1948 NSWRFL season

1948 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams 10
Premiers Western Suburbs (3rd title)
Minor premiers Western Suburbs (2nd title)
Matches played 94
Points scored 2829 (total)
30.096 (per match)
Top point scorer(s) Jack Lindwall (101)
Top try scorer(s) Norm Jacobson (27)

The 1948 NSWRFL season was the 41st New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership season, Sydney's top-level rugby league football competition, and Australia's first. The teams remained unchanged from the previous season, with ten clubs from across the city contesting the premiership during the season which culminated in Western Suburbs' victory over Balmain in the grand final.[1]

Season summary

When Balmain's young stars of 1946-47 Pat Devery and Harry Bath left for big money offers in England it seemed doubtful that the Tigers would be able to continue their run of success. However Balmain gave themselves every chance to achieve their third title in a row and made it through to the Grand Final match up against Wests.

Teams

Balmain
41st season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Athol Smith
Captain: Tom Bourke
Canterbury-Bankstown
14th season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Coach: Arthur Halloway
Captain: Henry Porter
Eastern Suburbs
41st season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Percy Williams
Captain: Wally O'Connell
Manly-Warringah
2nd season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Ray Stehr
Captain: Ron O'Connell
Newtown
41st season
Ground: Erskineville Oval
Captain-Coach: Frank Farrell
North Sydney
41st season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Cliff Pearce
Captain: Frank Cottle
Parramatta
2nd season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Captain-coach: Vic Hey
South Sydney
41st season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Dave Watson
Captain: Jack Rayner
St. George
28th season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Coach: Jim Duckworth
Captain: Matt McCoy
Western Suburbs
41st season
Ground: Pratten Park
Coach: Jeff Smith
Captain: Jack Walsh

Ladder

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Western Suburbs (P) 181602322189+13332
2 Newtown 181305386248+13826
3 Balmain 181224287222+6526
4 St. George 181017332262+7021
5 Canterbury-Bankstown 18729282276+616
6 Eastern Suburbs 18729225248-2316
7 South Sydney 187110265302-3715
8 Parramatta 185112237346-10911
9 Manly-Warringah 184113221334-1139
10 North Sydney 183213191321-1308

Finals

In Balmain's preliminary final match up with St George, Balmain winger Arthur Patton refused to leave the field whilst injured as the Tigers held on to win 13-12. At game's end it was found that he had a broken leg.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semi Finals
Western Suburbs 7 - 8 Balmain 28 August 1948 Sydney Cricket Ground George Bishop 25,907
Newtown 8 - 20 St. George 4 September 1948 Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 31,310
Preliminary Final
Balmain 13 - 12 St. George 11 September 1948 Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 37,404
Grand Final
Western Suburbs 8 - 5 Balmain 18 September 1948[2] Sydney Sports Ground George Bishop 29,122

Grand Final

Western Suburbs Position Balmain
William Keato FB Dave Parkinson
Col Hudson WG Leo Nosworthy
Eric Bennett CE George Williams
Lindsay Rodda CE Tom Bourke (c)
John Lackey WG Mitchell Wallace
Frank Stanmore FE William Sneddon
Neville Hogan HB Des Bryan
William Horder PR Jim Thomson
William Brown HK Robert Crane
Jack Walsh (c) PR Jack Spencer
Kevin Hansen SR Sid Ryan
Don Milton SR Pat Madden
Peter McLean LK Jack Hampstead
Jeff Smith Coach Athol Smith

After rainy conditions the grand final was played on a soft Sydney Sports Ground surface.[3] The Tigers led the game until the final quarter when a 40 metre run by Wests' second rower Kevin Hansen saw him tackled right on the try line. The referee awarded the try and Wests held an 8-5 break until full-time to record their third premiership win.

Western Suburbs Magpies 8 (Tries: Hudson, Hansen. Goals: Keato)

defeated

Balmain Tigers 5 (Tries: Bourke. Goals: Bourke)

References

  1. Premiership Roll of Honour at rl1908.com
  2. 1948 Grand Final at nrlstats.com
  3. "League grand final on soft field". The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). 1948-09-18. p. 7. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
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