1922 NSWRFL season


The 1922 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the fifteenth season of Sydney’s top-grade rugby league club competition, Australia’s first. Nine teams from across the city contested the season which culminated in North Sydney’s victory over Glebe in the premiership final.

Season summary

After the clubs had played each other twice, Norths and Glebe were tied atop the points table. Instead of the points differential rule being implemented a Grand Final was held to determine the premier.
St George had another disappointing season, winning only two games against University and conceding 316 points averaging 19.75 per game.

Teams

Balmain
15th season
Ground: Birchgrove Oval
Captain/Coach: Charles Fraser
Eastern Suburbs
15th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach:Ray Norman
Captain: Harry Caples
Glebe
15th season
Ground: Wentworth Oval
Captain: Frank Burge, Bill Benson
Newtown
15th season
Ground: Sydney Sports Ground
Coach: Bill Farnsworth
Captain: Felix Ryan
North Sydney
15th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Chris McKivat
Captain: Duncan Thompson
St. George
2nd season
Ground: Hurstville Oval
Captain: Albert Johnston
Coach: Herb Gilbert
South Sydney
15th season
Ground: Sydney Cricket Ground
Coach: Howard Hallett
Captain: Alf Blair
University
3rd season
Coach: Sandy Pearce
Captain: Jim Craig, Paddy Conaghan
Western Suburbs
15th season
Ground: Pratten Park
Captain-Coach: Ted Brooks
Co Captain: Dick Vest

Ladder

TeamPldWDLBPFPAPDPts
1 North Sydney1612042306136+17028
2 Glebe1612042284154+13028
3 Eastern Suburbs169252217177+4024
4 South Sydney159152207187+2023
5 Balmain168262168145+2322
6 Western Suburbs1660102164201-3716
7 Newtown1651102169200-3115
8 Sydney University1550102148287-13914
9 St George1620142140316-1768

Final

As North Sydney and Glebe were tied on competition points a final was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 6 September, before a crowd of around 15,000. The match was officiated by Tom McMahon, the elder of the two pre-war referees of that name.
The game was not as even as the ladder at the end of regular season would have suggested. Norths completely got away to a 10-0 lead at half-time and went on to demolish Glebe 35-3, taking their second consecutive premiership crown. The legendary Harold Horder scored twenty individual points in the match.
North Sydney 35
defeated
Glebe 3