Edgar Newham

Edgar Wynton Newham (1914 - 1995) was a rugby league footballer for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, New South Wales and for the Australian national side.

Rugby league career

Edgar Newham played his first game of Rugby League at 19 years of age. By the time he was 24, Edgar Newham joined Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs from Cowra, New South Wales and played 9 seasons with the club between 1938-1945 and 1948.

He found immediate success when Canterbury won their first premiership, beating Eastern Suburbs Roosters 19-6 in the 1938 Final. Newham played on the wing in the Final.

Four years later in 1942, Newham crossed for 5 tries in a mid-week match against the Balmain Tigers that decided the minor-premiership. His five try record in this game was only equaled in 2002 by Nigel Vagana. Canterbury won the match 26-20 and went on to win the 1942 Premiership, beating the St. George Dragons 11-9 in the grand final.

The war years interrupted his Canterbury-Bankstown career. In 1946 he returned to Captain-Coach the Cowra league team and in 1947 he played in Queensland.