1924 NSWRFL season explained

Year:1924
Competition:New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams:9
Count:6th
Mpcount:6th
Matches:37
Points:917
Top Point Scorer: Jack Courtney (42)
Top Try Scorer: Tommy Kennedy (10)
Prevseason Link:1923 NSWRFL season
Prevseason Year:1923
Nextseason Link:1925 NSWRFL season
Nextseason Year:1925

The 1924 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the seventeenth 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 Balmain’s victory over South Sydney in the premiership final.[1] The 1924 season was the last in the NSWRFL for future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Harold Horder.

Teams

Ladder

Because of the British Lions tour of Australia, and interstate matches, the 1924 season was shortened to a single round of eight matches. No club fixtures were played on the weekends of 31 May, 7 June, 21 June nor 28 June.[2]

width=20 abbr="Position" width=175 Teamwidth=20 abbr="Played" Pldwidth=20 abbr="Won" Wwidth=20 abbr="Drawn" Dwidth=20 abbr="Lost" Lwidth=20 abbr="Bye" Bwidth=20 abbr="Points for" PFwidth=20 abbr="Points against" PAwidth=20 abbr="Points difference" PDwidth=20 abbr="Points" Pts
1 Balmain8611112453+7115
2 South Sydney8611110460+4415
3 Western Suburbs84041130103+2710
4 Glebe840418795-810
5 St. George8323194125-3110
6 North Sydney83051107128-218
7 Eastern Suburbs8305185106-218
8 Sydney University8215185115-307
9 Newtown8215198129-317

Premiership Final

BalmainPositionSouth Sydney
Des PonchardHoward Hallett
Jim LoveBenny Wearing
Dud MillardHarold Horder
Oscar Quinlivan
Tommy KennedyCec Blinkhorn
Charles Fraser (Ca./Co.)Alf Blair
Frank Brogan
Bill SchultzDavid Watson
Ern Wilmot
Alf FraserJack Lawrence
Edward Root
Les HayesPat Murphy
Reg LattaAlby Carr
Coach Owen McCarthy
Balmain and South Sydney finished equal at the top of the ladder, having dropped just one game each. The teams had earlier met in Round 5, with a 10–10 draw being the result at the Sydney Cricket Ground in front of a crowd of around 16,000.

The Final was played before a crowd of around 15,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 29 July 1924 and refereed by former Rabbitoh premiership winner Webby Neill. Balmain led 3–0 at half-time and both sides failed to score in the second half. The Tigers thus claimed their sixth premiership within ten years. At the time it was the lowest-scoring Final since the start of the NSWRFL premiership and the first time a team had been held scoreless in a Final.

The Final was also the first rugby league match broadcast on radio with commentary by Balmain secretary Bob Savage.[3]

Balmain 3 (Try: Latta)

defeated

South Sydney 0

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.rl1908.com/clubcomps/Honours.htm Premiership Roll of Honour
  2. Haddan, Steve; History of the NSW Rugby League Finals; pp. 42-43
  3. Web site: Gerard first to 300; Joey smashes record; Taylor passes Halligan. NRL. 28 July 2022 .