New South Wales Rugby League season 1910
Encyclopedia
The 1910 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the third season of Sydney
's top-level rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season for the premiership and the Royal Agricultural Society
Challenge Shield. Also during the season, many of the League's top players took part in matches of the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia
.
the South Sydney
club defeated Western Suburbs
67 – 0. This would stand as Souths' highest ever score and biggest winning margin in a premiership game for over one hundred years.
The League's takings for all matches this year amounted to £13,512, an increase of over £6,000 on the previous season.
, the league remained with eight teams a preferable outcome since no byes would be needed. However by the end of the 1909 season
, interest for a local Newcastle
competition as well as the difficulties of longer travel for the Newcastle
side saw it pull out of the premiership. As a result, a team from Annandale
joined the premiership to leave the competition with eight teams.
The jerseys of the 8 teams for the 1910 season are shown below.
Also this season St. Luke's Park became the Western Suburbs
club's homeground.
Unlike the previous two seasons where a play-off system was used to decide the premier, there was only one game played in 1910. The top two teams, Newtown
and South Sydney
, played off in a memorable match in front of fifteen or sixteen thousand people at the Sydney Showground
on 17 September 1910. Leading 4-2 with reportedly only seconds to go, South Sydney seemed set to take out their third straight premiership. However, after Souths player Howard Hallett was forced to kick the ball clear from his own line, Newtown centre Albert Hawkes caught the ball on the full just metres away from halfway and the touch line. The rules at the time allowed Hawkes to claim a "fair mark" and Newtown to have a shot at goal. Newtown captain Charles "Boxer" Russell was successful in kicking the goal from a difficult position, allowing Newtown to tie the game and win the competition as they had been minor premiers.
Newtown 4 (Goals: Charles Russell 2)
drew with
South Sydney Rabbitohs 4 (Goals: Jim Davis 2)
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. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season for the premiership and the Royal Agricultural Society
Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales
The Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales is an Agricultural society based in New South Wales, Australia. They run many of the agricultural shows around New South Wales including the Sydney Royal Easter Show....
Challenge Shield. Also during the season, many of the League's top players took part in matches of the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia
1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the first international tour of the Great Britain national rugby league team, "The Lions". They played the second ever Ashes series against Australia before travelling to Auckland to take on New Zealand...
.
Season summary
On 23 July 1910 at the Sydney ShowgroundSydney Showground
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...
the 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...
club defeated 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...
67 – 0. This would stand as Souths' highest ever score and biggest winning margin in a premiership game for over one hundred years.
The League's takings for all matches this year amounted to £13,512, an increase of over £6,000 on the previous season.
Teams
With the loss of Cumberland at the end of the 1908 seasonNew South Wales Rugby League season 1908
The 1908 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the inaugural season of Australia's first rugby league football club competition, which was based in Sydney, New South Wales...
, the league remained with eight teams a preferable outcome since no byes would be needed. However by the end of the 1909 season
New South Wales Rugby League season 1909
The 1909 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the second season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football competition, Australia's first...
, interest for a local Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
competition as well as the difficulties of longer travel for the Newcastle
Newcastle Rebels
Newcastle were a rugby league team who played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from 1908–1909, one of the nine foundation clubs. After the formation of several clubs in January 1908, members of the NSWRFL came to Newcastle to hold talks with the local footballing community...
side saw it pull out of the premiership. As a result, a team from Annandale
Annandale, New South Wales
Annandale is a suburb of Inner West Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Annandale is located within 3-5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt. Annandale's northern end lies on Rozelle Bay,...
joined the premiership to leave the competition with eight teams.
- Annandale
- 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 - 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
The jerseys of the 8 teams for the 1910 season are shown below.
 |
 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... |
 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... |
Also this season St. Luke's Park became the 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...
club's homeground.
Ladder
Newtown finished on top of the League's ladder at the end of the regular season.| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  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... |
14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 262 | 92 | 23 |
| 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... |
14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 326 | 109 | 22 |
| 3 |  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... |
14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 248 | 116 | 20 |
| 4 |  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... |
14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 153 | 190 | |
| 16 | ||||||||
| 5 |  Glebe |
14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 175 | 194 | |
| 12 | ||||||||
| 6 |  Annandale |
14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 145 | 200 | |
| 11 | ||||||||
| 7 |  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... |
14 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 146 | 283 | |
| 6 | ||||||||
| 8 |  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... |
14 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 115 | 386 | |
| 2 | ||||||||
Final
| Newtown | Position | South Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| William "Webby" Neill William Neill (rugby league) William "Webby" Neill was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer of the early 20th century who later became a leading referee in the NSWRFL.... |
FB | Frank Twiss Frank Twiss Admiral Sir Frank Roddam Twiss, KCB, KCVO, DSC was a Royal Navy admiral who became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel... |
| Charles Russell Charles Russell (rugby) Charles "Boxer" Joseph Russell was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer and coach. He represented his country in both sports and was one Australia's early dual-code rugby internationals... (Ca./Co.) |
WG | Tommy Anderson Tommy Anderson (rugby league) Born in 1890, Tommy Anderson was an Australian Rugby League player. He played in the first ever match for South Sydney against North Sydney at Birchgrove Oval, and scored the Souths first ever premiership try. Tommy was also the NRL leading try scorer in 1909.... |
| Viv Farnsworth Viv Farnsworth Viv Farnsworth was an Australian professional rugby league player for Newtown, Wests, New South Wales and Australia, he also represented Australasia... |
CE | 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... |
| Albert Hawkes | CE | Jack Levison |
| F. Munnery | WG | Arthur Conlin Arthur Conlin Arthur Conlin was an Australian rugby league footballer of the early 20th century. A New South Wales representative goal-kicking back, he played club football for the South Sydney and Western Suburbs clubs.... |
| Bill Farnsworth | FE | Arthur McCabe Arthur McCabe Arthur John Michael McCabe was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league player. He represented for Australian in rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Rugby union career:... |
| William Hayes | HB | Arthur Butler |
| J. Morgan | PR | Bill Spence |
| J. Chevall | HK | Jim "Barra" Davis Jim Davis (rugby league) Jim Davis was a pioneer Australian rugby league player . 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.-Club:Davis had been a... |
| David Grundie | PR | Ernie Huckler |
| Jack Barnett | SR | Harry Butler |
| Patrick McCue Patrick McCue Patrick Aloysius "Paddy" McCue was an Australian representative rugby union player and pioneer rugby league player... |
SR | Johnny Rosewell |
| Joe Murray | LK | Arthur Hennessy Arthur Hennessy Arthur Stephen "Ash" Hennessy was an Australian pioneer rugby league identity. He was a seminal figure in the creation of the South Sydney Rabbitohs for whom he played and later coached... (Ca./Co.) |
Unlike the previous two seasons where a play-off system was used to decide the premier, there was only one game played in 1910. The top two teams, Newtown
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...
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...
, played off in a memorable match in front of fifteen or sixteen thousand people at the Sydney Showground
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...
on 17 September 1910. Leading 4-2 with reportedly only seconds to go, South Sydney seemed set to take out their third straight premiership. However, after Souths player Howard Hallett was forced to kick the ball clear from his own line, Newtown centre Albert Hawkes caught the ball on the full just metres away from halfway and the touch line. The rules at the time allowed Hawkes to claim a "fair mark" and Newtown to have a shot at goal. Newtown captain Charles "Boxer" Russell was successful in kicking the goal from a difficult position, allowing Newtown to tie the game and win the competition as they had been minor premiers.
Newtown 4 (Goals: Charles Russell 2)
drew with
South Sydney Rabbitohs 4 (Goals: Jim Davis 2)