Manson is a junior sprint champion, who held the junior state amateur record for 100 yards with 10.1 seconds. In 1936 he came second in 220 yard NSW state championships.
Manson went to school in Randwick. A South Sydney junior who played South Sydney junior reps in 1935 in the U21 Presidents Cup team.
He made his senior grade premiership debut soon after in the 1935 Round 10 Third Grade match against University at the Sports Ground. But after as the season closed, he left rugby league to focus on his athletic career. In 1937 he returned and made his first grade premiership debut at 18 years of age in Round 1 against University at the Sports Ground where he scored a record 5 tries on debut.
Manson had one of the best ever first grade try strike rates, scoring 1.14 tries per first grade premiership games.
Manson played 29 first grade club games, which included 21 first grade premiership games and 7 first grade cup games. He would play 53 senior grade games for South Sydney, which included 43 senior grade premiership games and 9 senior grade cup games.
Manson's career was shorter than it should have been as he struggled to maintain his playing weight. After a season away in the country in Maitland, he played his final South Sydney first grade premiership game, in Round 10 1941 against St George at Hurstville Oval.
Playing - Height / Weight
5ft 7.5in / 12st 4lb
Representative Qualification
NSW City
Date of Birth
Randwick - 29th July 1918 (Died - 1993)
Previous Clubs First Grade
M T G FG Pt
Randwick-Kensignton(Athletics)(1933-37)
Maitland (1940)
Playing Career at South Sydney (1935,37-39,41)
South Sydney First Grade Debut
1937 Rd01 SSG v University (18y 262d)
First Grade
Premiership : (FG) 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
1937 5 5 - 7 - - 21 : 6 6 - 3 - - 9
1938 14 14 - 13 - - 39
1939 - - - - - - - : : 1 1 - - - - - : 1 1 - 1 - - 3
1941 2 2 - 4 - - 12 : : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
TOTAL 21 21 - 24 - - 72 : 6 6 - 3 - - 9 : 1 1 - - - - - : 1 1 - 1 - - 3
SS Cup 7 7 - 3 - - 9
SS FG 29 29 - 28 - - 84
South Sydney Senior Grade Debut
1935 Rd10 SSG v University (Third Grade)
Lower Grades : Juniors
(RG) Premiership : (RG) City Cup : (3G) Premiership : (3G) City Cup : (U21) Presidents Cup
Year 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 : M S R T G/A FG Pts
1935 - - - - - - - : : 7 7 - 7 - - 21 : : 2 2 - 1 - - 3
1937 3 3 - 1 - - 3 : 2 2 - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1938 - - - - - - - : : - - - - - - -
1939 3 3 - 2 - - 6 : : - - - - - - -
1941 2 2 - - - - - : : 7 7 - 6 - - 18
TOTAL 8 8 - 3 - - 9 : 2 2 - - - - - : 14 14 - 13 - - 39 : - - - - - - - : 2 2 - 1 - - 3
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 43 43 - 40 - - 120 : 9 9 - 3 - - 9 : 53 53 - 44 - - 132
Short Form
Short-Game Knockout
M S R T G/A FG Pts
1938 2 2 - - - - -
1939 - - - - - - -
TOTAL 2 2 - - - - -
SS SF 2 2 - - - - -
Captaincy Record at South Sydney
never
Suspension Record at South Sydney
Year Grade v Wk CHARGE never
Representative Honours at South Sydney
Year Pos Team Versus Match T G/A FG none
Manson considered coming out of retirement in 1947, but that never eventuated.
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