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1956 NSWRFL season

{{Short description|Rugby league competition}}

{{Use Australian English|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox rugby league season

| year = 1956

| competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League

| image =

| imagesize = 125px

| caption =

| teams = 10

| premiers = 16x16px St. George

| count = 3rd

| minor premiers = 16x16px St. George

| mpcount = 3rd

| matches = 95

| points = 3096

| attendance =

| top point scorer = 16x16px Doug Fleming (189)

| top try scorer = 16x16px Tommy Ryan (19)

| wooden_spoon = Parramatta

| wooden_spoon_count = 4th

| prevseason_link = 1955 NSWRFL season

| prevseason_year = 1955

| nextseason_link = 1957 NSWRFL season

| nextseason_year = 1957

}}

1956's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 49th season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Ten teams from across the city competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a Grand Final between St. George and Balmain.

Season summary

=Teams=

align="center" class="toccolours" style="text-valign: center;" cellpadding=3 cellspacing=2
width=195|

!width=195|

!width=195|

!width=195|

!width=195|

align="center"|BalmainImage:Balmain Jersey 1953.png

49th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval

Coach: Norman Robinson
Captain: Brian Staunton

|align="center"|Canterbury-BankstownImage:Canterbury-Bankstown Jersey 1938.png

22nd season
Ground: Belmore Oval

Coach: Vic Hey
Captain: Col Geelan

|align="center"|Eastern SuburbsImage:Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1954.png

49th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground

Coach: Frank O'Connor
Captain: Kevin Hansen

|align="center"|Manly-WarringahImage:Manly-Warringah Jersey 1956.png

10th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval

Coach: Pat Devery
Captain: George Hunter

|align="center"|NewtownImage:Newtown Jersey 1915.png

49th season
Ground: Henson Park

Captain-Coach: Dick Poole

align="center"|North SydneyImage:North Sydney Jersey 1954.png

49th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval

Coach: Bruce Ryan
Captain: Trevor Allan

|align="center"|ParramattaImage:Parramatta Jersey 1953.png

10th season
Ground: Cumberland Oval

Coach: Cec Fifield
Captain: Graham Laird

|align="center"|South SydneyImage:South Sydney Jersey 1930.png

49th season
Ground: Redfern Oval

Coach: Jack Rayner
Captain: Les Cowie

|align="center"|St. GeorgeImage:St George Jersey 1948.png

36th season
Ground: Kogarah Oval

Coach: Norm Tipping
Captain: Ken Kearney

|align="center"|Western SuburbsImage:Western Suburbs Jersey 1953.png

49th season
Ground: Pratten Park

Coach: Jack Walsh
Captain: Keith Holman

Regular season

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:85%; text-align:center; width:90%"
valign="top"

!valign="middle"| Team

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! F1

! F2

! F3

! F4

! GF

align="left"| Balmain

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+4

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+27

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+23

|style="background:#cfc;" |NEW
+4

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+13

|style="background:#cfc;" |WES
+3

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−35

|style="background:#cfc;" |STG
+11

|style="background:#cfc;" |MAN
+6

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+4

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+6

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NOR
−1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−5

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+9

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−14

|style="background:#cfc;" |SOU
+2

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−14

|style="background:#cfc;" |MAN
+9

|style="background:#99ccff;"|X

|style="background:#99ccff;"|X

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−5

|style="background:#cfc;" |SOU
+3

|style="background:#D3D3D3;"|STG
−6

align="left"| Canterbury-Bankstown

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−19

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−27

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−26

|style="background:#cfc;" |MAN
+3

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|PAR
−1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−5

