1917 NSWRFL season

1917 NSWRFL season
Teams	8
Premiers	Balmain (3rd title)
Minor premiers	Balmain (3rd title)
Matches played	56
Points scored	1280 (total) 22.857 (per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Charles Fraser (67)
Top try scorer(s)	Harold Horder (17)

The 1917 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the tenth season of Sydney's professional rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season and Balmain finished on top of the ladder to claim the premiership.^[1]

Season summary

After nine seasons without success, Western Suburbs finally made a significant impact on the league, finishing a respectable third behind the traditionally strong sides of Balmain and South Sydney. Balmain ultimately won their third consecutive premiership finishing eight points ahead of second placed South Sydney. The Balmain side only failed to win one of their games during the season against Newtown in round 8.

Balmain's secure defence only allowed 61 points to be scored against them in 14 games, a statistic indicating their dominance. Annandale managed to avoid bottom spot thanks to Glebe surrendering their two points to them following a 31-5 win for Glebe in round 8. The points were moved over to Annandale due to Glebe fielding Dan "Laddo' Davies an ineligible player under the residential criteria of the time.

As well as losing Davies, fourteen of Glebe's first grade players were suspended for a year after the players boycotted a match against Balmain. The NSWRFL changed the venue of the game from the Sydney Cricket Ground to Birchgrove Oval in Balmain, drastically reducing spectator numbers and, in doing so, cutting Glebe's share of the big gate takings expected at the SCG. A team consisting of lower grade players was fielded and Glebe lost heavily, 40–9. The NSWRFL suspended all the footballers who refused to play, including Frank, Laidley and Albert Burge.

Balmain also won the three round City Cup played in the late season. Members of the Balmain premiership winning side included Bob Craig.

Teams

The teams remained unchanged from the 1916 season.

• Annandale
• 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
• 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

Annandale	Balmain	Eastern Suburbs	Glebe
Newtown	North Sydney	South Sydney	Western Suburbs

Ladder

The geographical locations of the teams that contested the 1917 premiership across Sydney.

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Balmain	14	13	0	1	269	61	+208	26
2	South Sydney	14	9	0	5	236	143	+93	18
3	Western Suburbs	14	7	1	6	162	160	+2	15
4	Newtown	14	7	1	6	114	123	-9	15
5	Glebe	14	8	0	6	207	165	+42	14
6	Eastern Suburbs	14	7	0	7	131	145	-14	14
7	Annandale	14	1	2	11	71	214	-143	6
8	North Sydney	14	2	0	12	90	269	-179	4

• Glebe were stripped of 2 competition points due to fielding an ineligible player in one game.

References

1. ^ Premiership Roll of Honour at rl1908.com

• Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
• Rugby League Tables - Season 1917 The World of Rugby League
• Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
• 1917 - Third Title In A Row For Balmain RL1908
• Collis, Ian; Whiticker, Alan (2007). 100 Years of Rugby League. Chatswood, NSW: New Holland. vol.1, page 63. ISBN 978-1-74110-463-9. 
• Results: 1911-20 at rabbitohs.com.au