Wally Desmond Explained

Wally Desmond
Fullname:Walter Leslie Desmond
Birth Date:6 January 1906
Birth Place:New Zealand
Height:5feet
Weight:11st
Club1:Linwood
Year1start:1925
Appearances1:12
Tries1:7
Goals1:10
Fieldgoals1:1
Points1:43
Club2:Inangahua
Year2start:1925
Appearances2:2
Tries2:0
Goals2:1
Fieldgoals2:0
Points2:2
Club3:Leeds
Year3start:1927
Year3end:29
Appearances3:42
Tries3:10
Goals3:0
Fieldgoals3:0
Points3:30
Year4start:1929
Year4end:30
Appearances4:2
Tries4:0
Goals4:0
Fieldgoals4:0
Points4:0
Club5:Batley
Year5start:1930
Year5end:31
Appearances5:50
Tries5:5
Goals5:10
Fieldgoals5:0
Points5:35
Club6:Bramley
Year6start:1931
Year6end:33
Appearances6:56
Tries6:1
Goals6:29
Fieldgoals6:0
Points6:61
Teama:Canterbury
Yearastart:1925
Appearancesa:2
Triesa:5
Goalsa:3
Fieldgoalsa:0
Pointsa:19
Teamb:West Coast
Yearbstart:1925
Appearancesb:1
Triesb:1
Goalsb:0
Fieldgoalsb:0
Pointsb:3
Teamc:Wellington
Yearcstart:1926
Appearancesc:1
Triesc:2
Goalsc:0
Fieldgoalsc:0
Pointsc:6
Teamd:North Island
Yeardstart:1926
Appearancesd:1
Triesd:1
Goalsd:0
Fieldgoalsd:0
Pointsd:3
Teame:New Zealand XIII
Yearestart:1926
Appearancese:1
Triese:1
Goalse:0
Fieldgoalse:0
Pointse:3
Teamf:NZ Trial
Yearfstart:1926
Appearancesf:1
Triesf:2
Goalsf:0
Fieldgoalsf:0
Pointsf:6
Teamg:New Zealand
Yeargstart:1926
Yeargend:27
Appearancesg:16 (1)
Triesg:9
Goalsg:0
Fieldgoalsg:0
Pointsg:27
New:yes
Retired:yes
Updated:12 June 2021
Source:[1]

Walter Leslie Desmond (born 6 January 1906) was a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for New Zealand, and Wellington, and at club level for Leeds,[2] Castleford,[3] Batley and Bramley, as a, or,[4] [5] [6] and he was Chairman of the Leeds & District rugby league referees' society in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Playing career

International honours

He was selected for the New Zealand side to tour England and Wales in July 1926. Before they departed he played for New Zealand against Auckland on 31 July and he scored a try in a 52-32 loss.[7] On their tour he played he played in 15 matches and scored 8 tries. Desmond's only test appearance was against Great Britain on 2 October 1926. He played in New Zealand's 20-28 defeat by Great Britain at Central Park, Wigan.

Club and domestic career

Desmond began playing rugby league for the Linwood club in the Canterbury Rugby League competition in the early 1920s. He was their 5th grade captain in 1922.[8] He made his debut for the senior side in 1925. They struggled to win many matches but Desmond stood out for them and scored 7 tries and kicked 11 goals in 12 matches. He played for Canterbury in 2 matches against a combined Otago-West Coast side and then against West Coast. Against Otago-West Coast on 13 June he scored 2 tries, while against the West Coast on 22 August he scored 4 tries and kicked 2 conversions. Late in the year he transferred to Greymouth where he joined the Inangahua club before requesting a transfer to Runanga. A week later however he played for Inangahua, kicking a conversion in their 11-8 knockout loss to Blackball.[9] [10] Then on 23 September he played for West Coast against the touring Queensland. The West Coast lost 27-10 with Desmond scoring 1 try.

In 1926 he transferred to Wellington however there was no club competition there so he only played in a trial match and then for the Wellington against South Auckland on 23 June where he scored 2 tries. Following this he played for the North Island against the South Island at Carlaw Park. The North Island won 31 to 22 with Desmond again scoring a try.[11] On 7 July he played for the 'Rest of New Zealand' against Auckland. His side won 28-21 and he scored 1 try.[12] Following this he played in a New Zealand trial match for the Probables on July and once again found the try line, this time twice however his side lost 32-15.[13]

Desmond made his début for Leeds scoring 2-tries in the 31-5 victory over Keighley at Headingley Stadium on Saturday 29 October 1927,[14] he signed for Batley from Leeds on 30 January 1930, and he made his début for Batley against Hunslet at Mount Pleasant, Batley on Saturday 1 February 1930, he and /halfback J. Whitaker signed for Bramley from Batley on 29 September 1931, with Bramley's Welsh forward Charles Walker transferred to Batley from Bramley.

Personal life

Desmond married Norah Ellen Hill on 1 April 1933 at St Michael's Church, Buslingthorpe, Leeds.[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Zealand Newspapers at Papers Past. 12 June 2021.
  2. Web site: League: Attitude needs adjusting. nzherald.co.nz. 31 December 2011. 1 January 2012.
  3. Web site: Profile at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk. thecastlefordtigers.co.uk. 31 December 2011. 1 January 2012.
  4. Web site: Roll of Honour at nzrl.co.nz. nzrl.co.nz. 31 December 2011. 1 January 2012.
  5. Web site: Past Kiwis → D at nzrl.co.nz. nzrl.co.nz. 31 December 2011. 1 January 2012.
  6. Web site: Profile at nzleague.co.nz. nzleague.co.nz. 31 December 2011. 1 January 2012.
  7. News: New Zealand Outplayed/Auckland's Decisive Win/Superiority of Local Men . 13 . . LXIII . 19395 . 2 August 1926 . 18 September 2019.
  8. News: League Rugby. 2. Star (Christchurch), Issue 16830. 1922-09-05. 2021-06-12.
  9. News: West Coast Notes. 14. Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18476. 1925-09-02. 2021-06-02.
  10. News: League West Coast Centre. 12. Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18493. 1925-09-22. 2021-06-12.
  11. News: Selecting Dominion Team/Two Fine Trial Games/North Island Wins Keen Game/Backs Check South Forwards . 13 . . LXIII . 19371 . 5 July 1926 . 18 September 2019.
  12. name="Auckland v the Rest">News: Auckland v the Rest . 6 . . LXIII . 19374 . 8 July 1926 . 18 September 2019.
  13. News: Dominion Team Trials/The Final Games Played/Possibles Beat Probables . 13 . . LXIII . 19377 . 12 July 1926 . 18 September 2019.
  14. Web site: Leeds results and scorers - 1927-28. mcgrail.fsnet.co.uk. 31 December 2011. 1 January 2012.
  15. Web site: West Yorkshire, England, Church of England marriages and banns, 1813–1935 . 2011 . Ancestry.com Operations . 14 July 2018 . subscription .