1942 NSWRFL season

1942 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams	8
Premiers	Canterbury-Bankstown (2nd title)
Minor premiers	Canterbury-Bankstown (2nd title)
Matches played	61
Points scored	1895 (total) 31.066 (per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Ray Lindwall (143)
Top try scorer(s)	Jack Lindwall (16)

The 1942 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 35th 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 lasted from May until September, culminating in the Canterbury-Bankstown club’s grand final victory over St. George.^[1]

Season summary

Canterbury-Bankstown’s Tony Nash set the standing record for most tries in an Australian first grade debut when he scored four tries in his maiden appearance.

Teams

• Balmain, formed on 23 January 1908 at Balmain Town Hall
• Canterbury-Bankstown
• Eastern Suburbs, formed on 24 January 1908 at Paddington Town Hall
• Newtown, formed on 14 January 1908
• North Sydney, formed on 7 February 1908
• South Sydney, formed on 17 January 1908 at Redfern Town Hall
• St. George, formed on 8 November 1920 at Kogarah School of Arts
• Western Suburbs, formed on 4 February 1908

Balmain 35th season Ground: Birchgrove Oval Coach: Bill Kelly Captain: Dawson Buckley	Canterbury-Bankstown 8th season Ground: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Jerry Brien Captain: Ron Bailey	Eastern Suburbs 35th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Captain-Coaches: Ray Stehr & Joe Pearce	Newtown 35th season Ground: Henson Park Coach: Arthur Folwell Captain: Tom Kirk
North Sydney 35th season Ground: North Sydney Oval Coach: Jim O'Reilly Captain: Rex Harrison	South Sydney 35th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Jim Tait Captain: Fred Felsch	St. George 22nd season Ground: Hurstville Oval Captain-coach: Len Kelly	Western Suburbs 35th season Ground: St Lukes Oval Coach: Albert McGuiness

Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1942 premiership across Sydney.

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Canterbury	14	10	0	4	264	162	+102	20
2	Balmain	14	10	0	4	223	192	+31	20
3	St. George	14	9	0	5	271	205	+66	18
4	Eastern Suburbs	14	8	0	6	213	214	-1	16
5	South Sydney	14	7	1	6	209	191	+18	15
6	North Sydney	14	5	0	9	220	216	+4	10
7	Newtown	14	4	1	9	189	266	-77	9
8	Western Suburbs	14	2	0	12	148	291	-143	4

Finals

The minor premiership was won by Canterbury-Bankstown in a play off against Balmain after both sides had finished the season on twenty points.

In the semi finals, Canterbury-Bankstown lost their match to St. George whilst Eastern Suburbs, who only just made the finals after South Sydney had drawn their match in the final round of the season, defeated Balmain. The result of the first semi final meant that both St. George and Eastern Suburbs played a Preliminary Final which would ordinarily have decided the premiership. St. George won the match, as they had done four weeks earlier over Easts in the final round of the season proper.

St. George had won two matches in the semis while Canterbury had just one victory, but the Berries were guaranteed a Grand Final berth under a call back of the old rules giving the minor premiers a right of challenge. In the Grand Final, Canterbury-Bankstown narrowly defeated St. George to collect their second premiership victory.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
			Date and Time	Venue	Referee	Crowd
Playoff
Canterbury	26 - 20	Balmain	15 August 1942	Sydney Cricket Ground		17,300
Semi Finals
Canterbury	10 - 25	St. George	22 August 1942	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack O'Brien	26,467
Balmain	14 - 20	Eastern Suburbs	29 August 1942	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack O'Brien	19,782
Preliminary Final
St. George	18 - 5	Eastern Suburbs	5 September 1942	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack O'Brien	30,858
Grand Final
Canterbury	11 - 9	St. George	12 September 1942	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack O'Brien	26,171

Grand Final

The Sydney Cricket Ground was a muddy quagmire with a treacherous patch in the centre which kept the teams evenly matched and the crowd in a fever of excitement until the final whistle. The “Gregory’s” reference records that 7,000 of the crowd on the hill had jumped the fence during the reserve grade final and invaded the half-empty new member's stand. Towards the end of the 1st grade match 5,000 people crowded onto the touchline and referee O'Brien had to hold up play until officials were able to get them back twenty yards.^[2]

Canterbury’s defence was tested during a torrid ten-minute period when St George hurled themselves at the line from never more than eight yards away. The Berries defence held and the Dragons could not break through.

The Canterbury-Bankstown tactics were to keep the game with the forwards and away from the St George backs. Canterbury hooker Kirkaldy won the vital scrums. Bob Farrar, Frank Sponberg and Henry Porter were tireless with Porter's handling and kicking skills on display.

Saints were leading 9-6 late in the match after a try to their record-breaking winger Jack Lindwall was converted by his brother Ray Lindwall. Berries winger Bob Jackson then scored a magnificent try made possible by a resolute and tricky run from skipper Ron Bailey which locked up the scores at 9-all.

Canterbury’s Lindsay Johnson managed a late conversion to secure the win. Johnson's goal just scraped over the cross bar to give his team the premiership.

Canterbury-Bankstown 11 (Tries: Jackson. Goals: Johnson 4)^[3]

defeated

St George 9 (Tries: J Lindwall. Goals: R Lindwall 3)^[4]

References

• Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
• Rugby League Tables - Season 1942 The World of Rugby League
• Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
• Results: 1941-50 at rabbitohs.com.au