The 1945 NSWRFL season was the thirty-eighth New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership season, Sydney’s top-level rugby league club competition, and Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in Eastern Suburbs' victory over Balmain in the grand final.
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
Balmain 38th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Captain: Tom BourkeCoach: Norm RobinsonCanterbury-Bankstown 11th seasonGround: Belmore Sports Ground Coach: Bill KellyCaptain: George KilhamEastern Suburbs 38th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Arthur HallowayCaptain: Ray StehrNewtown 38th seasonGround: Henson Park Coach: Arthur Folwell, Frank Farrell and Len SmithCaptain: Frank FarrellNorth Sydney 38th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Frank BurgeCaptain: Rex HarrisonSouth Sydney 38th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Eric LewisCaptain: Eddie HinsonSt. George 25th seasonGround: Hurstville Oval Coach: Percy Williams & Harry KadwellCaptain: Jim HaleWestern Suburbs 38th seasonGround: Pratten Park Coach: Frank McMillanCaptain: Jack Walsh
Ladder
TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Eastern Suburbs141103276190+86222 Newtown141013326177+149213 Western Suburbs14815238192+46174 Balmain14644252202+50165 North Sydney14806188175+13166 Canterbury14419217285-6897 St. George14419183253-7098 South Sydney141013144350-2062
Finals HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Playoff Balmain9–5 North Sydney16 August 1945Sydney Cricket Ground17,207 Semifinals Eastern Suburbs28–13 Western Suburbs18 August 1945Sydney Cricket GroundTom McMahon34,916 Newtown9–13 Balmain25 August 1945Sydney Cricket GroundGeorge Bishop35,151 Final Eastern Suburbs22–18 Balmain1 September 19451945 Grand Final at nrlstats.comSydney Cricket GroundJack O'Brien44,585
Premiership final Eastern SuburbsPositionBalmain 40. Ray Pratt FB Dave Parkinson 9. Lionel Cooper WG 12. Robert Nielson 10. Paul Tierney CE 3.Joe Jorgenson 11. Johnny Hunter CE 4. Tom Bourke (c) 35. Ken Foster WG 31. Robert Paterson 8. Wally O'Connell FE 8. Harry Leo 7. Sel Lisle HB 7. Stan Ponchard 1. Ray Stehr (c) PR 10. Jack Spencer 15. George Watt HK 9. Ted Dawes 14. Jack Arnold PR 23. Hilton Kidd 5. Bert Rollason SR 11. Jim Metcalf 4. Sid Hobson SR 24. Sid Ryan 6. Dick Dunn LK 13. Jack Hampstead Arthur Halloway Coach Norm Robinson Balmain led 10–5 at half time and the match was evenly balanced throughout the second half. With three minutes to go the Tricolours trailed 17—18. The Roosters were awarded a penalty on half way and Dick Dunn convinced his reluctant captain Ray Stehr that he could make the distance. Dunn successfully kicked the goal from the then unorthodox upright position.
Dunn received Joe Jorgenson’s kick from the restart and booted the ball into touch five metres from the Balmain line. Tricolours’ George Watt won the scrum against the feed and Easts’ classy halves pairing of Sel Lisle and Wally O'Connell put on a move that saw Dunn score in the corner.
Dunn scored 19 of the Tricolours’ 22 points that day carrying with him for luck the sock of his fourteen-month-old daughter in his shorts pocket throughout the match.SMH claimrl1908.com disputes this claim.
Eastern Suburbs 22 (Tries: Dunn 3, J Arnold. Goals: Dunn 5)
defeated
Balmain 18 (Tries: Ponchard 2, Dawes, Nielsen. Goals: Jorgenson 3)
Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 14.
Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals118 Dick Dunn8470103 Joe Jorgenson544098 Tom Kirk049050 Doug Deitz025041 George Endycott1190 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer12 Charles Cahill12 Athol Stewart11 Sid Goodwin11 Jack Snare9 Harry Leo
Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer49 Tom Kirk47 Dick Dunn44 Joe Jorgenson25 Doug Deitz19 George Endycott
References
External links
Rugby League Tables - Notes AFL Tables Rugby League Tables - Season 1945 AFL Tables
Finals lineups and results Hunterlink site Sean Fagan interviews Dick Dunn. Sydney Morning Herald 30sept2004 SMH interviews Dick Dunn Results: 1941-1950 at rabbitohs.com.au 1945 Labor Daily Cup at rleague.com NSWRFL season 1945 at rugbyleagueproject.org