Wynnum-Manly won only nine matches and drew one in their first three seasons, and it was widely thought they would disappear again in 1954 after they suffered numerous thrashings in first grade – including a 13–89 loss to Valleys when Norm Pope kicked nineteen goals'Pope’s Mighty Boot'; Truth, 12 July 1953, p. 15 – and forfeitures in the lower grades.Jefferies, Harry 'Wynnum Bid to Keep in BRL'; Brisbane Telegraph, 3 February 1954, p. 35 "The Seasiders", as they were known then, improved from 1954 to 1959, when they achieved their first season with more wins than losses,Hadden, Steve; Our Game: The Celebration of Brisbane Rugby League 1909-1987, p. 175 defeated Valleys in the minor semi-final and provided their first international in Aboriginal winger Lionel Morgan. Morgan, when he made his test debut against France in 1960, became both the first international representative while playing with Wynnum-Manly and the first Aboriginal player to make a Test appearance.
