1974-75: A Grade One Day Premiers & Two Day Runners Up; A-Reserves Two Day Runners Up

Notable Gains: Michael Connolly, Tim Muldoon and Gary Clarke. Returning Terry Mackenzie and John Roberts
Notable Losses: Paul Bendeich and Peter Rigg

Two players who would become superstars of the club, made their debut. Tim Muldoon had followed his older brothers to the club and Mike Connolly followed his father and both would establish playing records and a dedication  to Waratahs that would eventually lift them in the Waratahs Top 12. Also Joining the club for his first spell was Gary Clarke. Clarke would return and captain the 1st Grade side to a premiership in the 1990's. Allan Smith left the club after several stints in Waratahs colours. He was the son of 1960's star allrounder Eric Smith and despite playing in an A Grade final, his best work had been done in the lower grades. The previous season he had help settle in the latest group of young lads in B Grade. The club retained the Club Championship and A Grade was again strong and again a little unlucky.

A Grade

As it had done two years earlier, the A Grade side lost one game all season and that was the Two Day Final! In the One Day Comp, they won all of their games until being declared joint premiers when the final was washed and they were in deep trouble. From December on, it was a wet season with the end of January and most of February lost to rain. The feature of the One Day series was the batting. Waratahs passed 150 on five of the six occasions they batted first, always putting pressure on the following side. Allan Thompson was the stand out, top scoring in three of those games and being mentioned in dispatches in two others. His 85x against Teachers College was a masterful display. He had a good supporting cast of Brian Connolly, Terry Betts and newcomer Gary Clarke. Even youngster Mark Rummery chipped in, top scoring against St Peters. John Donnelly was the best with ball, reducing Unicorns to rubble early in the season with 6-15 and taking 5-15 against Wright just before the final.

The final was a virtual non-event, Waratahs being 5-29 when rain came an ended the game.

There were only four games played before the Two Day Final in late March as weeks were lost to rain. In December, Graham Johnson led the way against Easts in a plus 300 total, falling nine runs short of a century. Bruce Mathieson and Terry Betts also got on top of the Easts attack. Waratahs won by a hundred despite the Porter boys both getting half centuries. In Jamuary, St Peters got away from them, with even John Donnelly taking some stick. After the rain, Johnson and Donnelly dominated Ex Services and then Terry Mackenzie returned to A Grade to take four wickets against TAS in a low scoring victory.

The Two Day Final against Ex Services continued in the pattern of finals that got away from Waratahs. Batting first on a wet pitch, Brian Connolly was superb in the face of a Rene Mullen onslaught which soon had the 'tahs struggling. A 70 run fourth wicket partnership with Johnson and then some late hitting from David Lynch eventually gave Waratahs something to bowl at. Because of bad light, Ex Services didn't start their innings until the Sunday when the top order collapsed to 6-77 against the pace bowling of Donnelly, Mackenzie and Lynch. Only Reg Hurst withstood the bowlers and when he was joined by Rene Mullen, a Waratahs victory looked certain. Mullen then took the long handle to the bowlers, being particularly harsh on Lynch. The pair added 83 whilst three catches were spilled and when Philp eventually bowled Hurst, Waratahs were back in the game. Ray Rose then stayed with Mullen until the winning runs were posted. It was the second time Mullen had personally intervened to take a premiership off the A Grade.

Graham Johnson (382) just shaded skipper Allan Thompson (365) for the run aggregate but comfortably had the best batting average (31.83). Gary Clarke (226) batted well in his first season and Brian Connolly (207) did well from limited appearances. Terry Betts (207) was a consistent contributor. John Donnelly (37 at 13.89) was again the best of the bowlers, with David Lynch (27) the pick of the rest. Terry Betts (8) held the most catches. The side missed Brian Joice who had spent the season supporting the A-Reserves.

A-Reserve Grade

Only one match was recorded in the Armidale Express - the Two day Final which Waratahs lost to Hillgrove. It was only their second defeat of the season. Hillgrove batted first making a testing target under the circumstance. Brian Joice was the best of the bowlers, as he had been all season. Waratahs batting didn't live up to task set, with Ian Campbell making a near half century and almost half of the team's score.

Syd Philp (351) came into his own in his second season for Waratahs, E Ross (303), Brian Joice (288) and John Roberts (244) contributing good runs. Roberts won the batting average (22.18). Brian Joice gave an amazing performance with ball, taking 87 wickets at 6.56. Only Don Foster took more wickets in a season in any grade. E Ross (27) completed another good allround performance. Tony Buxton (7) took the most catches.

B Grade

There were no results published for this grade.

Graeme Walker (439 at 48.77) was far and away the best batsman in the side, which included a century against Centrals in February. Only R Russell (195) scored more than a hundred runs for the season. Russell (25 at 21.56) won the bowling aggregate and average. A pre-pimpled Tim Muldoon (17) was next best bowler, coming off the long run and Mike Connolly averaged 3.6 with the bat.