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−2

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|EAS
−17

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−14

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−6

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−19

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|MAN
−3

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+18

|style="background:#cfc;" |SOU
+1

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−10

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+8

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

align="left"| Eastern Suburbs

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NOR
−5

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−26

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−24

|style="background:#cfc;" |WES
+2

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−13

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−36

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|MAN
−15

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+7

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+17

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+8

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−8

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−6

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−19

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−9

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−9

|style="background:#E6E7CE |MAN
0

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|CBY
−8

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

align="left"| Manly-Warringah

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−3

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−5

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+22

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|CBY
−3

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+33

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−25

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+15

|style="background:#cfc;" |WES
+10

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−6

|style="background:#E6E7CE |STG
0

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−4

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+23

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+3

|style="background:#E6E7CE |NOR
0

|style="background:#cfc;" |NEW
+8

|style="background:#E6E7CE |EAS
0

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−5

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−9

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

align="left"| Newtown

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−5

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+26

|style="background:#cfc;" |WES
+9

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−4

|style="background:#cfc;" |STG
+10

|style="background:#cfc;" |MAN
+25

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+28

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+2

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+22

|style="background:#cfc;" |SOU
+13

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+8

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−8

|style="background:#cfc;" |BAL
+5

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−24

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|MAN
−8

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|PAR
−4

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+10

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NOR
−1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−5

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

align="left"| North Sydney

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+5

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−23

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−4

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|MAN
−33

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|PAR
−4

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|CBY
−1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−8

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−22

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|EAS
−8

|style="background:#cfc;" |WES
+10

|style="background:#cfc;" |BAL
+1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−12

|style="background:#E6E7CE |MAN
0

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+7

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|CBY
−1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−13

|style="background:#cfc;" |NEW
+1

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

align="left"| Parramatta

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−4

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−20

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|MAN
−22

|style="background:#cfc;" |SOU
+3

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+1

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+4

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−28

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|EAS
−7

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−23

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−4

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−11

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|MAN
−23

|style="background:#E6E7CE |SOU
0

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|CBY
−18

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NOR
−7

|style="background:#cfc;" |NEW
+4

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|EAS
−1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−1

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

align="left"| South Sydney

|style="background:#cfc;" |NEW
+5

|style="background:#cfc;" |MAN
+5

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+24

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|PAR
−3

|style="background:#cfc;" |WES
+3

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+5

|style="background:#cfc;" |BAL
+35

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+8

|style="background:#cfc;" |STG
+22

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−13

|style="background:#cfc;" |MAN
+4

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+6

|style="background:#E6E7CE |PAR
0

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−9

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|CBY
−1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−2

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+13

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−3

|style="background:#99ccff;"|X

|style="background:#cfc;" |WES
+38

|style="background:#99ccff;"|X

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−3

|style="background:#808080;"|

align="left"| St. George

|style="background:#cfc;" |MAN
+3

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+20

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+26

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+4

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−10

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+36

|style="background:#cfc;" |WES
+27

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−11

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−22

|style="background:#E6E7CE |MAN
0

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+11

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+19

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+12

|style="background:#cfc;" |NEW
+24

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+9

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|WES
−6

|style="background:#cfc;" |BAL
+14

|style="background:#cfc;" |SOU
+3

|style="background:#99ccff;"|X

|style="background:#99ccff;"|X

|style="background:#cfc;" |BAL
+5

|style="background:#99ccff;"|X

|style="background:#FFD700;"|BAL
+6

align="left"| Western Suburbs

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+19

|style="background:#cfc;" |NOR
+1

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NEW
−9

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|EAS
−2

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−3

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|BAL
−3

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|STG
−27

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|MAN
−10

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+23

|style="background:#cfc;" |CBY
+14

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|NOR
−10

|style="background:#cfc;" |NEW
+8

|style="background:#cfc;" |EAS
+19

|style="background:#cfc;" |SOU
+9

|style="background:#cfc;" |BAL
+14

|style="background:#cfc;" |STG
+6

|style="background:#cfc;" |MAN
+5

|style="background:#cfc;" |PAR
+1

|style="background:#cfc;" |NEW
+5

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|SOU
−38

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

|style="background:#808080;"|

valign="top"

!valign="middle"| Team

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! F1

! F2

! F3

! F4

! GF

Bold – Home game

X – Bye

Opponent for round listed above margin

=Ladder=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
width=20 abbr="Position×" |

