1945 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams8
Premiers Eastern Suburbs (9th title)
Minor premiers Eastern Suburbs (11th title)
Matches played60
Points scored1941
Top points scorer(s) Dick Dunn (150)
Top try-scorer(s) Chicka Cahill (13)

The 1945 NSWRFL season was the thirty-eighth New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership season, Sydney’s top-level rugby league club competition, and Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in Eastern Suburbs' victory over Balmain in the grand final.[1]

Teams

Balmain

38th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Captain: Tom Bourke
Coach: Norm Robinson

 Canterbury-Bankstown

11th season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Coach: Bill Kelly
Captain: George Kilham

 Eastern Suburbs

38th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Arthur Halloway
Captain: Ray Stehr

 Newtown

38th season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Arthur Folwell, Frank Farrell and Len Smith
Captain: Frank Farrell

North Sydney

38th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Frank Burge
Captain: Rex Harrison

 South Sydney

38th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Eric Lewis[2]
Captain: Eddie Hinson

 St. George

25th season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Coach: Percy Williams & Harry Kadwell
Captain: Jim Hale

 Western Suburbs

38th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Coach: Frank McMillan
Captain: Jack Walsh

Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1945 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Eastern Suburbs 141103276190+8622
2 Newtown 141013326177+14921
3 Western Suburbs 14815238192+4617
4 Balmain 14644252202+5016
5 North Sydney 14806188175+1316
6 Canterbury 14419217285-689
7 St. George 14419183253-709
8 South Sydney 141013144350-2062

Finals

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Playoff
Balmain 9–5 North Sydney 16 August 1945 Sydney Cricket Ground 17,207
Semifinals
Eastern Suburbs 28–13 Western Suburbs 18 August 1945 Sydney Cricket Ground Tom McMahon 34,916
Newtown 9–13 Balmain 25 August 1945 Sydney Cricket Ground George Bishop 35,151
Final
Eastern Suburbs 22–18 Balmain 1 September 1945[3] Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 44,585

Premiership final

Eastern Suburbs Position Balmain
40. Ray PrattFB
  1. Dave Parkinson
9. Lionel CooperWG12. Robert Nielson
10. Paul TierneyCE3.Joe Jorgenson
11. Johnny HunterCE4. Tom Bourke (c)
35. Ken FosterWG31. Robert Paterson
8. Wally O'ConnellFE8. Harry Leo
7. Sel LisleHB7. Stan Ponchard
1. Ray Stehr (c)PR10. Jack Spencer
15. George WattHK9. Ted Dawes
14. Jack ArnoldPR23. Hilton Kidd
5. Bert RollasonSR11. Jim Metcalf
4. Sid HobsonSR24. Sid Ryan
6. Dick DunnLK13. Jack Hampstead
Arthur HallowayCoachNorm Robinson

Balmain led 10–5 at half time and the match was evenly balanced throughout the second half. With three minutes to go the Tricolours trailed 17—18. The Roosters were awarded a penalty on half way and Dick Dunn convinced his reluctant captain Ray Stehr that he could make the distance. Dunn successfully kicked the goal from the then unorthodox upright position.

Dunn received Joe Jorgenson’s kick from the restart and booted the ball into touch five metres from the Balmain line. Tricolours’ hooker George Watt won the scrum against the feed and Easts’ classy halves pairing of Sel Lisle and Wally O'Connell put on a move that saw Dunn score in the corner.

Dunn scored 19 of the Tricolours’ 22 points that day carrying with him for luck the sock of his fourteen-month-old daughter in his shorts pocket throughout the match.[4][5]

Eastern Suburbs 22 (Tries: Dunn 3, J Arnold. Goals: Dunn 5)

defeated

Balmain 18 (Tries: Ponchard 2, Dawes, Nielsen. Goals: Jorgenson 3)

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 14.

References

  1. ↑ "Premiership Roll of Honour". rl1908.com. Archived from the original on 2007-04-28.
  2. ↑ "Eric Lewis". yesterdayshero.com. SmartPack International Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  3. ↑ 1945 Grand Final Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine at nrlstats.com
  4. ↑ SMH claim
  5. ↑ rl1908.com disputes this claim. "Dick Dunn: A True Rooster Booster". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14.
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