Neville Smith (rugby league)
Encyclopedia
Neville Smith was an Australian rugby league
footballer of the 1930s and 40s. After moving from Bathurst
to Queensland, he played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for three seasons with Fortitude Valley
and represented for the Maroons on two occasions in 1938. The following year he returned South to play in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the St. George club
and was the League's top point-scorer that season. When he was 22, Smith was appointed the youngest captain-coach in the club's history and in 1941 he led them to their first premiership and was again the League's top point-scorer. During the grand final he was knocked unconscious in a heavy tackle but recovered to score 13 points (1 try and 5 goals).
Smith also played for New South Wales in six matches in 1940 (as captain) and 1941 but did not represent Australia because of the outbreak of war. After winning the 1941 premiership as captain-coach of St. George, he sat out the 1942 season. Smith returned for a final year as captain-coach of St. George in 1943.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1930s and 40s. After moving from Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
to Queensland, he played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for three seasons with Fortitude Valley
Fortitude Valley Diehards
The Fortitude Valley Diehards were an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Brisbane suburb of Fortitude Valley.-History:...
and represented for the Maroons on two occasions in 1938. The following year he returned South to play in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the St. George club
St. George Dragons
The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,...
and was the League's top point-scorer that season. When he was 22, Smith was appointed the youngest captain-coach in the club's history and in 1941 he led them to their first premiership and was again the League's top point-scorer. During the grand final he was knocked unconscious in a heavy tackle but recovered to score 13 points (1 try and 5 goals).
Smith also played for New South Wales in six matches in 1940 (as captain) and 1941 but did not represent Australia because of the outbreak of war. After winning the 1941 premiership as captain-coach of St. George, he sat out the 1942 season. Smith returned for a final year as captain-coach of St. George in 1943.