1913 NSWRFL season

1913 NSWRFL season
Teams 8
Premiers Eastern Suburbs[1] (3rd title)
Minor premiers Eastern Suburbs (2nd title)
Matches played 56
Points scored 1344 (total)
24 (per match)
Top point scorer(s) Harold Horder (65)
Top try scorer(s) Harold Horder (13)

The 1913 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixth season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season.

Contents

Season summary

By the start of the 1913 season, the NSWRFL had secured the use of the Sydney Cricket Ground for its games.[2]

As occurred in the 1912 season, the minor premiers were deemed the overall premiers. Eastern Suburbs, who finished top of the table for the second time in as many years, claimed their third straight premiership as a result. The team's success could be attributed to the talent in the team at the time, with ten players having played for Australia and another three for New South Wales. From the team's two losses, one came at the hands of runners-up Newtown midway through the season and the other in the final round to Glebe after the title had already been won.

The Eastern Suburbs side is still considered to be one of the greatest club teams ever assembled, with players including Dally Messenger, Wally Messenger, Sandy Pearce, Larry O'Malley, Les Cubitt, Dan Frawley and Arthur "Pony" Halloway.

The 1913 season also saw the retirement from the League of future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Dally Messenger.

Teams

The teams remained unchanged from the 1912 season.

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

Ladder

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Eastern Suburbs 14 12 0 2 227 118 +109 24
2 Newtown 14 10 1 3 203 135 +68 21
3 South Sydney 14 9 0 5 200 132 +68 18
4 Glebe 14 8 0 6 198 161 +37 16
5 North Sydney 14 5 2 7 199 193 +6 12
6 Balmain 14 4 1 9 83 135 -52 9
7 Annandale 14 3 0 11 119 219 -100 6
8 Western Suburbs 14 3 0 11 115 251 -136 6

References