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1939 NSWRFL season

Rugby league competition

Field	Value
year	1939
competition	New South Wales Rugby Football League
imagesize	125px
teams	8
premiers	[[Image:Balmain colours.svg	16x16px]] Balmain
count	7th
minor premiers	[[Image:Balmain colours.svg	16x16px]] Balmain
mpcount	7th
matches	59
points	1655
top point scorer	[[Image:St. George colours.svg	16x16px]] Neville Smith (97)
top try scorer	[[Image:Balmain colours.svg	16x16px]] Sid Goodwin (18)
wooden_spoon	Newtown
wooden_spoon_count	4th
prevseason_link	1938 NSWRFL season
prevseason_year	1938
nextseason_link	1940 NSWRFL season
nextseason_year	1940

The 1939 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-second 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 September and culminated in Balmain’s victory over South Sydney in the final.

Season summary

This was to be the St. George club’s final season at Earl Park, Arncliffe, the following season moving back to Hurstville Oval.

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

North Sydney[[Image:North Sydney Jersey 1935.png	100px	center]]	South Sydney[[Image:South Sydney Jersey 1930.png	100px	center]]	St. George[[Image:St George Jersey 1934.png	100px	center]]	Western Suburbs[[Image:Western Suburbs Jersey 1924.png	100px	center]]

Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1939 premiership across Sydney.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	[[Image:Balmain colours.svg	16x16px]] Balmain	14	10	2	2	249	115	+134
2	[[Image:St. George colours.svg	16x16px]] St. George	14	10	0	4	268	169	+99
3	[[Image:Canterbury colours.svg	16x16px]] Canterbury	14	10	0	4	234	155	+79
4	[[Image:South Sydney colours.svg	16x16px]] South Sydney	14	9	0	5	219	158	+61
5	[[Image:Eastern Suburbs colours.svg	16x16px]] Eastern Suburbs	14	8	0	6	192	184	+8
6	[[Image:Western Suburbs colours.svg	16x16px]] Western Suburbs	14	2	2	10	148	213	-65
7	[[Image:North Sydney colours.svg	16x16px]] North Sydney	14	2	2	10	129	272	-143
8	[[Image:Newtown colours.svg	16x16px]] Newtown	14	2	0	12	124	297	-173

Finals

In the two semi finals, minor premiers Balmain narrowly defeated Canterbury whilst fourth-placed South Sydney beat second-placed St. George.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information	Date and Time	Venue	Referee	Crowd
Semifinals
[[Image:Balmain colours.svg	23x23px]] Balmain	13–9	[[Image:Canterbury colours.svg	23x23px]] Canterbury	19 August 1939	Sydney Cricket Ground	George Bishop	23,774
[[Image:St. George colours.svg	23x23px]] St. George	10–23	[[Image:South Sydney colours.svg	23x23px]] South Sydney	26 August 1939	Sydney Cricket Ground	Tom McMahon	21,722
Final
[[Image:Balmain colours.svg	23x23px]] Balmain	33–4	[[Image:South Sydney colours.svg	23x23px]] South Sydney	2 September 1939	Sydney Cricket Ground	George Bishop	26,972

Premiership final

Balmain	Position	South Sydney
	FB	16. Dick Johnson
2. Sid Goodwin (c)	WG	12. Harry Thompson
5. Jack Winchester	CE	11. Alan Quinlivan
3. Frank Hyde	CE	14. Fred Felsch (c)
17. Tom Bourke	WG	13. Alan Tuohey
7. Billy Bischoff	FE	10. Jack Kadwell
4. Jim Quealey	HB	20. Albert Webster
21. Dawson Buckley	PR	36. John Whitfield
9. George Watt	HK	4. George Kilham
6. Dave Manning	PR
12. Athol Smith	SR	2. Percy Fairall
11. Billy Johnson	SR	3. Johnny Brown
13. Jack Redman	LK	8. Eddie Hinson
Bill Kelly	Coach	Charlie Lynch

The decider was played on the weekend when the world’s future altered dramatically with the invasion of Poland by Germany leading to England, Australia and the world going to war.

The match was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and refereed by George Bishop in front of 26,972. The game was tight in the first half with the Tigers scoring one try to lead 7–2 at the break.

In the second-half Balmain ran away with it, scoring six further tries to South Sydney’s none for a crushing seventh premiership title and the Tigers’ first since 1924. Star Balmain players of the time included Sid Goodwin, Frank Hyde, Tom Bourke, Athol Smith, Billy Bischoff, George Watt and Jim Quealey.

Balmain 33 (Tries: Tom Bourke 2, Frank Hyde, J. Redman, Jim Quealey, D. Buckley, A. Smith. Goals: H. Day 5, W. Johnson )

defeated

South Sydney 4 (Fred Felsch 2 goals)

References

[http://rl1908.com/clubcomps/Honours.htm Premiership Roll of Honour] {{webarchive. link. (2007-04-28 at ''rl1908.com'')

Info: Wikipedia Source

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