Article 005: 1946 Presidents Cup Victory


Players:

J. Bradstreet
A. Barnes
C. Howarth
C. Foerster
R. Bull
S. Fischer
J. Herbet
D. Matheson
J. Duford
J Campbell
C. Robinson
S. Raffo (c
E. Haggett
L. Stewart
A. Martin
R. Beaumont
A. Sullivan
B. Horne



Ron Beaumont and the victorious 1946 Presidents Cup side
It was 17 June 1946. The Final of the Presidents Cup (the major junior district representative trophy) was being played out before a crowd of 64,527 at the Sydney Cricket Ground as the curtain raiser to the First Test against the British Lions. In the final were North Sydney a foundation club of the NSW Rugby League and a team of wannabees without senior status representing the Manly and Warringah Junior Rugby Football League.

At stake was not just a football match, not just a trophy, but the very inclusion of Manly Warringah in the big league. A win in the President's Cup was crucial to Manly's bid to secure the long sought after "district status" and inclusion in the senior grades of the NSWRL.

As full time approached, Manly led their more illustrious rivals 12 points to 8, but Norths were hot on attack. A Norths attacker broke clear with a team mate in support with only Manly fullback Ron Beaumont near his own try line to beat. Beaumont recalls:

"I had to take the man with the ball, swallow no dummies, and hope that something would happen to stop Norths from scoring. Fortunately the Norths player held on to the ball too long and I crashed him to the ground to save the try, which would have won Norths the game." [Smith 1991, page 21.]

To this day that tackle was the most important ever made for Manly. The Manly team was triumphant and raised the President's Cup - a victory that is regarded as the single most important factor in Manly being granted district status.

Source: Smith 1991

See: DOCUMENT 001