SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549



                                 SCHEDULE 13G/A
                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                                WILLBROS GROUP, INC.
             ------------------------------------------------------
                                 (NAME OF ISSUER)


                      COMMON STOCK, $.05 PAR VALUE PER SHARE
             ------------------------------------------------------
                          (TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES)


                                    969199108
             ------------------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP NUMBER)

     Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this
Schedule is filed:

[ ]  Rule 13d-1(b)

[ ]  Rule 13d-1(c)

[ ]  Rule 13d-1(d)


The  remainder  of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the notes.





- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1   NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
      S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

      THIRD AVENUE MANAGEMENT LLC

      (EIN 01-0690900)

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2   CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
       (a)  [  ]
       (b)  [  ]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3   SEC USE ONLY

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  4   CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                           DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   5 SOLE VOTING POWER

                           958,800
   NUMBER OF     ---------------------------------------------------------------
                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
     SHARES        6  SHARED VOTING POWER
  BENEFICIALLY
    OWNED BY               NONE
                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      EACH         7  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
   REPORTING
     PERSON                1,258,300

                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      WITH        8   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                           NONE
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
      PERSON

           1,258,300
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES
      CERTAIN SHARES*
             [    ]

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

           6.1%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

           IA
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ITEM 1.

     (A) NAME OF ISSUER:

         Willbros Group, Inc. (the "Issuer").

     (B) ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES OR,IF NONE, RESIDENCE:

         Plaza 2000 Building, Panama 5, Republic of Panama

ITEM 2.

     (A) NAME OF PERSON FILING:

     This schedule is being filed by Third Avenue  Management LLC ("TAM").  (TAM
is sometimes referred to hereinafter as "Filer").

     (B) ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE:

     The address of the principal  executive office of TAM is: 622 Third Avenue,
New York, New York 10017-2023.

     (C) CITIZENSHIP:

     The  citizenship  or place of  organization  of the reporting  person is as
follows:

         Delaware Limited Liability Company.

     (D) TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES:

         Common Stock, $.05 par value per share.

     (E) CUSIP NUMBER:

         969199108

ITEM 3. IF THIS  STATEMENT  IS  BEING  FILED  PURSUANT  TO  RULES  13D-1(B),  OR
13D-2(B), CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS A:

         (E) Investment  Adviser.  TAM is registered under section 203 of the
Investment Advisers Act Of 1940.

ITEM 4.  OWNERSHIP.

     (a) & (b) TAM beneficially owns 1,258,300 shares, or 6.1% of the class of
securities of the issuer.

           (c)    (i) 958,800

                 (ii) Not applicable.

                (iii) 1,258,300

                 (iv) Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS.

     If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date
hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than
five percent of the class of securities, check the following [ ].

ITEM 6.  OWNERSHIP  OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON.

	  Third Avenue Small-Cap Fund, an investment company registered under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to receive dividends from,
and the proceeds from the sale of, 377,600 of the shares reported by TAM,
American Express Partners Small-Cap Value Fund, an investment company
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to receive
dividends from, and the proceeds from the sale of, 263,000 of the shares
reported by TAM, Touchstone Variable Series Trust-Touchstone Third Avenue
Value Fund, an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, has the right to receive dividends from, and the proceeds from the
sale of, 25,000 of the shares reported by TAM, Third Avenue Value Portfolio
of the Third Avenue Variable Series Trust, an investment company registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to receive dividends
from, and the proceeds from the sale of, 82,500 of the shares reported by TAM,
Aegon/TransAmerica Series of the Third Avenue Value Portfolio, an investment
company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to
receive dividends from, and the proceeds from the sale of, 207,600 of the
shares reported by TAM, Met Investors Seris Trust of the Third Avenue Small-Cap
Portfolio, an  investment company registered under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, has the right to receive dividends from, and the proceeds from the
sale of, 228,600 of the shares reported by TAM, American Express Variable
Portfolio Partners Small-Cap Value Fund, an investement company registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to receive dividends
from, and the proceeds from the sale of, 36,500 of the shares reported by TAM,
and various seperately managed accounts for whom, TAM acts as investment advisor
has the right to receive dividends from, and the proceeds of the sale of 37,500
shares reported by TAM.

ITEM 7.  IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED THE
         SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY.

         Not Applicable.

ITEM 8.  IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 9.  NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 10. CERTIFICATION.

     By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of
business and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect
of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and
were not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any transaction
having such purposes or effect.


                                    SIGNATURE

    After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete
and correct.


                            July 10, 2003
                         ---------------------------
                            (Date)




                         THIRD AVENUE MANAGEMENT LLC

                         BY:/S/ MARTIN J. WHITMAN
                            ------------------------
                            Martin J. Whitman
                            Co-Chief Investment Officer