Jim Davis (rugby league)

Jim Davis (1887–1934) was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer. He was one of his country's first national representative players making the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and then had a patchy first grade club career in the first decade of the code's popularity in Sydney.

Jim Davis

Personal information
Full name	Walter James Davis
Born	13 April 1887 Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia
Died	9 February 1934 (aged 47) Parkes, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Position	Second-row, Lock
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1908–10 South Sydney 30 8 20 0 64 1911 North Sydney 11 0 1 0 2 1912 South Sydney 8 2 0 0 6 1913 Glebe 12 1 3 0 9 1914–19 South Sydney 27 2 0 0 6 Parkes Total 88 13 24 0 87 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1908–12 New South Wales 8 1 6 0 15 1908–09 Australia 3 1 1 0 5
Source: [1][2]

Career

Club

Davis had been a South Sydney rugby union junior before he joined the new South Sydney rugby league club in its inaugural 1908 season.[3] He initially played three seasons with club and was sent off in the 1910 Grand Final played against Newtown. He played the 1911 NSWRFL season with North Sydney before playing three seasons with the Glebe club. His top-grade career finished up back at Souths in 1918-19 before concluding with a country stint at Parkes.[4]

Representative

Davis made his debut Test appearance in 1908 against New Zealand, appearing in both matches of the first rugby league international series played by an Australian representative side. At the end of that season he was selected in the 35 man squad to make the first ever Kangaroo Tour. Davis played in six tour matches but in none of the three Test matches played. In the 1909 season he returned to test selection playing in the first test against New Zealand. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 3.[5]

Death

Davis became depressed when unable to find work during the Depression, and in 1934 he took his own life.[6] The inquest into his death was held at Parkes, New South Wales on the 22 February 1934. Davis's body was found in the Peoples Park, Parkes on the morning of 9 February 1934. The deceased's wrists had been cut, and the verdict was suicide. A suicide note was also produced during the Inquest.[7]

References

1. Rugby League Project
3. Alan Whiticker/Glen Hudson: The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. (1995 edition) ISBN 1875169571
4. Whiticker, Alan. "Jim Davis". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
5. ARL Annual Report 2005
6. Whiticker, Hudson p121
7. Western Champion (Parkes, New South Wales):"INQUEST. The Late Jas. Davis. Verdict of Suicide." 23 February 1934. (page 13)

Bibliography

• Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney