New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1939
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| New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1939 | |
 |
|
| Teams | 8 |
| Premiers |  Balmain (7th title) |
| Minor premiers | Balmain (7th title) |
| Matches played | 59 |
| Points scored | 1555 (average 26.356 per match) |
| Top points scorer(s) |  Neville Smith (97 points) |
| Top try scorer(s) | Sid Goodwin (18 tries) |
The 1939 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-second season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Eight teams from across Sydney contested during the season.
Contents |
[edit] 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
[edit] Colours
 Balmain |
 Canterbury |
 Eastern Suburbs |
 Newtown |
 North Sydney |
 South Sydney |
 St. George |
 Western Suburbs |
[edit] Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balmain |
14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 249 | 115 | +134 | 22 |
| 2 | St. George |
14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 268 | 169 | +99 | 20 |
| 3 |  Canterbury-Bankstown |
14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 234 | 155 | +79 | 20 |
| 4 |  South Sydney |
14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 219 | 158 | +61 | 18 |
| 5 |  Eastern Suburbs |
14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 192 | 184 | +8 | 16 |
| 6 |  Western Suburbs |
14 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 148 | 213 | -65 | 6 |
| 7 |  North Sydney |
14 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 129 | 272 | -143 | 6 |
| 8 |  Newtown |
14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 124 | 297 | -173 | 4 |
[edit] Finals
In the two semi finals, minor premiers Balmain narrowly defeated Canterbury-Bankstown whilst fourth-placed South Sydney beat second-placed St. George.
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Crowd | |||||
| Semi Finals | ||||||||
 Balmain |
13 - 9 |  Canterbury-Bankstown |
19 August 1939 | Sydney Cricket Ground | George Bishop | 23,774 | ||
 St. George |
10 - 23 |  South Sydney |
26 August 1939 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Tom McMahon | 21,722 | ||
| Final | ||||||||
| Balmain |
33 - 4 | South Sydney |
2 September 1939 | Sydney Cricket Ground | George Bishop | 26,972 | ||
[edit] Premiership Final
| Balmain Tigers | Position | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
|---|---|---|
| Hec Day | FB | R. Johnson |
| Sid Goodwin (c) | WG | H. Thompson |
| Jack Winchester | CE | Alan Quinlivan |
| Frank Hyde | CE | Fred Felsch (c) |
| Tom Bourke | WG | Arthur Tuohey |
| Billy Bischoff | FE | Jack Kadwell |
| Jim Quealey | HB | Albert Webster |
| Dawson Buckley | PR | John Whitfield |
| George Watt | HK | George Kilham |
| Dave Manning | PR | Jack Walsh |
| Athol Smith | SR | Percy Fairall |
| W. "Bunny" Johnson | SR | John Brown |
| Jack Redman | LK | Eddie Hinson |
| Bill Kelly | Coach |
The decider was played on the weekend when the world's future altered dramatically with the invasion of Poland by Germany leading to England, Australia and the world going to war.
The match was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and referreed by George Bishop in front of 26,972. The game was tight in the first half with the Tiger's scoring one try to lead 7-2 at the break.
In the second-half Balmain ran away with it, scoring six further tries to South Sydney's nil for a crushing seventh premiership title and the Tigers' first back-to-back season victories since 1924.
Star Balmain players of the time included Sid Goodwin, Frank Hyde, Tom Bourke, Athol Smith, Billy Bischoff, George Watt and Jim Quealey.
Balmain 33 (Tries: Tom Bourke 2, Frank Hyde, J Redman, Jim Quealey, D Buckley, A Smith. Goals: H Day 5, W Johnson )
defeated
South Sydney 4 (Fred Felsch 2 goals)
[edit] References
- Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
- Rugby League Tables - Season 1939 The World of Rugby League
- Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
- Collis, Ian; Whiticker, Alan (2007). 100 Years of Rugby League. Chatswood, NSW: New Holland, page 154. ISBN 9781741104639.
