New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1924
Encyclopedia
The 1924 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the seventeenth season of Sydney
's top-level rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. Nine teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in Balmain's victory over South Sydney in the premiership final.
The 1924 season was also the last in the NSWRFL for future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
inductee, Harold Horder
.
Balmain
and South Sydney
finished equal at the top of the ladder, having dropped just one game each. The teams had earlier met in Round 5, with a 10-10 draw being the result at the Sydney Cricket Ground
in front of a crowd of around 16,000.
The Final was played before a crowd of around 15,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
on 29 July 1924 and refereed by former Rabbitoh premiership winner Webby Neill. Balmain led 3-0 at half-time and both sides failed to score in the second half. The Tigers thus claimed their sixth premiership within ten years. At the time it was the lowest-scoring Final since the start of the NSWRFL premiership and the first time a team had been held scoreless in a Final.
The Final was also the first rugby league match broadcast on radio with the commentary by Balmain secretary Bob Savage.
Balmain 3 (Try: Latta)
defeated
South Sydney 0
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's top-level rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. Nine teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in Balmain's victory over South Sydney in the premiership final.
The 1924 season was also the last in the NSWRFL for future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
The Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at rugby league, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game who are Australian...
inductee, Harold Horder
Harold Horder
Harold Norman Horder was an Australian rugby league player a national and state representative player whose club career was with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and North Sydney Bears between 1912 and 1924...
.
Teams
- BalmainBalmain TigersThe Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
, formed on January 23, 1908 at Balmain Town Hall - Eastern SuburbsSydney RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
, formed on January 24, 1908 at Paddington Town Hall - Glebe, formed on January 9, 1908
- NewtownNewtown JetsThe Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
, formed on January 14, 1908 - North SydneyNorth Sydney BearsThe North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
, formed on February 7, 1908 - South SydneySouth Sydney RabbitohsThe South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
, formed on January 17, 1908 at Redfern Town Hall - St. GeorgeSt. George DragonsThe St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,...
, formed on November 8, 1920 at Kogarah School of Arts - Western SuburbsWestern Suburbs MagpiesThe Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
, formed on February 4, 1908 - University, formed in 1919 at Sydney University
 Balmain Tigers The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles... |
 Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League... |
 |
 Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
 North Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on... Coach: Jim Devereux Jim Devereux Jim Devereux was an Australian rugby league footballer of the earlier 20th Century. A New South Wales and Australian international representative three-quarter back, he played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from its first season in 1908 for the North Sydney club.The son... |
 St. George Dragons The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,... |
 South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital... |
 |
 Western Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia... |
Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  BalmainBalmain Tigers The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles... |
8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 124 | 53 | 15 |
| 2 |  South SydneySouth Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital... |
8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 104 | 60 | 15 |
| 3 |  Western SuburbsWestern Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia... |
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 130 | 103 | 10 |
| 4 |  Glebe |
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 87 | 95 | |
| 10 | |||||||||
| 5 |  St. GeorgeSt. George Dragons The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,... |
8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 94 | 125 | |
| 10 | |||||||||
| 6 |  North SydneyNorth Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on... |
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 107 | 128 | |
| 8 | |||||||||
| 7 |  Eastern SuburbsSydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League... |
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 168 | 106 | |
| 8 | |||||||||
| 8 |  University |
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 85 | 115 | |
| 7 | |||||||||
| 9 |  NewtownNewtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season... |
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 98 | 129 | |
| 7 | |||||||||
Premiership Final
| Balmain | Position | South Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| Des Ponchard | FB | Howard Hallett Howard Hallett Howard Hallett was an Australian rugby league player and coach for theSouth Sydney Rabbitohs in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. Hallett primarily played at fullback... |
| Jim Love | WG | Benny Wearing Benny Wearing Benny Wearing was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. An Australian international and New South Wales representative three-quarter, he played his club football in the NSWRFL Premiership for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.... |
| Dud Millard | CE | Harold Horder Harold Horder Harold Norman Horder was an Australian rugby league player a national and state representative player whose club career was with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and North Sydney Bears between 1912 and 1924... |
| Jim Craig Jim Craig (rugby league) Jim Craig was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He was a versatile back for the Australian national team. He played in 7 Tests between 1921 and 1928 as captain on 3 occasions and has since been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.-Club career:Craig grew... |
CE | Oscar Quinlivan |
| Tommy Kennedy | WG | Cec Blinkhorn Cec Blinkhorn Cecil Blinkhorn was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1910s and 20s. He played in the NSWRFL premiership for the North Sydney and South Sydney clubs, and also represented New South Wales and Australia... |
| Charles Fraser (Ca./Co.) | FE | Alf Blair Alf Blair Alf "Smacker" Blair was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1910s and 20s. An Australian internationaal and New South Wales representative half, he played his club football career with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, with whom he won the 1925, '26, '27 and '29 premierships.-Club career:Blair... |
| Norman Robinson | HB | Frank Brogan |
| Bill Schulz | PR | David Watson |
| Horrie Watt | HK | Ern Wilmot |
| Andrew Fraser | PR | Jack Lawrence |
| Roy Liston | SR | Edward Root Edward Root Eddie Root was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. A State and Australian national representative, his club career was played in Sydney with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Newtown Bluebags and the St. George Dragons... |
| Les Hayes | SR | Pat Murphy |
| Reg Latta | LK | Abby Carr |
| Coach |
Balmain
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
and South Sydney
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
finished equal at the top of the ladder, having dropped just one game each. The teams had earlier met in Round 5, with a 10-10 draw being the result at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
in front of a crowd of around 16,000.
The Final was played before a crowd of around 15,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
on 29 July 1924 and refereed by former Rabbitoh premiership winner Webby Neill. Balmain led 3-0 at half-time and both sides failed to score in the second half. The Tigers thus claimed their sixth premiership within ten years. At the time it was the lowest-scoring Final since the start of the NSWRFL premiership and the first time a team had been held scoreless in a Final.
The Final was also the first rugby league match broadcast on radio with the commentary by Balmain secretary Bob Savage.
Balmain 3 (Try: Latta)
defeated
South Sydney 0