View source for Norm Provan

{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer and coach (1932–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name            = Norm Provan
|fullname        = Norman Douglas Somerville Provan
|image           =
|caption         = 
|position        = {{rlp|SR}}
|birth_date      = {{birth date|df=yes|1932|12|18}}
|birth_place     = [[Urana]], [[New South Wales]], Australia
|death_date      = {{death date and age|2021|10|13|1932|12|18|df=y}}
|death_place     = [[Sunshine Coast, Queensland|Sunshine Coast]], [[Queensland]], Australia
|height          = {{convert|193|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight          = {{convert|99|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|club1           = [[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|year1start      = 1951
|year1end        = 65
|appearances1    = 256
|tries1          = 64
|goals1          = 1
|fieldgoals1     = 0
|points1         = 194
|teamA           = [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]]
|yearAstart      = 1954
|yearAend        = 61
|appearancesA    = 19
|triesA          = 4
|goalsA          = 0
|fieldgoalsA     = 0
|pointsA         = 12
|teamB           = [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]]
|yearBstart      = 1954
|yearBend        = 60
|appearancesB    = 14
|triesB          = 7
|goalsB          = 0
|fieldgoalsB     = 0
|pointsB         = 21
|coachteam1      = [[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|coachyear1start = 1962
|coachyear1end   = 65
|coachgames1     = 81
|coachwins1      = 66
|coachdraws1     = 2
|coachlosses1    = 13
|coachteam2      = [[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|coachyear2start = 1968
|coachyear2end   =
|coachgames2     = 24
|coachwins2      = 14
|coachdraws2     = 3
|coachlosses2    = 7
|coachteam3      = [[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]]
|coachyear3start = 1975
|coachyear3end   =
|coachgames3     = 27
|coachwins3      = 14
|coachdraws3     = 1
|coachlosses3    = 12
|coachteam4      = {{nowrap|[[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland]]}}
|coachyear4start = 1978
|coachyear4end   = 79
|coachgames4     = 50
|coachwins4      = 31
|coachdraws4     = 2
|coachlosses4    = 17
|coachteamA      = [[Illawarra Rugby League|Illawarra Firsts]]
|coachyearAstart = 1974
|coachyearAend   = 
|coachgamesA     = 2
|coachwinsA      = 0
|coachdrawsA     = 0
|coachlossesA    = 2
|source          = <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nrlstats.com.au/archive/coaches.cfm?CoachID=131 |title=NRL Stats |access-date=15 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727203229/http://www.nrlstats.com.au/archive/coaches.cfm?CoachID=131 |archive-date=27 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Norm_Provan.html RLP]</ref><ref>[http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Norm-Provan_6765.aspx Yesterday's Hero]</ref>
| module       = {{infobox person
| embed        = yes
| father       = 
| mother       = 
| spouse       = 
| education    = 
| alma_mater   = 
| relatives    = [[Peter Provan]] (brother)
}}
}}

'''Norman Douglas Somerville Provan''' (18 December 1932 – 13 October 2021) was an Australian professional [[rugby league]] footballer and coach. Also nicknamed "Sticks",<ref>{{cite book | last = Toby Creswell and Samantha Trenoweth | title = 1001 Australians You Should Know | publisher = Pluto Press | year = 2006 | location = Australia | page = 703 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QqtinbjO0oEC&q=rugby | isbn = 9781864033618}}</ref> he was a [[Rugby league positions#second row forwards|second-row forward]] with the [[St. George Dragons]] during the first ten of their eleven consecutive premiership-winning years (1956-1966). Named among the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century, he was a representative in the [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia national team]] from 1954 to 1960, winning 14 Tests and two [[Rugby League World Cup|World Cup]]s. In 2018, he was inducted as the [[The Immortals (rugby league)|13th Immortal]] of Australian rugby league.

==Club career and player-coach==
Provan's first junior football was played for Willoughby Roos in the North Sydney District and attending high school at Crows Nest. After his family relocated to the St George-Sutherland region, he played with the Sutherland Woronora Juniors<ref name="Haddan p X">Haddan p X</ref> and the Sutherland Gravediggers.<ref name=Apter>Apter ''The Coaches: The Men Who Changed Rugby League'' {{ISBN|9781743465660}}</ref> He was graded by St George in 1950 after being turned down by [[Sydney Roosters|Easts]] the prior year. Having won the premiership in 1949, St George slipped to a fifth-place finish in 1950 but things were falling into place that year with the move to [[Jubilee Oval]], Frank Facer's move from player to club selector and committeeman and Provan's arrival.

