| Year: | 1955 |
| Competition: | New South Wales Rugby Football League |
| Teams: | 10 |
| Count: | 16th |
| Mpcount: | 6th |
| Matches: | 94 |
| Points: | 3253 |
| Top Point Scorer: | Doug Fleming (185) |
| Top Try Scorer: | Brian Allsop (18) Ian Moir (18) |
| Prevseason Link: | 1954 NSWRFL season |
| Prevseason Year: | 1954 |
| Nextseason Link: | 1956 NSWRFL season |
| Nextseason Year: | 1956 |
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]
Halfway through the 1955 season Souths were in equal 9th place having won just three of ten matches. From that point they didn't lose another game, winning eight season encounters in a row before the finals. Eventually they finished 4th. 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.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | F1 | F2 | F3 | GF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balmain | MAN +2 | NEW +4 | SOU −18 | PAR −12 | WES +22 | STG −3 | NOR −4 | CBY +6 | EAS −4 | MAN 0 | NEW +4 | SOU −8 | PAR +16 | WES +13 | STG −2 | NOR −13 | CBY +4 | EAS +8 | |||||
| Canterbury-Bankstown | WES −9 | STG −17 | NOR +2 | SOU −25 | EAS −3 | MAN −17 | NEW −25 | BAL +6 | PAR +5 | WES +3 | STG −18 | NOR −28 | SOU −34 | EAS −34 | MAN −26 | NEW −10 | BAL −4 | PAR −13 | |||||
| Eastern Suburbs | PAR +19 | WES −13 | STG −4 | NOR −19 | CBY +3 | SOU +3 | MAN −7 | NEW 0 | BAL +4 | PAR +26 | WES +18 | STG −7 | NOR −4 | CBY +34 | SOU −11 | MAN +1 | NEW −18 | BAL −8 | |||||
| Manly-Warringah | BAL −2 | PAR +6 | WES +46 | STG −18 | NOR +4 | CBY +17 | EAS +7 | SOU +12 | NEW −44 | BAL 0 | PAR −2 | WES +26 | STG +3 | NOR +2 | CBY +26 | EAS −1 | SOU −2 | NEW +7 | SOU −2 | ||||
| Newtown | SOU +23 | BAL −4 | PAR +3 | WES +17 | STG +6 | NOR +10 | CBY +25 | EAS 0 | MAN +44 | SOU +1 | BAL −4 | PAR +17 | WES +26 | STG +5 | NOR +7 | CBY +10 | EAS +18 | MAN −7 | X | STG +3 | X | SOU −1 | |
| North Sydney | STG −10 | SOU +8 | CBY −2 | EAS +19 | MAN −4 | NEW −10 | BAL +4 | PAR +7 | WES +22 | STG −11 | SOU −15 | CBY +28 | EAS +4 | MAN −2 | NEW −7 | BAL +13 | PAR +1 | WES +22 | |||||
| Parramatta | EAS −19 | MAN −6 | NEW −3 | BAL +12 | SOU +9 | WES −4 | STG −8 | NOR −7 | CBY −5 | EAS −26 | MAN +2 | NEW −17 | BAL −16 | SOU −22 | WES +20 | STG −29 | NOR −1 | CBY +13 | |||||
| South Sydney | NEW −23 | NOR −8 | BAL +18 | CBY +25 | PAR −9 | EAS −3 | WES +25 | MAN −12 | STG −18 | NEW −1 | NOR +15 | BAL +8 | CBY +34 | PAR +22 | EAS +11 | WES +11 | MAN +2 | STG +10 | MAN +2 | X | STG +4 | NEW +1 | |
| St. George | NOR +10 | CBY +17 | EAS +4 | MAN +18 | NEW −6 | BAL +3 | PAR +8 | WES +13 | SOU +18 | NOR +11 | CBY +18 | EAS +7 | MAN −3 | NEW −5 | BAL +2 | PAR +29 | WES +15 | SOU −10 | X | NEW −3 | SOU −4 | ||
| Western Suburbs | CBY +9 | EAS +13 | MAN −46 | NEW −17 | BAL −22 | PAR +4 | SOU −25 | STG −13 | NOR −22 | CBY −3 | EAS −18 | MAN −26 | NEW −26 | BAL −13 | PAR −20 | SOU −11 | STG −15 | NOR −22 | |||||
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | F1 | F2 | F3 | GF |
| width=25 abbr="Position×" | width=200 | Team | width=25 abbr="Played" | Pld | width=25 abbr="Won" | W | width=25 abbr="Drawn" | D | width=25 abbr="Lost" | L | width=25 abbr="Points for" | PF | width=25 abbr="Points against" | PA | width=25 abbr="Points difference" | PD | width=25 abbr="Points" | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newtown | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 376 | 179 | +197 | 29 | ||||||||||