!width=175 |Team

!width=20 abbr="Played" |Pld

!width=20 abbr="Won" |W

!width=20 abbr="Drawn" |D

!width=20 abbr="Lost" |L

!width=20 abbr="Points for" |PF

!width=20 abbr="Points against" |PA

!width=20 abbr="Points difference" |PD

!width=20 abbr="Points" |Pts

style="background: #ccffcc;"

|1

style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px St. George

|18

1314398239+15927
style="background: #ccffcc;"

|2

style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px Balmain

|18

1305293241+5226
style="background: #ccffcc;"

|3

style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px South Sydney

|18

1116364265+9923
style="background: #ccffcc;"

|4

style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px Newtown

|18

1107333229+10422
style="background: #ccffcc;"

|5

style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px Western Suburbs

|18

1107276221+5522
6style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px Manly

|18

738323269+5417
7style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px Canterbury

|18

6012235352|
11712
8style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px North Sydney

|18

5112218324|
10611
9style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px Eastern Suburbs

|18

5112211354|
14311
10style="text-align:left;"| 16x16px Parramatta

|18

4113224381|
1579

=Ladder progression=

  • Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 4.
  • Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
  • Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; line-height: 90%; font-size:90%;" width=100%
width=20 abbr="Position" |

!width=250 |Team

!width=20 abbr="Round 1" |1

!width=20 abbr="Round 2" |2

!width=20 abbr="Round 3" |3

!width=20 abbr="Round 4" |4

!width=20 abbr="Round 5" |5

!width=20 abbr="Round 6" |6

!width=20 abbr="Round 7" |7

!width=20 abbr="Round 8" |8

!width=20 abbr="Round 9" |9

!width=20 abbr="Round 10" |10

!width=20 abbr="Round 11" |11

!width=20 abbr="Round 12" |12

!width=20 abbr="Round 13" |13

!width=20 abbr="Round 14" |14

!width=20 abbr="Round 15" |15

!width=20 abbr="Round 16" |16

!width=20 abbr="Round 17" |17

!width=20 abbr="Round 18" |18

1style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|St. George|size=16}} St. George2style="background: #ccffcc;"|4style="background: #ccffcc;"|6style="background: #ccffcc;"|8style="background: #ccffcc;"|8style="background: #ccffcc;"|10style="background: #99ccff;"|12style="background: #ccffcc;"|12style="background: #ccffcc;"|12style="background: #ccffcc;"|13style="background: #ccffcc;"|15style="background: #ccffcc;"|17style="background: #ccffcc;"|19style="background: #ccffcc;"|21style="background: #99ccff;"|23style="background: #ccffcc;"|23style="background: #99ccff;"|25style="background: #99ccff;"|27
2style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|Balmain|size=16}} Balmainstyle="background: #ccffcc;"|2style="background: #99ccff;"|4style="background: #99ccff;"|6style="background: #99ccff;"|8style="background: #99ccff;"|10style="background: #99ccff;"|12style="background: #ccffcc;"|12style="background: #ccffcc;"|14style="background: #ccffcc;"|16style="background: #99ccff;"|18style="background: #99ccff;"|20style="background: #ccffcc;"|20style="background: #ccffcc;"|20style="background: #99ccff;"|22style="background: #ccffcc;"|22style="background: #99ccff;"|24style="background: #ccffcc;"|24style="background: #ccffcc;"|26
3style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|South Sydney|size=16}} South Sydneystyle="background: #ccffcc;"|2style="background: #ccffcc;"|4style="background: #ccffcc;"|6style="background: #ccffcc;"|6style="background: #ccffcc;"|8style="background: #ccffcc;"|10style="background: #ccffcc;"|12style="background: #99ccff;"|14style="background: #99ccff;"|16style="background: #ccffcc;"|16style="background: #ccffcc;"|18style="background: #99ccff;"|20style="background: #99ccff;"|21style="background: #ccffcc;"|21style="background: #ccffcc;"|21style="background: #ccffcc;"|21style="background: #ccffcc;"|23style="background: #ccffcc;"|23
4style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|Newtown|size=16}} Newtown02style="background: #ccffcc;"|4style="background: #ccffcc;"|4style="background: #ccffcc;"|6style="background: #ccffcc;"|8style="background: #ccffcc;"|10style="background: #ccffcc;"|12style="background: #ccffcc;"|14style="background: #ccffcc;"|16style="background: #ccffcc;"|18style="background: #ccffcc;"|18style="background: #ccffcc;"|20style="background: #ccffcc;"|20style="background: #ccffcc;"|20style="background: #ccffcc;"|20style="background: #ccffcc;"|22style="background: #ccffcc;"|22
5style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|Western Suburbs|size=16}} Western Suburbsstyle="background: #99ccff;"|2style="background: #ccffcc;"|4444444688101214161820style="background: #ccffcc;"|22
6style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|Manly|size=16}} Manly-Warringah0022446889911131416171717
7style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|Canterbury|size=16}} Canterbury-Bankstownstyle="background: #ffcccc;"|0style="background: #ffcccc;"|0style="background: #ffcccc;"|0style="background: #ffcccc;"|2style="background: #ffcccc;"|224444style="background: #ffcccc;"|4style="background: #ffcccc;"|4style="background: #ffcccc;"|4style="background: #ffcccc;"|68101012
8style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|North Sydney|size=16}} North Sydneystyle="background: #ccffcc;"|2222222style="background: #ffcccc;"|2style="background: #ffcccc;"|2style="background: #ffcccc;"|2466799911
9style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|Eastern Suburbs|size=16}} Eastern Suburbs00022style="background: #ffcccc;"|2style="background: #ffcccc;"|24688888891111
10style="text-align:left;"|{{leagueicon|Parramatta|size=16}} Parramatta00024666666677style="background: #ffcccc;"|7style="background: #ffcccc;"|9style="background: #ffcccc;"|9style="background: #ffcccc;"|9

