# 1945 NSWRFL season

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

## Ladder

| | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Eastern Suburbs | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 276 | 190 | +86 | 22 |
| 2 | Newtown | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 326 | 177 | +149 | 21 |
| 3 | Western Suburbs | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 238 | 192 | +46 | 17 |
| 4 | Balmain | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 252 | 202 | +50 | 16 |
| 5 | North Sydney | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 188 | 175 | +13 | 16 |
| 6 | Canterbury | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 217 | 285 | -68 | 9 |
| 7 | St. George | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 183 | 253 | -70 | 9 |
| 8 | South Sydney | 14 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 144 | 350 | -206 | 2 |

## Finals

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Crowd |
| Playoff |||||||
| Balmain | 9–5 | North Sydney | 16 August 1945 | Sydney Cricket Ground | | 17,207 |
| Semifinals |||||||
| Eastern Suburbs | 28–13 | Western Suburbs | 18 August 1945 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Tom McMahon | 34,916 |
| Newtown | 9–13 | Balmain | 25 August 1945 | Sydney Cricket Ground | George Bishop | 35,151 |
| Final |||||||
| Eastern Suburbs | 22–18 | Balmain | 1 September 1945 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Jack O'Brien | 44,585 |

### Premiership final

| Eastern Suburbs | Position | Balmain |
| 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’ hooker 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.
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.
| Points | Player | Tries | Goals | Field Goals |
| 118 | Dick Dunn | 8 | 47 | 0 |
| 103 | Joe Jorgenson | 5 | 44 | 0 |
| 98 | Tom Kirk | 0 | 49 | 0 |
| 50 | Doug Deitz | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 41 | George Endycott | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Tries | Player |
| 12 | Charles Cahill |
| 12 | Athol Stewart |
| 11 | Sid Goodwin |
| 11 | Jack Snare |
| 9 | Harry Leo |
| Goals | Player |
| 49 | Tom Kirk |
| 47 | Dick Dunn |
| 44 | Joe Jorgenson |
| 25 | Doug Deitz |
| 19 | George Endycott |