The 1932
New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twenty-fifth season of
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
’s top-level
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
competition, Australia’s first. During the season, which lasted from April until September, eight teams from across the city contested the premiership, culminating in
South Sydney’s victory over
Western Suburbs in the final.
Teams
*
Balmain, formed on January 23, 1908, at
Balmain Town Hall Balmain may refer to:
Places
* Balmain, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia
* Electoral district of Balmain, an electoral division in New South Wales, Australia
* Balmain East, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia
* Balmain Hou ...
*
Eastern Suburbs, formed on January 24, 1908, at
Paddington Town Hall
The Paddington Town Hall is a heritage-listed former town hall building located at 249 Oxford Street in the inner eastern Sydney suburb of Paddington, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Sir Henry Parkes ...
*
Newtown, formed on January 14, 1908
*
North Sydney, formed on February 7, 1908
*
South Sydney, formed on January 17, 1908, at
Redfern Town Hall
The Redfern Town Hall is a landmark sandstone civic building located in the heart of , New South Wales, Australia. built in 1870 and designed in the Victorian Regency style by George Allen Mansfield. It was the seat of the Municipality of Redfer ...
*
St. George, formed on November 8, 1920, at Kogarah School of Arts
*
Western Suburbs, formed on February 4, 1908
*
University
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
, formed in 1919 at
Sydney University
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
Ladder
Finals
In the two semi finals, the top two ranked teams
South Sydney and
Western Suburbs beat their lower-ranked opponents
Eastern Suburbs and
Balmain, respectively. The two winners then played in a final in which favourites and minor premiers South Sydney were beaten by Western Suburbs. However the finals system set in place then forced the final to be replayed, in what was known as the "Right of Challenge". This system ensured that in the event that the minor premiers lost in either the first or second round of the finals, then they would be given a second chance no matter what in what would later become the final premiership decider.
Grand Final
In the Grand Final, South Sydney beat Western Suburbs 19–12 to take away their seventh premiership in eight years.
The match was played on Saturday, 24 September, 1932 at the
Sydney Sports Ground
The Sydney Sports Ground No. 1 was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surr ...
and refereed by Lal Deane before a crowd of 16,925. It was a titanic battle in which Souths led 9–2 at half-time before Wests fought back to level at 12–12. Minutes from full-time a towering penalty goal by Benny Wearing edged Souths ahead 14–12 before they closed out the game with a converted try by Eric Lewis.
The Whiticker/Collis reference quotes a rather prosaic ''
Labor Daily''
["Whiticker & Collis p 36"] in praise of both sides: ''“The ebb and flow of the grand final thrilled thousands who saw a great battle. A battle of the gladiators, fighting till their lungs seemed only fit to burst, while over 16,000 people hearts beating wildly to the thump of running feet, looked on gasping, cheering and rising from their seats in sheer delight”.''
South Sydney 19 (Tries:
Jack Why
John Why (3 April 1903 – 14 May 1944) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. A New South Wales state and Australian national representative three-quarter back, he played in the NSWRFL Premiership for the ...
,
Alby Black,
Eric Lewis. Goals:
Benny Wearing
Benny Wearing (11 June 1901 – 9 April 1968) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. An Australian international and New South Wales representative three-quarter, he played his club football in the NSWRF ...
4,
Percy Williams)
Western Suburbs 12 (Tries:
Alan Ridley
Alan Ridley (1910–1993) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative winger, he played club football for Sydney's Western Suburbs, w ...
, Harry Rankine. Goals:
Les Mead 3)
References
External links
*
Whiticker, Alan & Collis, Ian (2006) ''The History of Rugby League Clubs'', New Holland, Sydney
Rugby League Tables - Notes''The World of Rugby League''
''AFL Tables''
''RL1908''
*
{{National Rugby League seasons
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
NSWRFL season