1959 NSWRFL season

Last updated
1959 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams10
Premiers St. George colours.svg St. George (6th title)
Minor premiers St. George colours.svg St. George (6th title)
Matches played94
Points scored3107
Attendance896911
Top points scorer(s) Western Suburbs colours.svg Darcy Russell (206)
Top try-scorer(s) North Sydney colours.svg Ken Irvine (19)

1959's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 52nd season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Ten teams from across the city competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final between St. George and Manly-Warringah.

Contents

Season summary

The St. George team went through the 1959 season undefeated [1] – a feat achieved by five teams prior to 1959 but by none since. The club won nineteen of their twenty matches and played a draw against Balmain. They were able to score more than forty points on six occasions. After eighteen premiership rounds St. George had scored an average of over thirty points per match and conceded an average of ten points.

Future Immortals Reg Gasnier and Johnny Raper both debuted for St. George in first grade in 1959 and both made the Australian side, aged just 19. Seven St. George players made that year's Kangaroo Tour.

The 1959 season also saw the retirement from the League of future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Harry Bath.

Teams

Balmain
Balmain Jersey 1953.png

52nd season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: John O'Toole
Captain: Keith Barnes

Canterbury-Bankstown
Canterbury-Bankstown Jersey 1938.png

25th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Cec Cooper
Captain: Brian Davies

Eastern Suburbs
Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1954.png

52nd season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Dave Brown
Captain: Terry Fearnley

Manly-Warringah
Manly-Warringah Jersey 1957.png

13th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Ken Arthurson
Captain: Ron Willey

Newtown
Newtown Jersey 1915.png

52nd season
Ground: Henson Park
Coach: Charles Cahill
Captain: Tony Brown

North Sydney
North Sydney Jersey 1959.png

52nd season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Ross McKinnon
Captain: Bob Honeysett

Parramatta
Parramatta Jersey 1953.png

13th season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Coach: Jack Rayner
Captain: Roy Fisher

South Sydney
South Sydney Jersey 1959.png

52nd season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Coach: Denis Donoghue
Captain: Bernie Purcell

St. George
St George Jersey 1959.png

39th season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Captain-coach: Ken Kearney

Western Suburbs
Western Suburbs Jersey 1953.png

52nd season
Ground: Pratten Park
Coach: Vic Hey
Captain: Dick Poole

Regular season

Team123456789101112131415161718F1F2F3GF
Balmain MAN
−3
STG
−14
CBY
−4
EAS
+12
NOR
−8
WES
−19
PAR
+8
NEW
−15
SOU
+9
MAN
−2
STG
0
CBY
+12
EAS
−4
NOR
+6
WES
−9
PAR
+16
NEW
−5
SOU
−8
Canterbury-Bankstown SOU
−10
MAN
−6
BAL
+4
STG
−12
EAS
−9
NOR
−33
WES
−38
PAR
+7
NEW
−12
SOU
−1
MAN
+5
BAL
−12
STG
−51
EAS
+6
NOR
−22
WES
0
PAR
+1
NEW
−1
Eastern Suburbs NEW
−3
SOU
−20
MAN
−11
BAL
−12
CBY
+9
STG
−9
NOR
−20
WES
−3
PAR
−4
NEW
+7
SOU
+9
MAN
−12
BAL
+4
CBY
−6
STG
−16
NOR
+6
WES
−28
PAR
+6
Manly-Warringah BAL
+3
CBY
+6
EAS
+11
NOR
−7
WES
−11
PAR
+5
NEW
−4
SOU
+8
STG
−10
BAL
+2
CBY
−5
EAS
+12
NOR
+1
WES
−3
PAR
+21
NEW
+17
SOU
+3
STG
−5
NEW
+17
XWES
+1
STG
−20
Newtown EAS
+3
NOR
−6
WES
−7
PAR
+9
STG
−17
SOU
+2
MAN
+4
BAL
+15
CBY
+12
EAS
−7
NOR
+2
WES
−2
PAR
+8
STG
−35
SOU
−12
MAN
−17
BAL
+5
CBY
+1
MAN
−17
North Sydney PAR
+23
NEW
+6
SOU
+20
MAN
+7
BAL
+8
CBY
+33
EAS
+20
STG
−21
WES
−5
PAR
+20
NEW
−2
SOU
−10
MAN
−1
BAL
−6
CBY
+22
EAS
−6
STG
−7
WES
−12
Parramatta NOR
−23
WES
−10
STG
−39
NEW
−9
SOU
+5
MAN
−5
BAL
−8
CBY
−7
EAS
+4
NOR
−20
WES
−22
STG
−57
NEW
−8
SOU
−6
MAN
−21
BAL
−16
CBY
−1
EAS
−6
South Sydney CBY
+10
EAS
+20
NOR
−20
WES
+1
PAR
−5
NEW
−2
STG
−33
MAN
−8
BAL
−9
CBY
+1
EAS
−9
NOR
+10
WES
+5
PAR
+6
NEW
+12
STG
−3
MAN
−3
BAL
+8
St. George WES
+1
BAL
+14
PAR
+39
CBY
+12
NEW
+17
EAS
+9
SOU
+33
NOR
+21
MAN
+10
WES
+30
BAL
0
PAR
+57
CBY
+51
NEW
+35
EAS
+16
SOU
+3
NOR
+7
MAN
+5
XWES
+10
XMAN
+20
Western Suburbs STG
−1
PAR
+10
NEW
+7
SOU
−1
MAN
+11
BAL
+19
CBY
+38
EAS
+3
NOR
+5
STG
−30
PAR
+22
NEW
+2
SOU
−5
MAN
+3
BAL
+9
CBY
0
EAS
+28
NOR
+12
XSTG
−10
MAN
−1
Team123456789101112131415161718F1F2F3GF

