1944 NSWRFL season

The 1944 NSWRFL season was the thirty-seventh season of the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership, Sydney’s top-level rugby league competition, and Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested the premiership during the season which culminated in Balmain’s victory over Newtown in the grand final.[1]

1944 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams8
Premiers Balmain (8th title)
Minor premiers Newtown (4th title)
Matches played60
Points scored2159
Top points scorer(s) Tom Kirk (185)
Top try-scorer(s) Sid Goodwin (22)

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
Balmain
37th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Norm Robinson
Captain: Arthur Patton
Canterbury-Bankstown
10th season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Captain: Ron Bailey
Coach: Ron Bailey→Cec Fifield		 Eastern Suburbs
37th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Sid Pearce
Captain: Harry Pierce
Newtown
37th season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Arthur Folwell
Captain: Frank Farrell
North Sydney
37th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Captain-Coach: Frank Hyde		 South Sydney
37th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Alf Blair
Captain: Jack Walsh		 St. George
24th season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Coach: Bill Kelly
Captain: Len Kelly		 Western Suburbs
37th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Coach: Henry Bolewski
Captain: Paddy Bugden

Ladder
The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1944 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Newtown 141103379220+15922
2 Balmain 141013402171+23121
3 St. George 14905230238-818
4 South Sydney 14716193287-9415
5 North Sydney 14518204202+211
6 Western Suburbs 14428180246-6610
7 Eastern Suburbs 144010227360-1338
8 Canterbury-Bankstown 143110206297-917

Finals

Newtown looked set for back-to-back titles after finishing as minor premiers. Both Newtown and Balmain won their respective semi-finals with the Bluebags blitzing St George by 55 points to 7, which was to remain the Dragons’ largest losing margin until 1994[2] and the largest margin in a finals match until 2019.[3][4][5][6] However injuries and war duties then ravaged the side including the key losses of Len Smith and Herb Narvo who had starred for them all season. Balmain thus overcame Newtown 19–16 in the Final, enabling Newtown a “right of challenge”.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semi Finals
Newtown 55 - 7 St. George 26 August 1944 Sydney Cricket Ground Tom McMahon 34,883
Balmain 15 - 6 South Sydney 2 September 1944 Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 28,237
Final
Newtown 16 - 19 Balmain 9 September 1944 Sydney Cricket Ground Tom McMahon 41,807
Grand Final
Newtown 8 - 12 Balmain 16 September 1944[7] Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 24,186

Grand Final
Newtown Position Balmain
Tom KirkFBDave Parkinson
Sid GoodwinWGArthur Patton (c)
Lin McLeanCEJoe Jorgenson
Bruce RyanCETom Bourke
Norm JacobsonWGKeith Parkinson
Tom NevinFEStan Ponchard
Jack KadwellHBPat Devery
Charlie MontgomeryPRJack Hampstead
Jimmy BraileyHKGeorge Watt
Frank Farrell (c)PRColin Campbell
Keith PhillipsSRAthol Smith
Leo RyanSRSid Ryan
Charles CahillLKDawson Buckley
Arthur FolwellCoachNorm "Latchem" Robinson

Newtown exercised their “right of challenge” as minor premiers and called for a Grand Final. In a low scoring affair Balmain's representative centre Joe Jorgenson kicked two late penalty goals to give the Tigers a 12–8 win and their eighth title.

Balmain 12 (Tries: Devery, K Parkinson. Goals: Jorgenson 3)

defeated

Newtown 8 (Tries: Farrell, McLean. Goals: Kirk)

Tom Bourke of Balmain, with the ball, is about to be tackled by the Newtown defence. In the foreground Balmain pair Stan Ponchard (No.7) and Keith Parkinson (No.18) watch on.

References
  1. Premiership Roll of Honour Archived 2007-04-28 at the Wayback Machine at rl1908.com
  2. St. George: Biggest Losses
  3. "Parramatta Eels eliminate Brisbane Broncos from the NRL Finals with a thumping 58-0 win". ABC.
  4. "Fuming Seibold fires off at players, promises review of roster after 'embarrassing' loss". Fox Sports.
  5. "Seibold: 'Top to bottom' review needed as Brisbane search for answers". NRL.
  6. "Brisbane Broncos' post-Bennett blues still haunting Anthony Seibold". The Guardian.
  7. 1944 Grand Final Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine at nrlstats.com
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