Redcap's BRL

Everything goes south

The complete 1949 Brisbane Rugby League season is now live on Redcap’s BRL. See how Souths won their second premiership, overcoming Easts in a controversial grand final marred by the dismissal of Ron McLennan and a revolt by spectators against referee Cec Chambers. A summary of every game, the teams and point-scorers are available by clicking on each round in the 1949 season page.

An interesting story ran though much of the first half of the 1949 BRL season. It was something of a soap opera – the sort of thing that our many modern media shouting matches (social media, talk radio, television panel shows) would’ve gorged on for months.

Former Valleys winger Len Kenny had spent a couple of seasons playing in England, for Leeds and then St Helens. He scored bags of tries, as usual, and also got married.

When Mr and Mrs Kenny moved back to Brisbane in early 1949, the dashing winger immediately sought to re-register with Valleys. But the BRL was much much stricter about districts and residential qualifications than they had been during Kenny’s first stint in the BRL, and they had some doubts about his bona fides as a Valleys player.

Kenny had reportedly taken steps to demonstrate he was eligible, though it’s not entirely clear what these were. Had he rented a room, redirected his mail to a friend or relative, registered to vote in the Valley district or some combination of these and other things? Whatever the case, it was apparently well known that Mrs Kenny was still residing in Souths territory and either couldn’t or wouldn’t budge. Nobody believed Len’s claims to being a Valleyite.

If Kenny wanted to play, he’d have to do it for Souths, and he ultimately joined and improved an already formidable team. The Pegg Brothers, Bill Tyquin and Alan Thompson were still there from the 1945 premiership team. They’d been joined by clever half Bob White, emerging fullback Nev Lesina and prolific point-scorer Ian Jones, who’d evolved from a utility to the league’s best pivot. Harry Bath was gone but future Kangaroo Harold ‘Mick’ Crocker had emerged as a force in his own right.

Souths were clearly the strongest team. A retooled Easts and resurgent Brothers emerged as their main challengers. But both Easts and Brothers were stretched by the time they met for a knock-down-drag-out Preliminary Final on 27 August, which ultimately played right into Souths’ hands.

Still, it was a memorable occasion and a heroic victory by Easts who were missing players, including key centre Keith Brown. The semi-retired Nev Ryrie was drafted in to help and gun lock Ron McLennan forced to shift to the centres, seemingly weakening their pack against the ‘terrible six’ of Brothers, featuring veteran Kangaroo Eddie Brosnan and future Kangaroos Brian Davies and Jack Rooney, and marshalled by crafty half and future super coach Bob Bax.

The Grand Final is still remembered for the controversial send-off of McLennan and its aftermath. Referee Chambers was subjected to a hail of abuse from the stands and had to be escorted off the ground by police. The Sunday Mail reported that “it was only the strong police guard that saved the referee from attack by the crowd… The police took up positions outside Chambers’ dressing room and remained on guard until the ground was cleared”.

But for all the wailing, gnashing of teeth and threats toward the referee from the section of barbarians in attendance, Souths were too good, and surely would’ve been too good even for 13 of the battle-weary Tigers. They won the Grand Final comfortably and were richly deserved premiers.

Elsewhere, Wests the defending premiers slumped toward the bottom of the table, as they often did over the years. The loss of half Ron Miller to Norths and Hugh Melrose to bush footy didn’t help, nor did injuries to Jack White, Roy Lyons and Bill Sims. They’d be back before long – they really were the yo-yo club of the BRL.

Valleys improved and made the finals but only because Wests and Norths were so poor. They had arguably the BRL’s best player in Duncan Hall, future Hall of Famer and Team of the Century member, but rarely got to use him. If he wasn’t away with the Kangaroos or Queensland, he was on holiday visiting his mother at Clermont, which he did for three weeks in July 1949.

It must have been a tad galling for Valleys to see Kenny scoring for Souths in the Grand final, not to mention the emergence of Lesina who’d debuted for Valleys the previous season. Hall also left after 1949 for a few seasons in regional Queensland, before joining Wests in 1954. Most of Valleys’ remaining best players were ageing and they’d spend a few more seasons in the doldrums.

For once, things weren’t working out for the mighty Diehards, but of course, they’d be back. 

More complete BRL seasons are coming soon on Redcap’s BRL.