1924 NSWRFL season
The 1924 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the seventeenth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league club competition, Australia’s first. Nine teams from across the city contested during the season which culminated in Balmain’s victory over South Sydney in the premiership final. The 1924 season was the last in the NSWRFL for future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Harold Horder.
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
| Balmain 17th season Ground: Birchgrove Oval Captain-Coach: Charles Fraser | Eastern Suburbs 17th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Captains: Arthur Oxford, Jack Watkins | Glebe 17th season Ground: Birchgrove Oval Coach: Jack Hickey Captain: Bill Benson |
| Newtown 17th season Ground: Marrickville Oval Coach: Bill Farnsworth Captain: Tom Ellis | North Sydney 17th season Ground: North Sydney Oval Coach: Jim Devereux Captain: Clarrie Ives | South Sydney 17th season Ground: Sydney Cricket Ground Coach: Owen McCarthy Captain: Harold Horder |
| St. George 4th season Ground: Earl Park Coach: Herb Gilbert Captain: Arnold Traynor, George Carstairs | University 5th season Coach: Bill Kelly Captain: Hubert Finn, Alby Lane | Western Suburbs 17th season Ground: Pratten Park Coach: Albert "Ricketty" Johnston Captains: Tedda Courtney, Clarrie Prentice |
Ladder
Because of the British Lions tour of Australia, and interstate matches, the 1924 season was shortened to a single round of eight matches. No club fixtures were played on the weekends of 31 May, 7 June, 21 June nor 28 June.| Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
| 1 | Balmain | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 124 | 53 | +71 | 15 |
| 2 | South Sydney | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 104 | 60 | +44 | 15 |
| 3 | Western Suburbs | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 130 | 103 | +27 | 10 |
| 4 | Glebe | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 87 | 95 | -8 | 10 |
| 5 | St. George | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 94 | 125 | -31 | 10 |
| 6 | North Sydney | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 107 | 128 | -21 | 8 |
| 7 | Eastern Suburbs | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 85 | 106 | -21 | 8 |
| 8 | Sydney University | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 85 | 115 | -30 | 7 |
| 9 | Newtown | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 98 | 129 | -31 | 7 |
Premiership Final
and South Sydney finished equal at the top of the ladder, having dropped just one game each. The teams had earlier met in Round 5, with a 10–10 draw being the result at the Sydney Cricket Ground in front of a crowd of around 16,000.The Final was played before a crowd of around 15,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 29 July 1924 and refereed by former Rabbitoh premiership winner Webby Neill. Balmain led 3–0 at half-time and both sides failed to score in the second half. The Tigers thus claimed their sixth premiership within ten years. At the time it was the lowest-scoring Final since the start of the NSWRFL premiership and the first time a team had been held scoreless in a Final.
The Final was also the first rugby league match broadcast on radio with commentary by Balmain secretary Bob Savage.
Balmain 3
defeated
South Sydney 0