1944 NSWRFL season

1944 NSWRFL season
Teams	8
Premiers	Balmain (8th title)
Minor premiers	Newtown (4th title)
Matches played	60
Points scored	2159 (total) 35.983 (per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Tom Kirk (185)
Top try scorer(s)	Sid Goodwin (22)

The 1944 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-seventh season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football competition, 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]

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	Canterbury-Bankstown	Eastern Suburbs	Newtown
North Sydney	South Sydney	St. George	Western Suburbs

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	14	11	0	3	379	220	+159	22
2	Balmain	14	10	1	3	402	171	+231	21
3	St. George	14	9	0	5	230	238	-8	18
4	South Sydney	14	7	1	6	193	287	-94	15
5	North Sydney	14	5	1	8	204	202	+2	11
6	Western Suburbs	14	4	2	8	180	246	-66	10
7	Eastern Suburbs	14	4	0	10	227	360	-133	8
8	Canterbury-Bankstown	14	3	1	10	206	297	-91	7

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 55-7. 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[2]	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack O'Brien	24,186

Grand Final

Newtown Bluebags	Position	Balmain Tigers
Tom Kirk	FB	Dave Parkinson
Sid Goodwin	WG	Arthur Patton (c)
Lin McLean	CE	Joe Jorgenson
Bruce Ryan	CE	Tom Bourke
Norm Jacobson	WG	Keith Parkinson
Tom Nevin	FE	Stan Ponchard
Jack Kadwell	HB	Pat Devery
Charlie Montgomery	PR	Jack Hampstead
Jimmy Brailey	HK	George Watt
Frank Farrell (c)	PR	Colin Campbell
Keith Phillips	SR	Athol Smith
Len Ryan	SR	Sid Ryan
Charles Cahill	LK	Dawson Buckley
Arthur Folwell	Coach	Norm "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 8th 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 at rl1908.com
2. ^ 1944 Grand Final at nrlstats.com

• Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
• Rugby League Tables - Season 1944 The World of Rugby League
• Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
• Finals lineups and results Hunterlink site
• 1944 Labor Daily Cup at rleague.com
• Results: 1941-1950 at rabbitohs.com.au