William Henry "Billy" "Ferret" Thompson - South Sydney Player Report

Halfback

FG Player - 306

Thompson was a South Sydney junior from the very successful Cleveland St B grade juniors team. After being graded in 1941, he made his senior grade club and premiership debut in the 1942 Round 1 Third Grade clash against Eastern Suburbs at the Sport Ground. Just over a month later he progressed to reserve grade, in the 1942 Round 5 Reserve Grade clash against Balmain at the Sports Ground. Then two weeks later in the middle of the 1942 halves injury crisis, he made his first grade club and premiership debut in the 1942 Round 7 clash against Newtown at Henson Park.

Thompson skills were described as genious at times. He was considered one of the ebst halfbacks in Australia.

Thompson played 5 seasons with South Sydney between 1942 and 1946. He played 43 first grade club games for South Sydney, which included 32 first grade premiership games and 6 first grade cup games for South Sydney. Overall he played 56 senior grade club career games for South Sydney, which included 45 senior grade premiership career games for South Sydney.

In 1946 Thompson had been moved to five-eighth to accommodate Test Half Clem Kennedy. Thompson played his final first grade premiership game in the 1946 Round 3 clash against North Sydney at North Sydney Oval. The following week he played his final first grade club game in the 1946 Tour match against Orange at Orange. He then took a appointment mid-season, to depart South Sydney to Moree as captain-coach for 10 pounds a week. South Sydney approach Thompso to return for the 1947 season when Kennedy also departed at the end of 1946, however he chose to play in Toowoomba.

Playing - Height / Weight
                 / 10st 12lb

Representative Qualification
NSW City 

Date of Birth
Paddington - 22nd September 1922 (Died - 1992) 

South Sydney Junior Club
Cleveland St

Previous Clubs
none

Playing Career at South Sydney (1942-46)

South Sydney First Grade Debut
1942 Jun 13 Rd07  Hens v Newtown (18y 264d) 

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
1942     6   6   -   -   -      -    - :   -   -   -   -   -      -    - :                                 :   2   2   -   -   -      -    -
1943    11  11   -   1   -      -    3 :                                 :   3   3   -   1   -      -    3 :   1   1   -   -   -      -    -
1944     9   9   -   -   -      -    - :                                 :   2   2   -   -   -      -    - :   1   1   -   2   1      -    8
1945     5   5   -   -   -      -    - :                                 :   1   1   -   -   -      -    - :   1   1   -   -   -      -    -
1946     1   1   -   -   -      -    - :                                 :                                 :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -
 
TOTAL   32  32   -   1   -      -    3 :   -   -   -   -   -      -    - :   6   6   -   1   -      -    3 :   5   5   -   2   1      -    8

SS Cup   6   6   -   1   -      -    3
SS FG   43  43   -   4   1      -   14 

South Sydney Senior Grade Debut
1942 May  2 Rd01  SSG  v Eastern Suburbs (Third Grade)
1942 May 30 Rd05  SSG  v Balmain         (Reserve Grade)

Lower Grades
                         Reserve Grade :                     Third Grade
Year     M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
1942     3   3   -   -   -      -    - :   4   4   -   -   -      -    -
1943     3   3   -   -   -      -    - :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -
1944     1   1   -   -   -      -    - :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -
1945     -   -   -   -   -      -    - :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -
1946     2   2   -   -   -      -    - :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -

TOTAL    9   9   -   -   -      -    - :   4   4   -   -   -      -    -

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  45  45   -   1   -      -    3 :   6   6   -   1   -      -    3 :  56  56   -   4   1      -   14

Short Form
                    Short-Game Matches
         M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
1943     -   -   -   -   -      -    -
1946     -   -   -   -   -      -    -

TOTAL    -   -   -   -   -      -    -

SS SF    -   -   -   -   -      -    -

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

After Leaving South Sydney

Thompson would go to represent Queensland and Australia after leaving South Sydney. He was a member of the 1948-49 Kangaroo tour of England and France and then a member of the 1949 Kangaroos Tour of New Zealand.

Subsequent Clubs                           First Grade
                                       M  T   G FG  Pt
Moree                      (1946)                       (Captain-Coach)
Toowoomba-Valleys          (1947-48)
Warwick                    (1949-50)                    (Captain-Coach)
Toowoomba All Whites       (1951)
Warwick                    (1952)
Quilpie                    (1953-54)                    (Captain-Coach)

Subsequent Rep Honours                 M  T   G FG  Pt :   M  T   G FG  Pt
Northern NSW               (1946)      1  -   -  -   -
Toowoomba                  (1947-50)   8  1   -  -   3
Queensland                 (1947-50)  10  5   -  -  15 :   2  -   -  -   -  captain in 1949 
South Queensland           (1947-50)
Australia                  (1948)      1  -   -  -   - :  19  4   -  -  12 (1948-49 Kangaroo Tour of England / 1949 Tour of New Zealand) 
Rest of Queensland         (1951)      1  -   -  -   -

First Class Playing Career (1942-51)

                              M   T   G  FG  Pts
Total FG Premiership         32   1   -   -    3
Total FG Cup                  6   1   -   -    3
Total FG Club Tour            5   2   1   -    8

Total Internationals          1   -   -   -    -
Total State                  10   5   -   -   15
Total Other Representative   31   5   -   -   12

TOTAL FIRST CLASS            85  14   1   -   41

Ref - RLN v30n12 p4 / Wiki / RLP / FN-46


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