 | This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. (October 2022) |
The 1943 Auckland Rugby League season was its 35th. The season was affected once more by World War II with many men away at war. The Auckland Rugby League decided however that there were enough players at the respective senior clubs to have a 9 team competition with no need for any merged sides. This was made easier by the fact that there was no reserve grade competition.
Manukau had an historic season winning all 4 major trophies. They won the Fox Memorial Shield for the third time following its first title in 1936, and second the previous season in 1942. They finished with a 14 win, 2 loss record, and were 4 points ahead of City Rovers. Manukau also won the Rukutai Shield for winning the first round with a 7 win, 1 loss record. The Roope Rooster was won by with a 21–9 win over Ponsonby United, and then a week later they defeated City Rovers 12-9 for the Stormont Shield which was their 3rd consecutive win of this trophy. On October 16 Manukau played the West Coast champions, Blackball. They were regarded as one of the strongest club sides ever seen in the South Island and had easily defeated the Christchurch champions Sydenham, and the Wellington champions, Petone. Manukau trailed in the second half before a strong finish saw them run out 23-9 winners. The stars for the Manukau side during the season were Tom Butler, Jack Hemi, Jim Murray, George Shilton, Aubrey Thompson, and Puti Tipene Watene. The side was almost entirely composed of Māori players, many of whom had been recruited from around the North Island over the current and preceding seasons. North Shore Albions had a season to forget. Their combined side with Marist in the previous season had finished last in 1942 and in 1943 they came last once again with a 2 win, 1 draw, 12 loss record. They were then knocked out of the Roope Rooster competition in the first round and then lost in the first round of the Phelan Shield 32–0 to City Rovers.
The representative season was short once again due in part to the war. It opened with a match between Auckland Pākehā and Auckland Māori on September 4 which was drawn 13-13. The Māori side was dominated by Manukau players with 8 of the 13 from that club. Auckland played 2 matches against South Auckland who were the northern Waikato side of the time. They lost both matches with sides that could generally be described as under strength. In their first match they were made up of 5 of the 9 club sides with the other 4 playing in the Roope Rooster competition on the same day, then in the return match with South Auckland the champion Manukau side was away and so all of their players were unavailable.