Ten teams from across the city competed for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a final between South Sydney and St. George.

Souths opened the scoring with a penalty goal in the ninth minute kicked by Clive Churchill from 40 yards.

The Dragons threatened Souths' line continuously in the next stanza but bombed three tries and then lost some momentum in the 14 minutes before half-time during the absence of centre Merv Lees while he was off the field having stitches to his lip after driving a tooth through it.

With Wilson gone Rabbitoh hard-men Rayner and Donoghue then took control and four Souths tries flowed to Woolfe, Dougherty, Hammerton and Moir’s third.

Two late Dragons’ tries to Brown and Lees made no difference and South Sydney powered to their fourteenth premiership.