1931 NSWRFL season

1931 New South Wales Rugby Football League
Teams	8
Premiers	South Sydney^[1] (10th title)
Minor premiers	Eastern Suburbs (4th title)
Matches played	60
Points scored	1681 (total) 28.017 (per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Jack Lynch (124)
Top try scorer(s)	Jack Lynch (16)

The 1931 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twenty-fourth season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. During the season, which lasted from April until September, eight teams from across the city contested the premiership which culminated in a grand final between minor premiers Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney.^[2]

Season summary

The NSWRFL banned radio broadcasting of its matches in 1931 on the grounds that it was affecting the gates. After a year of broadcasts from nearby rooftops and ladders outside the grounds the League rescinded their ban.

Teams

Balmain, formed on January 23, 1908 at Balmain Town Hall
Eastern Suburbs, formed on January 24, 1908 at Paddington Town Hall
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


Balmain 24th season Ground: Birchgrove Oval Coach: Reg Latta Captain: Arthur Toby	University 12th season Captain: Sammy Ogg	Newtown 24th season Ground: Marrickville Oval Captain: Jack Holmes	North Sydney 24th season Ground: North Sydney Oval Captain-Coach: Tom Wright
St. George 11th season Ground: Earl Park Captain-coach: Harry Kadwell	South Sydney 24th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Charlie Lynch Capatin: Pat Maher	Eastern Suburbs 24th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Arthur Halloway Captain: Norm Pope	Western Suburbs 24th season Ground:Pratten Park Coach: Frank McMillan Captain: Bill Brogan

Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1931 premiership across Sydney.

	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Eastern Suburbs	14	12	2	339	121	+218	24
2	South Sydney	14	9	5	250	176	+74	18
3	Western Suburbs	14	9	5	220	227	-7	18
4	St. George	14	8	6	178	183	-5	16
5	North Sydney	14	6	8	143	198	-55	12
6	Newtown	14	5	9	205	194	+11	10
7	Balmain	14	5	9	133	205	-72	10
8	University	14	2	12	135	299	-164	4

Finals

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
Home	Score	Away	Date and Time	Venue	Referee	Crowd
Semi Finals
South Sydney	16 - 5	St. George	21 August 1931	Sydney Sports Ground	McGrath	17,561
Eastern Suburbs	8 - 10	Western Suburbs	29 August 1931	Sydney Sports Ground	Webby Neill	20,387
Preliminary Final
South Sydney	17 - 3	Western Suburbs	5 September 1931	Sydney Sports Ground	Lal Dean	22,767
Grand Final
Eastern Suburbs	7 - 12	South Sydney	12 September 1931	Sydney Sports Ground	Lal Dean	27,104

Grand Final

South Sydney	Position	Eastern Suburbs
Albert Spillane	FB	Morrie Boyle
Benny Wearing	WG	Billy Hong
Jack Morrison	CE	Dave Brown
Pat Maher	CE	Jack Lynch
Jack Why	WG	Fred Tottey
Jim Deeley	FE	Ernie Norman
Harry Eyers	HB	Norm Pope (c)
Carl Eggen	PR	Ray Stehr
Edward Root	HK	Dick Brown
Frank Curran	PR	Perc Atkinson
George Treweek (c)	SR	Max Nixon
Frank O'Connor	SR	Joe Pearce
Percy Williams	LK	Les Rogers
Charlie Lynch	Coach	Arthur Halloway

Eastern Suburbs started the match as short-priced favourites, and ran with the breeze from the western end after their captain Pope won the toss. With hooker Dick Brown dominating the scrums, Eastern Suburbs attacked early. The first points came at the twenty-minute mark when Lynch kicked a goal after O’Connor was penalised in front of the posts. He missed another attempt two minutes later but Easts went further ahead when Lynch kicked another goal, from a drop kick. Benny Wearing had his chance for South Sydney but was pulled down from behind by Dave Brown two yards from the line. At halftime Eastern Suburbs led 4-0.

