1940 Auckland Rugby League season
They finished the season with a 12 win, 1 draw, 3 loss record and were 3 points ahead of runner up North Shore Albions, with Mount Albert United in 3rd.
After being knocked out of the Roope Rooster, Manukau managed to win the Phelan Shield knockout competition when they defeated Mount Albert 20–14 in the final.
There was very poor coverage of the reserve grade competition and as such a large number of results were not reported and towards the later part of the season match fixtures were not even being published in either The New Zealand Herald or the Auckland Star.
On 14 February all “units of the Auckland Rugby League… adopted a resolution to carry on football as usual, with the proviso that, if it was necessary to curtail activities, the league would loyally support any government action in this direction”.
The difficulties that the league would likely face were discussed at length and some pointed “to the request of Empire authorities that sport should be carried on as normally as possible, given the consensus of opinion being that, by providing the usual facilities for play, the game would be keeping men fit for national emergency”.
[3] At their meeting on 3 April they welcomed new members onto the board, namely Jim Clark, who was a former New Zealand, Auckland, and Ponsonby player and long time official for the Otahuhu club, and Mr. F.M.V.
[6] At the 25 April meeting the difficulty that some clubs were experiencing in maintaining full playing strength due to players enlisting in the military forces was discussed.
[9] At the board of control meeting on 3 April it was indicated that Papakura Camp teams would most likely be “officially represented in the Auckland Rugby League senior competition”.
[13] At the 10 April board meeting “acting on the club nomination, a ballot resulted in the election of Messrs. H. (Hec) Brisbane, W. E. (Bill) Cloke, and A. J.
After moving “to Auckland he became established as a native interpreter, particularly in the Supreme Court, and was advisor in legal matters to a wide circle of his people”.
[16] At a meeting for the Auckland Rugby League on 3 April Mr. H. Walmsley was thanked for “the offer of a special trophy to commemorate the late Mr. James Rukutai”.
[17] On 22 May the league read a written submission by a supporter, Mr. D. Philburn that the “Rukutai Trophy” be awarded to the senior team that is leading at the end of the first round in the championship.
A short time later he “was ordered by the referee to play second row of the pack, an action not considered warranted by members of the Ponsonby side”.
The match between Newton and Mount Albert was played on 25 May as part of a Gala to raise money for the Sick and Wounded Soldiers’ Campaign.
The football side won the relay race after “the final runner for the rugby league team failed to accept the baton at a stage when a thrilling finish seemed likely”.
[73] With Papakura trailing Richmond 32–2 with 14 minutes their captain Harold Milliken took his side from the field in protest at a refereeing decision by Owen Chalmers.
He appeared slightly dazed for a few seconds, but continued playing throughout the game… at the conclusion of the match he collapsed in the dressing room and an examination revealed a badly fractured jaw”.
The North Shore v Newton game at Devonport Domain doubled as a championship match which had concluded weeks earlier but was needed to confirm final placings in order to find the Stormont Shield opponent for Richmond.
On 10 August when Manukau had a bye in the Fox Memorial Shield competition they arranged a friendly match with Huntly at Waikaraka Park in Onehunga.
[190] In October L Rout, secretary of the primary school boys committee was presented with a blazer, fountain pen, and pencil in recognition of his work for ten years.
Chairman of the Auckland Rugby League, Campbell paid tribute to his work and said “the success of the boys competition was due to the secretary's administration.
Skinner; treasurer, Mr. A. Chapman; critic, Mr. A. Sanders; appointment board appointee, Mr. Percy Rogers; examination committee, Messrs. M. Renton and A Brady; executive, Messrs. Stuart Billman, Maurice Wetherill, and Roy Otto.
[194] R. Dormer of the Avondale club won a gold medal presented by Mr. J. F. W. Dickson at the final control board meeting of the year on 23 October for being the best conducted junior player.
[200] On 1 May the Ellerslie club sent a deputation to the control board meeting asking for support “in the matter of contribution to the borough's effort to raise funds for the erection of an ambulance room on” the ground they used.
[202] On 22 May the control board granted the Manukau club permission to stage their match with Papakura at Waikaraka Park in aid of the Onehunga Patriotic Committee.
Parry; club captain, Mr. J. McKinnon; secretary, Mr. J. Gibson; chairman, Mr. G. Steven; committee, Messrs. R. Bell, E. Cowley, J. Davison, I. Railey, R. Anderson, and J.A.
Williams who was being transferred to Whangārei, and Mr. Gordon Wilson who was retiring from the executive position he had held at the club since its inception for business reasons.
The following players were granted transfers:- G. Crocker, Papakura to Marist Old Boys, D. Brady (Otahuhu senior B to Mount Albert), S.W.
[221] On 29 May C.C Peterson was granted a transfer from Ponsonby to North Shore, James Thomas Silva from Green Lane senior B to Newton, and Francis Zimmerman from R.V.
Frank Pickrang (Ponsonby) and Peter Mahima (Manukau) were granted conditional transfers to play in Wellington as they were at the Trentham Army Camp.
