Brisbane Rugby League 1947 season
League Table
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drew | For | Against | Diff | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easts | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 216 | 121 | 95 | 17 |
| Valleys | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 162 | 138 | 24 | 16 |
| Souths | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 162 | 166 | -4 | 9 |
| Norths | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 173 | 187 | -14 | 6 |
| Brothers | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 105 | 144 | -39 | 5 |
| Wests | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 125 | 187 | -62 | 5* |
Rounds
Finals
| Stage | Date | Teams | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor Semi-Final | 23 August 1947 | Souths vs Norths | Details |
| Major Semi-Final | 30 August 1947 | Easts vs Valleys | Details |
| Preliminary Final | 6 September 1947 | Souths vs Valleys | Details |
| Grand Final | 13 September 1947 | Easts vs Souths | Details |
Pike Cup
| Stage | Date | Teams | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final | 21 June 1947 | Easts vs Valleys | Details |
Easts reach the summit, the BRL hits rock bottom
Could Easts bounce back from the disappointment of defeat to Valleys in the 1946 Grand Final?
Not only did they bounce back, they bossed the BRL in 1947. Valleys were the only team who stayed near them on the league table, though that was illusory. They stayed close mainly because nobody else was much good. When Easts and Valleys actually played, as they did in rounds four and six (also the Pike Cup Final), Valleys were simply no match.
The Diehards still had plenty of knowhow in fullback Danny O’Connor and half Bob Williamson, but outside those two their stock was a little thin. From the 1946 premiership team, Test prop Roy Westaway, veteran five-eighth Ivan Blow and back-rower Dave Jones didn’t return. Valleys were about to plumb rare depths.
Which is to take nothing away from Easts. They got better – veteran half Bernie Johnson was jettisoned in favour of young livewire Terry Callinan and they unearthed another good winger in Rob Kille, to complement their hard-headed forward pack led by the Ryrie brothers, Cliff Green and Ron McLennan. They’d have been too good in plenty of other seasons.
While the supposedly retiring Jack Ryrie (he came back in ’48) and company bullied a mediocre Souths team in the Grand Final, young half Callinan provided the crucial touches. According to the always colourful Truth, who were never afraid of mixing their metaphors:
“What a terrier that Terry Callinan was! He was the alchemist who twice converted the raw material provided by primary producer pigs into polished scoring gems… This kid’s a natural. He varied his scrum-base moves with the sweetness and polish of a classy boxer”
The other team from 1947 who should be mentioned is Wests. It would be an understatement to say that they had an interesting season.
Toward the end of 1946, the clubs agreed to re-implement the district scheme which had been largely abandoned during the war. There was something of an amnesty for those living in one district and playing for another, but everybody would need to declare their affiliation and most players would be subject to residency rules. Players would also no longer be able to play for more than one club per season.
Wests were the first to run afoul of the rules. After winning the pre-season cup and then beating Brothers in the opening round of the premiership season, things were looking good. But then it emerged that forward Bob Nuttall, former Easts winger Alf Stillaway and half Ron Miller were not eligible, for different reasons.
Millar was able to play, eventually, but Nuttall and Stillaway were banned and forced to seek playing opportunities elsewhere – Nuttall in the bush and Stillaway in football. The pre-season cup result was annulled and the tournament gradually replayed on free weekends throughout the season. Wests were stripped of competition points from their round one win over Brothers.
According to Steve Haddan, “Stillaway’s crime was that after leaving the army at the end of 1946, he moved in with with relatives in Windsor, then married, each time domiciled in a different district”. Not exactly the crime of the century, and the punishments seem harsh in retrospect, but if you’re going to have a district scheme, some level of enforcement is needed.
The punishments meted out to Wests and their players went from harsh to ridiculous when in round two of the premiership season a certain George Sokell reappeared in a Valleys shirt.
Sokell had made a promising start to his career in 1940, before being supposedly banned for life after perpetrating a vicious assault on referee Merv Taylor after Valleys lost to Wests in the final of the 1941 pre-season cup.
It’s not clear why Sokell’s ban was reversed – he may well have reformed and made amends – and his reappearance was brief. But it indicates some seriously warped priorities on the BRL’s part.
Plus ça change.
Milestone men
There were some significant milestones passed in 1947, most notably Valleys fullback Danny O’Connor becoming the all-time leading point-scorer in the BRL, surpassing the mark of 442 points set by former University and Norths centre George Lockie. O’Connor finished the season with 506 points and wasn’t done yet.
Two more players joined the 100-game club, including Easts’ premiership-winning captain Jack Ryrie, and Wests centre Hugh Melrose.
More details about the BRL’s statistical leaders can be found on the records page.