New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1943

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1943
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 8
premiers =
count = 3rd
minor premiers =
mpcount = 3rd
matches = 61
points = 1527
attendance =
top points scorer = (116)
top try scorer = (12)
1943's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-sixth season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney, New South Wales. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season which lasted from April until September, culminating in the Grand Final between Newtown and North Sydney.

eason summary

The season is notable for Newtown turning around their second-last placing from the previous season, becoming minor premiers and later premiers. On the other hand, defending premiers Canterbury-Bankstown had a disastrous season, finishing last and picking up the wooden spoon.

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

Premiership final

The Final was played at the SCG before a record crowd of 61,922, though there were thousands more on roofs and vantage points outside the ground. Because of the War all service people got in, if they were in uniform, for free.

Captained by the colourful Frank 'Bumper' Farrell, Newtown took on the fancied North Sydney side. The men from across the harbour were led by Frank Hyde and his Norths' side had shown no sympathy for his former club, having beaten Newtown three times already that season. Newtown countered the short-kicking tactics of the Bears into an advantage of their own, gaining a strong lead at half-time and going on to win 34 - 7. Stars of the day for Newtown were forward Charles Cahill along with backs Len Smith and Tom Kirk. It was the third premiership win for Newtown, and would turn out to be their last.

Newtown 34 : (Tries: Goodwin 2, Ryan, Brailey, Phillips, Narvo, Smith, Farrell. Goals: Kirk 5)

defeated

North Sydney 7 (Tries: McLachlan. Goals: Rudd 2)

References

* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/snotes.html Rugby League Tables - Notes] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1943.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1943] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.rl1908.com/premiership.htm Premiership History and Statistics] "RL1908"
* [http://www2.hunterlink.net.au/~maajjs/aus/nsw/syd/res/syd1943a.htm#rfinals Finals lineups and results] "Hunterlink site"
* [http://www.zip.com.au/~gfiveash/1943.html Unofficial North Sydney History] "Greg Fiveash site"
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1941-1950.html Results: 1941-50 at rabbitohs.com.au]