1947 SEASON
In 1947, Parramatta entered the Sydney First Grade competition. It was a long time coming and any resistance by Wests to the new Club taking part of Wests’ territory was brushed aside as it had been when St George and Canterbury entered the competition years earlier.
The establishment of new Clubs in the Sydney competition in previous times had cost Wests dearly with the loss of both players and officials who had to affiliate with the new Clubs under the residential qualification rules. 1947 was no different. Six of Parramatta’s twenty-two-man Committee were former Wests players. The Coach, Frank McMillan, was also a former Wests player.
When the NSW League decided on the boundaries for the new Parramatta district, Wests Secretary at the time, the late Lou Moses, said: “Thank you gentlemen for leaving us Rookwood (cemetery).” To which his long-term antagonist the late Barney Russell, of Canterbury, replied: “Well you should be able to dig up a few good ones there!”
Wests DRLFC Players, Officials and Supporters Tour to Queensland 1947
Standing: Jack Drewes, Eric Bennett, Jack Snare, George Ackling (Supporters Club), Bill Horder, Podgy McGuiness, Bill Keato, Don Milton, Bill Rawlinson, Kevin Hansen, Peter McLean, Fred Yanz, Dick McKelvey, Pat Leal, Trevor Eather, Lou Moses (Secretary)
Front: Jack Walsh, Neville Hogan, Bill Brown, Ron Ridley, Bernie Purcell, Cliff Peime, Jim Edgar (Treasurer)
Western Suburbs DRLFC President’s Cup/Inter District Squads – 1946
Western Suburbs:
Fullback: W Tebbutt, Three-quarters: C Cooper, R Epthorp, D Thomas, K Connelly, Halves: R Smith, C Walsh, Forwards: V Williams, F Reardon, A Hornery, R Watson, R Doyle, J Lennox, Reserves: R McGuiness, N Sargent, B Keating, J Thompson
Wests won the President’s Cup in 1947. The team included some young players that would go on and make their mark at Wests and in rugby league generally over the coming years. Wests President’s Cup team was coached by Claude McFayden in 1947.
Claude was with Wests since the early days of rugby league in Australia. After coming home from training one night in June, he dropped dead. It was a sad loss for Wests and rugby league. The President’s Cup win was a fitting tribute to Claude McFayden.
