1951 NSWRFL season

Rugby league competition March 2024 1951 New South Wales Rugby Football League 125px 10 16x16px South Sydney 13th 16x16px South Sydney 12th 94 3400 16x16px Ron Rowles (220) 16x16px Johnny Graves (28) North Sydney 8th 1950 NSWRFL season 1950 1952 NSWRFL season 1952 The 1951 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the forty-fourth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league competition, Australia’s first. Ten teams from across the city competed for the newly created J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season which culminated in a grand final between South Sydney and Manly-Warringah. Season summary South Sydney ascended to the minor premiership with relative ease in 1951, losing only one match during the season to finish the regular season ahead by a record eleven-point margin. Teams Balmain100px|center 44th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Jim DuckworthCaptain: Stan Ponchard Canterbury-Bankstown100px|center 17th seasonGround: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Vic Bulgin→Alby WhyCaptain: Vic BulginEastern Suburbs100px|center 44th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Ernie NormanCaptain: Alan Cook Manly-Warringah100px|center 5th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Wally O'ConnellCaptain: Kevin SchubertNewtown100px|center 44th seasonGround: Erskineville Oval Captain-coach: Frank FarrellNorth Sydney100px|center 44th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Laurie DoranCaptain: Bob Sullivan Parramatta100px|center 5th seasonGround: Cumberland Oval Coach: Vic HeyCaptain: Don Graham South Sydney100px|center 44th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Captain-coach: Jack RaynerSt. George100px|center 31st seasonGround: Kogarah Jubilee Oval Captain-coach: Johnny HawkeWestern Suburbs100px|center 44th seasonGround: Pratten Park Coach: Jeff SmithCaptain: Peter McLean Ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 16x16px South Sydney181611428237+191332 16x16px Manly181107424262+162223 16x16px St. George181017374251+123214 16x16px Western Suburbs181008360333+27205 16x16px Eastern Suburbs18909304340-36186 16x16px Parramatta18909309410-101187 16x16px Canterbury187011266362-96148 16x16px Newtown186012261341-80129 16x16px Balmain186012283365-821210 16x16px North Sydney185013220328-10810 Finals Odds-on favourites to retain the premiership, Souths reserved their worst performance of the year for the semifinal against St. George, being trounced 35–8. This loss meant that a grand final would be necessary to determine the season's premiers. Goodman Tom Grand Final for Sunday The Sydney Morning Herald Australia 9 1 September 1951 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9MwQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J5MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4328,62991 2009-12-05 The next week, the Dragons were beaten by a gutsy Manly side in a preliminary final, 18–8. The infant Manly club thus qualified for its first grand final only five seasons after having entered the League in 1947. HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Semifinals 23x23px South Sydney8–35 23x23px St. George1 September 1951Sydney Cricket GroundAub Oxford39,735 23x23px Manly-Warringah37–9 23x23px Western Suburbs8 September 1951Sydney Cricket GroundGeorge Bishop29,444 Preliminary Final 23x23px Manly-Warringah18–8 23x23px St. George15 September 1951Sydney Cricket GroundGeorge Bishop41,845 Final 23x23px South Sydney42–14 23x23px Manly-Warringah23 September 1951Sydney Sports GroundJack O'Brien28,505 Grand Final Scheduling problems By early August, the NSWRFL was aware that the coming summer's West Indies cricket tour meant they would be denied use of the SCG on Saturday, 22 September should a grand final be required.Corbett W.F. League Won't Get Extra SCG Date The Sun 24 August 1951 19 Initially it was believed that the League had paid a deposit of £125 to use the Sydney Showground on 22 September,League Grand Final at Showground: Committee Pays Big Fee Daily Mirror 23 August 1951 31 but its transpired late in August that the NSWRFL had not done this and the Showground was actually booked by the NSWRU,The Union had a match between University and Eastern Suburbs deferred to 1 September, which extended its season beyond its originally scheduled finishing date of 15 September.R.U. Search for Oval The Sydney Morning Herald 8 August 1951 8Showground to Rugby Union; No R.L. Ground 24 August 1951 9 The Sydney Morning Herald after a committee recommendation, and a declaration of unavailability for the NSWRU's usual finals venue of North Sydney Oval.R.L. Problem Over Grand Final The Daily Telegraph 24 August 1951 20 It simultaneously became apparent that the Sports Ground was booked on 22 September for a soccer final. As a consequence, the grand final had to be played on a Sunday23 September for the first time, despite the NSWRFL initially seeking another ground for Saturday, 22 September and