Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Len Herbert Smith
- Born
- Sunday, 25th March, 1917
- Died
- Tuesday, 25th April, 2000 (Aged 83 years and 31 days)
- Place Of Birth
- Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
Biography
The incumbent Australian captain-coach for the 1948 Test series against NZ, dual international Len Smith was inexcusably dropped from the Kangaroo Tour that year. Authors Gary Lester and Ian Heads have both hinted at a hidden agenda by Australian selectors (while Smith was Catholic and the selection panel was dominated by Masons, selector ‘Latchem’ Robinson was also lobbying for the coach role on the tour and Smith had the inside running to that position). An Easts junior in RU, Smith was a member of the 1939 Wallabies squad that went to England but did not play in a match because of the outbreak of war. After serving as an Army captain during the war and seeing action in Palestine, Egypt, Syria and New Guinea, Smith returned to Australia and changed codes to play with Newtown in 1943. He starred in the centres in the club's grand final win over Norths that year but it was not until after the end of WWII that he represented NSW. Smith was named captain-coach of both the NSW and Australian Test teams in 1948 and although Australia lost the First Test against the Kiwis, Smith changed the team’s tactics and Australia won the return Test in Brisbane. Although he was named NSW Player of the Year in 1948 Smith retired from the game when the Kangaroo squad was announced and his name was not read included (this was done at a function after a NSW v Queensland match in which Smith was in attendance). In 1950 he was invited to coach Riverina in the tour match against Great Britain but despite writing authoritatively in the Sporting Life magazine and working diligently with the NSW Trotting Authority in the 1960s and 1970s, Smith shunned all connection with the code. He passed away on ANZac Day, 2000, aged 83.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Additional Notes
Served in World War II as a member of the AIF. He enlisted as a private, but after serving in Palestine, Egypt, Syria and New Guinea he had risen to the rank of captain.
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Competitions | ||||||||||||||
Competition | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) | 74 | 43 | 1 | - | 131 | 47 | 25 | 2 | 63.51% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Finals | 7 | 7 | - | - | 21 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 28.57% | List | ||||
City vs Country Firsts | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Interstate Matches | 7 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 71.43% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Tour Matches | Australia | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
Test Series | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
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Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1948 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Army Firsts | 1943-44 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
Probables (AU) | 1946 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
NSW City Seconds | 1946 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
NSW Firsts | 1947-48 | 9 | 7 | - | - | 21 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 77.78% | List | |||
NSW City Firsts | 1947-48 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1943-1948 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 62.50% | List | |||
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NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1943 | 14 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 64.29% | List | |||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1944 | 13 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 69.23% | List | |||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1946 | 14 | 9 | 1 | - | 29 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 64.29% | List | |||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1947 | 17 | 14 | - | - | 42 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 52.94% | List | |||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1948 | 16 | 10 | - | - | 30 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 68.75% | List | |||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Newtown | 1943-44, 1946-48 | 74 | 43 | 1 | - | 131 | 47 | 25 | 2 | 63.51% | List |
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Paul Carter, AJ Lucantonio
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