Donald Manson (born 1919) was a rugby league player who played for South Sydney on the wing from 1937 to 1939.[3]
Rugby league career
He made his debut in round 1 of the 1937 season against University.[3] In his first two matches he scored six tries, the last player to accomplish such a feat till Charlie Staines in 2020.[4] By the start of the 1938 season, he was considered to "be on the up and up".[5] He was the NSWRFL's leading try-scorer for the 1938 season, and that year he appeared for the New South Wales Blues.[2]
During the 1939 season, Manson went on a tour to New Zealand as part of a side coached by Ray Stehr. After his return, South Sydney did not name him in their line-up for either their first, reserves or third side, a decision which was considered surprising by the Daily News.[6] Manson played one further game in the South Sydney reserves, before subsequently leaving the club for Eastern Suburbs at the season's end.[7] Manson retired from the NSWRFL after the 1941 season, and stopped playing league altogether for five years.[8] He has the second best strike rate in the history of the NRL/ARL/NSWRFL, averaging 1.13 tries per game.[9]
References
^"Twins Play Together". The Rugby League News. Vol. 19, no. 12. 25 June 1938. p. 18. Retrieved 8 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"South Sydney Club Defections". The Rugby League News. Vol. 19, no. 5. 14 May 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 8 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Manson not graded by Souths". Daily News. 10 April 1939. p. 8. Retrieved 8 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Manson for Easts". Daily News. 16 May 1939. p. 8. Retrieved 8 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.