The 1930
New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League (initially named the New Sout ...
was the twenty-third season of Sydney's top-level
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
competition, Australia's first. During the season, which lasted from April until October, eight teams from across the city contested the premiership which was won by
Western Suburbs, who defeated
St. George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
in the grand final.
Season summary
In spite of the reduced number of clubs 1930 was the NSWRFL's most drawn out season. Because of representative fixtures and the need for a grand final, the season did not end until 4 October. The 1930 season was also the last in the NSWRFL for future
Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
The Australian Rugby LeaguHall of Fame'' honours players who have shown exceptional skill at rugby league, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game who are Australian.
It was officially established in 2002, ...
inductee,
Jim Craig.
Teams
Foundation club
Glebe
Glebe (; also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s))McGurk 1970, p. 17 is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved ...
was voted out of the competition by the
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...
General Committee at the end of 1929, thirteen votes to twelve. Glebe had come second-last or third-last with eight points excluding those from
byes In cricket, a bye is a type of extra. It is a run scored by the batting team when the ball has not been hit by the batter and the ball has not hit the batter's body.
Scoring byes
Usually, if the ball passes the batter without being deflected, th ...
three seasons in a row, but although the club never won a first grade premiership, it also managed to avoid the wooden spoon every season during its existence. After the decision was made, many fans and local politicians rallied to reverse the decision but to no avail. One reason suggested as to why this occurred include the fact that Glebe was gradually shifting away from a residential to industrial centre, with the NSWRFL perhaps believing that there was no future for the game in the area.
As a result of Glebe's omission, the competition was reduced to eight teams for the first time since 1910,
including six of the remaining nine foundation clubs.
*
Balmain, formed on 23 January 1908 at
Balmain Town Hall Balmain may refer to:
Places
* Balmain, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia
* Electoral district of Balmain, an electoral division in New South Wales, Australia
* Balmain East, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia
* Balmain Hou ...
*
Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to:
Places
*Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India
*Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia
**Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia
Sports clubs
;Association football
*Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand
* Eastern ...
, formed on 24 January 1908 at
Paddington Town Hall
The Paddington Town Hall is a heritage-listed former town hall building located at 249 Oxford Street in the inner eastern Sydney suburb of Paddington, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Sir Henry Parkes la ...
*
Newtown, formed on 14 January 1908
*
North Sydney, formed on 7 February 1908
*
South Sydney, formed on 17 January 1908 at
Redfern Town Hall
The Redfern Town Hall is a landmark sandstone civic building located in the heart of , New South Wales, Australia. built in 1870 and designed in the Victorian Regency style by George Allen Mansfield. It was the seat of the Municipality of Redfer ...
*
St. George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
, formed on 8 November 1920 at Kogarah School of Arts
*
Western Suburbs, formed on 4 February 1908
*
University
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, formed in 1919 at
Sydney University
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
Ladder
Finals
In the two semi finals,
St. George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
beat second-placed
Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to:
Places
*Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India
*Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia
**Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia
Sports clubs
;Association football
*Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand
* Eastern ...
whilst minor premiers
Western Suburbs beat defending premiers
South Sydney. The two winners then played a final in which St. George upset Western Suburbs 14–6, as they previously did in Round 11.
The finals system set in place then forced the final to be replayed, in what was known as the "Right of Challenge". This system ensured that in the event that the minor premiers lost in either the first or second round of the finals, then regardless they would be given a second chance in a premiership decider. With this being the first season where the "Right of Challenge" was exercised, the 1930 decider was thus the first "grand final" played in the NSWRFL.
Final
Having pipped Eastern Suburbs 11–10 at their home ground of Earl Park on 20 September, Saints continued their good form into the following weekend in the final, defeating
minor premiers Western Suburbs 14–6 in front of 16,557 people. The two teams had met twice before during the season with Wests winning the first encounter in May and St. George winning the second match in August. Under the previous system, victory in the final would have seen St. George declared premiership champions. However, in 1930, Wests were allowed a second chance as minor premiers if defeated during the finals.
Grand final
The re-match decider was played in front of 12,178 people on 4 October at the
Sydney Sports Ground
The Sydney Sports Ground No. 1 was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surro ...
and officiated by referee Lal Deane.
St. George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
led 2–0 early and competed in the first half. However,
Western Suburbs were a crack outfit and after Saints lost veteran forward, Harry Flower with an arm injury, they skipped away to a 16–2 lead. Wests eventually ran in seven tries and crushed St. George 27–2 to take away their first ever NSWRFL premiership in any grade,
although they were one of the foundation clubs in 1908.
It was the final game as a player for Wests’ captain-coach and versatile representative star Jim Craig.
Western Suburbs 27 (Tries: Alan Brady 3, Jim Craig, Charlie Cornwell, Ray Morris, Cecil Rhodes. Goals: Jim Craig 2, Bill Brogan)
St. George 2 (Goals: Bill Hyland)
Image:Frank McMillan.jpg, Frank McMillan
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Cur ...
Image:Jim Craig Australian Rugby League.jpg, Jim Craig
Image:Snowy_Justice.jpg, Arthur Justice
Arthur "Snowy" Justice (1902–1977) was an Australian rugby league footballer, coach and administrator. He was a rugged for the St George Dragons who made state and national representative appearances in the late 1920s. Later he was a club a ...
Notes
References
External links
Rugby League Tables - Notes''AFL Tables''
''AFL Tables''
''RL1908''
at ''rabbitohs.com.au''
{{National Rugby League seasons
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
NSWRFL season