The 1927 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twentieth season of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

'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 ...

club competition, Australia's first. Nine teams from across the city contested during the season, which culminated in South Sydney's victory over St. George in the premiership final.

Season summary

The 1927 season saw a new record for length of a player's suspension. Balmain's Bill Maizey was suspended for twelve months for punching Easts player George Clamback. The season was also the last as a player 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,

Frank Burge Frank Burge (14 August 1894 – 5 July 1958) was one of the greatest Rugby league positions#Forwards, forwards in the history of rugby league in Australia. Later Burge became one of the game’s finest coaches. His club career was with Glebe (ru ...

, who had returned as captain-coach of St. George after three seasons out of the NSWRFL.

Teams

* Balmain, formed on 23 January 1908 at Balmain Town Hall * Eastern Suburbs, formed on 24 January 1908 at Paddington Town Hall *

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 ...

, formed on 9 January 1908 * Newtown, formed on 14 January 1908 * North Sydney, formed on 7 February 1908 * South Sydney, formed on January 17, 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, formed on November 8, 1920, at Kogarah School of Arts * Western Suburbs, formed on February 4, 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 Stat ...

, 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

All four finalists had been decided before the end of the final round and by coincidence faced each other in the penultimate round. 1926 wooden spooners St. George had a massive turnaround in 1927, with a chance to become minor premiers in the final round when they played South Sydney who were just one point ahead of them on the ladder. However looking for their third successive title, South Sydney prevailed 22-9 in front of a large crowd of 26,649 at the

Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and association f ...

, and as a result took the minor premiership. On the same day, Western Suburbs and Eastern Suburbs played each other for third spot, with Western Suburbs winning 8-6. In the semi-finals, both South Sydney and St. George overcame their opponents and were able to set up a rematch of their Round 18 game just two weeks earlier.

Final

Playing on a quagmire at the Royal Agricultural Society Grounds in front of a modest crowd of 12,124 St. George contested their first ever premiership decider in their seventh year in the top league. They confronted the might of South Sydney who were reigning premiers in the two prior years and minor premiers at the end of the 1927 regular season. The two teams had already met earlier in the season at the Sydney Cricket Ground when Souths defeated Saints 17–14 in front of a massive crowd of 31,500. With heavy rain falling throughout the match, refereed by former Rabbitoh and international Webby Neill Souths took a 13–6 lead to the half time break. The Rabbitohs won the decider scoring four tries to three to take their third successive premiership and becoming the third club to do so. South Sydney 20 (Tries: Carr, Root, Wearing, Finch. Goals: Blair 2, Kadwell 2) defeated St George 11 (Tries: Justice, Carstairs, Saunders. Goal: Saunders ) Image:George Treweek 1925.jpg ,

George Treweek George Treweek (31 March 1905 – 28 October 1991) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He was a towering in his time, who formed an integral part of the champion South Sydney teams of the 1920s and ea ...

Image:Eddie Root 1925.jpg, Edward Root Image:Harry Cavanough 1925.jpg, Harry Cavanough Image:Alby Carr 1925.jpg ,

Alby Carr Albert George Henry Why, known by the alias Alby Carr, (1899–1969) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s player for South Sydney, who played under his alias for most of his career. Playing career He was born ...

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 New South Wales state rugby league team, state and Australia national rugby league team ...

Image:Frank Burge.jpg,

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