Finals

border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%; text-align:center;" cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 width=100%
bgcolor=#C1D8FF

!rowspan=2 width=21%|Home

!rowspan=2 width=6%|Score

!rowspan=2 width=21%|Away

!colspan=6|Match Information

bgcolor=#EFEFEF

!width=17%|Date and Time

!width=17%|Venue

!width=11%|Referee

!width=7%|Crowd

bgcolor="#D0E7FF"

| colspan=7 | Playoff

bgcolor=#F5FAFF

|align=left | 23x23px Newtown

|5–10

|align=left | 23x23px Western Suburbs

|14 August 1956

|Redfern Oval

|

|20,920

bgcolor="#D0E7FF"

| colspan=7 | Semifinals

bgcolor=#F5FAFF

|align=left | 23x23px South Sydney

|45–7

|align=left | 23x23px Western Suburbs

|18 August 1956

|Sydney Cricket Ground

|Col Pearce

|51,775

bgcolor=#F5FAFF

|align=left | 23x23px St. George

|30–25

|align=left | 23x23px Balmain

|25 August 1956

|Sydney Cricket Ground

|Col Pearce

|37,339

bgcolor="#D0E7FF"

| colspan=7 | Preliminary Final

bgcolor=#F5FAFF

|align=left | 23x23px Balmain

|36–33

|align=left | 23x23px South Sydney

|1 September 1956

|Sydney Cricket Ground

|Darcy Lawler

|42,350

bgcolor="#D0E7FF"

| colspan=7 | Grand Final

bgcolor=#F5FAFF

|align=left | 23x23px St. George

|18–12

|align=left | 23x23px Balmain

|8 September 1956

|Sydney Cricket Ground

|Darcy Lawler

|61,987

=Grand Final=

align="right" class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; margin-left:1em"
bgcolor="#FF0033"

! style="width:140px; border:3px solid red; background: white; color: red"|St George

! style="width:40px; text-align:center; background:#eee; color:black;"|Position

! style="width:140px; border:3px solid black; background: #f60; color: black"|Balmain

align=center

|

  1. Doug Fleming

| FB

# Keith Barnes
align=center

| 2. Ross Kite

WG2. Arthur Lorimer
align=center

| 3. Merv Lees

CE3. Geoff Hawkey
align=center

| 4. Kevin O'Brien

CE4. Kevin Mosman
align=center

| 5. Tommy Ryan

WG5. Terry McGovern
align=center

| 6. Peter Carroll

FE6. Bill Harris
align=center

| 7. Bob Bugden

HB7. Brian Staunton (c)
align=center

| 13. Kevin Brown

PR13. Jack Moon
align=center

| 12. Ken Kearney (c)

HK12. Neville Watt
align=center

| 11. Bryan Orrock

PR11. Robert Heaney
align=center

| 26.Harry Melville

SR10. Ron "Jake" Moses
align=center

| 9. Norm Provan

SR9. Ron Potter
align=center

| 10. Billy Wilson

LK8. Gus Gray
align=center

| Norm Tipping

CoachNorman Robinson

Up and coming Balmain fullback Keith Barnes came into the game with confidence, having booted 17 goals in his previous two games. In the most recent of those contests, the preliminary final against South Sydney, Tigers half-back, playmaker and captain Brian Staunton had been flattened by a Clive Churchill stiffarm tackle and as a consequence was still out-of-sorts on grand final day.

