1940 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams8
Premiers Eastern Suburbs (8th title)
Minor premiers Eastern Suburbs (9th title)
Matches played59
Points scored1738
Top points scorer(s) Tom Kirk (99)
Top try-scorer(s) Jack Lindwall (19)

The 1940 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-third season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league club competition, Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested the premiership during the season, which lasted from April until August, culminating in Eastern Suburbs’ victory over Canterbury-Bankstown in the final.[1]

Season summary

For this season St. George returned to Hurstville Oval as their home ground.

Teams

Balmain

33rd season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Bill Kelly
Captain: Sid Goodwin

 Canterbury-Bankstown

6th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Alan Brady
Captain: Alan Brady→Jack Bonnyman

 Eastern Suburbs

33rd season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Dave Brown
Captain: Ray Stehr

 Newtown

33rd season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Frank Burge
Captain: Percy Williams

North Sydney

33rd season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Arthur Halloway
Captain: Roy Thompson

 South Sydney

33rd season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Charlie Lynch
Captain: Fred Felsch

 St. George

20th season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Captain-coach: Neville Smith

 Western Suburbs

33rd season
Ground: Pratten Park
Captain-Coach: Max Gray

Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1940 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Eastern Suburbs 14914250136+11419
2 Newtown 14905261200+6118
3 St. George 14725263203+6016
4 Canterbury-Bankstown 14806204195+916
5 Balmain 14716199162+3715
6 South Sydney 14707165259-9414
7 North Sydney 144010156243-878
8 Western Suburbs 143011159259-1006

Finals

In the two semi finals, minor premiers Eastern Suburbs defeated St. George whilst fourth-placed Canterbury-Bankstown beat second-placed Newtown. Eastern Suburbs then beat Canterbury-Bankstown in the final to collect their eighth premiership.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semifinals
Eastern Suburbs 10–3 St. George 17 August 1940 Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 17,473
Newtown 11–19 Canterbury-Bankstown 24 August 1940 Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 22,061
Final
Eastern Suburbs 24–14 Canterbury-Bankstown 31 August 1940 Sydney Cricket Ground Jack O'Brien 24,167

Premiership final

Eastern Suburbs Position Canterbury-Bankstown
13. Doug BartlettFB13. Lindsay Johnson
12. Rod O'LoanWG17. Edgar Newham
37. Stan CallaghanCE9. Merv Denton
10. Dick DunnCE23. Bob Russell
22. Bill BrewWG11. Jack Bonnyman (c)
8. Fred MayFE8. Ted Anderson
25. Sel LisleHB7. Roy McCarter
  1. Ray Stehr (c)
 PR14. Jim Gibbs
2. Noel HollingdaleHK2.Roy Kirkaldy
18. John ClarkePR6. Jack Reilly
4. Harry PierceSR5. Bob Allison
5. Sid PearceSR15. Bob Farrar
6. Andrew NorvalLK31. Gordon Clunas
Dave BrownCoachAlan Brady

Led by their standard-setting captain-coach Dave Brown, the Tricolours continued their strong season performance with a semi-final victory over St George to gain a final berth.

Although Brown was ruled out on the morning of the decider with a leg injury, replacement Bill Brew slotted into the side and scored a try after backing up second rower Sid “Joe” Pearce who also scored the next try. The young Easts team, who averaged twenty years of age, overcame Canterbury by six tries to two.

Eastern Suburbs 24 (Tries: Pierce 2, O'Loan, Brew, Pearce, Clarke. Goals: Dunn 2 )

defeated

Canterbury-Bankstown 14 (Tries: Bonnyman, Denton. Goals: Johnson 4)

References

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