New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1923

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1923
competition = New South Wales Rugby Football League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 9
premiers =
count = 4th
minor premiers =
mpcount = 3rd
matches = 73
points = 1862
attendance =
top points scorer = (113)
top try scorer = (16)
1923's New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the sixteenth season of the rugby league football competition based in Sydney, New South Wales. Nine teams from across the city contested during the season for the premiership.

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

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)

cquote
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."|30px|30px|Hadden, Brad|"History of the NSWRL Finals"

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/1923.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1923] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.rl1908.com/premiership.htm Premiership History and Statistics] "RL1908"
* [http://www.northsydneybears.com.au/history/Introduction.htm History - Introduction] "North Sydney Bears"
* Hadden, Brad " History of the NSWRL Finals"
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1921-1930.html Results: 1921-30 at rabbitohs.com.au]