1943 Auckland Rugby League season

The Auckland Rugby League decided however that there were enough players at the respective senior clubs to have a 9 team competition with no need for any merged sides.

The stars for the Manukau side during the season were Tom Butler, Jack Hemi, Jim Murray, George Shilton, Aubrey Thompson, and Puti Tipene Watene.

[4] At the meeting president Mr. G. Grey Campbell said “although there may have been some criticism that football has been carried on during the war, I believe it was a very wise policy to continue … games like football, cricket, hockey, and tennis have been national in this country, and when the players were called upon to fight for their country they had the right moral attitude and courage to fit them for the higher job”, he went on to say “there is no doubt that sport has rendered a particularly fine service to our young men in more ways than one.

Mr. A. Leese, who was on the New Zealand Council said Culpan's “long years of service was a record, and he considered that most of the success of the league was due to his fine work”.

[9] At the June 9 meeting of the board with deputy chairman Mr. John Probert presiding the Senior Officers’ Association suggested that the second round can continue with all nine teams and the management committee agreed.

[13] The proceeds of the matches played at Carlaw Park on June 26 were invested in the Liberty Loan Funds to assist with the war effort.

On June 19 Finance Minister, Walter Nash had spoken to the crowd about the fund and the ARL decided to contribute during the following week.

[14] At the April 23 board meeting Dougie McGregor, Bill Cloke, and Jack Kirwan were appointed the Auckland representative selectors for the season.

The senior officers’ association wrote a letter to the board asking that the ‘players day’ matches be played on the weekend between the championship final and the Roope Rooster competition.

[17] The St John Ambulance Brigade requested the provision of additional first aid rooms at Carlaw Park at the June 2 meeting of the league.

Thomas said that “individual football clubs must make early application to the local rationing office, and arrangements would then be made to provide gear.

Todd had played rugby in Auckland before switching codes and joining the New Zealand team for the 1907–1908 tour of Great Britain and Australia.

[24] As in previous seasons there were two preliminary rounds of games played to ascertain the strength of the various clubs at the senior level before the size of the Fox Memorial competition would be determined.

New Zealand international Arthur McInnarney made a reappearance for Mount Albert after a year out of the game, while Bert Leatherbarrow kicked 4 conversions in their 20–13 win over Marist.

[27] Satherley would die in tragic circumstances less than 3 years later after disappearing from Wellington Public Hospital in January 1947 with his body found on Lyall Bay Beach 3 days later.

He was replaced by Dufty who then limped for “most of the game”, and then Robert Salaia, their centre-three-quarter left the field with 20 minutes remaining with an injury leaving them a man short.

In the Marist match with Manukau, Bill Glover kicked at the rolling ball and it went over the crossbar with the referee awarding a drop goal.

City responded with 3 tries to take a 9–7 lead before a Manukau backline break with 4 minutes to go saw Tumata pass to Jack Hemi who cut past Robert Salaia and then “beat Warwick Clarke badly to score the winning try”.

The game was played before an enormous crowd of 17,000 and was close for 60 minutes with Blackball leading 9-5 before the heavier Manukau forward pack wore them down and scored several late tries.

Dickson Medal, presented for the best behaved player was won by M. Ryan of the Pt Chevalier club, and the trophy for the runner up was awarded to Alec Dracevich of Glenora.

Experienced Ponsonby players Brian Riley and Arthur Kay were selected in the five eighths positions while Hawea Mataira was chosen in the forwards.

[4] The junior control board advised in mid April that the following officers were elected:- chairman, Mr. E. Chapman; deputy-chairman, Mr. C. Howe; secretary, Mr. W.F.

[87] At the June 2 meeting of the ARL a request was made by the City Rovers club to play a game in Wellington in the second round of the competition when they had a bye.

[89] A further practice was advertised for Saturday, April 17 at Ellerslie Reserve at 2.30pm for all grades with instructions for all players to meet at the League Rooms the night before to weigh in.

[96][97] Mt Albert held their Annual General Meeting at their club headquarters at Fowld's Park in Morningside on Monday, March 15.

[99] On August 28 Mt Albert held a “Welcome Home Dance” for their “returned boys on furlough from the Middle East” at 8pm at the St George's Hall in Kingsland.

Mayor Mr. S Evans spoke on the fairness to ratepayers of having two clubs having full power over the park and that the council should be represented on the committee of control.

[114] Ponsonby held practises for all grades at Carlaw Park on Tuesday's and Thursday's at 5pm and also on Saturday afternoons prior to the commencement of the season.

[115] On April 7 Ponsonby made an application to play a game against a South Auckland (upper Waikato) club on Easter Saturday.

[116] In September former player Flight Sergeant William Henry John (Bill) Bowsher was reported missing on operations in the war.