1946 NSWRFL season

1946 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams 8
Premiers Balmain (9th title)
Minor premiers St. George (2nd title)
Matches played 60
Points scored 1956 (total)
32.6 (per match)
Top point scorer(s) Tom Kirk (122)
Top try scorer(s) Jack Lindwall (16)

The 1946 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 39th season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in the Balmain club's victory over St. George in the premiership final.[1]

Season summary

The South Sydney club did not win a single match in 1946, continuing a losing streak that started in round 8, 1945 and which would run till round 1, 1947.

Eastern Suburbs' Lionel Cooper took out the New South Wales 'Player of the Year' award.

Teams

Balmain
39th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Norm Robinson
Captain: Tom Bourke
Canterbury-Bankstown
12th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Ross McKinnon
Captain: Ron Bailey
Eastern Suburbs
39th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Captain-Coach: Ray Stehr
Newtown
39th season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Frank Farrell & Len Smith
Captain: Frank Farrell
North Sydney
39th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Harry Forbes
Captain: Jim Scoular
South Sydney
39th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Arthur Hennessy
Captain: Clem Kennedy
St. George
26th season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Captain-Coach: Herb Narvo
Western Suburbs
39th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Captain-Coach: Jack Walsh

Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1946 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 St. George 141103264203+6122
2 Newtown 141004294189+10520
3 Balmain 14905279193+8618
4 Canterbury-Bankstown 14815212196+1617
5 Eastern Suburbs 14806213174+3916
6 North Sydney 14509248283-3510
7 Western Suburbs 14419224267-439
8 South Sydney 140014124353-2290

Finals

With just two rounds remaining, Newtown looked on track for the minor premiership until they lost to Eastern Suburbs and then Balmain in the two final rounds of the year. This left St. George to take the minor premiership, and with it, a guaranteed place in a Final. This proved costly for Newtown who were narrowly beaten by Canterbury-Bankstown in the semi final eliminator, meaning they were out of the competition. St. George also lost their first round match, meaning they immediately got sent into the Grand Final against the winner of a Balmain and Canterbury-Bankstown match, which Balmain won by a point.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semi Finals
St. George 14 - 22 Balmain 24 August 1946 Sydney Cricket Ground George Bishop 34,408
Newtown 10 - 12 Canterbury-Bankstown 31 August 1946 Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 28,012
Preliminary Final
Balmain 8 - 7 Canterbury-Bankstown 7 September 1946 Sydney Cricket Ground Tom McMahon 36,445
Grand Final
St. George 12 - 13 Balmain 14 September 1946 Sydney Sports Ground George Bishop 32,296

Grand Final

St George Position Balmain
Ray Lindwall FB Jack McCullough
Noel Jones WG Arthur Patton
Doug McRitchie CE Pat Devery
Fred Brown CE Tom Bourke (c)
Jack Lindwall WG Joe Jorgenson
Don Graham FE George Williams
Max Hayward HB Stan Ponchard
Jack Munn PR Hilton Kidd
Ken Banks HK Herb Gilbert Jnr
Jack McPherson PR Jack Spencer
Jim Hale SR Fred de Belin
Herb Narvo (c/c) SR Harry Bath
Chick Donnelley LK Jack Hampstead
Coach Norm Robinson

In spite of St George's status as minor premiers, Balmain were Grand Final favourites due to their comprehensive routing of the Dragons in the first semi-final. Ultimately though the decider, played on Saturday, the 14th of September, was a closely fought contest.[2]

A series of dubious decisions by referee George Bishop gave Balmain an advantage. There was a disallowed try to St George and two Balmain tries which came off what appeared to be forward passes, one when Balmain's Joe Jorgenson scored after receiving a ball that seemed to have been propelled at least a yard forward.

The Dragons came close to victory when late in the game Jack Lindwall scored in the corner but his brother, prospective Test bowler, Ray Lindwall was unable to convert it. Lindwall in fact missed all four conversion attempts on the day.

The Tigers had won seven straight victories to take the premiership.

Tensions of the encounter overflowed after full-time and the match concluded on an ugly note when Saints forward, Jim Hale went toe to toe with Balmain hooker, Herb Gilbert, Jr, himself a former Dragon. Hale was then attacked by a spectator and an all-in brawl followed.[3]

Balmain 13 (Tries: Jorgenson 2, Patton. Goals: Bourke 2 )

defeated

St George 12 (Tries: J Lindwall 2, Jones, Munn)


References

  1. Premiership Roll of Honour at rl1908.com
  2. 1946 Grand Final at nrlstats.com
  3. "Tigerish Grand Final in League". The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). 1946-09-16. p. 10. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
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