The 1911 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the fourth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league club competition, Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season for the premiership and the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield.

The League’s turnover for the 1911 season was £15,889, up £2,477 on the previous year.

Teams For the first time in its short history, the premiership consisted of the same teams for two consecutive seasons. The same eight teams from the 1910 season played in 1911. Annandale 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, at the North Sydney School of Arts in Mount Street South Sydney, formed on January 17, 1908, at Redfern Town Hall Western Suburbs, formed on February 4, 1908

Annandale2nd seasonGround: Wentworth Park Captain-Coach: Charlie HedleyBalmain4th seasonGround: Birchgrove Oval Coach: Robert Graves Captain: Arthur Halloway Eastern Suburbs4th seasonGround: Sydney Sports GroundCaptain-Coach: Dally MessengerGlebe4th seasonGround: Wentworth Park Coach: Chris McKivatCaptain: Albert Burge Newtown4th seasonGround: Erskineville Oval Coach: Captain: Bill Noble North Sydney4th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Captain: Con Sullivan South Sydney4th seasonGround:Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Arthur Hennessy Captain: Billy Cann Western Suburbs4th seasonGround: St Luke's ParkCoach: Captain: Tedda Courtney

Ladder

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Glebe14110324488+156222 Eastern Suburbs14923208129+79203 South Sydney14923188117+71204 Newtown14635154120+34155 Annandale14518113184-71116 North Sydney14419138209-7197 Western Suburbs14419116189-7398 Balmain143011130255-1256

Finals The finals system used for the 1910 season was similar in the 1911 season. The top two teams at the end of the year were to play each other in a final to decide the premiership, but in the event of the minor premiers losing, they were deemed to have the "right of challenge" to play a Grand Final. However, because both Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney finished on equal premiership points in second place, a playoff was used to decide who would play minor premiers Glebe in the final.

Eastern Suburbs ended up beating local rivals South Sydney 23-10 at the Sports Ground in front of 14,000 people on September 2, 1911, to win the play-off in order to play minor premiers Glebe. The following week, Eastern Suburbs beat Glebe in front of 16,000 at the Agricultural Ground 22-9. Glebe immediately exercised their right for a rematch the following week for a match to be held at the Agricultural Ground on September 16, 1911.

Final Eastern SuburbsPositionGlebe Fred Kinghorn FB Roy Algie Barney Dalton WG Mick Muggivan John Campbell CE Dave Garlick Dally Messenger (Ca./Co.) CE Tom Gleeson Eddie White WG Charlie Cubitt Herb Collins FE Les Cubitt Leslie Cody HB Fritz ThieringLarry O'Malley PR Sid PertSandy Pearce HK Tony Redmond Mick Frawley PR Sam Griffiths Eddie Griffiths SR Albert Burge (c) Charlie Lees SR Frank Burge W Dalton LK Harry Brighton Reserve J Farrelly Coach Chris McKivat After Glebe won the toss, Dally Messenger kicked off at 3:31pm on what was a very windy Saturday afternoon. Glebe winger Cubitt scored early and Easts were only able to post a penalty goal in the first half and trailed 5–2 at the break. The referee was Tom McMahon (the elder of the two Sydney top-grade referees of that name) who in the first half sent off Glebe’s Sid Pert and Rooster Larry O'Malley, the former Australian Kangaroo captain. Early in the second half, Cubitt scored again for Glebe to take an 8–4 lead. However, in the final ten minutes, Eastern Suburbs were able to score a try after a high kick was misjudged by the Glebe fullback, and Charlie Lees took the loose ball to score a try. Dally Messenger converted to take the lead 9–8 with only minutes to play, and consolidated the win with another penalty kick to win the game 11–8 for the Roosters and allowing them to take their first premiership in front of 20,000 people.

Eastern Suburbs 11 (Tries: Lees. Goals: Messenger 3. Fld Goal: Messenger )

defeated

Glebe 8 (Tries; C Cubitt 2 Goals: 1.)

Notable events On June 22, the Sydney Cricket Ground staged its first game of rugby league. NSW defeated New Zealand in the match, 35–10.

References

External links Rugby League Tables - Notes AFL Tables Rugby League Tables - Season 1911 AFL Tables Premiership History and Statistics RL1908 1911 - Minor Premiers Glebe Beaten By Messenger RL1908 Hadden, Steve History of the NSWRL Finals Results: 1911-20 at rabbitohs.com.au