New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1932
Encyclopedia
The 1932 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twenty-fifth season Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's top-level rugby league football competition, Australia's first. During the season, which lasted from April until September, eight teams from across the city contested the premiership, culminating in South Sydney's victory over Western Suburbss in the final.
Teams
- BalmainBalmain TigersThe Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
, formed on January 23, 1908 at Balmain Town Hall - Eastern SuburbsSydney RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
, formed on January 24, 1908 at Paddington Town Hall - NewtownNewtown JetsThe Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
, formed on January 14, 1908 - North SydneyNorth Sydney BearsThe North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
, formed on February 7, 1908 - South SydneySouth Sydney RabbitohsThe South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
, formed on January 17, 1908 at Redfern Town Hall - St. GeorgeSt. George DragonsThe 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,...
, formed on November 8, 1920 at Kogarah School of Arts - Western SuburbsWestern Suburbs MagpiesThe Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
, formed on February 4, 1908 - University, formed in 1919 at Sydney University
 Balmain Tigers The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles... |
 Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League... |
 Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
 North Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on... |
 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,... |
 South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital... |
 |
 Western Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia... |
Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South SydneySouth Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital... |
14 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 292 | 130 | 26 |
| 2 |  Western SuburbsWestern Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia... |
14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 321 | 156 | 22 |
| 3 |  Eastern SuburbsSydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League... |
14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 253 | 133 | 18 |
| 4 |  BalmainBalmain Tigers The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles... |
14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 204 | 227 | |
| 15 | ||||||||
| 5 |  NewtownNewtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 201 | 251 | |
| 14 | ||||||||
| 6 |  St. GeorgeSt. 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,... |
14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 140 | 203 | |
| 9 | ||||||||
| 7 |  University |
14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 134 | 275 | |
| 4 | ||||||||
| 8 |  North SydneyNorth Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on... |
14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 147 | 317 | |
| 4 | ||||||||
Finals
In the two semi finals, the top two ranked teams South SydneySouth Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
and Western Suburbs
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
beat their lower-ranked opponents Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
and Balmain
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
, respectively. The two winners then played in a final in which favourites and minor premiers South Sydney were beaten by Western Suburbs. However the finals system set in place then forced the final to be replayed, in what was known as the "Right of Challenge". This system ensured that in the event that the minor premiers lost in either the first or second round of the finals, then they would be given a second chance no matter what in what would later become the final premiership decider.
Grand Final
| Western Suburbs | Position | South Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| Frank McMillan Frank McMillan Frank McMillan was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He was a full-back for the Australian national team and played in nine Tests between 1929 and 1934, two as captain... |
FB | Albert Spillane |
| Alan Ridley Alan Ridley Alan Ridley was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative winger, he played club football for Sydney's Western Suburbs, with whom he won the 1934 NSWRFL Premiership.... |
WG | Benny Wearing Benny Wearing Benny Wearing was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. An Australian international and New South Wales representative three-quarter, he played his club football in the NSWRFL Premiership for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.... |
| Cliff Pearce Cliff Pearce Cliff Pearce was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s. His primary position was as a centre.He first played for Western Suburbs in 1929 where he played 65 games between 1929 and 1937, scoring nineteen tries and kicking six goals. During his time at Western Suburbs Pearce... |
CE | Alby Black |
| Ray Morris Ray Morris Ray Morris was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. A New South Wales representative three-quarter back, he played club football in the NSWRFL Premiership for Western Suburbs from 1927 to 1932... |
CE | Paddy Maher |
| Harry Rankine | WG | Jack Why |
| Les Mead Les Mead Les Mead is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative goal-kicking half back, he played his club football in the New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership with Western Suburbs.Son of... |
FE | Jim Deeley |
| Jack McGlinn | HB | Percy Williams |
| Cecil Rhodes | PR | Eddie Root |
| Bob Lindfield | HK | Jack Peterson |
| Bill Brogan (c) | PR | Frank Curran Frank Curran (rugby league) Frank Curran was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1930s. An Australian international representative, he played club football for South Sydney in the NSWRFL Premiership as well as in country New South Wales.... |
| Charlie Cornwell | SR | George Treweek George Treweek George Treweek was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s. He was a towering second-row forward for his time who formed an integral part of the champion South Sydney Rabbitohs teams of the 1920s and early 1930s... (c) |
| Bill "Bricky" Ryan | SR | Frank O'Connor |
| Frank Sponberg Frank Sponberg Frank Sponberg was a rugby league player for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury Bulldogs and for the New South Wales Rugby League team.... |
LK | Eric Lewis Eric Lewis (rugby league) Eric Lewis was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1930s. A New South Wales interstate and Australian international representative forward, he played club football in the NSWRFL for South Sydney, winning the 1932 Premiership with them.... |
| Jim Craig Jim Craig (rugby league) Jim Craig was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He was a versatile back for the Australian national team. He played in 7 Tests between 1921 and 1928 as captain on 3 occasions and has since been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.-Club career:Craig grew... |
Coach | Charlie Lynch |
In the replay, South Sydney beat Western Suburbs 19-12 to take away their seventh premiership in eight years.
The match was played Saturday 24 September 1932 at the Sydney Sports Ground
Sydney Sports Ground
The Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than...
and refereed by Lal Deane before a crowd of 16,925. It was a titanic battle in which Souths led 9-2 at half-time before Wests fought back to level at 12-12. Minutes from full-time a towering penalty goal by Benny Wearing edged Souths ahead 14-12 before they closed out the game with a converted try by Eric Lewis.
The Whiticker/Collis reference quotes a rather prosaic Labor Daily
Labor daily
The Labor Daily was a Sydney-based journal/newspaper of the early to mid 20th century. An organ of the Australian Labor Party, it was published in Sydney by Stanley Roy Wasson after the ailing Daily Mail was absorbed by Labor Papers Ltd, who began publication under that name on 6 January 1922 with...
in praise of both sides: "The ebb and flow of the grand final thrilled thousands who saw a great battle. A battle of the gladiators, fighting till their lungs seemed only fit to burst, while over 16,000 people hearts beating wildly to the thump of running feet, looked on gasping, cheering and rising from their seats in sheer delight".
South Sydney 19 (Tries: J Why, A Black, E Lewis. Goals: Benny Wearing 4, Percy Williams)
Western Suburbs 12 (Tries: A Ridley, H Rankine. Goals Les Mead )