1906–07 Northern Rugby Football Union season

none 1906–07 Northern Rugby Football Union season Championship 26 1906–07 Season halifax 16 Halifax (2nd title) Champions halifax 16 Halifax League Leaders oldham 16 Oldham ENG James Lomas (salford city 16 Salford) (280) ENG Percy Eccles (halifax 16 Halifax) (41) Liverpool City Joined League bradford 16 Bradford F.C.dewsbury 16 Brighouse Rangerscastleford 16 Castlefordnorth Sydney 16 Normantonqueensland 16 MillomMorecambe Resigned from League 1905–06 Northern Rugby Football Union season 1905–06 1907–08 Northern Rugby Football Union season 1907–08 The 1906–07 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the 12th season of rugby league football. Rule changes During a meeting held on 12 June 1906 at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, the members of the Northern Union agreed to adopt two rule changes that would distinguish the sport thereafter.http://rl1908.com/History/1906.htm rl1908.com A Motor Car Compared To A Bullock Wagon Sean Fagan 2008-07-01 2009-09-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20090106175326/http://rl1908.com/History/1906.htm 2009-01-06 dead The Northern Union, motivated by the need to appeal to spectators to improve the game's finances and ensure its survival, and inspired by the attacking style of rugby displayed by the New Zealand rugby union team during their 1905 tour of Britain, revisited two areas of the game that were the focus of much debate: the optimum number of players per team and how play should continue once a tackle had been completed. The play-the-ball rule was introduced.http://www.rl1908.com/rucksinfo.htm rl1908.com The real rugby game Sean Fagan 2009-04-04 2009-09-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20091014040124/http://www.rl1908.com/rucksinfo.htm 2009-10-14 dead Previously after each tackle had been completed or a player had been "held" the rules mandated that a scrum be ordered by the referee. These scrums had taken up a significant portion of game time and it was felt that the ball was hidden from spectators too often as a result, diminishing the game's entertainment value. The play-the-ball restored the early rugby football principle that play does not carry on when the player is no longer standing, but that a tackle is complete when a player is "held" on the ground or while on their feet. The Yorkshire Post commented on 13 June 1906 that the, "proposals in the name of the Bradford Club, provided in effect for a return to the 'play the ball' rule". In New Zealand, a newspaper column in The Truth on 10 November 1906 while describing the sport to its readers wrote, "the most excellent rule, that was obliterated from the earlier laws of the Union has again been introduced, 'That a player, when collared, must put the ball into play'." This version of the play-the-ball was used until the 1927–28 season when it was replaced by a 1926 Australian development in which the play-the-ball consisted of two defensive markers, the tackled player and the acting half-back. The Northern Union reduced the number of players on a team from fifteen to thirteen following approval by the clubs of a proposal by Warrington.http://www.warringtonwolves.org/HistoryB.ink Warrington Wolves The Northern Union Warrington Wolves 2009-09-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20080828182311/http://www.warringtonwolves.org/HistoryB.ink 2008-08-28 dead In New Zealand, a newspaper column in The Truth (10 November 1906) describing the sport noted the intention, "to make the game brighter from a spectacular view-point". There had been support, stronger among northern clubs, for a reduction in the number of players before the 1895 schism but this had not been taken any further because of the Rugby Football Union's threats of sanctions as part of their campaign against professionalism. Since its founding, the NU had trialled games with different numbers of players at various times. If a ball was kicked out of play on the full, a scrum back where it had been kicked from would now be formed. Season summary Halifax won their second Championship in this season and Warrington their second Challenge Cup in three years. This season also saw the introduction of the Championship Play-offs at the end of the season. Similar to the current Grand Final system in today's Super League, it involved the top four clubs playing in two semi finals (1v4, 2v3) and then a final with the winners being declared champions. This system was used until 1961-62. Liverpool City joined, but Brighouse Rangers, Castleford, Millom, Morecambe, and Normanton withdrew, reducing the competition to 27 teams. Pontefract resigned from the league and folded after 8 matches, and their record was expunged (8P 3W 5L 63PF 154PA).http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=329 1906-07 Season summary 2009-08-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20090826202007/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=329 2009-08-26 live Liverpool City became the first of only six teams to record no wins in a league season. Three of the others were in wartime leagues.http://www.therfl.co.uk/challengecup/page.php?areaid=64 All Time Records RFL 2009-08-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20090403144104/http://www.therfl.co.uk/challengecup/page.php?areaid=64 2009-04-03 dead Bradford had been playing at the Park Avenue ground until this year. A decision by the Park Avenue Directors to form a professional association football (soccer) club forced Bradford rugby club to reform and relocate at Greenfield Stadium later adding "Northern" to their name.http://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/content/History/3557/1901%20-%201914:%20Pre-War HISTORY 1901 - 1914: Pre-War Bradford Bulls 2009-08-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20090425162726/http://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/content/History/3557/1901%20-%201914:%20Pre-War 2009-04-25 dead There was no county league competition this season. Championship TeamPldWDLPFPAPtsPct1Halifax3427256492295682.352Oldham3426174572275377.943Runcorn3023075462164676.664Keighley2417164312313572.915Wigan34231106562784769.116Leeds3019294243014066.667Hunslet32210115203544265.628Warrington34211125543044363.239Broughton Rangers30171124962353558.3310Salford32180144623493656.2511Barrow26131123333562751.9212Widnes2091102213201947.5013Hull Kingston Rovers32150173903663046.8714Dewsbury28121153933772544.6415Leigh28121153183112544.6416Wakefield Trinity28121153484092544.6417Swinton32140183083802843.7518Bradford30122163873672643.3319Huddersfield32130194694772640.6220Rochdale Hornets2691162923121936.5321Batley2481152283261735.4122St. Helens2690173743531834.6123Hull32110213375152234.3724York2450192175141020.8325Bramley2010198546625.0026Liverpool City30003076139800.0027PontefractClub folded, record expungedN/A   Play-offs Championship play-off Semi-finals Championship final 1 Halifax 9 4 Keighley 4 2 Oldham 11 3 Runcorn 3 Halifax 18 Oldham 3 Challenge Cup 1907 Challenge Cup Warrington beat Oldham 17-3 in the final at Wheater's Field, Broughton, Salford before a crowd of 18,500 to win their second Cup in three seasons. http://www.therfl.co.uk/challengecup/page.php?areaid=65 Roll of Honour 2009-08-07 Rugby Football League https://web.archive.org/web/20090403144113/http://www.therfl.co.uk/challengecup/page.php?areaid=65 2009-04-03 dead County cups 1906–07 Lancashire Cup 1906–07 Yorkshire Cup Broughton Rangers beat Warrington 15–6 to win the Lancashire Cup, and Bradford F.C. beat Hull Kingston Rovers 8–5 to win the Yorkshire County Cup. Sources 1906-07 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com The Challenge Cup at The Rugby Football League website References Category:1906 in English rugby league Category:1907 in English rugby league Category:Northern Rugby Football Union seasons