New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1917

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1917
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 8
premiers =
count = 3rd
minor premiers =
mpcount = 3rd
matches = 56
points = 1280
attendance =
top points scorer = (67)
top try scorer = (17)
1917's New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the tenth season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Eight teams from across Sydney contested during the season.

eason 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

Ladder

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

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/1917.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1917] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.rl1908.com/premiership.htm Premiership History and Statistics] "RL1908"
* [http://rl1908.com/Grandfinals/1917.htm 1917 - Third Title In A Row For Balmain] "RL1908"
* cite book |last=Collis |first=Ian |coauthors=Whiticker, Alan |title=100 Years of Rugby League |publisher="New Holland"| date= 2007 |location=Chatswood, NSW |pages=vol.1, page 63|isbn=9781741104639
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1911-1920.html Results: 1911-20 at rabbitohs.com.au]