The 1935 Auckland Rugby League season was its 27th. The senior championship was again won by the Richmond Rovers who won their first Fox Memorial title the previous season. They were level with Mount Albert after 12 matches and they played off with Richmond winning 14–9. Despite their loss this was a significant achievement by Mount Albert who were in their first season in the senior first grade.
Newton Rangers who were in a revival after several poor seasons won the Roope Rooster trophy for the third time in their history with a 10–8 win over Richmond. They previously won it in 1919 and 1920. This qualified them to play against Richmond in the Stormont Shield match. They lost 26–15 to hand Richmond their second straight Stormont Shield title. Ponsonby United won the Phelan Shield for teams who had been eliminated after the first round of the Roope Rooster with an 11–8 win over Mount Albert. Marist Old Boys won the reserve grade competition (Norton Cup) after defeating Richmond Rovers in the final by 3 points to 0. They also won the Stallard Cup when they won the knockout competition which also involved some of the Senior B teams. Mount Albert won the Thistle Cup by scoring the most competition points in the second round of the Fox Memorial competition. Robert Morrissey of Mount Albert won the champion goal kicker award after he kicked 37 goals in the Fox Memorial and Roope Rooster competitions.
The reinstated Senior B competition (Sharman Cup) was won by Otahuhu with an 8 win, 1 loss record with Papakura second with 7 wins and 2 losses. Left trailing well behind was Point Chevalier, and Waiuku with a single win and 7 losses each. At the end of the season the newly formed Green Lane senior side joined these 4 sides in the Senior B knockout competition. They performed well losing narrowly to Papakura and Point Chevalier, and defeating Waiuku to finish 4th of the 5 sides. The knockout competition was won by Papakura. This competition was followed by the Walmsley Shield matches which Papakura won 6–2 over Green Lane in the final.
The representative season was marked by the clash between Auckland and Australia who were touring New Zealand for the first time in 16 years. Auckland went down in an entertaining match 8–16. There were several trial matches played as the selectors looked to find the best possible XIII's to represent both Auckland and the North Island. Auckland also went on a brief 'Southern' tour where they had wins over Wellington and Canterbury. The representative season was finished with an Auckland Province loss to Australia 18–36.
Season News Club teams by grade participation TeamFox MemorialSenior ReservesSenior B2nd3rd 4th5th6th7thSchoolsTotalRichmond Rovers110111211110City Rovers11001101117Devonport United11001011016Mount Albert United11010110005Marist Old Boys11002000015Ponsonby United11011100005Newton Rangers11000110004Papakura00110110004Point Chevalier00100201004Otahuhu Rovers00101100014Akarana00002010014Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers00001101014Ellerslie United00001010114Green Lane00101000024Glenora00010101003Manukau Rovers00012000003Avondale00000000112Waiuku00100000001RV00010000001Avondale Convent (School)00000000011Total775714118641281
Annual meeting At the annual meeting on April 9 the report and balance sheet was presented. It was noted that despite there being rain on ten Saturdays during the 1934 season there was a “marked increase in ground and grandstand receipts”. The working account balance had improved from £762 7/9 in 1933 to £1,254 0/9 by the end of 1934 with gate and grandstand returns totalling £2,814 10/3. The league's assets were valued at £10,983 16/7 made up from Carlaw Park (£6,980 11/2), grandstand (£3,686 10/9), furniture and fittings (£101 6/2), and plant and gear (£181 13/10), which left a profit of £435 18/4. Adjustments to the players’ insurance scheme and fewer accidents saw a saving of over £70. The league gave £429 17/3 to the clubs which was slightly up on the 1933 season. The report also noted the retirement of Messrs. F. Ellis (treasurer), T. Davis (secretary, Junior Control Board), and to Mr. Vic Simpson (secretary, Referees Association). The following were elected as officers for the 1935 season: patron, Mr. J.B. Donald; vice-patron, Mr. J.F.W. Dickson; president, James Carlaw; chairman, Mr. Grey Campbell; deputy chairman, Ted Phelan; vice-presidents, Messrs R.D. Bagnall, R. Benson, J. Bellamy, O. Blackwood, J. Donald, C. Drysdale, H. Grange, R.J. Laird, W.J. Lovett, John A. Lee (M.P.), J. Montgomery, E. Morton, Joe Sayegh, C. Seagar, Bill Schramm (M.P.), R.T. Sharman, W. Wallace, H. Walmsley, G.T. Wright, R.H. Wood, G.C.Gilmore, and Webb; club delegates to the board of control, J.W. Probert, and Jim Rukutai; referees’ delegate, William Mincham. In mid April Mr. Ernest Davis, and Mr. T.G. Symonds (managing director of George Court and Sons Ltd.) were elected vice-presidents of ARL.
