 Captain-coach at 23yrs old | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Neville Bussey Smith | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1915-12-13)13 December 1915 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 5 August 1997(1997-08-05) (aged 81) Allawah,New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Neville Bussey Smith (13 December 1915 – 5 August 1997) was an Australianrugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. A Queenslandstate representative, Smith became apremiership winning captain-coach with Sydney'sSt. George club. In seasons1939 &1941 he was the NSWRFL premiership's top point scorer.
After moving fromBathurst to Queensland in 1935, Smith played club football in theBrisbane Rugby League premiership for three seasons withFortitude Valley and represented for theMaroons on two occasions in 1938. In1939 he returned south to play in theNew South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with theSt. George club and was the league's top point-scorer that season.
Smith was first selected to representative honours in theNew South Wales rugby league team in 1940 as captain and made six appearances in 1940 & 41. National representative sides did not play duringWWII and Smith never represented his country.
AtSt George in 1939 aged just 23, Neville Smith was appointed the youngest captain-coach in the club's history and in1941 he led the club to its inaugural premiership. In theGrand Final he was knocked unconscious in a heavy tackle but recovered to score 13 points (1 try and 5 goals).That season, he was again the league's highest point scorer. After winning the1941 premiership as captain-coach ofSt. George Dragons, he sat out the 1942 season. Smith returned for a final year as captain-coach ofSt. George in the1943 NSWRFL season. He played 59 first grade games forSt. George Dragons during his time at the club, and scored a total of 281 points.
On 20 July 2022, Smith was named in the St. George Dragons District Rugby League Clubs team of the century.[1]
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