1946 NSWRFL season

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.[1]

1946 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams8
Premiers Balmain (9th title)
Minor premiers St. George (2nd title)
Matches played60
Points scored1956
Top points scorer(s) Tom Kirk (122)
Top try-scorer(s) Jack Lindwall (16)

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
Balmain
39th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Norm Robinson
Captain: Tom Bourke
Canterbury-Bankstown
12th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Ross McKinnon
Captain: Ron Bailey		 Eastern Suburbs
39th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Captain-Coach: Ray Stehr
Newtown
39th season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Frank Farrell & Len Smith
Captain: Frank Farrell
North Sydney
39th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Harry Forbes
Captain: Jim Scoular 		South Sydney
39th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Arthur Hennessy
Captain: Clem Kennedy 		St. George
26th season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Captain-Coach: Herb Narvo		 Western Suburbs
39th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Captain-Coach: Jack Walsh

Ladder
The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1946 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 St. George 141103264203+6122
2 Newtown 141004294189+10520
3 Balmain 14905279193+8618
4 Canterbury-Bankstown 14815212196+1617
5 Eastern Suburbs 14806213174+3916
6 North Sydney 14509248283-3510
7 Western Suburbs 14419224267-439
8 South Sydney 140014124353-2290

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 semi final 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.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semi Finals
St. George 14–22 Balmain 24 August 1946 Sydney Cricket Ground George Bishop 34,408
Newtown 10–12 Canterbury-Bankstown 31 August 1946 Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 28,012
Preliminary Final
Balmain 8–7 Canterbury-Bankstown 7 September 1946 Sydney Cricket Ground Tom McMahon 36,445
Grand Final
St. George 12–13 Balmain 14 September 1946 Sydney Sports Ground George Bishop 32,296

Grand Final
St George Position Balmain
Ray LindwallFBJack McCullough
Noel JonesWGArthur Patton
Doug McRitchieCEPat Devery
Fred BrownCETom Bourke (c)
Jack LindwallWGJoe Jorgenson
Don GrahamFEGeorge Williams
Max HaywardHBStan Ponchard
Jack MunnPRHilton Kidd
Ken BanksHKHerb Gilbert Jnr
Jack McPhersonPRJack Spencer
Jim HaleSRFred de Belin
Herb Narvo (c/c)SRHarry Bath
Chick DonnelleyLKJack Hampstead
CoachNorm 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. Ultimately though the decider, played on Saturday 14 September, was a closely fought contest.[2]

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 the match concluded on an ugly note when 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.[3]

Balmain 13 (Tries: Jorgenson 2, Patton. Goals: Bourke 2 )

defeated

St George 12 (Tries: J Lindwall 2, Jones, Munn)

References
  1. Premiership Roll of Honour Archived April 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine at rl1908.com
  2. 1946 Grand Final Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine at nrlstats.com
  3. "Tigerish Grand Final in League". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. 1946-09-16. p. 10. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
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