1923 NSWRFL season

1923 NSWRFL season
Teams	9
Premiers	Eastern Suburbs (4th title)
Minor premiers	Eastern Suburbs (3rd title)
Matches played	73
Points scored	1862 (total) 25.507 (per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Arthur Oxford (113)
Top try scorer(s)	Herman Peters (16)

The 1923 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixteenth season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football club competition, Australia's first. Nine teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in Eastern suburbs' victory over South Sydney in the premiership final.^[1]

The 1923 season was he last in the NSWRFL for future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Duncan Thompson.

Teams

• 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
• St. George, formed on November 8, 1920 at Kogarah School of Arts
• Western Suburbs, formed on February 4, 1908
• University, formed in 1919 at Sydney University

Balmain	Eastern Suburbs	Glebe
Newtown	North Sydney	St. George
South Sydney	University	Western Suburbs

Ladder

The geographical locations of the foundation teams across Sydney.

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Eastern Suburbs	16	13	0	3	2	235	124	+111	30
2	South Sydney	16	13	0	3	2	242	173	+69	30
3	Balmain	16	10	1	5	2	247	136	+111	25
4	Western Suburbs	16	9	0	7	2	257	218	+39	22
5	North Sydney	16	8	0	8	2	245	223	+22	20
6	Glebe	16	6	0	10	2	160	193	-33	16
7	St. George	16	5	0	11	2	168	236	-68	14
8	Newtown	16	4	2	10	2	161	297	-136	14
9	University	16	2	1	13	2	120	235	-115	9

Finals

The top two sides, Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney, tied on equal points at the end of the season. Eastern Suburbs had previously been leading South Sydney by 2 points coming into the final round of the year, only to lose to third-placed Balmain by 1 point in front of 14,000 people in the final match. South Sydney on the other hand won their final match against North Sydney to go level on top of the ladder.

Grand Final

Eastern Suburbs	Position	South Sydney
Ed Rigney	FB	Howard Hallett
Cyril Abotomey	WG	Benny Wearing
Jack Dawson	CE	Tom Barry
Les Steel	CE	Vic Lawrence
George Agar	WG	Oscar Quinlivan
Harry Caples (c)	FE	Bill Gillespie (c)
Sid Kaufman	HB	A. Johnstone
Arthur Oxford	PR	David Watson
Bill Richards	HK	Pat Murphy
Tom Molloy	PR	Perc Horne
Bill Ives	SR	Ern Wilmot
Harold Holmes	SR	Alf O'Connor
Jack Watkins	LK	Jack Lawrence
Edward Connerton	Replacement	-
Ray Norman	Coach

A final, the second in as many seasons, was played between Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney the following Wednesday 12 September at the Sydney Cricket Ground, attracting a crowd of 15,000 people. With referee Tom McMahon officiating Eastern Suburbs prevailed winners 15-12 and claimed their first premiership since 1913.

Eastern Suburbs 15 (Tries: Caples 2, Steel. Goals: Oxford 3)

South Sydney 12 (Tries: Wearing 2. Goals: Wearing 3)

“	Easts kicked off in front of 15,000 spectators, Souths responded soon after with a try to Benny Wearing, the try was unconverted leaving Souths with a 3-0 lead. Easts responded with an unconverted try to Les Steel after some good lead up work from Easts captain Harry Caples. Both sides then traded penalty goals. The Tricolours took a 7-5 lead to the break following another goal to front-row forward Arthur Oxford. After the break play flowed from end to end until, from a scrum win in Souths halfback, Johnstone, kicked over the defense, regathered, then found Wearing who scored under the posts, Wearing then converted his own try to give Souths a 10-7 lead. The lead changed yet again when Caples took an intercept, kicked past the fullback and scored, Oxford converted to make it 12-10. A penalty goal to Benny Wearing soon after locked the scores up at 12 points all. With time almost up Caples scored out wide after some fine lead up work from Easts centre, Dawson. The win gave Eastern Suburbs their first premiership in ten years. rugby league publication 'Rugby League News' referred to the match as "the most brilliant game of the season."	”
—Hadden, Brad, "History of the NSWRL Finals"

References

1. ^ Premiership Roll of Honour at rl1908.com

• Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
• Rugby League Tables - Season 1923 The World of Rugby League
• Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
• History - Introduction North Sydney Bears
• Hadden, Brad History of the NSWRL Finals
• Results: 1921-30 at rabbitohs.com.au