Armstrong is a Dual International sportsman in Rugby League and Wrestling. He was a member of the 1939 South Sydney premiership decider squad.
Armstrong was schooled in Junee and Wagga. After school he joined the railway and was stationed at Junee and Mataong. He played for the Wagga and represented NSW Railways team in 1936 and 1937.
His love for wresting dates back to his days in Junee, when in 1938 a challenge from Jimmy Sharman's troupe of boxers and wrestlers began his interest in wrestling. The challenge ended quickly when he slammed the professional wrestler before the openning bell had completed ringing.
He joined police force at age 20 in 1938 and moved to Sydney as a cadet. After agreeing to play with South Sydney in late 1938, he impressed in the 1939 trials and played his first game in first grade short form game in the Minor Competition Round 1 carnival clash against North Sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The following week he made his ffirst grade premiership debut in the 1939 Round 1 clash against St George at Earl Park.
Armstrong was a well proportioned athlete, with outstanding strength and had outstanding pace for large man. A trait that he picked up through wrestling, he would suck raw eggs before taking the field. He was considered the strongest man in rugby league in 1939. One one occassion, he carryied six club-mates on his back one day in the Sports Ground dressing sheds, with a ability to carry 900 pounds.
Armstrong would play 9 seasons with South Sydney between 1939 and 1947. He played 94 first grade club games with South Sydney, which included 83 first grade premiership games and 7 first grade cup games. He played 104 senior grade club games with South Sydney which included 93 senior grade premiership games. He scored 127 senior grade club points for South Sydney, scoring 33 tries and 14 goals. Armstrong also played 5 short form games for South Sydney.
Armstrong made his representative debut in 1939 when he appeared in the NSW Sydney City seconds team against NSW Country II at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
While at the NSW Police, Armstrong developed his wrestling skills. In 1942 he commenced his wrestling career and in 1943 Armstrong won the NSW State amateur heavyweight championship, a title he would win for the next 5 years, and winning the Australian title in 1946.
Armstrong played his final first grade premiership game for South Sydney in the 1947 Round 17 clash against Newtown at Erskineville Oval.
Player Relatives
Brother - Armstrong, Jack
Playing - Height / Weight
6ft 1in / 15st 2lb
Representative Qualification
NSW Country
Date of Birth
Albury - 14th July 1917 (Died - 1981)
Previous Clubs
Junee (1935-36)
Matong (1937)
Wagga Wagga Waratahs (1938)
Wrestling (1942-47)
Previous Rep Honours
NSW Railways (1936-37) Touring Queensland in 1936.
NSW Wrestling (1943-47) 5 time State Amateur Champion (winning 21 bouts in succession)
Australia Wrestling (1946) National Amateur Champion
Playing Career at South Sydney (1939-47)
Souths First Grade Debut
1939 Apr 15 KO-01 SCG v North Sydney (21y 275d)
1939 Apr 22 Rd01 Earl v St George (Premiership - 21y 282d)
First Grade
Premiership : City Cup : State Championship : Tour
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
1939 9 9 - 1 1 - 5 : : - - - - - - - : 2 2 - - 3 - 6
1940 1 1 - - - - - : : : - - - - - - -
1941 2 2 - - - - - : : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1942 14 14 - 3 - - 9 : 1 1 - - - - - : : 1 1 - - - - -
1943 14 14 - 6 1 - 20 : : 2 2 - 1 - - 3 : - - - - - - -
1944 15 15 - 10 2 - 31 : : 3 3 - 2 4 - 14 : - - - - - - -
1945 12 12 - 3 - - 9 : : 1 1 - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1946 9 9 - 4 - - 12 : : : - - - - - - -
1947 7 7 - 1 1 - 5 : : : 1 1 - 1 - - 3
TOTAL 83 83 - 28 5 - 94 : 1 1 - - - - - : 6 6 - 3 4 - 17 : 4 4 - 1 3 - 9
SS Cup 7 7 - 3 4 - 17
SS FG 94 94 - 32 12 - 120
Lower Grades
Reserve Grade : Third Grade
Year M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
1939 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1940 4 4 - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1941 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1942 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1943 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1944 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1945 2 2 - - 2 - 4 : - - - - - - -
1946 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1947 4 4 - 1 - - 3 : - - - - - - -
TOTAL 10 10 - 1 2 - 7 : - - - - - - -
South Sydney Senior(FG/RG/3G) Grade Career
Premiership : Cup : All Matches
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
CAREER 93 93 - 29 7 - 101 : 7 7 - 3 4 - 17 : 104 104 - 33 14 - 127
Short Form
Short-Game Matches
M S R T G/A FG Pts
1939 2 2 - - - - -
1940 - - - - - - -
1943 3 3 - 1 5 - 13
1946 - - - - - - -
TOTAL 5 5 - 1 5 - 13
SS SF 5 5 - 1 5 - 13
Captaincy Record at South Sydney
never
Suspension Record at South Sydney
Year Grade v Wk CHARGE never
Representative Honours at South Sydney
Domestic CvC / Interstate : Tourists : Other
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
Sydney City II 1939 : : 1 1 - - - - -
NSW Police 1939 : : 1 1 - - - - -
TOTAL 2 2 - - - - -
International
none
ALL REPS 2 2 - - - - -
Year Pos Team Versus Match T G/A FG
1939 Prop Sydney City II v NSW Country II - - -
1939 SRow NSW Police v The Rest - - -
After Leaving South Sydney
Armstrong retired from rugby league in 1947 to focus on his wrestling career and train as a heavyweight wrestler for the 1948 Olympic Games in London. South Sydney, the NSW Police and the Junee community raised funds to send him over to the Olympics. He would go on to win a further 2 Australian amateur wresting championships. Armstrong won a Bronze Medal in the 1948 London Olympic games and a Gold Medal in the 1950 Auckland Empire Games, before retiring.
He came out of retirement to try and make the 1960 Rome Olympics and again win 2 more Australia Amateur wresting championships. He missed the Rome Olympics through injury but finished his career in the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games as Bronze Medalist. When he retired he had been the undefeated NSW heavyweight wrestling champion for 23 years. Big Jim was considered one of the best amateur wrestlers in Australia.
Subsequent Clubs Wrestling (1948-62) Subsequent Rep Honours Australia (Wrestling - 1948) National Amateur Champion Australia (Wrestling - 1948) Olympics - Freestyle wrestling - Heavyweight (Bronze Medal) Australia (Wrestling - 1950) National Amateur Champion Australia (Wrestling - 1950) Empire Games - Heavyweight (Gold Medal) Australia (Wrestling - 1960-61) National Amateur Champion Australia (Wrestling - 1962) Commonwealth Games - Light Heavyweight (Broze Medal)
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