The 3rd annual Auckland Rugby League ball was held on October 2 at the Peter Pan Cabaret. Members of the touring Australian team were in attendance and the combined colours of the Auckland clubs were used to decorate the ballroom.
The following were elected to the ARL Board of Control: hon secretary, Mr. Ivan Culpan; hon treasurer, Mr. J.E. Knowling; New Zealand Council delegate, Mr. R. Doble; hon solicitor, Mr. H.M. Rogerson; press steward, Mr. R. Doble; hon. auditor, Mr. R.A. Spinley; hon physicians, Drs. Tracey Inglis, Pezaro, Gwynne, Holdgate, Waddell, Burrell, and Locke; hon masseur, Mr. F. Flannagan; timekeepers, Messrs. W. Liversidge and A.E. Chapman; referees appointment board, Mr. L Binns and Wilkie; emergency committee, the chairman, secretary and Mr. Rukutai; finance committee, the chairman, secretary and Messrs. Probert and William Mincham. In mid April Mr. Ernest Davis, and Mr. T.G. Symonds (managing director of George Court and Sons Ltd.) were elected vice-presidents of ARL.
State of the game At the dinner for the Taranaki and South Auckland teams following their representative matches with Auckland and Auckland B on August 3 a dinner was held in their honour. Present was the Minister of Education, Hon. Sydney George Smith, who spoke of the importance of sport in helping New Zealand through difficult times. Later in the evening Mr. E. Stallworthy “expressed a hope that no discrimination would be made in schools in the matter of organised sport”... and “drew the Minister's attention to the fact that sometimes teachers had seemed somewhat biased against rugby league football, and he hoped that the ruling of his predecessor that any penalty imposed on a boy for following his desires in sport, or obstruction thereto, would be a matter for serious inquiry”. The Minister responded “I may say that I have no objection to any code of football being played in the schools”. And he then went on the explain how the responsibility lay in the case of primary schools with the education board of the district, and for secondary schools with their governing boards. He said that headmasters and teachers would be unwise to go against the desires of parents and their children in regards to wanting to play any particular game.
At a social function at Masterton on July 24 Bert Cooke spoke about the league and union codes. He said that most of the rumours about large sums in connection with league were pure imagination. He went on to say that the league code was drawing thousands in Auckland where rugby drew hundreds and that there was no doubt which game the Northerners would sooner watch. Describing the game as being "faster, cleaner and a more brainy game altogether, but players required to be very fit. Nevertheless, he did not anticipate that league would make as great progress elsewhere as in Auckland".
Broadcasting of matches At the board of control meeting on April 17 it was decided to broadcast matches from Carlaw Park through the 1ZB station.
Trainings At their first board of control meeting on April 10 the chairman suggested that clubs try to get their own training grounds where possible so that they could train harder and develop tactics without other teams training nearby seeing them. This was difficult to do at Carlaw Park with many teams training at the same time. It was also decided that school boys would not be allowed to train after 7pm owing to the needs of other teams.
Reintroduction of the Senior B grade At the board of control meeting on March 6 it was decided to create a Senior B Grade. There had been one for several seasons but after the senior competition was restructured in 1931 to include 6 clubs with reserve grade teams beneath them the Senior B clubs were relegated to the second Grade competition. It was recommended by the junior management secretary, Mr. W.F. Clarke that players in the Senior B grade would have the same status as Senior A players with regard to regrading. It was suggested that the Sharman Cup be donated for the Senior B championship, and the Foster Shield for the knockout competition. The third open grade would be eliminated and now effectively become the second grade (which had been superseded by the Senior B grade). The third grade would still have a weighted grade competition. It was also decided that the winner of the grade would have the right to enter the Roope Rooster competition. Otahuhu United won the competition and played a friendly match with Ponsonby United before losing to Newton Rangers in the first round of the Roope Rooster. At the April 17 board of control meeting there was considerable debate about whether the winners of the Senior B grade should be allowed to play the last placed team in the Fox Memorial competition, even if there was no consequence to the game. From 1927 to 29 promotion-relegation games were played between these teams but were ceased). It was generally decided that it would be unfair for the last placed team in the top division to have such dire consequences hanging over them. It was also noted that the winning Senior B team could compete in the Roope Rooster competition anyway. At the Junior Management Committee meeting of April 23 it was reported that there would be six teams in the senior B grade - Papatoetoe, Otahuhu, Ellerslie, Point Chevalier, Richmond, and Waiuku. Waiuku were a new club and struggled in the competition for two seasons before the sub-league that they had formed amalgamated with the Tuakau sub-league in early 1937, while Richmond's entry was described as “a fresh city side”. Ultimately Papatoetoe dd not field a side meaning there were 5 teams and 1 bye each round. It was felt later in the season that Waiuku had been so ambitious in fielding a Senior B side when they were a fledging club and would have been better placed fielding their team in the second Grade.
Application by Mount Albert United for senior status