Neville Smith (rugby league)

Neville Smith (1916 - 5 June 1979) was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1930s and 40s. After moving from Bathurst to Queensland, he played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for three seasons with Fortitude Valley and represented for the Maroons on two occasions in 1938. The following year he returned South to play in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the St. George club and was the League's top point-scorer that season. When he was 22, Smith was appointed the youngest captain-coach in the club's history and in 1941 he led them to their first premiership and was again the League's top point-scorer. During the grand final he was knocked unconscious in a heavy tackle but recovered to score 13 points (1 try and 5 goals).

Smith also played for New South Wales in six matches in 1940 (as captain) and 1941 but did not represent Australia because of the outbreak of war. After winning the 1941 premiership as captain-coach of St. George, he sat out the 1942 season. Smith returned for a final year as captain-coach of St. George in 1943.

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National Rugby League season top points scorers

1908 Horrie Miller • 1909 Arthur Conlin • 1910–12 Dally Messenger • 1913–14 Harold Horder • 1915 Wally Messenger • 1916–17 Charles Fraser • 1918 Harold Horder • 1919 A McPherson • 1920 Frank Burge • 1921 Rex Norman • 1922 Harold Horder • 1923 Arthur Oxford • 1924 Jack Courtney • 1925 Benny Wearing • 1926 Jack Courtney • 1927 Alf Blair • 1928 Benny Wearing • 1929–30 Jim Craig • 1931 Jack Lynch • 1932 Les Mead • 1933 Syd Christensen • 1934–1935 Dave Brown • 1936 Syd Christensen • 1937 Jack Beaton • 1938 Tom Kirk • 1939 Neville Smith • 1940 Tom Kirk • 1941 Neville Smith • 1942 Ray Lindwall • 1943–1944 Tom Kirk • 1945 Dick Dunn • 1946 Tom Kirk • 1947 Pat Devery • 1948 Jack Lindwall • 1949–50 Bill Keato • 1951–54 Ron Rowles • 1955–56 Doug Fleming • 1957 Darcy Russell • 1958 Harry Bath • 1959 Darcy Russell • 1960 Brian Graham • 1961 Bob Landers • 1962 Don Parish • 1963–65 Fred Griffiths • 1966 Bob Lanigan • 1967–70 Eric Simms • 1971 Graeme Langlands • 1972 Allan McKean • 1973 Graeme Langlands • 1974–76 Graham Eadie • 1977–79 Michael Cronin • 1980 Steve Gearin • 1981 Steve Rogers • 1982 Michael Cronin • 1983 Michael Eden • 1984 Steve Gearin • 1985 Michael Cronin • 1986 Terry Lamb • 1987 Ross Conlon • 1988 Gary Belcher • 1989 Andy Currier & Ricky Walford • 1990 Mal Meninga • 1991–94 Daryl Halligan • 1995 Matthew Ridge • 1996 Jason Taylor • 1997 Jason Taylor (ARL) Ryan Girdler (SL) • 1998 Ivan Cleary • 1999 Matt Geyer • 2000 Joel Caine • 2001 Andrew Johns & Ben Walker • 2002–04 Hazem El Masri • 2005 Brett Hodgson • 2006–07 Hazem El Masri • 2008 Luke Covell • 2009 Hazem El Masri • 2010 Michael Gordon • 2011 Benji Marshall

St. George squad - 1941 NSWRFL Premiers (1st title)

1. Jack Wedgwood • 2. Owen Campbell • 3. Gordon Hart • 4. Jack Gilbert • 5. Noel Jones • 6. Roy Hasson • 7. Albert McAndrew 8. Charlie Montgomery • 9. Herb Gilbert, Jr. • 10. Lindsay Spencer • 11. Neville Smith (Ca./Co.) • 12. Len Kelly • 13. Bill Tyquin

Persondata
Name	Smith, Neville
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1916
Place of birth
Date of death	5 June 1979
Place of death