Premiers Balmain (9th title) Top points scorer(s) Tom Kirk (122) Start date 1946 Points scored 1,956 People also search for 1947 NSWRFL season | Minor premiers St. George (2nd title) Top try-scorer(s) Jack Lindwall (16) Teams 8 Matches played 60 | |
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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.
Contents
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
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.
Grand Final
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.
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.
Balmain 13 (Tries: Jorgenson 2, Patton. Goals: Bourke 2 )
defeated
St George 12 (Tries: J Lindwall 2, Jones, Munn)