New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1927
Encyclopedia
The 1927 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twentieth 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 South Sydney's victory over St. George in the premiership final.
The 1924 season was also the last in the NSWRFL for future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
inductee, Frank Burge
.
had a massive turnaround in 1927, with a chance to become minor premiers in the final round when they played South Sydney
who were just one point ahead of them on the ladder. However looking for their third successive title, South Sydney prevailed 22-9 in front of a large crowd of 26,649 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
, and as a result took the minor premiership. On the same day, Western Suburbs
and Eastern Suburbs
played each other for third spot, with Western Suburbs winning 8-6.
In the semi-finals, both South Sydney and St. George overcame their opponents and were able to set up a rematch of their Round 18 game just two weeks earlier.
Playing on a quagmire at the Royal Agricultural Society Grounds
in front of a modest crowd of 12,124 St. George
contested their first ever premiership decider in their seventh year in the top league. They confronted the might of South Sydney
who were reigning premiers in the two prior years and minor premiers at the end of the 1927 regular season.
The two teams had already met earlier in the season at the Sydney Cricket Ground when Souths defeated Saints 17-14 in front of a massive crowd of 31,500. With heavy rain falling throughout the match, refereed by former Rabbitoh and international Webby Neill Souths took a 13-6 lead to the half time break. The Rabbitohs won the decider scoring four tries to three to take their third successive premiership and becoming the third club to do so. Souths
South Sydney 20 (Tries: Carr, Root, Wearing, Finch. Goals: Blair 2, Kadwell 2)
defeated
St George 11 (Tries: Justice, Carstairs, Saunders. Goal: Saunders )
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 South Sydney's victory over St. George in the premiership final.
Season summary
The 1927 season saw a new record for length of a player's suspension. Balmain's Bill Maizey was suspended for 12 months for punching Easts player George Clamback.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, Frank Burge
Frank Burge
Frank 'Chunky' Burge was one of the greatest forwards in the history of rugby league in Australia. Later he was one of the game's finest coaches....
.
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 23 January 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 24 January 1908 at Paddington Town Hall - Glebe, formed on 9 January 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 14 January 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 7 February 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 17 January 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 8 November 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 4 February 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... |
 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 |  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... |
16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 402 | 162 | 32 |
| 2 |  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,... |
16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 284 | 141 | 29 |
| 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... |
16 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 222 | 182 | 22 |
| 4 |  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... |
16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 215 | 216 | |
| 22 | |||||||||
| 5 |  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... |
16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 189 | 259 | |
| 20 | |||||||||
| 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... |
16 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 174 | 256 | |
| 17 | |||||||||
| 7 |  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... |
16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 210 | 238 | |
| 16 | |||||||||
| 8 |  Glebe |
16 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 176 | 297 | |
| 12 | |||||||||
| 9 |  University |
16 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 199 | 320 | |
| 10 | |||||||||
Finals
All four finalists had been decided before the end of the final round and by coincidence faced each other in the penultimate round. 1926 wooden spooners 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,...
had a massive turnaround in 1927, with a chance to become minor premiers in the final round when they played 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...
who were just one point ahead of them on the ladder. However looking for their third successive title, South Sydney prevailed 22-9 in front of a large crowd of 26,649 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...
, and as a result took the minor premiership. On the same day, Western Suburbs
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...
and Eastern Suburbs
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...
played each other for third spot, with Western Suburbs winning 8-6.
In the semi-finals, both South Sydney and St. George overcame their opponents and were able to set up a rematch of their Round 18 game just two weeks earlier.
Final
| South Sydney | Position | St George |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Kadwell Harry Kadwell Harry "Mick" Kadwell was an Australian professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative fullback who later moved to the halves, he played his club football for South Sydney with whom he won the 1927 and 1928 NSWRFL... |
FB | Jack McCormack |
| 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.... |
WG | Stan Brain |
| Vic Lawrence Vic Lawrence Victor "Vic" Lawrence is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League .... |
CE | George Carstairs |
| Sid Harris | CE | Lennie Guest |
| Harry Finch Harry Finch Harry Finch was a rugby league player in Australia's leading competition - the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership in the 1920s and 1930s. Finch was also an Australian international who played for both the Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney clubs.Finch, a winger, made his first grade... |
WG | Frank Saunders Frank Saunders Frank Etheridge Saunders was an English international footballer, who played as a centre half.-Career:Born in Brighton, Saunders played for Swifts, and earned one cap for England in 1888.... |
| 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... (Ca./Co.) |
FE | Arnold Traynor |
| Michael O'Connor | HB | Bill Benson |
| David Watson | PR | Clarrie Tye |
| Alby Carr | HK | Arthur Justice Arthur Justice Arthur "Snowy" Justice was an Australian rugby league footballer, coach and administrator. He was a rugged hooker for the St George Dragons who made state and national representative appearances in the late 1920s... |
| Chas Fennell | PR | Tom Killiby |
| George Treweek George Treweek George Treweek was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s. He was a towering second-row forward for his time who formed an integral part of the champion South Sydney Rabbitohs teams of the 1920s and early 1930s... |
SR | Bill Hardman |
| 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... |
SR | Frank Burge Frank Burge Frank 'Chunky' Burge was one of the greatest forwards in the history of rugby league in Australia. Later he was one of the game's finest coaches.... (Ca./Co.) |
| Harry Cavanagh | LK | Aub Kelly |
Playing on a quagmire at the Royal Agricultural Society Grounds
Sydney Showground (Moore Park)
The former Sydney Showground at Moore Park was the site of the Sydney Royal Easter Show in New South Wales, Australia from 1882 until 1997, when the Show was moved to the new Sydney Showground at Homebush Bay, which was built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics...
in front of a modest crowd of 12,124 St. George
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,...
contested their first ever premiership decider in their seventh year in the top league. They confronted the might of 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...
who were reigning premiers in the two prior years and minor premiers at the end of the 1927 regular season.
The two teams had already met earlier in the season at the Sydney Cricket Ground when Souths defeated Saints 17-14 in front of a massive crowd of 31,500. With heavy rain falling throughout the match, refereed by former Rabbitoh and international Webby Neill Souths took a 13-6 lead to the half time break. The Rabbitohs won the decider scoring four tries to three to take their third successive premiership and becoming the third club to do so. Souths
South Sydney 20 (Tries: Carr, Root, Wearing, Finch. Goals: Blair 2, Kadwell 2)
defeated
St George 11 (Tries: Justice, Carstairs, Saunders. Goal: Saunders )