New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1939

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1939
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 8
premiers =
count = 7th
minor premiers =
mpcount = 7th
matches = 59
points = 1555
attendance =
top points scorer = (97)
top try scorer = (18)
1939's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-second season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney, New South Wales. Eight teams from across the city contested the premiership during the season, which lasted from April until September.

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

Premiership Final

The decider was played on the weekend when the world's future altered dramatically with the invasion of Poland by Germany leading to England, Australia and the world going to war.

The match was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and referreed by George Bishop in front of 26,972. The game was tight in the first half with the Tiger's scoring one try to lead 7-2 at the break.

In the second-half Balmain ran away with it, scoring six further tries to South Sydney's nil for a crushing seventh premiership title and the Tigers' first back-to-back season victories since 1924.

Star Balmain players of the time included Sid Goodwin, Frank Hyde, Tom Bourke, Athol Smith, Billy Bischoff, George Watt and Jim Quealey.

Balmain 33 (Tries: Tom Bourke 2, Frank Hyde, J Redman, Jim Quealey, D Buckley, A Smith. Goals: H Day 5, W Johnson )

defeated

South Sydney 4 (Fred Felsch 2 goals)

References

* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/snotes.html Rugby League Tables - Notes] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1939.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1939] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.rl1908.com/premiership.htm Premiership History and Statistics] "RL1908"
* cite book |last=Collis |first=Ian |coauthors=Whiticker, Alan |title=100 Years of Rugby League |publisher="New Holland"| date= 2007 |location=Chatswood, NSW |pages=page 154 |volume= |isbn=9781741104639
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1931-1940.html Results: 1931-40 at rabbitohs.com.au]