1926 NSWRFL season

Rugby league competition March 2024 1926 New South Wales Rugby Football League 125px 9 16x16px South Sydney 6th 16x16px South Sydney 6th 75 2009 16x16px Jack Courtney (104) 16x16px Benny Wearing (14) St. George 2nd 1925 NSWRFL season 1925 1927 NSWRFL season 1927 The 1926 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the nineteenth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league club competition, Australia’s first. Nine teams from across the city contested during the season, which culminated in South Sydney’s victory over Sydney University in the premiership final.Premiership Roll of Honour at rl1908.com https://web.archive.org/web/20101011045210/http://www.rl1908.com/clubcomps/Honours.htm October 11, 2010 Season summary Rugby league had been going through a period of declining popularity. The “first past the post” method had resulted in a number of seasons where the premiership was decided before the end of scheduled matches, killing interest during the closing rounds. Falling crowd numbers led to the NSWRFL making a substantial loss in 1925, forcing changes to be made. For the 1926 season a finals series was introduced to maintain interest in the competition.Middleton David Ten of the most dominant seasons in rugby league history from historian David Middleton http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/ten-of-the-greatest-seasons-in-rugby-league-history-according-to-historian-david-middleton/story-fni3fbgz-1226729899765 6 February 2014 The Daily Telegraph 30 September 2013 The Premiership would therefore be determined amongst the leading four teams. The league agreed to ban the use of substitutes in order to align with the rules used in British rugby league.Substitutes Banned https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185558000 The Daily Standard 18 December 1925 Brisbane 9 Trove The rules concerning the play-the-ball were also changed. Only two players could play at the ball, with one player from each side being allowed to stand immediately behind, and all other players having to stay behind that second man until the ball was heeled. Previously any number of players could play at the ball, and by 1925 play-the-balls had become a real mess. The rules were changed so that when a ball was forced in goal by the defending side play restarted with a line drop-out rather than a scrum. These changes combined with the use of multiple reserve balls turned rugby league into a faster and much more attractive spectacle, and the fans returned. Teams Balmain, formed on January 23, 1908, at Balmain Town Hall Eastern Suburbs, formed on January 24, 1908, at Paddington Town Hall Glebe, formed on January 9, 1908 Newtown, formed on January 14, 1908 North Sydney, formed on February 7, 1908 South Sydney, formed on January 17, 1908, at Redfern Town Hall St. George, formed on November 8, 1920, at Kogarah School of Arts Western Suburbs, formed on February 4, 1908 University, formed in 1919 at Sydney University Balmain100px|center19th seasonGround: Birchgrove OvalCoach: Alf FraserCaptain: Reg LattaEastern Suburbs100px|center19th seasonGround: RAS ShowgroundCaptains:Arthur Oxford, Les SteelGlebe100px|center19th seasonGround: Wentworth ParkCaptain: Frank Burge, Tom McGrathNewtown100px|center19th seasonGround: Marrickville OvalCoach: Albert "Ricketty" JohnstonCaptain: Charles KellNorth Sydney100px|center19th seasonGround: North Sydney OvalCaptain: Leo O'ConnorSt. George100px|center6th seasonGround: Earl ParkCaptain-Coach: Arnold TraynorSouth Sydney100px|center19th seasonGround: Sydney Cricket GroundCoach: Howard HallettCaptain: Alf BlairUniversity100px|center7th seasonCoach: Bill KellyCaptain: A.S. LaneWestern Suburbs100px|center19th seasonGround: Pratten ParkCoach: Captain: Gordon Stettler Ladder 230px|thumb|right|The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1926 premiership across Sydney. Pos. Ladder positionTeamPld. Matches playedW Matches wonD Matches drawnL Matches lostB ByesPF Points forPA Points againstDiff. Point differentialPts. Ladder points116x16px South Sydney1614022318146+17232216x16px Glebe169162188168+2023316x16px Eastern Suburbs169162207192+1523416x16px Sydney University169072198217–1922516x16px Western Suburbs168082252227+2520616x16px Newtown167092189223–3418716x16px North Sydney167092227271–4418816x16px Balmain1660102187184+316916x16px St. George1620142169307–1388 Finals At one stage in the second half of the season, University had been sitting just one win behind reigning premiers South Sydney. But five successive losses at the back end of the season saw them fall to fourth on the ladder. This though was enough to secure their only ever finals berth in their eighteen-year history. South Sydney for the second season straight showed consistent good form, and in the end comfortably won the minor premiership. In the semi-finals, both University and South Sydney comfortably defeated their opponents to progress to the final. 4 September – Sydney Cricket Ground 16x16px Glebe 3 16x16px University 29 11 September – Sydney Cricket Ground 16x16px South Sydney 21 16x16px Eastern Suburbs 5 18 September – Agricultural Showground 16x16px South Sydney 11 16x16px University 5 Final South SydneyPositionSydney University Alan Righton FB Hubert Finn Alby Carr WG Tom Barry Vic Lawrence CE Frank O'Rourke Harry Finch CE Paddy McCormack Reg Williams WG Martin Cunningham Alf Blair (c) FE A.S. Lane (c) Frank Brogan HB Ed Wynter Arch Thompson PR Edward Ryan Harry Cavanough HK Frank Benning George Treweek PR Jim Ward Edward Root SR Sammy Ogg Alf O'Connor SR Bill Flanagan David Watson LK John McIntyre Howard Hallett Coach Bill Kelly The 1926 season was the most successful of the eighteen seasons between the wars in which University competed in the top Sydney grade. This may have had to do with their coach Bill Kelly or their new trainer, the former Kangaroo Sid Pearce. Or perhaps they benefitted from that season’s play-the-ball rule change which initially resulted in a cleaner and faster game that suited the lighter and quicker Students. Whatever the reason they won their first seven games. However the loss of their centre Frank O'Rourke to a broken hand, saw them slip in the final rounds to finish fourth. The play-off system and South Sydney’s “right-of-challenge” as minor-premiers required University to beat the powerful Glebe side and then South Sydney twice to take the title. In the semi-final against Glebe, University regained their early season form and trounced Glebe by 29–3.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222719447 University Now in League Premiership Final The Sun (Sydney) Sydney 5 Sep 1926 20 Sep 2020 8 National Library of Australia Corbett Claude O'Rourke returned for the Final and lined up with state representatives Hubert “Butt” Finn, Jim McIntyre and Alby Lane in front of 20,000 at the Royal Agricultural Society Grounds. In the opening twenty minutes University had three opportunities to score but poor finishing let them down. After withstanding the Students’ attack Souths responded with eleven points of their own by the half-time break. Early in the second half University’s ce McCormack hit back with an intercept try to pull the deficit back to 11–5 however the Rabbitohs defence held for the remainder of the game and they claimed the premiership.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222728134 South Sydney League Premiers For Sixth Time The Sun (Sydney) Sydney 19 Sep 1926 20 Sep 2020 8 National Library of Australia Corbett Claude Referee Webby Neill, himself a former premiership winning Rabbitoh, sent off Souths’ Edward Root during the match. South Sydney 11 (Tries: Brogan, Finch, Watson. Goal: Blair) University 5 (Tries: Paddy McCormack. Goal: Jim McIntyre) References External links Rugby League Tables - Notes AFL Tables Rugby League Tables - Season 1926 AFL Tables Premiership History and Statistics RL1908 History - Introduction North Sydney Bears History of the University Club Sean Fagan's RL1908 Results: 1921-30 at rabbitohs.com.au Category:New South Wales Rugby League premiership NSWRFL season