1932 NSWRFL season

The 1932 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twenty-fifth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league competition, Australia’s first. During the season, which lasted from April until September, eight teams from across the city contested the premiership, culminating in South Sydney’s victory over Western Suburbs in the final.[1][2]

1932 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams8
Premiers South Sydney (11th title)
Minor premiers South Sydney (9th title)
Matches played60
Points scored1810
Top points scorer(s) Les Mead (104 points)
Top try-scorer(s) Alan Ridley (18 tries)

Teams
  • Balmain, formed on January 23, 1908, at Balmain Town Hall
  • 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
  • University, formed in 1919 at Sydney University
Balmain
25th season
Ground: Birchgrove Oval
Coach: Chook Fraser
Captain: Charlie Roberts
University
13th season
Captain: Sammy Ogg
Newtown
25th season
Ground: Marrickville Oval
Captain: Tom Ellis
North Sydney
25th Season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Captain: Bill Leckie
St. George
12th season
Ground: Earl Park
Coach: Harry Kadwell
Captain: Harry Kadwell→Arthur Justice
South Sydney
25th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Charlie Lynch
Captain: George Treweek
 Eastern Suburbs
25th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Frank Burge
Captain: Joe Pearce		 Western Suburbs
25th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Coach: Jim Craig

Captain: Bill Brogan

Ladder
The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1932 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 South Sydney 141301292130+16226
2 Western Suburbs 141103321156+16522
3 Eastern Suburbs 14905253133+12018
4 Balmain 14716204227-2315
5 Newtown 14707201251-5014
6 St. George 14419140203-639
7 Sydney University 142012134275-1414
8 North Sydney 142012147317-1704

Finals

In the two semi finals, the top two ranked teams South Sydney and Western Suburbs beat their lower-ranked opponents Eastern Suburbs and Balmain, respectively. The two winners then played in a final in which favourites and minor premiers South Sydney were beaten by Western Suburbs. However the finals system set in place then forced the final to be replayed, in what was known as the "Right of Challenge". This system ensured that in the event that the minor premiers lost in either the first or second round of the finals, then they would be given a second chance no matter what in what would later become the final premiership decider.

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
3 September 1932 - Sports Ground
 
 
 South Sydney 26
 
17 September 1932 - Sports Ground
 
 Eastern Suburbs 8
 
 South Sydney 8
 
10 September 1932 - Sports Ground[3]
 
 Western Suburbs 23
 
 Western Suburbs 15
 
 
 Balmain 7
 

Grand Final
Western Suburbs Position South Sydney
Frank McMillanFBAlbert Spillane
Alan RidleyWGBenny Wearing
Cliff PearceCEAlby Black
Ray MorrisCEPat Maher
Harry RankineWGJack Why
Les MeadFEJim Deeley
Jack McGlinnHBPercy Williams
Cecil RhodesPREddie Root
Bob LindfieldHKJack Peterson
Bill Brogan (c)PRFrank Curran
Charlie CornwellSRGeorge Treweek (c)
Bill RyanSRFrank O'Connor
Frank SponbergLKEric Lewis
Jim CraigCoachCharlie Lynch

In the replay, South Sydney beat Western Suburbs 19–12 to take away their seventh premiership in eight years.

The match was played Saturday 24 September 1932 at the Sydney Sports Ground and refereed by Lal Deane before a crowd of 16,925. It was a titanic battle in which Souths led 9–2 at half-time before Wests fought back to level at 12–12. Minutes from full-time a towering penalty goal by Benny Wearing edged Souths ahead 14-12 before they closed out the game with a converted try by Eric Lewis.

The Whiticker/Collis reference quotes a rather prosaic Labor Daily [4] in praise of both sides: “The ebb and flow of the grand final thrilled thousands who saw a great battle. A battle of the gladiators, fighting till their lungs seemed only fit to burst, while over 16,000 people hearts beating wildly to the thump of running feet, looked on gasping, cheering and rising from their seats in sheer delight”.

South Sydney 19 (Tries: J Why, A Black, E Lewis. Goals: Benny Wearing 4, Percy Williams)

Western Suburbs 12 (Tries: A Ridley, H Rankine. Goals Les Mead )

References
  1. Premiership Roll of Honour Archived 2010-10-11 at the Wayback Machine at rl1908.com
  2. Results: 1931-40 Archived 2008-07-24 at the Wayback Machine at rabbitohs.com.au
  3. ""Souths" v "Wests" in Final". The Sydney Mail. Australia. 1932-09-14. p. 31. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  4. "Whiticker & Collis p 36"
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.