1917 NSWRFL season

1917 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams 8
Premiers Balmain (3rd title)
Minor premiers Balmain (3rd title)
Matches played 56
Points scored 1280 (total)
22.857 (per match)
Top point scorer(s) Charles Fraser (67)
Top try scorer(s) Harold Horder (17)

The 1917 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the tenth season of Sydney's professional rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season and Balmain finished on top of the ladder to claim the premiership.[1]

Season summary

After nine seasons with only nineteen wins and two draws from 115 matches,[2] Western Suburbs finally made a significant impact on the league, finishing a respectable third behind the traditionally strong sides of Balmain and South Sydney. Their advance was almost entirely due to centre Herb Gilbert, who moved from Easts, Hull and South Sydney to add skill and knowledge to team crying out for guidance, besides scoring nine of the team's thirty-four tries.[3]

Balmain ultimately won their third consecutive premiership finishing eight points ahead of second placed South Sydney. The Balmain side only failed to win one of their games during the season against Newtown in round 8. Balmain's secure defence only allowed 61 points to be scored against them in 14 games, a statistic indicating their dominance. Annandale managed to avoid bottom spot thanks to Glebe surrendering their two points to them following a 31-5 win for Glebe in round 8. The points were moved over to Annandale due to Glebe fielding Dan "Laddo" Davies an ineligible player under the residential criteria of the time.

As well as losing Davies, fourteen of Glebe's first grade players were suspended for a year after the players boycotted a match against Balmain. The NSWRFL changed the venue of the game from the Sydney Cricket Ground to Birchgrove Oval in Balmain, drastically reducing spectator numbers and, in doing so, cutting Glebe's share of the big gate takings expected at the SCG. A team consisting of lower grade players was fielded and Glebe lost heavily, 409. The NSWRFL suspended all the footballers who refused to play, including Frank, Laidley and Albert Burge.

Balmain also won the three round City Cup played in the late season. Members of the Balmain premiership winning side included Bob Craig, Bill Schultz and E. Burnicle.

Teams

The teams remained unchanged from the previous season.

Annandale
8th season
Ground: Wentworth Park
Coach:
Captain: Walter Haddock
Balmain
10th season
Ground: Birchgrove Oval
Coach-Captain: Arthur Halloway
Eastern Suburbs
10th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach:
Captain: Sandy Pearce
Glebe
10th season
Ground: Wentworth Park
Coaches: Chris McKivat & Alex Burdon
Captain: Frank Burge
Newtown
10th season
Ground: Erskineville Oval
Coach:
Captain: Felix Ryan
North Sydney
10th season
Ground: St. Lukes Oval
Coach:
Captain: Sid Deane
South Sydney
10th season
Ground: RAS Showground, S.C.G.
Coach:
Captain: Roy Almond
Western Suburbs
10th season
Ground: St Luke's Oval
Coach:
Captain: Herb Gilbert

Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1917 premiership across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Balmain 14130126961+20826
2 South Sydney 14905236143+9318
3 Western Suburbs 14716162160+215
4 Newtown 14716114123-915
5 Glebe 14806207165+4214
6 Eastern Suburbs 14707131145-1414
7 Annandale 14121171214-1436
8 North Sydney 14201290269-1794

References

  1. Premiership Roll of Honour at rl1908.com
  2. Western Suburbs: Season Summary
  3. Lester, Gary; Clouds of Dust, Buckets of Blood: the Story of the Western Suburbs Rugby League Magpies; p. 46. ISBN 0949853526
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