denying it would play on a Sunday.Goodman Tom League Firm on Grand Final Plans 8 28 August 1951 The Sydney Morning Herald The problems with the arrangement of the grand final this season would lead the NSWRFL to introduce a new finals system with a "mandatory" grand final whose date would be fixed before the season by negotiation with the SCG Trust.108, 116 9780646050980 History of the NSW Rugby League Finals Haddan Steve 1991 First Souths' record win South SydneyPositionManly-Warringah13. Clive Churchill FB Ron Beaumont 12. John Graves WG 2. Ron Rowles 11. Kevin Woolfe CE 5. Gordon Willoughby 10. Milton Atkinson CE 4. Warren Simmons 34. Harry Wells WG 16. Jack Lumsden 28. Norm Spillane FE 17. Jim Sullivan 58. Ray Mason HB 7. Ken Arthurson Denis Donoghue PR 12. Roy Bull 2. Ernie Hammerton HK 13. Kevin Schubert (c) 3. Bryan Orrock PR 11. Fred Brown5. Bernie Purcell SR 10. Jack Hubbard 4. Jack Rayner (Ca./Co.) SR 9. Sandy Herbert 6. Les Cowie LK 8. George Hunter Coach Wally O'Connell Manly were without former Test star and captain-coach Wally O'Connell who had a fractured bone in his wrist. O'Connell to miss Grand Final, but Churchill can play The Sydney Morning Herald 10 1951-09-18 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Bc0QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J5MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5702,2554641 2009-11-20 The Sea Eagles were instead captained by hooker Kevin Schubert. Gordon Willoughby played out the match with his leg heavily strapped rather than leave his side further depleted but Manly’s hopes of upsetting the defending premiers were shattered in a spectacular display of attacking rugby league by Souths. thumb|left|200px|Manly's Ron Rowles and Gordon Willoughby trying to stop Souths Winger Johnny Graves from scoring the first of his four tries. The smallest crowd for a final since 1944 was on hand at the Sports Ground to witness a one-sided game which Souths won 42–14. A highlight was Test winger John Graves' four tries – the only time this has been achieved in grand final history. Souths' 42 points remains the highest score made in a Grand Final. Souths scored first through a penalty goal by Bernie Purcell and led 15–4 at the break. They then piled on twenty-seven points in the second-half. Tries to Clive Churchill, Ray Mason, Jack Rayner and Chick Cowie added to Graves' record haul. The Rabbitoh pack, led by front rower Denis Donoghue, dominated Manly’s forwards with Ernie Hammerton giving his team a feast of possession. Bernie Purcell landed seven goals from nine attempts and was also dynamic in attack, being chosen by The Sunday Herald judge, Frank McMillan as the man-of-the-match, for which he received a £10 reward. South's record margin League finale The Sydney Morning Herald 6 1951-09-24 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Cs0QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J5MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6675,3446226 2009-11-20 Other records set include the most combined points scored in a grand final (56 total); the most tries scored by one team in a grand final (8),This mark was later matched by Eastern Suburbs in the 1975 Grand Final, and Manly in the 2008 NRL Grand Final) the most goals scored in grand final by the winning team (9) and the most total combined goals scored in a Grand Final (13). thumb|right|400px|Manly 1951 Grand Finalists. Back Row - Sandy Herbert, Gordon Willoughby, Roy Bull, Jack Hubbard, Fred Brown, Warren Simmons. Front Row - Ron Beaumont, Ken Arthurson, Jim Sullivan, Kevin Schubert (c), George Hunter, Ron Rowles, Jack Lumsden. Ball Boy W. Sullivan South Sydney Rabbitohs 42 Tries: Graves (4), Churchill, Mason, Rayner, CowieGoals: Purcell (7), Hammerton, Donoghue. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 14 Tries: Lumsden (2)Goals: Rowles (4) Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18. Top 5 point scorershttps://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nswrfl-1951/players.html 1951 NSWRFL Players Rugby League Project PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals199Manly Ron Rowles11830183St. George Noel Pidding13720128South Sydney Johnny Graves22310117Western Suburbs Don Worne1570115Parramatta Ian Johnston13380 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer22South Sydney Johnny Graves18Parramatta Mitchell Wallace13St. George Noel Pidding13Parramatta Ian Johnston12South Sydney Kevin Woolfe12St. George Ron Roberts12Newtown Jack Troy12North Sydney John McClean Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer83Manly Ron Rowles72St. George Noel Pidding57Western Suburbs Don Worne46Balmain Joe Jorgenson45Canterbury Ron Willey Notes References External links List of Season Results Hunterlink List Whiticker, Alan (1992), Grand Finals of the New South Wales Rugby League, Gary Allen, Sydney Results:1951-1960 at rabbitohs.com.au 1951 J J Giltinan Shield at rleague.com 1951 coaches Category:New South Wales Rugby League premiership NSWRFL Season