Neville Smith

Who was Neville Smith?

Neville Bussey Smith was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1930s and 40s. He was a premiership winning captain-coach and the NSWRFL's top point scorer on two separate occasions. After moving from Bathurst to Queensland in 1935, he played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for three seasons with Fortitude Valley and represented for the Maroons on two occasions in 1938. In 1939 he returned south to play in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the St. George club and was the League's top point-scorer that season.

Smith also played for the New South Wales rugby league team in six matches in 1940, but did not represent Australia because of the outbreak of war. When he was 22, Smith was appointed the youngest captain-coach in the club's history and in 1941 he led them to their first premiership. During the grand final he was knocked unconscious in a heavy tackle but recovered to score 13 points. In the 1941 NSWRFL season, he was again the league's highest point scorer. After winning the 1941 premiership as captain-coach of St. George Dragons, he sat out the 1942 season. Smith returned for a final year as captain-coach of St.