The 1913 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixth season of Sydney's top-level rugby league club competition, Australia's first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season.
Season summary By the start of the 1913 season, the NSWRFL had secured the use of the Sydney Cricket Ground for its games.
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. Of 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.
This 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. This 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 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
Annandale4th seasonGround: Wentworth Park Captain-Coach: Paddy McCue Balmain6th seasonGround: Birchgrove Oval Coach: Robert GravesCaptain: Bill NobleEastern Suburbs6th seasonGround: Sydney Sports GroundCaptain-Coach: Dally MessengerGlebe6th seasonGround: Wentworth Park Captain-Coach: Chris McKivat Newtown6th seasonGround: Erskineville Oval Captain-Coach: Charles "Boxer" Russell North Sydney6th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Captain: Sid Deane & Jim DevereuxSouth Sydney6th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: John Rosewell Captain: Arthur Butler Western Suburbs6th seasonGround: Pratten Park Captain-Coach: Tedda Courtney, Jim Abercrombie
Ladder
TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Eastern Suburbs141202227118+109242 Newtown141013203135+68213 South Sydney14905200132+68184 Glebe14806198161+37165 North Sydney14527199193+6126 Balmain1441983135-5297 Annandale143011119219-10068 Western Suburbs143011115251-1366
Records set in 1913 On 19 July, South Sydney's reserve grade team scored 102 points against Mosman, which remains the greatest number of points scored in any grade of NSWRFL/NSWRL/ARL/NRL rugby league. The Rabbitohs scored 49 points in the first half and 59 in the second, conceding only a solitary penalty goal.'Rugby League: Second Grade'; The Sunday Times, 20 July 1913, p. 13'Records Made: St. George and Griffen'; Sydney Morning Herald, 13 May 1935, p. 17
References
External links Rugby League Tables - Notes AFL Tables Rugby League Tables - Season 1913 AFL Tables Premiership History and Statistics RL1908 1913 - Eastern Suburbs Make It Three In A Row RL1908 Results: 1911-20 at rabbitohs.com.au