1934 NSWRFL season

The 1934 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twenty-seventh season of Sydney’s top-grade rugby league club competition, Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested the premiership during the season which lasted from April until September and culminated in Western Suburbs’ victory over Eastern Suburbs in the premiership final.[1]

1934 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams8
Premiers Western Suburbs (2nd title)
Minor premiers Eastern Suburbs (5th title)
Matches played60
Points scored1823
Top points scorer(s) Dave Brown (121)
Top try-scorer(s) Dave Brown (11)
Fred Gardner (11)
Vic Hey (11)

Season summary

At the height of The Depression, the New South Wales Rugby Football League again banned radio broadcasts of matches, blaming them for a severe drop in crowd numbers.

In Round 2 the University club began a losing streak which would run until the fourteenth round of the 1936 season, marking the record for the most consecutive losses in premiership history at 42.

Teams
Balmain

27th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: George Robinson
Captain: Syd Christensen

 Eastern Suburbs

27th season
Ground: Trumper Oval, Sports Ground
Coach: Arthur Halloway
Captain: Dave Brown

 Newtown

27th season
Ground: Marrickville Oval
Coach: Charles Russell
Captain: Keith Ellis

 North Sydney

27th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Herman Peters
Captain: Doug Deitz

St. George

14th season
Ground: Earl Park
Coach: Albert Johnston
Captain: Harry Kadwell

 South Sydney

27th season
Ground: Sports Ground
Coach: Charlie Lynch
Captain: George Treweek

 University

15th season
Captain-Coach: Gordon Favelle

 Western Suburbs

27th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Captain-coach: Frank McMillan

Ladder
The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1934 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Eastern Suburbs 141202308165+14324
2 Western Suburbs 141202263158+10524
3 St. George 14905251166+8518
4 South Sydney 14806213149+6416
5 Newtown 14509192229-3710
6 North Sydney 14509194234-4010
7 Balmain 144010206275-698
8 Sydney University 141013113364-2512

Finals

In the two semi finals, the top two ranked teams Western Suburbs and Eastern Suburbs beat their lower-ranked opponents St. George and South Sydney. The two winners then played in a final in which Western beat Eastern Suburbs.

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
18 August 1934 - Sports Ground
 
 
 Western Suburbs 16
 
8 September 1934 - Sports Ground[2]
 
 St. George 6
 
 Western Suburbs 15
 
25 August 1934 - Sports Ground
 
 Eastern Suburbs 12
 
 Eastern Suburbs 19
 
 
 South Sydney 6
 

Premiership Final
Eastern Suburbs Position Western Suburbs
13. Tom DowlingFB
  1. Frank McMillan (Ca./Co.)
12. John LaneWG 2. Alan Ridley
11. Dave Brown (c)CE 9. Charlie Cornwell
10. Jack BeatonCE 4. Stan Tancred
42. Harry ThompsonWG 5. Alan Brady
8. Ernie NormanFE 6. Vic Hey
7. Viv ThicknesseHB 7. Les Mead
16. Ray StehrPR 10. Jack McConnell
  1. Tom McLachlan
 HK 12. Bob Lindfield
3. Max NixonPR 13. Alan Blake
4. Harry PierceSR 3. Vince Sheehan
5. Joe PearceSR 17. Max Gray
6. Andy NorvalLK 8. Frank Sponberg
Arthur Halloway Coach

After a hurried conference on Saturday, 1 September 1934, the league postponed the final for a week because of heavy rain and adverse ground conditions. It was the first postponement in the competition’s twenty-seven-year history. Eastern Suburbs players Viv Thicknesse and Stan Tancred made a return for the final which was refereed by J Murphy before a crowd of 25,174.

Western Suburbs captain Frank McMillan won the toss and ran with the wind before Les Mead opened with a penalty goal. Regular stoppages for infringements ensued before Jack Beaton kicked accurately to level the match at 2–2. Western Suburbs Test winger Alan Ridley scored the first try of the match, crashing over on the right wing after powering through the defence. McMillan’s conversion made it 7–2, with the score remaining unchanged at halftime.

After the break, Thicknesse hit back for Eastern Suburbs and crossed after excellent lead up work by Joe Pearce. Beaton missed the conversion but Dave Brown steered through a penalty from a scrum infringement shortly after and the scores were level at 7–7. Rain began to fall as Western Suburbs gathered momentum. The play shifted to Easts’ line and Vince Sheehan crossed for an unconverted try and Western Suburbs led 10–7. Eastern Suburbs continued to defend grimly before Western Suburbs surged to a comfortable 15–7 lead. Vic Hey received a lobbed pass and got the ball to Alan Ridley who scored under the upright for Mead to convert. The Roosters’ chances came in the final stages and Andy Norval crossed for his team’s second try, although the referee appeared to miss a blatant knock-on. Beaton converted but it was all too late, with Western Suburbs claiming their second premiership.

Frank McMillan 1934 premiership winning captain, to his right Alan Brady and Charlie Cornwell

A great victory by a great team who upset the star-studded Eastern Suburbs, who went on to win the next three titles. Alan Ridley played one of the best games for Western Suburbs along with team-mates Mead, Hey, Brady, Tancred. Current test skipper Frank McMillan (141 games) and hooker Bob Lindfield (138 matches) announced their retirement after the victory and were chaired from the field by team-mates.

Western Suburbs 15 (Tries: Alan Ridley 2, Vince Sheehan. Goals: Les Mead 2, Frank McMillan)

Eastern Suburbs 12 (Tries: Andy Norval, Viv Thicknesse. Goals: Jack Beaton 2, Dave Brown)

References
  1. Premiership Roll of Honour Archived 2007-04-28 at the Wayback Machine at rl1908.com
  2. Wests def. Sydney Roosters (15-12) - 08-Sep-1934 at nrlstats.com
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