Provan featured in their 1951 campaign – a loss in the final against [[Manly Sea Eagles|Manly]] for 3rd place; a 2nd place in the minor premiership in 1952 and a semi-final exit to [[North Sydney Bears|North Sydney]]; and then the 1953 Dragons side that lost the [[New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1953#Final|1953 final]] to [[South Sydney Rabbitohs|South Sydney]]. St George and Souths would battle head-to-head on many more occasions in Provan's illustrious career.

Provan's strength at second row in attack and in defence, in partnership with [[Harry Melville (rugby player)|Harry Melville]], [[Harry Bath]] and [[Monty Porter]] laid the foundations in those first years of their glory run. After the retirement of [[Ken Kearney]] in 1962 from the playing arena, and given the Dragons administrators' preference for a [[player-coach]], Provan took over as captain-coach and the club's dominant run continued.

A fitness fanatic himself, Provan continued Kearney's punishing and successful training routine giving Dragon sides of the period confidence that they could edge out their fatiguing opposition in the final twenty minutes of each encounter.<ref name="Apter"/> Provan set high standards for himself and his players directing a training mix that included sandhill running at Cronulla; lap running at Kogarah and touch-football. He was content to maintain a certain distance from the team and saw the captain-coach role as a tough, solitary role requiring him to stand slightly apart from his players. A teetotaler later in life, Provan occasionally shared a drink in the shed after a match but he would rarely finish the first beer.<ref name="Apter"/> 
{{cquote
|''I was never one of the boys, I never went to the pub or places like that. But this aloofness did give me a bit of an edge – and I never had to make any apologies for any of the decisions I made or feel bad about dropping a close mate''.|30px|30px|Apter, p35|}}
Provan holds the club record of 284 games for St George achieved between 1951 and 1965.<ref name="Haddan p X"/> He played in the first '''ten''' of their record run of 11 premiership victories – as captain-coach for four – and made 30 finals appearances for the club over fifteen consecutive seasons. His last game before retirement was a victory in the [[New South Wales Rugby League season 1965#Grand Final|1965 Grand Final]] where the Dragons beat the [[South Sydney Rabbitohs|Rabbitohs]] 12–8 in front of 78,065 which stands as the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]]'s all-time attendance record.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/fitting-farewells/2007/01/05/1167777278425.html Fitting Farewells], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 6 January 2007.</ref>

==Representative career==
In 1954 Provan first represented for [[New South Wales Rugby League team|New South Wales]] and that same year made his Test debut, playing in all three matches of the 1954 series against the visiting Great Britain side commencing a representative second-row partnership with [[Western Suburbs Magpies|Wests]] [[Kel O'Shea]] that would continue for a number of years.

Provan was selected for the 1956 [[Kangaroo tour]]. Due to injury he missed the [[Rugby League Ashes|Ashes]] series against Great Britain but appeared in three Tests against France at the end of the tour. He appeared in 15 other minor matches on the tour. In 1957 he was a member of Australia's victorious [[Rugby League World Cup|World Cup]] squad.

He continued his Test pairing with Kel O'Shea in all three games of the domestic 1958 series against Great Britain and in 1959 featured in all three Tests against the visiting [[New Zealand national rugby league team|Kiwis]]. Also in 1959 Provan played in the New South Wales loss to Queensland that attracted 35,261 spectators, smashing Brisbane's previous record for an interstate match of 22,817.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goodman|first=Tom|title=Queensland beats N.S.W. in league by 17–15|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RYNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6uQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7349,1130848|access-date=11 December 2011|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=28 May 1959}}</ref>

Family priorities and business commitments caused him to cut short his representative career starting with the 1959 [[Kangaroo tour]] and he made his final national appearance in the 1960 series against France.

Provan is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. '''310'''.<ref>ARL Annual Report 2005, page 54</ref>

==Non-playing coach==
After retiring from playing he went on to coach. He was a non-playing coach for St George for a season in 1968 and with [[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]] for a single season in 1975. Under his stewardship the club won the Pre-Season Cup (Wills Cup), the club's maiden first-grade title, and fell one game short of making their first Grand Final appearance.

He had two seasons coaching [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland]] in 1978 and 1979 taking them to a grand final in 1978 which they lost to Manly.

==Records==
He played in finals football for fifteen consecutive seasons from 1951 to 1965. Along with [[Brian Clay]], his appearance in ten Grand Finals is an Australian rugby league record. His victory statistic of ten consecutive first-grade premierships is a world record in rugby league and a world class achievement in any top-grade team sport. In the [[New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1962#Grand Final|1962 Grand Final]] at the age of 29 years and 271 days, he became the youngest person to ever coach a side to premiership victory in a Grand Final, a record that still stands.

