1948 NSWRFL season

The 1948 NSWRFL season was the forty-first New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership season, Sydney’s top-level rugby league football competition, and Australia’s first. The teams remained unchanged from the previous season, with ten clubs from across the city contesting the premiership during the season which culminated in Western Suburbs’ victory over Balmain in the grand final.^[1]

1948 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams	10
Premiers	Western Suburbs (3rd title)
Minor premiers	Western Suburbs (2nd title)
Matches played	94
Points scored	2829
Top points scorer(s)	Jack Lindwall (101)
Top try-scorer(s)	Norm Jacobson (27)
← 1947 1949 →

Season summary

When Balmain’s young stars of 1946 and 1947 Pat Devery and Harry Bath left for big money offers in England it seemed doubtful that the Tigers would be able to continue their run of success. However Balmain gave themselves every chance to achieve their third title in a row and made it through to the Grand Final match up against Wests.

Teams

• Balmain, formed on January 23, 1908, at Balmain Town Hall
• Canterbury-Bankstown
• Eastern Suburbs, formed on January 24, 1908, at Paddington Town Hall
• Manly-Warringah
• Newtown, formed on January 14, 1908
• North Sydney, formed on February 7, 1908
• Parramatta, formed in November 1946
• 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

Balmain 41st season Ground: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Athol Smith Captain: Tom Bourke	Canterbury-Bankstown 14th season Ground: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Arthur Halloway Captain: Henry Porter	Eastern Suburbs 41st season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Percy Williams Captain: Wally O'Connell	Manly-Warringah 2nd season Ground: Brookvale Oval Coach: Ray Stehr Captain: Ron O'Connell	Newtown 41st season Ground: Erskineville Oval Captain-Coach: Frank Farrell
North Sydney 41st season Ground: North Sydney Oval Coach: Cliff Pearce Captain: Frank Cottle	Parramatta 2nd season Ground: Cumberland Oval Captain-coach: Vic Hey	South Sydney 41st season Ground: Redfern Oval Coach: Dave Watson Captain: Jack Rayner	St. George 28th season Ground: Hurstville Oval Coach: Jim Duckworth Captain: Matt McCoy	Western Suburbs 41st season Ground: Pratten Park Coach: Jeff Smith Captain: Jack Walsh

Ladder

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Western Suburbs (P)	18	16	0	2	322	189	+133	32
2	Newtown	18	13	0	5	386	248	+138	26
3	Balmain	18	12	2	4	287	222	+65	26
4	St. George	18	10	1	7	332	262	+70	21
5	Canterbury	18	7	2	9	282	276	+6	16
6	Eastern Suburbs	18	7	2	9	225	248	-23	16
7	South Sydney	18	7	1	10	265	302	-37	15
8	Parramatta	18	5	1	12	237	346	-109	11
9	Manly	18	4	1	13	221	334	-113	9
10	North Sydney	18	3	2	13	191	321	-130	8

Finals

In Balmain’s preliminary final match up with St George, Balmain winger Arthur Patton refused to leave the field whilst injured as the Tigers held on to win 13–12. At game’s end it was found that he had a broken leg.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
			Date and Time	Venue	Referee	Crowd
Semifinals
Western Suburbs	7–8	Balmain	28 August 1948	Sydney Cricket Ground	George Bishop	25,907
Newtown	8–20	St. George	4 September 1948	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack O'Brien	31,310
Preliminary Final
Balmain	13–12	St. George	11 September 1948	Sydney Cricket Ground	Jack O'Brien	37,404
Grand Final
Western Suburbs	8–5	Balmain	18 September 1948[2]	Sydney Sports Ground	George Bishop	29,122

Grand Final

Western Suburbs	Position	Balmain
13. William Keato	FB	Dave Parkinson
49. Col Hudson	WG	30. Leo Nosworthy
10. Eric Bennett	CE	6. George Williams
12. Lindsay Rodda	CE	4. Tom Bourke (c)
11. John Lackey	WG	42. Mitchell Wallace
8. Frank Stanmore	FE	32. William Sneddon
7. Neville Hogan	HB	20. Des Bryan
19. Bill Horder	PR	10. Jim Thomson
2. William Brown	HK	45Robert Crane
Jack Walsh (c)	PR	8. Jack Spencer
14. Kevin Hansen	SR	12. Sid Ryan
5. Don Milton	SR	25. Pat Madden
6. Peter McLean	LK	13. Jack Hampstead
Jeff Smith	Coach	Athol Smith

After rainy conditions the Grand Final was played on a soft Sydney Sports Ground surface.^[3] The Tigers led the game until the final quarter when a 40-metre run by Wests’ second rower Kevin Hansen saw him tackled right on the tryline. The referee awarded the try and Wests held an 8–5 break until full-time to record their third premiership win.

Western Suburbs Magpies 8 (Tries: Hudson, Hansen. Goals: Keato)

defeated

Balmain Tigers 5 (Tries: Bourke. Goals: Bourke)

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18.

Top 5 point scorers Points Player Tries Goals Field Goals 101 Jack Lindwall 9 37 0 94 Colin Schomberg 0 47 0 93 Bill Keato 1 45 0 92 Oriel Kennerson 2 43 0 81 Norm Jacobson 27 0 0 Top 5 try scorers Tries Player 27 Norm Jacobson 18 Arthur Patton 11 Eddie Tracey 11 Len Allmond 9 Eric Bennett 9 Pat Leal 9 Len Smith 9 Jack Lindwall

Top 5 goal scorers Goals Player 47 Colin Schomberg 45 Bill Keato 43 Oriel Kennerson 37 Jack Lindwall 33 Joe Jorgenson