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.Premiership Roll of Honour at rl1908.com
Season summary For this season St. George returned to Hurstville Oval as their home ground.
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, at the North Sydney School of Arts in Mount Street 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 33rd seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Bill KellyCaptain: Sid GoodwinCanterbury-Bankstown 6th seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: Alan BradyCaptain: Alan Brady→Jack BonnymanEastern Suburbs 33rd seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Dave BrownCaptain: Ray StehrNewtown 33rd seasonGround: Henson Park Coach: Frank BurgeCaptain: Percy WilliamsNorth Sydney 33rd seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Arthur HallowayCaptain: Roy ThompsonSouth Sydney 33rd seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Charlie LynchCaptain: Fred FelschSt. George 20th seasonGround: Hurstville Oval Captain-coach: Neville SmithWestern Suburbs 33rd seasonGround: Pratten Park Captain-Coach: Max Gray
Ladder
TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Eastern Suburbs14914250136+114192 Newtown14905261200+61183 St. George14725263203+60164 Canterbury14806204195+9165 Balmain14716199162+37156 South Sydney14707165259-94147 North Sydney144010156243-8788 Western Suburbs143011159259-1006
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.
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Semifinals Eastern Suburbs10–3 St. George17 August 1940Sydney Cricket GroundJack O'Brien17,473 Newtown11–19 Canterbury-Bankstown24 August 1940Sydney Cricket GroundJack O'Brien22,061 Final Eastern Suburbs24–14 Canterbury-Bankstown31 August 1940Sydney Cricket GroundJack O'Brien24,167
Premiership final Eastern SuburbsPositionCanterbury-Bankstown 13. Doug Bartlett FB 13. Lindsay Johnson 12. Rod O'Loan WG 17. Edgar Newham 37. Stan Callaghan CE 9. Merv Denton10. Dick Dunn CE 23. Bob Russell 22. Bill Brew WG 11. Jack Bonnyman (c) 8. Fred May FE 8. Ted Anderson 25. Sel Lisle HB 7. Roy McCarter Ray Stehr (c) PR 14. Jim Gibbs 2. Noel Hollingdale HK 2.Roy Kirkaldy 18. John Clarke PR 6. Jack Reilly 4. Harry Pierce SR 5. Bob Allison 5. Sid Pearce SR 15. Bob Farrar 6. Andrew Norval LK 31. Gordon ClunasDave Brown Coach Alan 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
External links Rugby League Tables - Notes AFL Tables Rugby League Tables - Season 1940 AFL Tables rl1908.com History and Statistics rl1908 Finals Line-ups and Scores Hunterlink Site rl1908.com interview Sean Fagan interviews Dick Dunn Results: 1931-40 at rabbitohs.com.au