New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1909

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1909
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 8
premiers =
count = 2nd
minor premiers =
mpcount = 2nd
matches = 42
points = 975
attendance =
top points scorer = (43)
top try scorer = (11)
1909's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the second season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Eight teams contested during the season for the premiership and the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield; seven teams from Sydney and one team from Newcastle, New South Wales.

Also in 1909 north of the border, the Queensland Rugby Football League got its club competition started for the rebel code.

Teams

The teams that made up the 1909 premiership season were the same as the 1908 season with the exception of Cumberland who were dissolved being unable to field a competitive team. Their last premiership match turned out to be a 45-0 loss at the hands of North Sydney on July 25 1908, a game where the team had to "borrow" two of North Sydney's officials in order to make up a 13-man side. Seven of Cumberland's players ended up going to Western Suburbs the following year, but only three of these players were able to play another premiership match.

* 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
* Newcastle, formed on February 8 1908 at Pike's Rooms, Bolton Street, Newcastle
* Newtown, formed on January 14 1908
* North Sydney, formed on February 7 1908
* South Sydney, formed on January 17 1908 at Redfern Town Hall
* Western Suburbs formed on February 4 1908

Souths lost only one game in the regular season, to Newcastle in Newcastle, 3 days after the Novocastrians had beaten a New Zealand Maori team.

The jerseys of the 8 teams for the 1909 season are shown below.

Ladder

Finals

In 1909 semi-finals were played amongst the four highest placed teams. Top two finishers South Sydney and Balmain were able to win their respective semi-finals. However, after the New South Wales Rugby League had planned a match between the Australian rugby union and rugby league teams that would upstage the premiership final both South Sydney and Balmain unofficially agreed to not play out a final. But unknown to Balmain, South Sydney turned up ready to play. The final was deemed to be a forfeit as a result, with South Sydney claiming their second premiership in as many years. The incident caused a deep seated resentment towards Souths by Balmain which lasted many years.Round4
14 August 1909 - Wentworth| "' |8
14 August 1909 - Agricultural| "' |0
14 September 1909 - Showground| "' |(forfeit)

Members of the South Sydney side who showed up on Grand Final day and won by forfeit were:

• Arthur Butler • Arthur Conlin (c) • Harry Butler • Howard Hallett • T.Anderson • J.Davis • Frank Storie • Ed Fry • Dick Green • Jack Coxon • W.Cann • P.Carroll • Arthur Hennessy (coach)

References

* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/snotes.html Rugby League Tables - Notes] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1909.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1909] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.rl1908.com/premiership.htm Premiership History and Statistics] "RL1908"
* [http://rl1908.com/Grandfinals/1909.htm 1909 - Souths Win After Balmain Forfeits!] "RL1908"
* [http://www.rl1908.com/Clubs/Cumberland-Rugby-League.htm Cumberland RLFC] "RL1908"
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1908-1910.html Results: 1908-1910 at rabbitohs.com.au]