Definition
The 1939 NSWRFL season was the thirty‑second installment of the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) premiership, the premier rugby league competition in New South Wales, Australia, for that calendar year.
Overview
The competition featured eight clubs: Balmain, Canterbury‑Bankstown, Eastern Suburbs, Newtown, North Sydney, South Sydney, St George, and Western Suburbs. The season commenced in April 1939 and concluded with the grand final in September 1939. Balmain finished the regular season as minor premiers and subsequently won the grand final, securing their eighth NSWRFL premiership. The final was contested between Balmain and South Sydney, with Balmain emerging victorious by a considerable margin (the recorded score was 33 – 4). The season was conducted under the “right of challenge” finals system, which allowed the minor premiers the opportunity to challenge the winner of the preliminary final for the premiership title.
Etymology/Origin
- NSWRFL: An acronym for New South Wales Rugby Football League, the governing body established in 1907 to administer rugby league in New South Wales.
- 1939: Denotes the calendar year in which the competition took place, marking the 32nd season since the league’s inception in 1908.
Characteristics
- Competition Format: Each club played the others twice during the regular season, resulting in a double‑round robin schedule. Teams received two points for a win and one point for a draw.
- Finals Structure: The league employed the “right of challenge” system, wherein the minor premier could invoke a challenge match if they were defeated in the initial knockout finals.
- Premiership Outcome: Balmain’s victory added to their record as one of the most successful clubs of the early NSWRFL era.
- Notable Players: Prominent players of the season included Balmain’s captain‑coach Sid "Joe" Pearce, who later became a noted administrator, and South Sydney’s Benny Wearing, a prolific try‑scorer.
- Historical Context: The 1939 season occurred shortly before the outbreak of World War II, after which many players enlisted, and the competition experienced interruptions and reduced player availability in subsequent years.
Related Topics
- New South Wales Rugby Football League – the governing body and overall competition history.
- Balmain Tigers – the club that won the 1939 premiership; later merged to form the Wests Tigers.
- South Sydney Rabbitohs – the grand‑final runner‑up in 1939.
- 1938 NSWRFL season – the preceding season, notable for Canterbury‑Bankstown’s first premiership.
- 1940 NSWRFL season – the subsequent season, which was impacted by wartime conditions.