Annandale (rugby league team)

Infobox rugby league club
clubname = Annandale


fullname =Annandale District Rugby League Football Club
nickname = The Dales
short name = Annandale
founded = 1910 as "Annandale"
exited = 1920
ground = Wentworth Oval Glebe, Sydney
capacity = 20,000 [Note that this figure is based on the assumption that a record crowd of 20,000 achieved in a 1915 match against Balmain was also the maximum capacity of the ground. cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/venues/wentworth.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Venues / Wentworth|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-03-11]
ceo =
coach =
captain =
league = NSWRFL
season =
position =
premierships = 0
premiershipyears = none
minorpremierships = 0
minorpremiershipyears = none
runnerups = 0
runnerupyears = none
homejersey = Annandale home jersey 1910.svg

Annandale were an Australian rugby league team which played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from 1910 to 1920. Based in Annandale, New South Wales and nicknamed "The Dales", the club's colours were red and gold.

The club was never able to finish higher than fifth in their 11-year history and managed to win just one match in their final three seasons. This, combined with the industrialisation of the area led to their omission from the competition for further seasons at the end of 1920. All these events are often attributed to the fact that fewer players were eligible to play under the residency rules in place at the time (Glebe would also later fall victim, in part, to this phenomenon).

History

Annandale began their first season with a very poor start, losing their first four games straight which as it turned out sent them immediately out of the race for the premiership. They did, however, recover well and managed to finish with 5 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses. The first of these wins came in round 5 against a Western Suburbs side that had won just 3 out of 23 matches in their three-year history. At the end of the season, Annandale finished sixth out of the eight teams. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1910.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1910|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23]

The 1911 season was arguably Annandale's most successful, managing to win five of their fourteen games, equalling their performance in the previous year. However, they were able to finish one place higher on the ladder, in fifth position. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1911.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1911|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23]

In 1912 the club were able to claim an 8–5 win against Balmain in the second round of the season but followed this up with 11 losses in a row. In equal last position with Western Suburbs heading into the final round of the season, the two clubs by coincidence were scheduled to play their final match of the season against one another. Despite having lost to Western Suburbs in round seven, Annandale won the match 15–6, avoiding them claiming the wooden spoon. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1912.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1912|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23]

As it turned out, the scenario for Annandale in the final rounds of the 1913 season were similar to those they experienced in 1912. They were again in equal last position with Western Suburbs with two rounds to play and up against one another in a match which would most likely decide who would finish last. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1913.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1913|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23] Replicating their win from the previous season, Annandale took out the match 18–0. Although they lost their last match of the season narrowly to second-placed Newtown 10–8 whilst Western Suburbs won their own match, Annandale are deemed to have avoided the last placed due to a superior points scoring difference despite finishing on equal competition points.

The club managed to claim just one draw from their first eleven games of the 1914 season, leaving them in last position and three points behind Western Suburbs. The two teams travelled to Goulburn, with Annandale needing to win to avoid receiving their first wooden spoon. In this match, however, Western Suburbs won 6–4, ensuring Annandale were to finish last. Although claiming an elusive win, their only one of the season, against three-time defending premiers Eastern Suburbs in the second last round of the season, their effort was futile as they took out their first wooden spoon. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1914.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1914|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23]

In 1915 the club managed to get three wins, including another one against Western Suburbs in the final match of the season, to finish two points clear of last-placed North Sydney and Western Suburbs. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1915.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1915|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23] In 1916 they began the season poorly, winning just one of their first ten games and leaving them two points behind Western Suburbs in last position. They were then able to win three games in a row and ended up finishing seventh. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1916.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1916|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23] The 1917 season was more of the same for the club, losing their first nine matches before claiming two draws in the next three weeks. In a match against equal last North Sydney in the second last round of the season, Annandale prevailed in a close match 3–2 meaning they were again able to narrowly avoid the wooden spoon. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1917.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1917|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23]

Annandale were unable to win a game in 1918, scoring 10 points or more just twice whilst conceeding 10 points or less on just two occasions. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1918.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1918|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23] They won just match in 1919, an important second-last round match against North Sydney which was to again decide who would finish in last position. This victory allowed them to finish seventh despite having won just the one match. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1919.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1919|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23] In 1920 they once again failed to win a match and lost by less than 9 points on only one occasion. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1920.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Season 1920|publisher=Rugby League Tables & Statistics|accessdate=2008-08-23]

tatistics and records

Out of the 33 clubs that have contested in the premiership over the years, Annandale's performance is ranked as the second worst of all. Out of 153 games played, the club won 25, drew six and lost 122 for a winning percentage of 18.3%. As of 2008, only on seven occasions has a team failed to win a game in a season. Annandale achieved this twice, in 1918 and 1920.

The club's longest winning streak came in 1916 when they managed to win three games in a row. In contast, their worst losing streak was over 16 games from 1917 to 1919. Apart from University whom they played just once in 1920, Annandale were able to beat every other team at least once in their 11-year tenure. The opponents against whom they were most successful were North Sydney and Western Suburbs having won eight of 22 matches against each of them.

The top try scorer for Annandale was J Bain, who managed to cross the line 16 times.cite web|url=http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~maajjs/aus/clb/defunct.htm#Annandale|title=Sydney Clubs -- Defunct Clubs|publisher=The Vault|accessdate=2008-08-23] Ray Norman was the club's leading points scorer with 84 whilst Bill Haddock's 80 appearances for the club was a record. [cite web|url=http://203.166.101.37/NRL08/clubrecordsold.asp?lclub=10017|title=Club Records - Annandale|publisher=NRL Stats|accessdate=2008-08-23] In a single match, Ray Norman's 3-try effort against North Sydney on 2 August 1913, later equalled by J Bain against Eastern Suburbs on 16 June 1917, was a club best. W Doyle's six goals in a match in 1915 are a goal scoring record and also a points scoring record which was equalled by Lyall Wall's tally of 12 in a game in 1913.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://rl1908.com/Clubs/Annandale-Rugby-League.htm Rugby League History - RL1908.com - Annandale RLFC]
* [http://stats.rleague.com/rl/teams/annandale/annandale_idx.html Rugby League Tables / Annandale]
* [http://www.rleague.com//db/comp/j_j_giltinan_shield_and_winfield_cup/annandale/index.php Annandale's seasons at rleague.com]