Annandale (rugby league team)

Annandale were an Australian rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from 1910 to 1920. Based in Annandale, New South Wales and nicknamed "The Dales", the club's colours were red and gold.

The club was never able to finish higher than fifth in their eleven-year history and won just one match in their final three seasons. At the insistence of South Sydney this, combined with the industrialisation of the area led to their omission from the competition for further seasons at the end of 1920. All these events are often attributed to the fact that fewer players were eligible to play under the residency rules in place at the time (Glebe would also later fall victim, in part, to this phenomenon).

History Annandale were initially a second grade feeder club for Glebe in the Metropolitan Rugby Union competition. Glebe would later join the NSWRL competition along with the Newtown, Balmain and South Sydney clubs. The Metropolitan Rugby Union board later expelled and banned the Annandale players who competed in the exhibition game which gave way to Annandale switching from rugby union to rugby league.

Annandale began their first season with a very poor start, losing their first four games straight which as it turned out sent them immediately out of the race for the premiership. They did, however, recover well and finished with five wins, one draw and eight losses. The first of these wins came in round 5 against a Western Suburbs side that had won just 3 out of 23 matches in their three-year history. At the end of the season, Annandale finished sixth out of the eight teams.

The 1911 season was arguably Annandale's most successful, managing to win five of their fourteen games, equalling their performance in the previous year. However, they were able to finish one place higher on the ladder, in fifth position.

In 1912 the club were able to claim an 8–5 win against Balmain in the second round of the season but followed this up with eleven losses in a row. In equal last position with Western Suburbs heading into the final round of the season, the two clubs by coincidence were scheduled to play their final match of the season against one another. Despite having lost to Western Suburbs in round seven, Annandale won the match 15–6, avoiding them claiming the wooden spoon.

As it turned out, the scenario for Annandale in the final rounds of the 1913 season were similar to those they experienced in 1912. They were again in equal last position with Western Suburbs with two rounds to play and up against one another in a match which would most likely decide who would finish last. Replicating their win from the previous season, Annandale took out the match 18–0. Although they lost their last match of the season narrowly to second-placed Newtown 10–8 whilst Western Suburbs won their own match, Annandale are deemed to have avoided the last place due to a superior points scoring difference despite finishing on equal competition points.

The club claimed just one draw from their first eleven games of the 1914 season, leaving them in last position and three points behind Western Suburbs. The two teams travelled to Goulburn, with Annandale needing to win to avoid receiving their first wooden spoon. In this match, however, Western Suburbs won 6–4, ensuring Annandale were to finish last. Although claiming an elusive win, their only one of the season, against three-time defending premiers Eastern Suburbs in the second last round of the season, their effort was futile as they took out their first wooden spoon.

In 1915 the club got three wins, including another one against Western Suburbs in the final match of the season, to finish two points clear of last-placed North Sydney and Western Suburbs. In 1916 they began the season poorly, winning just one of their first ten games and leaving them two points behind Western Suburbs in last position. They were then able to win three games in a row and ended up finishing seventh. The 1917 season was more of the same for the club, losing their first nine matches before claiming two draws in the next three weeks. In a match against equal last North Sydney in the second last round of the season, Annandale prevailed in a close match 3–2 meaning they were again able to narrowly avoid the wooden spoon.

Annandale were unable to win a game in 1918, scoring ten points or more just twice whilst conceding ten points or less on just two occasions. They won just one match in 1919, an important second-last round match against North Sydney which was to again decide who would finish in last position. This victory allowed them to finish seventh despite having won just the one match. In 1920 they once again failed to win a match and lost by less than 9 points on only one occasion.

Seasons Note: P=Premiers, R=Runners-Ups, M=Minor Premierships, F=Finals Appearance, W=Wooden Spoons (Brackets Represent Finals Games) CompetitionGames Played (FINALS)Games Won (FINALS)Games Drawn (FINALS)Games Lost (FINALS)Ladder PositionCity CupPRMFWCaptainNotes1910 NSWRFL season145186/8– Charlie Hedley1911 NSWRFL season145185/8– 1912 NSWRFL season1420127/8Round 1Frank Gressier1913 NSWRFL season1430117/8Semi-FinalsPatrick McCue, Ray Norman1914 NSWRFL season1411128/8Round 1XWilliam Lindsay1915 NSWRFL season1430116/8Round 1Bob Stuart1916 NSWRFL season1440107/8Round 1Walter Haddock1917 NSWRFL season1412117/8Round 11918 NSWRFL season1400148/8Round 1XWilliam Geoghegan1919 NSWRFL season1411127/8Round 11920 NSWRFL season1300139/9Round 1XTom McGuinness