| 2 | St. George | 18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 396 | 247 | +149 | 28 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Manly-Warringah | 18 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 332 | 245 | +87 | 23 | ||||||||||
| 4 | South Sydney | 18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 367 | 260 | +107 | 22 | ||||||||||
| 5 | North Sydney | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 345 | 278 | +67 | 20 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern Suburbs | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 342 | 325 | +17 | 17 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Balmain | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 384 | 381 | +3 | 17 | ||||||||||
| 8 | Parramatta | 18 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 258 | 365 | -107 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 18 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 167 | 414 | -247 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Western Suburbs | 18 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 186 | 459 | -273 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=17% | Date and Time | width=17% | Venue | width=11% | Referee | width=7% | Crowd | ||
| Semifinals | |||||||||
| align=left | Manly-Warringah | 12–14 | align=left | South Sydney | 27 August 1955 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Darcy Lawler | 35,677 | |
| align=left | Newtown | 11–8 | align=left | St. George | 3 September 1955 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Darcy Lawler | 34,158 | |
| Preliminary Final | |||||||||
| align=left | St. George | 14–18 | align=left | South Sydney | 10 September 1955 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Col Pearce | 41,583 | |
| Grand Final | |||||||||
| align=left | Newtown | 11–12 | align=left | South Sydney | 17 September 1955 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Col Pearce | 42,466 | |
| Newtown | Position | South Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| 15. Don Murdoch | ||
| WG | 12. Ian Moir | |
| 10. Dick Poole (Ca./Co.) | 11. Martin Gallagher | |
| CE | 18. Malcolm Spencer | |
| 29. Dale Puren | ||
| 14. John Dougherty | ||
| HB | 8. Col Donohoe | |
| 2. Ernie Hammerton | ||
| 25. Norm Nilson | ||
| SR | 4. Jack Rayner (Ca./Co.) | |
| 5. Bernie Purcell | ||
| 6. Les Cowie | ||
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 Gordon Clifford was unsuccessful (it passed between the posts but fractionally under the crossbar) 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 12Tries: Moir, Donohoe. Goals: Purcell 3.
Newtown 11Try: Considine. Goals: Clifford 3. Field Goal: Clifford
The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 18.Top 5 point scorers
| width=50 | Points | width=200 | Player | width=30 | Tries | width=30 | Goals | width=30 | Field Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 177 | Doug Fleming | 1 | 87 | 0 | |||||
| 168 | Gordon Clifford | 0 | 84 | 0 | |||||
| 140 | Angus Kellock | 0 | 70 | 0 | |||||
| 133 | Alan Arkey | 1 | 64 | 1 | |||||
| 123 | Keith Barnes | 1 | 60 | 0 |
| width=50 | Tries | width=200 | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Brian Allsop | ||
| 16 | Ian Moir | ||
| 16 | Dick Poole | ||
| 15 | Kevin Considine | ||
| 13 | Kevin O'Brien | ||
| 13 | Johnny Tenison |
| width=50 | Goals | width=200 | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | Doug Fleming | ||
| 84 | Gordon Clifford | ||
| 70 | Angus Kellock | ||
| 64 | Alan Arkey | ||
| 60 | Keith Barnes |