His brother [[Peter Provan]] played alongside him at St George in the [[New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1958|1958]] and [[New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1959|1959]] Grand Finals and later captained the [[Balmain Tigers]] to their [[New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1969|1969]] Grand Final victory. Together Norm and Peter are the only brothers to have led different Australian first-grade rugby league sides to premiership victories.

==Accolades==
Provan was awarded Life Membership of the [[St George Dragons]] club in 1963.
[[File:nrltrophy.jpg|140px|thumb|right|Proven depicted left on the [[National Rugby League|NRL]] Trophy]]
''[[The Gladiators (photograph)|The Gladiators]]'' – Provan is the subject of one of the most memorable sporting photographic images ever captured in Australia. The 1963 NSW Rugby League Premiership grand final between long term rivals Western Suburbs and St George was played in a torrential downpour on Saturday, 24 August. This, combined with the fact that the centre cricket pitch area of Sydney Cricket Ground was notoriously muddy in such conditions, ensured that the players were not only saturated but also caked in mud from head to toe. At the conclusion of the hard-fought match, which was won by St George, the captains of the two teams, the very tall Norm Provan and more diminutive [[Arthur Summons]], embraced in appreciation of each other's stoic efforts. The moment was captured by a newspaper photographer, John O'Gready, and published in the following day's Sun Herald. Subsequently, the image won several awards, becoming known as ''The Gladiators''. This image was the inspiration for the current premiership trophy's bronze statue.

In 2004 Provan was admitted into the [[Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame]].<ref>[http://rl1908.com/Hoffame/index.htm Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518042953/http://rl1908.com/Hoffame/index.htm|date=18 May 2008}}</ref> In 2007 he was selected by a panel of experts at second-row in an Australian 'Team of the 50s'.<ref>{{Cite news | last = AAP| title = Team of the 50s named | work = [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] | place = Australia | publisher = [[News Limited]] | date = 1 August 2007 | url = http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/team-of-the-50s-named/story-e6frexnr-1111114085439 | access-date = 6 October 2010}}</ref>

In February 2008, Provan was named in the list of Australia's [[List of Australian rugby league's 100 greatest players|''100 Greatest Players'']] (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the [[National Rugby League|NRL]] and [[Australian Rugby League|ARL]] to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.<ref>{{cite news|author=Peter Cassidy|publisher=Macquarie National News|title=Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players|url=http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players|access-date=23 February 2008|date=23 February 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225164807/http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players|archive-date=25 February 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=[[National Rugby League|NRL]] & [[Australian Rugby League|ARL]]|title=Centenary of Rugby League – The Players|url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true|access-date=23 February 2008|date=23 February 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080226180521/http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true|archive-date=26 February 2008}}</ref> Provan went on to be named in the second-row in Australian rugby league's ''[[Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century|Team of the Century]]''. Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panel's majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players.<ref>{{cite news|author=Todd Balym|publisher=Fox Sports Australia|title=Johns, Meninga among Immortals|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23557351-23214,00.html|access-date=17 April 2008|date=17 April 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907035412/http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23557351-23214,00.html|archive-date=7 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=[[National Rugby League|NRL]] & [[Australian Rugby League|ARL]]|title=Team of the Century Announced|url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/news--reviews/media-releases/team-of-the-century-announced.aspx|access-date=17 April 2008|date=17 April 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521122127/http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/news--reviews/media-releases/team-of-the-century-announced.aspx|archive-date=21 May 2010}}</ref> In 2008 New South Wales announced their rugby league team of the century also and Provan was again named at second-row.<ref>{{cite web |last=ARL |title=Australian Rugby Football League 2008 Annual Report |page=30 |publisher=Australian Rugby Football League Limited |year=2008 |url=http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/files/11726_ARL_Annrep_1.pdf |access-date=19 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317182126/http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/files/11726_ARL_Annrep_1.pdf |archive-date=17 March 2012 }}</ref>

In October 2015, Provan was inducted into the [[Sport Australia Hall of Fame]].<ref name=sahof>{{cite web|title=Once a winner, always a winner for Hall of Fame Inductee Norm Provan|url=https://sahof.org.au/once-a-winner-always-a-winner-for-hall-of-fame-inductee-norm-provan/|website=Sport Australia Hall of Fame|date=5 October 2015|access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref>

