The 1951 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the forty-fourth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league competition, Australia’s first. Ten teams from across the city competed for the newly created J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season which culminated in a grand final between South Sydney and Manly-Warringah.

Season summary South Sydney ascended to the minor premiership with relative ease in 1951, losing only one match during the season to finish the regular season ahead by a record eleven-point margin.

Teams Balmain 44th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Jim DuckworthCaptain: Stan Ponchard Canterbury-Bankstown 17th seasonGround: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Vic Bulgin→Alby WhyCaptain: Vic BulginEastern Suburbs 44th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Ernie NormanCaptain: Alan Cook Manly-Warringah 5th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Wally O'ConnellCaptain: Kevin SchubertNewtown 44th seasonGround: Erskineville Oval Captain-coach: Frank FarrellNorth Sydney 44th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Laurie DoranCaptain: Bob Sullivan Parramatta 5th seasonGround: Cumberland Oval Coach: Vic HeyCaptain: Don Graham South Sydney 44th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Captain-coach: Jack RaynerSt. George 31st seasonGround: Kogarah Jubilee Oval Captain-coach: Johnny HawkeWestern Suburbs 44th seasonGround: Pratten Park Coach: Jeff SmithCaptain: Peter McLean

Ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 South Sydney181611428237+191332 Manly181107424262+162223 St. George181017374251+123214 Western Suburbs181008360333+27205 Eastern Suburbs18909304340-36186 Parramatta18909309410-101187 Canterbury187011266362-96148 Newtown186012261341-80129 Balmain186012283365-821210 North Sydney185013220328-10810

Finals Odds-on favourites to retain the premiership, Souths reserved their worst performance of the year for the semifinal against St. George, being trounced 35–8. This loss meant that a grand final would be necessary to determine the season's premiers. The next week, the Dragons were beaten by a gutsy Manly side in a preliminary final, 18–8. The infant Manly club thus qualified for its first grand final only five seasons after having entered the League in 1947. HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Semifinals South Sydney8–35 St. George1 September 1951Sydney Cricket GroundAub Oxford39,735 Manly-Warringah37–9 Western Suburbs8 September 1951Sydney Cricket GroundGeorge Bishop29,444 Preliminary Final Manly-Warringah18–8 St. George15 September 1951Sydney Cricket GroundGeorge Bishop41,845 Final South Sydney42–14 Manly-Warringah23 September 1951Sydney Sports GroundJack O'Brien28,505

Grand Final Scheduling problems By early August, the NSWRFL was aware that the coming summer's West Indies cricket tour meant they would be denied use of the SCG on Saturday, 22 September should a grand final be required. Initially it was believed that the League had paid a deposit of £125 to use the Sydney Showground on 22 September, but its transpired late in August that the NSWRFL had not done this and the Showground was actually booked by the NSWRU, after a committee recommendation, and a declaration of unavailability for the NSWRU's usual finals venue of North Sydney Oval. It simultaneously became apparent that the Sports Ground was booked on 22 September for a soccer final.

As a consequence, the grand final had to be played on a Sunday for the first time, despite the NSWRFL initially seeking another ground for Saturday, 22 September and denying it would play on a Sunday. The problems with the arrangement of the grand final this season would lead the NSWRFL to introduce a new finals system with a "mandatory" grand final whose date would be fixed before the season by negotiation with the SCG Trust. Souths' record win South SydneyPositionManly-Warringah13. Clive Churchill FB Ron Beaumont 12. John Graves WG 2. Ron Rowles 11. Kevin Woolfe CE 5. Gordon Willoughby 10. Milton Atkinson CE 4. Warren Simmons 34. Harry Wells WG 16. Jack Lumsden 28. Norm Spillane FE 17. Jim Sullivan 58. Ray Mason HB 7. Ken Arthurson Denis Donoghue PR 12. Roy Bull 2. Ernie Hammerton HK 13. Kevin Schubert (c) 3. Bryan Orrock PR 11. Fred Brown5. Bernie Purcell SR 10. Jack Hubbard 4. Jack Rayner (Ca./Co.) SR 9. Sandy Herbert 6. Les Cowie LK 8. George Hunter Coach Wally O'Connell Manly were without former Test star and captain-coach Wally O'Connell who had a fractured bone in his wrist. The Sea Eagles were instead captained by hooker Kevin Schubert. Gordon Willoughby played out the match with his leg heavily strapped rather than leave his side further depleted but Manly’s hopes of upsetting the defending premiers were shattered in a spectacular display of attacking rugby league by Souths.

The smallest crowd for a final since 1944 was on hand at the Sports Ground to witness a one-sided game which Souths won 42–14. A highlight was Test winger John Graves' four tries – the only time this has been achieved in grand final history. Souths' 42 points remains the highest score made in a Grand Final.

Souths scored first through a penalty goal by Bernie Purcell and led 15–4 at the break. They then piled on twenty-seven points in the second-half. Tries to Clive Churchill, Ray Mason, Jack Rayner and Chick Cowie added to Graves' record haul. The Rabbitoh pack, led by front rower Denis Donoghue, dominated Manly’s forwards with Ernie Hammerton giving his team a feast of possession. Bernie Purcell landed seven goals from nine attempts and was also dynamic in attack, being chosen by The Sunday Herald judge, Frank McMillan as the man-of-the-match, for which he received a £10 reward.

Other records set include the most combined points scored in a grand final (56 total); the most tries scored by one team in a grand final (8), the most goals scored in grand final by the winning team (9) and the most total combined goals scored in a Grand Final (13).

South Sydney Rabbitohs 42 Tries: Graves (4), Churchill, Mason, Rayner, CowieGoals: Purcell (7), Hammerton, Donoghue.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 14 Tries: Lumsden (2)Goals: Rowles (4)

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

Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals199 Ron Rowles11830183 Noel Pidding13720128 Johnny Graves22310117 Don Worne1570115 Ian Johnston13380 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer22 Johnny Graves18 Mitchell Wallace13 Noel Pidding13 Ian Johnston12 Kevin Woolfe12 Ron Roberts12 Jack Troy12 John McClean

Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer83 Ron Rowles72 Noel Pidding57 Don Worne46 Joe Jorgenson45 Ron Willey

Notes

References

External links List of Season Results Hunterlink List Whiticker, Alan (1992), Grand Finals of the New South Wales Rugby League, Gary Allen, Sydney Results:1951-1960 at rabbitohs.com.au 1951 J J Giltinan Shield at rleague.com 1951 coaches