1923 NSWRFL season

1923 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams 9
Premiers Eastern Suburbs (4th title)
Minor premiers Eastern Suburbs (3rd title)
Matches played 73
Points scored 1862 (total)
25.507 (per match)
Top point scorer(s) Arthur Oxford (113)
Top try scorer(s) Herman Peters (16)

The 1923 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixteenth 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 Eastern suburbs' victory over South Sydney in the premiership final.[1]

The 1923 season was the last season that future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee Duncan Thompson played in.

Teams

Balmain
16th season
Ground: Birchgrove Oval
Captain-Coach: Charles Fraser
Eastern Suburbs
16th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Ray Norman
Captain: Harry Caples
Glebe
16th season
Ground: Wentworth Park
Captain-Coach: Frank Burge
Newtown
16th season
Ground: Marrickville Oval
Coach: Arthur Halloway & Albert Johnston
Captain: Alex Bolewski
North Sydney
16th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach:
Captain: Duncan Thompson
St. George
3rd season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Coach: Herb Gilbert
Captain: Clarrie Tye
South Sydney
16th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Captain-Coach: Bill Gillespie
University
4th season
Coach: Bill Kelly
Captain: Hubert Finn
Western Suburbs
16th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Captain-Coach: Tedda Courtney

Ladder

The geographical locations of the foundation teams across Sydney.
Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Eastern Suburbs 1613032235124+11130
2 South Sydney 1613032242173+6930
3 Balmain 1610152247136+11125
4 Western Suburbs 169072257218+3922
5 North Sydney 168082245223+2220
6 Glebe 1660102160193-3316
7 St. George 1650112168236-6814
8 Newtown 1642102161297-13614
9 University 1621132120235-1159

Finals

The top two sides, Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney, tied on equal points at the end of the season. Eastern Suburbs had previously been leading South Sydney by 2 points coming into the final round of the year, only to lose to third-placed Balmain by 1 point in front of 14,000 people in the final match. South Sydney on the other hand won their final match against North Sydney to go level on top of the ladder.

Premiership final

Eastern Suburbs Position South Sydney
Ed Rigney FB Howard Hallett
Cyril Abotomey WG Benny Wearing
Jack Dawson CE Tom Barry
Les Steel CE Vic Lawrence
George Agar WG Oscar Quinlivan
Harry Caples (c) FE Bill Gillespie (c)
Sid Kaufman HB Alec Johnston
Arthur Oxford PR David Watson
Bill Richards HK Pat Murphy
Tom Molloy PR Perce Horne
Bill Ives SR Ern Wilmot
Harold Holmes SR Alf O'Connor
Jack Watkins LK Jack Lawrence
Edward Connerton Res. -
Ray Norman Coach

A final, the second in as many seasons, was played between Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney the following Wednesday 12 September at the Sydney Cricket Ground, attracting a crowd of 15,000 people. With referee Tom McMahon officiating Eastern Suburbs prevailed winners 15-12 and claimed their first premiership since 1913.

Eastern Suburbs 15 (Tries: Caples 2, Steel. Goals: Oxford 3)

South Sydney 12 (Tries: Wearing 2. Goals: Wearing 3)

Easts kicked off in front of 15,000 spectators, Souths responded soon after with a try to Benny Wearing, the try was unconverted leaving Souths with a 3-0 lead. Easts responded with an unconverted try to Les Steel after some good lead up work from Easts captain Harry Caples. Both sides then traded penalty goals. The Tricolours took a 7-5 lead to the break following another goal to front-row forward Arthur Oxford.

After the break play flowed from end to end until, from a scrum win in Souths halfback, Johnstone, kicked over the defense, regathered, then found Wearing who scored under the posts, Wearing then converted his own try to give Souths a 10-7 lead. The lead changed yet again when Caples took an intercept, kicked past the fullback and scored, Oxford converted to make it 12-10. A penalty goal to Benny Wearing soon after locked the scores up at 12 points all. With time almost up Caples scored out wide after some fine lead up work from Easts centre, Dawson.

The win gave Eastern Suburbs their first premiership in ten years. rugby league publication 'Rugby League News' referred to the match as "the most brilliant game of the season."

Hadden, Brad, "History of the NSWRL Finals"


References

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