The turn of the tide
The complete 1944 Brisbane Rugby League season is now live on Redcap’s BRL. See how Valleys bounced back from the disappointment of 1943 to win another premiership in a season which marked the beginning of a shift in the BRL’s balance of power. A summary of every game, the teams and point-scorers are available by clicking on each round in the 1944 season page.
The end of the war was finally in sight after the D-Day landings in June, though things remained in a state of flux on the local rugby league scene.
Valleys got representative fullback Danny O’Connor back after a year away and then welcomed back veteran hooker Billy Whyte, who traded the jungles of New Guinea for the BRL Grand Final in September. They even picked up former St George forward Bill Summerell who played a key role in their drive to a 13th premiership.
But the Diehards could only occasionally count on their previous war-time recruits from Sydney, Henry Porter, Bob Farrar and Morry Howard as army duties were naturally a priority, and they came back to the pack after a mostly dominant performance in 1943.
Just two points separated first-placed Valleys from fifth-placed Wests and the table was an accurate reflection of the season. Valleys were basically marginally better than Souths and Norths, and had a better goal-kicker – O’Connor’s boot was important in a few games, including the 16-12 Grand Final victory over Norths.
The convergence in the standings was also a sign of a shift in the balance of power. Since Carlton’s last title in 1930, the north-side trio of Valleys, Norths and Brothers has shared 11 of 13 premierships between them. Wests had done their usual trick – popping up with an unexpected title, twice, but the last time was in 1936. Souths and Easts had experienced a mostly miserable decade or so.
After a frustrating season following their mini breakthrough in ’42, Souths’ fortunes turned upward. They won the pre-season Liberty Cup, lost narrowly to Norths in the Pike Cup Final, beat Valleys and Norths during the premiership season, and finished second overall. But the loss of key forward Nilsson and winger Ekelund damaged their chances in the finals. They were so close to a long-awaited title.
After a couple of seasons in the doldrums, Wests put together an interesting team, with hooker Cliff Green emerging as a quality rake, back-rower Bob Shelton back in town, and experienced five-eighth Stan Eisenhuth and classy winger Tom Olsen joining. The new-look team didn’t last long, but still, Wests were just a few years away from repeating their usual trick.
Easts had another annus horribilis in ’44, and were about to experience another in ’45. If you told an Easts supporter that the Tigers were on the brink of playing in six straight grand finals, they may well have questioned your sanity. Years of futility through the war, and quite probably observing Souths and Wests drag themselves out of the basement, would finally prompt the club to change direction.
And change was needed. It was now more than two decades since Coorparoo’s one and only title, and their successor, Easts had never really challenged. Souths long-awaited emergence would prove popular across town, especially with the rather dreamy Len Pegg leading the charge.
The tide was finally turning.
More complete BRL seasons are coming soon on Redcap’s BRL. Stay tuned…
Leave a Reply