NSWRFL players NameFirst YrLast YrAppsTriesGoalsFGPtsCharles Archer191519152----John Ayling19141916182--6George Bain1912191212----James Bain1915192061161-50Alick Bates1915191919----Arthur Beardmore191519206----Walter Beaumont191919203----Alfred Berry191119111----Charles Bingle19101915142--6Percy Bolt191119111----Harold Boyle191219121----James Brassill19121914194--12Arthur Brown1914191810----R. Brown192019208----Thomas Brownlee19101915263--9Andrew Bryant1910191091--3Len Bryant191619164----W. Buist191519172413-9Ernie Burdett19111919384--12Arthur Butler1918191921----George Challis1912191738-9-18Alex Clough191019101----Os Clutton1910191061117Patrick Coll19151920552--6Denis Comerford191819199----John Comerford191819195----Albert Compton19201920102--6Harold Corbett191319133----Matthew Cusack1918191812----Thomas Dagg19161919382--6Bill Daley191519151----Lou D'Alpuget191119115----William Dibley1912191283--9L. Dickson191619161----William Doyle1913191619337-83William Eagle191719178----George Eves19151920503--9David Fitzgerald191919198-1-2Alfred Fox192019201----Rhodse Frackes191719171----Robert Fraser19111912121--3Edward Garrett191519156----William Geoghegan191119194691-29Wallace Goddard19171917142--6Robert Gough191619183438-25Robert Graves1919191971--3Robert Gray19101913351--3Joe Gready191819202----Dick Green191119115-5-10Frank Gressier191119122215-13Edward Griffiths191919195----John Groves191019103----William Guilfoyle192019201----Walter Haddock191019208072-25James Heaney1916191614-1-2Charlie Hedley1910191123-18138Alick Henderson1910191051--3Walter Hogg191319131----Snowy Holland191019101----Sidney Hughes191819201747-26H. Hunt1920192081-15Herbert Ironside191819181----George Jolly191719204911--33Bede Kenna19131914211-5Matthew Keogh1920192094--12Thomas Knight19131915241--3William Kyle191219151515-13John Larkin1915191596--18Angus Lennon1910191436----Jim Leonard191219131944-20Percy Lillyman19101913297--21Bill Lindsay191219153571-23Roy Liston192019201212-7Bill Lucas19181920271--3Sydney Lyons19101910112--6Patrick McCue191319131----Nicholas McGuinness1918192032----Patrick McGuinness192019202----Tom McGuinness191519203121-8A. McGuire191919191----James McPherson1910191221--3George Munce19111915385--15Bernard Norman1910191041--3Ray Norman19101913481226-88Rex Norman19101914569--27Roy Norman1910191531163-54Walter Palmer1913191754211-28Sam Parker19141919483--9Harry Pearce191219126----Sam Perry19121920463--9Bert Pidcock1918191911----Henry Pidcock19151916175--15Albert Potter19201920111--3Jack Pye19141916254--12Jim Pye19141915242--6Frank Quigley1920192010-2-4George Reynolds19131913132--6Robert Rigby191119111----A. Robinson191519158----J. Robinson192019201----John Rosewell1911191210----Norman Seach191419143----Oscar Shirley191919194-1-2George Short1910191051--3Joe Smith191419146----Alex Stuart19101910122--6Charles Stuart1918192015----Dan Stuart191719172----Bob Stuart191119184510--30William Stuart191019104----William Thomas19101913341--3Percy Upham191919191231-11Ernie Usher191819202717-17Lyall Wall191319139215342Archibald Wardley192019201----Fred Wellington1917191711----Roland Westbrook191319135----Arthur Wheatley19141914141--3George Wilcox19101911218--24Alex Williamson1910191011--3James Woodward19131914222--6John Wooll19171919221--3Albert Wright192019207

Statistics and records Out of the 33 clubs that have contested in the premiership over the years, Annandale's performance is ranked as the second worst of all. Out of 153 games played, the club won 25, drew six and lost 122 for a winning percentage of 18.3%. As of 2025, only on seven occasions has a team failed to win a game in a season. Annandale achieved this twice, in 1918 and 1920.

Club records

Biggest Win 22 points, 25–3 against Western Suburbs at Wentworth Park on 29 July 1911.

Biggest Loss 49 points, 52–3 against Western Suburbs at Pratten Park on 31 July 1920.

Most Consecutive Wins 3 matches, 1 – 15 July 1916.

Most Consecutive Losses 16 matches, 18 July 1917 – 10 May 1919.

Record appearance holder Walter Haddock – 86 games

Record point scorer Ray Norman – 88 games

Wooden Spoons 1914, 1918, 1920

Annandale (rugby league team)

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