New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1909

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New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1909
Logo of the NSWRFL
Teams	8
Premiers	South Sydney (2nd title)
Minor premiers	South Sydney (2nd title)
Matches played	42
Points scored	975 (average 23.214 per match)
Top points scorer(s)	Arthur Conlin (43 points)
Top try scorer(s)	Tommy Anderson (11 tries)

1909's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the second season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Eight teams contested during the season for the premiership and the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield; seven teams from Sydney and one team from Newcastle, New South Wales.

Also in 1909 north of the border, the Queensland Rugby Football League got its club competition started for the rebel code.

[edit] Teams

The teams that made up the 1909 premiership season were the same as the 1908 season with the exception of Cumberland who were dissolved being unable to field a competitive team. Their last premiership match turned out to be a 45-0 loss at the hands of North Sydney on July 25, 1908, a game where the team had to "borrow" two of North Sydney's officials in order to make up a 13-man side. Seven of Cumberland's players ended up going to Western Suburbs the following year, but only three of these players were able to play another premiership match.

• 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
• Newcastle, formed on February 8, 1908 at Pike's Rooms, Bolton Street, Newcastle
• Newtown, formed on January 14, 1908
• North Sydney, formed on February 7, 1908
• South Sydney, formed on January 17, 1908 at Redfern Town Hall
• Western Suburbs formed on February 4, 1908

Souths lost only one game in the regular season, to Newcastle in Newcastle, 3 days after the Novocastrians had beaten a New Zealand Maori team.

[edit] Colours

Balmain	Eastern Suburbs	Glebe	Newcastle
Newtown	North Sydney	South Sydney	Western Suburbs

[edit] Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1909 premiership across Sydney.

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	South Sydney	10	9	0	1	210	41	+169	18
2	Balmain	10	8	0	2	130	62	+68	16
3	Newcastle	10	5	0	5	144	93	+51	10
4	Eastern Suburbs	10	5	0	5	167	141	+26	10
5	Glebe	10	4	0	6	62	159	-97	8
6	Newtown	10	3	1	6	73	107	-34	7
7	North Sydney	10	2	2	6	104	157	-53	6
8	Western Suburbs	10	2	1	7	42	172	-130	5

[edit] Finals

In 1909 semi-finals were played amongst the four highest placed teams. Top two finishers South Sydney and Balmain were able to win their respective semi-finals. However, after the New South Wales Rugby League had planned a match between the Australian rugby union and rugby league teams that would upstage the premiership final both South Sydney and Balmain unofficially agreed to not play out a final. But unknown to Balmain, South Sydney turned up ready to play. The final was deemed to be a forfeit as a result, with South Sydney claiming their second premiership in as many years. The incident caused a deep seated resentment towards Souths by Balmain which lasted many years.

	Semi-finals				Final
	14 August 1909 - Wentworth
	Balmain	15
	Eastern Suburbs	8
					14 September 1909 - Showground
					South Sydney
					Balmain	(forfeit)
	14 August 1909 - Agricultural
	South Sydney	20
	Newcastle	0

Members of the South Sydney side who showed up on Grand Final day and won by forfeit were:

• Arthur Butler • Arthur Conlin (c) • Harry Butler • Howard Hallett • T.Anderson • J.Davis • Frank Storie • Ed Fry • Dick Green • Jack Coxon • W.Cann • P.Carroll • Arthur Hennessy (coach)

[edit] References

• Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
• Rugby League Tables - Season 1909 The World of Rugby League
• Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
• 1909 - Souths Win After Balmain Forfeits! RL1908
• Cumberland RLFC RL1908