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Former rugby league try-scoring whiz Phil Blake is suing Shute Shield strugglers West Harbour Pirates, claiming he was wrongfully terminated as their first-grade head coach.
The 62-year-old, who played for six teams in the NSWRL and ARL competitions between 1982 and 1997, and played one State of Origin game for NSW, was sacked by the Sydney rugby club nine matches into a two-year contract.
Blake alleges the club breached its contract with him by axing him suddenly last year and has started proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court.
According to a statement of claim filed with the court, the veteran coach was told his contract was being terminated immediately during a phone call on June 8, 2025.
The Pirates had lost their first eight games in Sydney’s premier rugby competition, but had just broken their duck and won in all grades in the days before.
They did not win another game in first grade for the rest of the season, collecting a second consecutive wooden spoon.
Blake claims the club failed to give him the two months notice required in a termination clause to cut him for performance-related reasons.
He also alleges his dismissal was in breach of his contract because he had not received written notice of performance concerns or key performance indicators in writing, nor any notice of requirements for improved performance.
“Phil Blake, as the first-grade coach, was treated appallingly by West Harbour,” said his lawyer, Greg Walsh, himself a grand finalist in 1973 with Western Suburbs, as the club was formerly known.
“The club failed to honour the terms of the contract and Phil Blake was expected apparently to turn around West Harbour’s performance throughout all the grades within only two months. There was no compliance by West Harbour with the terms of the contract as to termination.”
While Blake has suburban solicitor Walsh fighting his case, West Harbour have brought in high-profile workplace firm Harmers, which previously represented executive Amber Harrison in her claim against Seven West Media and acted for publicist Kristy Fraser-Kirk in her sexual harassment case against David Jones.
Harmers were contacted for comment.
Blake signed with West Harbour as head coach for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, with an option for 2027 dependent on performance, according to documents lodged with the court.
This masthead was told he was paid out his $130,000 salary for 2025 but was seeking a further $130,000 in lost income, arguing the alleged breach of contract denied him the opportunity to be employed as a coach in 2026.
He had previously been the defence coach with the Queensland Reds, head coach of Shute Shield sides Manly Marlins and Sydney University, and in 2012, briefly interim head coach of Western Force in Super Rugby.
Blake was also part of then Wallabies coach Robbie Deans’ staff on a tour of Europe in 2010.
While he has mainly coached in rugby, he made his name in rugby league. In a 15-year career, he scored 138 tries.
As Manly halfback, Blake was the NSWRL competition’s leading try-scorer in 1983, crossing the line 27 times as the Sea Eagles reached the grand final against Parramatta.
He shared the top try-scorer’s title again in 1987 while at South Sydney and also played for North Sydney, Canberra, St George and the nascent Auckland Warriors, as well as having stints in England with Warrington and Wigan.
His lone State of Origin appearance came off the bench in the third match of the series in 1989.
West Harbour play at Concord Oval, where Wests Tigers have their training base.
Wallabies Lote Tuqiri and James O’Connor were among the club’s high-profile players in recent times, but it has been nearly a century since the last of their two first-grade premierships in 1929.
