern end being higher, although this is not noticeable on television. Since their merger with Hills District, they have been playing out of the Kev McKell Oval at Arana Hills.

Junior clubs

"Main Article: Junior Clubs"

The Wests senior club, along with particular individuals such as Hugh Kelly, Tom Purtell, and Jim Orr etc, were instrumental in establishing numerous junior clubs in the north-western district of Brisbane. Wests Junior RLFC was the first, when Ithaca Creek state school boys and the Police club boys players merged during the early 1950's. Based at Gilbert Park, Wests juniors were one of the strongest junior rugby league bases in the Brisbane, until the Brisbane Broncos took over the facilities completely for training purposes, and forced them out. Wests juniors then took up tenancy on the number two field at the senior club's Purtell Park facility. Other Wests junior clubs to form have included Wests Arana Hills, Wests Mitchelton, Wests Centenary, Wests Kenmore and Wests Inala - all of whom have enjoyed substantial success on-field, and produced quality players who have gone on to wear the red and black of the Panthers.

Famous players

* Duncan Hall (great Queensland and Australian Front Row forward of the 1950's)
* John Sattler (legendary South Sydney forward who played two seasons for the Panthers at the end of his career)
* Wayne Stewart (Queensland and Australian winger)
* Barry Muir (Queensland and Australian halfback, the first person to call the New South Wales rugby league team "cockroaches")
* Greg Oliphant (Queensland and later Australian halfback)
* Geoff Richardson (Queensland and Australian five-eighth and former Wallaby)
* Paul Vautin (later Queensland and Australian lock/second row, TV presenter)
* John Ribot (Queensland and later Australian winger, founding CEO of Brisbane Broncos, CEO of SuperLeague, Founding Chairman of Melbourne Storm, Queensland Roar CEO)

ources

* [http://queensland.rleague.com/clubs/wests.php Wests Panthers Statistics] retrieved December 7, 2005
* Lester, Gary. "The Sun Book of Rugby League". published by Fairfax