Five-minutes after the break South Sydney seized control of the match. They attacked desperately as Treweeke, Curran and then Root hurled themselves at the Eastern Suburbs line. A scrum followed and with an overlap out wide Wearing crossed unopposed in the corner. The winger then converted his own try to give South Sydney a 6-5 lead. Eastern Suburbs then hit back with a remarkable try. Billy Hong gathered in his own twenty-five yard area, stepped through the defence to halfway, passed to Tottey who beat Morrison in a race for the ball. Dave Brown missed the goal, Eastern Suburbs led 7-5. South Sydney fullback Spillane then landed a goal from two yards on his own side of halfway to level the score at 7-all.

Hong then went off after twisting an ankle, Eastern Suburbs struggled to contend with the extra man in South Sydney’s backline. Chances followed for both sides – South Sydney's winger, Why, was thrown out at the corner post, Morrisson lost possession close to the line and Brown missed with a penalty.

With only minutes left and scores locked at 7-all, South Sydney five-eighth Harry Eyres seized possession inside Eastern Suburbs quarter, stood still for a split second, then with an electrifying burst of speed exploded through the converging defence. He beat the ineffective tackle of Hong (who had come back onto the field) and with the referee accidentally getting in the way of Brown coming over in cover defence for Eastern Suburbs, Eyres crossed for the match winning try. Hong then collapsed and had to be carried from the field as Williams was converting the try.^[3]

It was widely claimed as one of the most thrilling Grand Finals in the short history of the game in Sydney.

South Sydney 12
Tries: Wearing, Eyres. Goals: Wearing, Williams, Spillane

Eastern Suburbs 7
Tries: Tottey. Goals: Lynch (2)

References

↑ Premiership Roll of Honour at rl1908.com
↑ "RUGBY LEAGUE: Grand Final". The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). 1931-09-08. p. 13. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
↑ "South Sydney Premiers: Thrilling Grand Final". The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). 1931-09-14. p. 6. Retrieved 2009-12-04.

Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
Rugby League Tables - Season 1931 The World of Rugby League
Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
History of the New South Wales Rugby League Finals, by Steve Haddan
The Rugby League News
Results: 1931-40 at rabbitohs.com.au

South Sydney Rabbitohs

Est. 1908 at Redfern Town Hall, Sydney, New South Wales

The club	History Honours Players Coaches Records Representatives Results

Home grounds	Current ANZ Stadium Past Sydney Sports Ground Redfern Oval Sydney Football Stadium

Culture	Charity Shield South Side Story Book of Feuds Ron Coote Cup Rivalries Return to Redfern South Sydney Leagues Club Red and Green Ball George Piggins Medal Souths Cares Rabbitohs Hall Of Fame

Important figures	Arthur Hennessy Benny Wearing George Treweek Jack Rayner Clive Churchill John Sattler Bob McCarthy George Piggins Russell Crowe

League	Current NRL Past NSWRL ARL

Titles	Premierships – 21 1908 1909 1914 1918 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1931 1932 1950 1951 1953 1954 1955 1967 1968 1970 1971 2014 Minor Premierships – 17 1908 1909 1914 1918 1925 1926 1927 1929 1932 1949 1950 1951 1953 1968 1969 1970 1989 World Club Champions – 1 2015

Seasons (105)	1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Other competitions	Current Auckland Nines National Youth Competition S. G. Ball Cup Harold Matthews Cup Past Amco Cup New South Wales Cup Jersey Flegg Cup

Affiliations	South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League North Sydney Bears

Related articles	The Burrow Reggie the Rabbit South Sydney Central

South Sydney squad - 1931 NSWRFL Premiers (10th title)

1. Albert Spillane 2. Benny Wearing 3. Jack Morrison 4. Paddy Maher 5. Jack Why 6. Jim Deeley 7. Harry Eyres 8. Carl Eggen 9. Edward Root 10. Frank Curran 11. George Treweek (c) 12. Frank O'Connor 13. Percy Williams Coach: Charlie Lynch

NRL seasons

NSWRL era	1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994

ARL / SL war	1995 1996 1997 (ARL / SL)

NRL era	1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

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