St George centre Merv Lees cracked his collar bone in a tackle in the 13th minute and hardman prop Billy Wilson moved out from the pack to play in the centres in spite of being constrained himself with a knee ligament injury. Wilson tormented Hawkey and Mosman in both attack and defence and set up both his own wingers for a number of long dashes. He was later selected by his teammates as Man of the Match with Kevin Brown, Bob Bugden and Norm Provan also starring in the game.

The sides were evenly matched for the first 38 minutes before a backline move from a scrum saw Dragons winger Tommy Ryan draw Barnes and pass to prop Kevin Brown who had freed himself from the scrum to be present in support.

Tries to Bugden and Kevin O'Brien came quickly after the break with Harry Melville's final try for the Dragons 18 minutes into the second half putting the game out of the Tigers' reach. Staunton responded with his second try for Balmain late in the game.

Norm Tipping had coached the Dragons to an excellent season result of 15 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw but would be ousted regardless from the coaching job shortly after the grand final. He was the loser in a power struggle with Dragons on-field leader Ken Kearney who that year had captained Australia to a three Test whitewash of New Zealand, had captained New South Wales to state victory over Queensland, won the Sunday Telegraph's Player of the Year award and ultimately captained the Saints to a premiership. Kearney had lost the coaching role to Tipping at the end of the 1955 season. At the end of 1956 the St George committee chose to back Kearney's fine football brain and his advanced English-learned strategies on attack, defense and conditioning in choosing him as their captain-coach to go forward. In the process they laid the foundation for the Dragons' record-breaking premiership stranglehold.

St George 18 (Tries: O'Brien, Bugden, Brown, Melville. Goals: Fleming 3.)

Balmain 12 (Tries: Staunton 2. Goals: Barnes 3.)

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

Top 5 point scorers

class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
width=50 |Points

!width=200 |Player

!width=30 |Tries

!width=30 |Goals

!width=30 |Field Goals

171

|{{leagueicon|St. George}} Doug Fleming

|align=center|3

|align=center|80

|align=center|1

158

|{{leagueicon|Manly}} Ron Willey

|align=center|2

|align=center|76

|align=center|0

140

|{{leagueicon|Balmain}} Keith Barnes

|align=center|0

|align=center|70

|align=center|0

122

|{{leagueicon|Canterbury}} John Kell

|align=center|0

|align=center|61

|align=center|0

120

|{{leagueicon|North Sydney}} Alan Arkey

|align=center|0

|align=center|59

|align=center|1

Top 5 try scorers

class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
width=50 |Tries

!width=200 |Player

16

|{{leagueicon|St. George}} Tommy Ryan

14

|{{leagueicon|St. George}} Kevin O'Brien

14

|{{leagueicon|Newtown}} Kevin Considine

14

|{{leagueicon|Manly}} Ray Ritchie

13

|{{leagueicon|Newtown}} Ray Preston

{{col-2}}

Top 5 goal scorers

class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
width=50 |Goals

!width=200 |Player

80

|{{leagueicon|St. George}} Doug Fleming

76

|{{leagueicon|Manly}} Ron Willey

70

|{{leagueicon|Balmain}} Keith Barnes

61

|{{leagueicon|Canterbury}} John Kell

59

|{{leagueicon|North Sydney}} Alan Arkey

{{col-end}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20070323001227/http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1956.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1956] The World of Rugby League
  • Writer, Larry (1995) Never Before, Never Again, Pan MacMillan, Sydney
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20120319201723/http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1951-1960.html Results: 1951-60 at rabbitohs.com.au]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20120223185254/http://www.rleague.com//db/year/1956/j_j_giltinan_shield/index.php 1956 J J Giltinan Shield at rleague.com]
  • [https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nswrfl-1956/summary.html NSWRFL season 1956 at rugbyleagueproject.org]
  • [http://www.showroom.com.au/dragons/dragonshistory/history_stgeorge4a.htm#1956 1956 Final at Dragons History site]

{{St. George Dragons squad 1956 NSWRFL premiership}}

{{National Rugby League seasons}}

Category:New South Wales Rugby League premiership

Nswrfl season