1945 NSWRFL season

The 1945 NSWRFL season was the thirty-eighth New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership season, Sydney’s top-level rugby league club competition, and Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in Eastern Suburbs' victory over Balmain in the grand final.[1]

1945 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams8
Premiers Eastern Suburbs (9th title)
Minor premiers Eastern Suburbs (11th title)
Matches played60
Points scored1941
Top points scorer(s) Dick Dunn (150)
Top try-scorer(s) Chicka Cahill (13)

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
38th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Captain: Tom Bourke
Coach: Norm Robinson
Canterbury-Bankstown
11th season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Coach: Bill Kelly
Captain: George Kilham		 Eastern Suburbs
38th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Arthur Halloway
Captain: Ray Stehr
Newtown
38th season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Arthur Folwell, Frank Farrell and Len Smith
Captain: Frank Farrell
North Sydney
38th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Frank Burge
Captain: Rex Harrison		 South Sydney
38th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Eric Lewis[2]		 St. George
25th season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Coach: Percy Williams & Harry Kadwell
Captain: Jim Hale		 Western Suburbs
38th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Coach: Frank McMillan
Captain: Jack Walsh

Ladder
The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1945 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Eastern Suburbs 141103276190+8622
2 Newtown 141013326177+14921
3 Western Suburbs 14815238192+4617
4 Balmain 14644252202+5016
5 North Sydney 14806188175+1316
6 Canterbury 14419217285-689
7 St. George 14419183253-709
8 South Sydney 141013144350-2062

Finals
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Playoff
Balmain 9 - 5 North Sydney 16 August 1945 Sydney Cricket Ground 17,207
Semi Finals
Eastern Suburbs 28 - 13 Western Suburbs 18 August 1945 Sydney Cricket Ground Tom McMahon 34,916
Newtown 9 - 13 Balmain 25 August 1945 Sydney Cricket Ground George Bishop 35,151
Final
Eastern Suburbs 22 - 18 Balmain 1 September 1945[3] Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 44,585

Premiership Final
Eastern Suburbs Position Balmain
Ray PrattFBDave Parkinson
Lionel CooperWGRobert Nielson
Paul TierneyCEJoe Jorgenson
Johnny HunterCETom Bourke (c)
Ken FosterWGRobert Paterson
Wally O'ConnellFEHarry Leo
Sel LisleHBStan Ponchard
Ray Stehr (c)PRJack Spencer
George WattHKTed Dawes
Jack ArnoldPRHilton Kidd
Bert RollasonSRJim Metcalf
Sid HobsonSRSid Ryan
Dick DunnLKJack Hampstead
Arthur HallowayCoachNorm Robinson

Balmain led 10—5 at half time and the match was evenly balanced throughout the second half. With three minutes to go the Tricolours trailed 17—18. The Roosters were awarded a penalty on half way and Dick Dunn convinced his reluctant captain Ray Stehr that he could make the distance. Dunn successfully kicked the goal from the then unorthodox upright position.

Dunn received Joe Jorgenson’s kick from the restart and booted the ball into touch five metres from the Balmain line. Tricolours’ hooker George Watt won the scrum against the feed and Easts’ classy halves pairing of Sel Lisle and Wally O'Connell put on a move that saw Dunn score in the corner.

Dunn scored 19 of the Tricolours’ 22 points that day carrying with him for luck the sock of his fourteen-month-old daughter in his shorts pocket throughout the match.[4][5]

Eastern Suburbs 22 (Tries: Dunn 3, J Arnold. Goals: Dunn 5)

defeated

Balmain 18 (Tries: Ponchard 2, Dawes, Nielsen. Goals: Jorgenson 3)

References
  1. "Premiership Roll of Honour". rl1908.com. Archived from the original on 2007-04-28.
  2. "Eric Lewis". yesterdayshero.com. SmartPack International Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  3. 1945 Grand Final Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine at nrlstats.com
  4. SMH claim
  5. rl1908.com disputes this claim. "Dick Dunn: A True Rooster Booster". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14.
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