New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1946

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1946
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 8
premiers =
count = 9th
minor premiers =
mpcount = 2nd
matches = 60
points = 1956
attendance =
top points scorer = (122)
top try scorer = (16)
1946's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-ninth season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Eight teams from across Sydney contested during the season.

eason summary

The South Sydney Rabbitohs 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

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. Ulitmately though the decider 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 forward passes, one when Balmain's Joe Jorgenson scored after receiving a ball that was propelled a yard forward.

The Dragons came close to victory when late in the game Jack Lindwall scored in the corner but his brother 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 fulltime and the match concluded on an ugly note when Saints forward, Jim Hale went toe to toe with Balmain hooker, Herb Gilbert Jnr, 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)

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/1946.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1946] "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/syd1946a.htm#rfinals Finals lineups and results] "Hunterlink site"
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1941-1950.html Results: 1941-1950 at rabbitohs.com.au]
* [http://www.rleague.com//db/year/1946/labor_daily_cup/index.php 1946 Labor Daily Cup at rleague.com]
* [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/competitions/NSWRL_1946.html NSWRFL season 1946 at rugbyleagueproject.com]