In 2018 Provan was inducted as a [[The Immortals (rugby league)|Rugby League Immortal]] along with [[Mal Meninga]] and pre-WWII greats [[Dave Brown (rugby league, born 1913)|Dave Brown]], [[Frank Burge]] and [[Dally Messenger]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/08/01/dally-messenger-dave-brown-frank-burge-announced-as-immortals/ |title=Messenger, Brown, Burge, Provan, Meninga announced as Immortals |first=Alicia |last=Newton |date=1 August 2018 |website=[[National Rugby League]] |access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-01/five-new-rugby-league-immortals-named/10063218?section=sport |title=Five rugby league greats named as Immortals, including three pre-WWII players |date=1 August 2018 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref>
On 20 July 2022, Provan was named in the St. George Dragons District Rugby League Clubs team of the century.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/07/20/gasnier-joins-immortals-in-st-george-dragons-team-of-the-century/|title=Gasnier joins Immortals in St George Dragons 'Team of the Century'|website=www.nrl.com|date=20 July 2022 }}</ref>

==Reflections==
Provan wrote the introduction to the Haddan book ''The Finals – 100 Years'' and reflected upon the dressing room mood before the momentous 1965 Grand Final: 
{{cquote
|''It's 1965, St George and Souths in the grand final at the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]]. It's five minutes before we walk out. The boys are sitting around, very quiet now, just thinking about their own games. I have finished my last 10-minute talk to the team, just a summary of our general plan – no shouting or yelling or 'geeing' up. These players just don't need that. I have this terrible sick feeling in my gut. We have to lose a grand final sooner or later. The law of averages demands it. This one would make it 10. A nice round figure and I can retire happy. The linesman comes to the door, looks at me and nods. I nod back. We all stand up. The sick feeling is gone. 'Let's give it another go!'''.|30px|30px|Haddan, Introduction px|}}

==References==
* Writer, Larry (1995) ''Never Before, Never Again'', Pan MacMillan, Sydney
* [[Alan Whiticker|Whiticker, Alan]] & Hudson, Glen (2006) ''The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players'', Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney
* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) ''The ABC of Rugby League'' Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
* Haddan, Steve (2007) ''The Finals – 100 Years of National Rugby League Finals'', Steve Haddan Publishing, Brisbane
* Apter, Jeff ''The Coaches : The Men Who Changed Rugby League'' (2014), The Five Mile Press Scoresby, Victoria

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071004235451/http://www.eraofthebiff.com/p83a.html Norm Provan at eraofthebiff.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110726010621/http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-league/immortal-designate-raper-pushes-for-provan-ahead-of-andrew-johns/679642.aspx "Immortal designate: Raper pushes for Provan ahead of Andrew Johns"] BY BRAD FORREST 12 February 2008 (Fairfax Digital)

{{S-start}}
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{{Succession box
| before = [[Ted Glossop]]<br>1977
| after  = [[Tommy Bishop]]<br>1980
| title  = [[List of Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks coaches|Coach]]<br>{{leagueicon|cronulla|size=18}}<br>{{nowrap|[[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland]]}}
| years  = 1978−1980
}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Dave Bolton]]<br>1973−1974
| after  = [[Terry Fearnley]]<br>1976−1979
| title  = [[List of Parramatta Eels coaches|Coach]]<br>{{leagueicon|parramatta|size=18}}<br>[[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]]
| years  = 1975
}}
{{Succession box
|  before = [[Ian Walsh (rugby league)|Ian Walsh]]<br>1966–67
|  after  = [[Johnny Raper]]<br>1969
|  title  = Coach<br>{{leagueicon|st george|size=18}}<br>[[St George Dragons]]
|  years  = 1968
}}
{{Succession box
|  before = [[Ken Kearney]]<br>1957–1961
|  after  = [[Ian Walsh (rugby league)|Ian Walsh]]<br> 1966–67
|  title  = Coach<br>{{leagueicon|st george|size=18}}<br>[[St George Dragons]]
|  years  = 1962–1965
}}
{{S-end}}

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{{St. George Dragons squad 1956 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{St. George Dragons squad 1957 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{St. George Dragons squad 1958 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{St. George Dragons squad 1959 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{St. George Dragons squad 1960 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{St. George Dragons squad 1961 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{St. George Dragons squad 1962 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{St. George Dragons squad 1963 NSWRFL premiership}}
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{{St. George Dragons squad 1965 NSWRFL premiership}}
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{{Navboxes
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{{Australia 1954 Rugby League World Cup squad}}
{{Australia squad 1957 Rugby League World Cup}}
{{The Australian Rugby League Team of the Century}}
{{Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame - 2004 Inductees}}
{{The Immortals (rugby league)}}
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{{New South Wales rugby league team of the century}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Provan, Norm}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Australia national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league coaches]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:Clive Churchill Medal winners]]
[[Category:Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks coaches]]
[[Category:New South Wales rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Parramatta Eels coaches]]
[[Category:People from the Riverina]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from New South Wales]]
[[Category:Rugby league second-rows]]
[[Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:St. George Dragons coaches]]
[[Category:St. George Dragons players]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]