New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1912

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1912
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 8
premiers =
count = 2nd
minor premiers =
mpcount = 1st
matches = 56
points = 1262
attendance =
top points scorer = (80)
top try scorer = (11)
1912's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the fifth season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Eight teams from across Sydney contested during the season for the premiership and the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield.

eason summary

From 1912 to 1925, the minor premiers were deemed to be the premiers automatically as well unless two clubs were on equal points at the end of the season in which case a final was held. This move by the New South Wales Rugby League may well have been in response to Eastern Suburbs' victory in the season before, where they overcame minor premiers Glebe in two successive finals to claim the premiership.

With four rounds remaining in the 1912 season, Eastern Suburbs and Glebe were clearly ahead of the rest of the teams and it looked unlikely that they would be caught. The two clubs were matched up against each other in Round 11 at the Sydney Sports Ground in what would ultimately decide the fate of the premiership, with Glebe just two points behind Eastern Suburbs on the ladder. In front of 25,000 people, the two clubs played out a closely-fought match in muddy conditions. Dally Messenger was able to break a 4-4 deadlock late in the match by kicking a field goal after a scrum win close to the sideline and win the game 6-4 for Eastern Suburbs.

With a four point premiership lead and only three rounds to play, Eastern Suburbs, who had only lost one game before in the season to eventual third-placed Newtown, looked uncatchable. That turned out to be the case, with Eastern Suburbs winning their remaining three games to take away the premiership.

Also this season Pratten Park became the Western Suburbs club's homeground.

Teams

The teams remained unchanged from the 1911 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

Ladder

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/1912.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1912] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.rl1908.com/premiership.htm Premiership History and Statistics] "RL1908"
* [http://rl1908.com/Grandfinals/1912.htm 1912 - Messenger Leads Easts To 2nd Title] "RL1908"
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1911-1920.html Results: 1911-20 at rabbitohs.com.au]