1955 NSWRFL season

The 1955 NSWRFL season was the 48th season of the New South Wales Rugby Football League. Ten teams from across Sydney competed for the NSWRFL Premiership J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a replay of the previous year's Grand Final between the South Sydney and Newtown clubs.[1]

1955 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams10
Premiers South Sydney (16th title)
Minor premiers Newtown (6th title)
Matches played94
Points scored3253
Top points scorer(s) Doug Fleming (185)
Top try-scorer(s) Brian Allsop (18)
Ian Moir (18)

Season summary

Halfway through the 1955 season Souths were in equal last place having won just three of nine matches. From that point they didn't lose another game, winning nine season encounters in a row before the finals. Eventually they finished fourth. Had they lost a single one of these games they would have missed the finals.

In the second last match of the regular season Souths met Manly-Warringah and were behind 4–7 with moments to go. Clive Churchill had broken his arm early in the game tackling Manly winger George Hugo but refused to leave the field. Souths lock Les Cowie managed to score a try in the corner and Churchill with a broken arm took a sideline conversion attempt that wobbled over the posts and won Souths the game. Churchill would take no part in Souths' 1955 finals campaign.

Teams
Balmain
48th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Norm "Latchem" Robinson
Captain: Bill Marsh
Canterbury-Bankstown
21st season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Coach: Vic Hey
Captain: Ray Gartner 		Eastern Suburbs
48th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Frank O'Connor
Captain: Noel Pidding 		Manly-Warringah
9th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Pat Devery
Captain: Roy Bull
Newtown
48th season
Ground: Henson Park
Capt./Coach: Dick Poole
North Sydney
48th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Rex Harrison
Captain: George Martin 		Parramatta
9th season
Ground: Cumberland Oval
Captain-Coach: Johnny Slade		 South Sydney
48th season
Ground: Redfern Oval
Capt./Coach: Jack Rayner
St. George
35th season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Captain-Coach: Ken Kearney		 Western Suburbs
48th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Captain-Coach: Keith Holman

Ladder
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Newtown 181413376179+19729
2 St. George 181404396247+14928
3 Manly-Warringah 181116332245+8723
4 South Sydney 181107367260+10722
5 North Sydney 181008345278+6720
6 Eastern Suburbs 18819342325+1717
7 Balmain 18819384381+317
8 Parramatta 185013258365-10710
9 Canterbury-Bankstown 184014167414-2478
10 Western Suburbs 183015186459-2736

Finals
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Semi Finals
Manly-Warringah 12–14 South Sydney 27 August 1955 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 35,677
Newtown 11–8 St. George 3 September 1955 Sydney Cricket Ground Darcy Lawler 34,158
Preliminary Final
St. George 14–18 South Sydney 10 September 1955 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce 41,583
Grand Final
Newtown 11–12 South Sydney 17 September 1955 Sydney Cricket Ground Col Pearce 42,466

Grand Final
Newtown Position South Sydney
Gordon CliffordFBDon Murdoch
Kevin ConsidineWGIan Moir
Dick Poole (Ca./Co.)CEMartin Gallagher
Brian ClayCEMalcolm Spencer
Ray PrestonWGDale Puren
Ray KellyFEJohn Dougherty
Bobby WhittonHBCol Donohoe
Les HampsonPRDenis Donoghue
Greg EllisHKErnie Hammerton
Don StaitPRNorm Nilson
Frank NarvoSRBernie Purcell
Henry HollowaySRJack Rayner (Ca./Co.)
Peter RyanLKLes Cowie

After their incredible nine game end-of-season run and having come from behind in both their semi-finals it looked unlikely that Souths’ fairytale would end happily on Grand Final day. They were without stars Clive Churchill and Greg Hawick. Newtown were the minor premiers and had eleven of their 1954 Grand Final side back for the 1955 decider, all fit, experienced and keen to avenge their 1954 loss.

The 1955 Grand Final was very closely fought out. Souths trailed 4–8 at half-time and the Bluebags looked home with an 11–7 lead with ten minutes remaining. In the final moments captain-coach Jack Rayner managed to win a strike in the play-the-ball and toed it through. Newtown lock Peter Ryan fumbled and again Rayner got the boot to it. Souths halfback Col Donohoe won the race and grounded the ball next to the posts, enabling an easy conversion by Bernie Purcell for the Rabbitohs to take a one-point lead.[2]

A last gasp long-range penalty goal attempt from Bluebags fullback Gordon Clifford was unsuccessful and Souths won by a single point. Despite being the best performed side for two successive seasons Newtown had nothing in the trophy cabinet to show for it. Souths had timed an extraordinary premiership run to absolute perfection.

Jack Rayner's fifth grand final win that day stands along with Ken Kearney's five wins by 1960 as the most number of grand final successes by an individual as captain. As captain-coach for all of those wins Rayner was thus also the first man to coach a side to five grand final victories, a record subsequently matched by Jack Gibson and beaten in 2006 by Wayne Bennett.

South Sydney 12 Tries: Moir, Donohoe. Goals: Purcell 3.

Newtown 11 Try: Considine. Goals: Clifford 3. Field Goal: Clifford

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References
  1. Goodman, Tom. "Churchill decides not to play in R.L. Grand Final". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 13. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  2. Clarkson, Alan (1986-09-26). "The best Grand Finals I've seen". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. p. 77. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
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