1946 NSWRFL season

Rugby league competition March 2024 1946 New South Wales Rugby Football League 125px 8 16x16px Balmain 9th 16x16px St. George 2nd 60 1956 16x16px Tom Kirk (122) 16x16px Jack Lindwall (16) South Sydney 2nd 1945 NSWRFL season 1945 1947 NSWRFL season 1947 The 1946 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-ninth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league competition, Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in Balmain’s victory over St. George in the premiership final.Premiership Roll of Honour https://web.archive.org/web/20070428143335/http://rl1908.com/clubcomps/Honours.htm April 28, 2007 at rl1908.com 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, formed on January 23, 1908, at Balmain Town Hall Canterbury-Bankstown Eastern Suburbs, formed on January 24, 1908, at Paddington Town Hall Newtown, formed on January 14, 1908 North Sydney, formed on February 7, 1908 South Sydney, formed on January 17, 1908, at Redfern Town Hall St. George, formed on November 8, 1920, at Kogarah School of Arts Western Suburbs, formed on February 4, 1908 Balmain100px|center 39th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Norm RobinsonCaptain: Tom BourkeCanterbury-Bankstown100px|center 12th seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: Ross McKinnonCaptain: Ron BaileyEastern Suburbs100px|center 39th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Captain-Coach: Ray Stehr Newtown100px|center 39th seasonGround: Henson Park Coach: Frank Farrell & Len Smith Captain: Frank Farrell North Sydney100px|center 39th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Harry Forbes Captain: Jim Scoular South Sydney100px|center 39th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Arthur HennessyCaptain: Clem Kennedy St. George100px|center 26th seasonGround: Hurstville Oval Captain-Coach: Herb NarvoWestern Suburbs100px|center 39th seasonGround: Pratten Park Captain-Coach: Jack Walsh Ladder 230px|thumb|right|The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1946 premiership across Sydney. TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts116x16px St. George141103264203+6122216x16px Newtown141004294189+10520316x16px Balmain14905279193+8618416x16px Canterbury14815212196+1617516x16px Eastern Suburbs14806213174+3916616x16px North Sydney14509248283-3510716x16px Western Suburbs14419224267-439816x16px South Sydney140014124353-2290 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 semifinal 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. HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Semifinals 23x23px St. George14–22 23x23px Balmain24 August 1946Sydney Cricket GroundGeorge Bishop34,408 23x23px Newtown10–12 23x23px Canterbury-Bankstown31 August 1946Sydney Cricket GroundJack O'Brien28,012 Preliminary Final 23x23px Balmain8–7 23x23px Canterbury-Bankstown7 September 1946Sydney Cricket GroundTom McMahon36,445 Grand Final 23x23px St. George12–13 23x23px Balmain14 September 1946Sydney Sports GroundGeorge Bishop32,296 Grand Final St GeorgePositionBalmain 44. Ray Lindwall FB 30. Jack McCullough 18. Noel Jones WG 2. Arthur Patton 10. Doug McRitchie CE 6. Pat Devery 8. Fred Brown CE 4. Tom Bourke (c) 40. Jack Lindwall WG 3. Joe Jorgenson 48. Don Graham FE 19. George Williams 7. Max Hayward HB 7. Stan Ponchard Jack Munn PR 10. Hilton Kidd 2. Ken Banks HK 9. Herb Gilbert Jnr 3. Jack McPherson PR 8. Jack Spencer 4. Jim Hale SR 25. Fred de Belin 5. Herb Narvo (c/c) SR 11. Harry Bath 22. Chick Donnelley LK 13. 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. The decider, played on Saturday 14 September, was a closely fought contest.1946 Grand Final https://web.archive.org/web/20120304215210/http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/match.cfm?MatchID=2232 2012-03-04 at nrlstats.com 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 at the conclusion of the match 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. Tigerish Grand Final in League The Sydney Morning Herald Australia 10 16 September 1946 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17994888 2 July 2024 National Library of Australia Balmain 13 (Tries: Jorgenson 2, Patton. Goals: Bourke 2 ) defeated St George 12 (Tries: J Lindwall 2, Jones, Munn) Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 14. Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals120Newtown Tom Kirk257084Western Suburbs Bill Keato042077Eastern Suburbs Dick Dunn137068Canterbury Roy Hasson231060Balmain Joe Jorgenson4240 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer14St. George Jack Lindwall12North Sydney Cyril McMahon11North Sydney Johnny Bliss10Newtown Denis Boocker9Newtown Len Smith Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer57Newtown Tom Kirk42Western Suburbs Bill Keato37Eastern Suburbs Dick Dunn31Canterbury Roy Hasson28North Sydney Pat Morgan References External links Rugby League Tables - Notes AFL Tables Rugby League Tables - Season 1946 AFL Tables Premiership History and Statistics RL1908 Finals lineups and results Hunterlink site Results: 1941-1950 at rabbitohs.com.au 1946 Labor Daily Cup at rleague.com NSWRFL season 1946 at rugbyleagueproject.org Category:New South Wales Rugby League premiership NSWRFL season