Bold – Home game
X – Bye
Opponent for round listed above margin

Ladder

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1 St. George colours.svg St. George 181710550190+36035
2 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 181314405273+13227
3 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 181107283239+4422
4 Newtown colours.svg Newtown 181008254296-4220
5 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney Bears 18909371282+8918
6 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 18909257276-1918
7 Balmain colours.svg Balmain Tigers 186111308336-2813
8 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 186012211314-10312
9 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 185112194378-18411
10 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 182016150399-2494

Ladder progression

Team123456789101112131415161718
1 St. George colours.svg St. George 24681012141618202123252729313335
2 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 024468101214141618182022232527
3 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 24666881010121214161618202222
4 Newtown colours.svg Newtown 22244681012121414161616161820
5 North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 24681012141414161616161618181818
6 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 2446666668810121416161618
7 Balmain colours.svg Balmain 00022244667991111131313
8 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Eastern Suburbs 000022222466888101012
9 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown 00222224446668891111
10 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 000022224444444444

Finals

HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd
Semifinals
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 170 Newtown colours.svg Newtown 25 July 1959 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 8,967
St. George colours.svg St. George 3525 Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 1 August 1959 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 42,347
Preliminary Final
Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 1314 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 8 August 1959 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 28,385
Grand Final
St. George colours.svg St. George 200 [2] Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 15 August 1959 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 49,457

Grand Final

St. GeorgePositionManly-Warringah
  1. Brian Graham
FB
  1. Ron Willey (c)
2. Eddie Lumsden WG 15. Len Wadling
15. Johnny Raper CE 3. Kevin Mosman
16. Geoff Weekes CE 4. Bill Lloyd
5. Brian Messiter WG 5. George Hugo
6. Brian Clay FE 14. Alf Madden
7. Bob Bugden HB 19. Peter Burke
13. Harry Bath PR 13. Bill Delamere
12. Ken Kearney (Ca./Co.) HK 12. George Lenon
11. Billy Wilson PR 22. Roy Bull
10. Monty Porter SR 11. Rex Mossop
9. Norm Provan SR 9. Peter Diversi
8. Peter Provan LK 8. Jim Peebles
Coach Ken Arthurson

In the lead up to the Grand Final, rumours were circulating that Manly-Warringah's Rex Mossop was carrying a broken cheekbone. From the kick off, Saints' forwards took turns at testing Mossop's injury with Harry Bath giving him particular attention. For most of the match the Manly forward copped a hammering until in frustration, Mossop retaliated by standing on Bath's head. A brawl broke out between the two and the referee Lawler sent both off.

In the meantime, St. George's forwards were steamrolling Manly-Warringah and the red and white backs were cutting loose. Winger Eddie Lumsden had a magnificent match, scoring a hat trick of tries. Lumsden beat Ron Willey cold for his first try and then was on the end of later backline passing bursts for two more.

As the Manly-Warringah pack tired in the second half, experienced St. George second rower Norm Provan began to easily break their defence out wide, linking with his backs and being rewarded himself with a try. Reserve grade centre Geoff Weekes had been promoted when Gasnier and Johnny Riley were both injured in the major semi final. He scored a try as did St. George's steady and safe custodian Brian Graham.

St. George outclassed Manly-Warringah 200 in a ruthless display of speed and strength. The match was future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee Harry Bath's last game.

St. George 20 (Tries: Lumsden 3, Graham, Weekes, N Provan. Goals: Bath 1.)

Manly-Warringah 0

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18.

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References

  1. Clarkson, Alan (1986-09-26). "The best Grand Finals I've seen". The Sydney Morning Herald . Fairfax Media. p. 77. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  2. "Sydney Rugby". The Age . 1959-08-17. p. 20. Retrieved 2009-11-20.