The 1914 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the seventh season of Sydney's top-grade rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season. The 1914 season's gate receipts totalled £24,072, which was £7,038 more than the previous season's.
Season summary Following the retirement of Dally Messenger at the end of the 1913 season, Eastern Suburbs’ stranglehold on the premiership came to an end. In their place, previous premiers South Sydney and Newtown took control of the competition. Newtown were in a good position to take out their second premiership midway through the season but a loss to middle-placed Balmain hurt their cause, although Newtown defeated South Sydney the following week. It turned out that the Balmain loss would make the difference, with South Sydney finishing just one point ahead of Newtown at the end of the season to claim their third premiership. No Finals were contested. Members of the South Sydney premiership winning side included Howard Hallett (Player of the Season), Roy Almond, O. Brown, Arthur Butler, Harry Butler, William Cann, Jim Davis, Wally Dymant, E. Hilliard, Owen McCarthy, Arthur McCabe and Harold Horder.
The season was punctuated by matches against the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, and was the last for future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee Chris McKivat who went on to have a prominent coaching career.
Teams The teams remained unchanged from the previous season.
Annandale Balmain, formed on 23 January 1908 at Balmain Town Hall Eastern Suburbs, formed on 24 January 1908 at Paddington Town Hall Glebe, formed on 9 January 1908 Newtown, formed on 14 January 1908 North Sydney, formed on February 7, 1908, at the North Sydney School of Arts in Mount Street South Sydney, formed on 17 January 1908 at Redfern Town Hall Western Suburbs, formed on 4 February 1908
AnnandaleGround: Wentworth ParkCaptain :William LindsayBalmainGround: Birchgrove OvalCoach: Bill KellyCaptain: Charles FraserEastern Suburbs7th seasonGround: Sydney Sports GroundCaptain: Dan FrawleyGlebeGround: Wentworth ParkCaptain-Coach: Chris McKivatCo-captain: Alby Burge NewtownGround: Erskineville OvalCaptain: Paddy McCueNorth SydneyGround: North Sydney OvalCaptain: Albert BroomhamSouth SydneyGround: Sydney Cricket GroundCaptain: Arthur ButlerWestern SuburbsGround: Pratten ParkCaptain: Tedda Courtney
Ladder
TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 South Sydney14111216679+87232 Newtown141103185111+74223 Eastern Suburbs14806164122+42164 Balmain14644132111+21165 Glebe14716187140+47156 North Sydney14518158165-7117 Western Suburbs143011104231-12768 Annandale141112106243-1373
References
Sources Rugby League Tables - Notes AFL Tables Rugby League Tables - Season 1914 AFL Tables Premiership History and Statistics RL1908 1914 - South Sydney Edge Out Newtown RL1908 Results: 1911-20 at rabbitohs.com.au