Annandale (rugby league team)

Annandale were an Australian rugby league football club 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.

Annandale
Club information
Full nameAnnandale District Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)The Dales
Short nameAnnandale
Founded10 April 1910; 114 years ago (1910-04-10) as Annandale
Exited1920; 104 years ago (1920)
Former details
Ground(s)
CompetitionNSWRFL
Wooden spoons3 (1914, 1918, 1920)
Annandale RLFC 1912

The club was never able to finish higher than fifth in their eleven-year history and won just one match in their final three seasons. At the insistence of South Sydney 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

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Annandale were initially a second grade feeder club for Glebe in the Metropolitan Rugby Union competition. Glebe would later join the NSWRL competition along with the Newtown, Balmain and South Sydney clubs. The Metropolitan Rugby Union board later expelled and banned the Annandale players who competed in the exhibition game which gave way to Annandale switching from rugby union to rugby league.[2]

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 finished with five wins, one draw and eight 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.[3]

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.[4]

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 eleven 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.[5]

 
Chart of yearly table positions for Annandale in First Grade NSWRL

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.[6] 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 place due to a superior points scoring difference despite finishing on equal competition points.

The club claimed 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.[7]

In 1915 the club got 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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10]

Annandale were unable to win a game in 1918, scoring ten points or more just twice whilst conceding ten points or less on just two occasions.[11] They won just one 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.[12] In 1920 they once again failed to win a match and lost by less than 9 points on only one occasion.[13]

Seasons

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Note: P=Premiers, R=Runners-Ups, M=Minor Premierships, F=Finals Appearance, W=Wooden Spoons (Brackets Represent Finals Games)

Competition Games

Played (FINALS)

Games

Won (FINALS)

Games

Drawn (FINALS)

Games

Lost (FINALS)

Ladder

Position

City Cup P R M F W Captain Notes
1910 NSWRFL season 14 5 1 8 6/8 Charlie Hedley
1911 NSWRFL season 14 5 1 8 5/8
1912 NSWRFL season 14 2 0 12 7/8 Round 1 Frank Gressier
1913 NSWRFL season 14 3 0 11 7/8 Semi-Finals Patrick McCue, Ray Norman
1914 NSWRFL season 14 1 1 12 8/8 Round 1 X William Lindsay
1915 NSWRFL season 14 3 0 11 6/8 Round 1 Bob Stuart
1916 NSWRFL season 14 4 0 10 7/8 Round 1 Walter Haddock
1917 NSWRFL season 14 1 2 11 7/8 Round 1
1918 NSWRFL season 14 0 0 14 8/8 Round 1 X William Geoghegan
1919 NSWRFL season 14 1 1 12 7/8 Round 1
1920 NSWRFL season 13 0 0 13 9/9 Round 1 X Tom McGuinness

NSWRFL players

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Name First Yr Last Yr Apps Tries Goals FG Pts[14]
Charles Archer 1915 1915 2 - - - -
John Ayling 1914 1916 18 2 - - 6
George Bain 1912 1912 12 - - - -
James Bain 1915 1920 61 16 1 - 50
Alick Bates 1915 1919 19 - - - -
Arthur Beardmore 1915 1920 6 - - - -
Walter Beaumont 1919 1920 3 - - - -
Alfred Berry 1911 1911 1 - - - -
Charles Bingle 1910 1915 14 2 - - 6
Percy Bolt 1911 1911 1 - - - -
Harold Boyle 1912 1912 1 - - - -
James Brassill 1912 1914 19 4 - - 12
Arthur Brown 1914 1918 10 - - - -
R. Brown 1920 1920 8 - - - -
Thomas Brownlee 1910 1915 26 3 - - 9
Andrew Bryant 1910 1910 9 1 - - 3
Len Bryant 1916 1916 4 - - - -
W. Buist 1915 1917 24 1 3 - 9
Ernie Burdett 1911 1919 38 4 - - 12
Arthur Butler 1918 1919 21 - - - -
George Challis 1912 1917 38 - 9 - 18
Alex Clough 1910 1910 1 - - - -
Os Clutton 1910 1910 6 1 1 1 7
Patrick Coll 1915 1920 55 2 - - 6
Denis Comerford 1918 1919 9 - - - -
John Comerford 1918 1919 5 - - - -
Albert Compton 1920 1920 10 2 - - 6
Harold Corbett 1913 1913 3 - - - -
Matthew Cusack 1918 1918 12 - - - -
Thomas Dagg 1916 1919 38 2 - - 6
Bill Daley 1915 1915 1 - - - -
Lou D'Alpuget 1911 1911 5 - - - -
William Dibley 1912 1912 8 3 - - 9
L. Dickson 1916 1916 1 - - - -
William Doyle 1913 1916 19 3 37 - 83
William Eagle 1917 1917 8 - - - -
George Eves 1915 1920 50 3 - - 9
David Fitzgerald 1919 1919 8 - 1 - 2
Alfred Fox 1920 1920 1 - - - -
Rhodse Frackes 1917 1917 1 - - - -
Robert Fraser 1911 1912 12 1 - - 3
Edward Garrett 1915 1915 6 - - - -
William Geoghegan 1911 1919 46 9 1 - 29
Wallace Goddard 1917 1917 14 2 - - 6
Robert Gough 1916 1918 34 3 8 - 25
Robert Graves 1919 1919 7 1 - - 3
Robert Gray 1910 1913 35 1 - - 3
Joe Gready 1918 1920 2 - - - -
Dick Green 1911 1911 5 - 5 - 10
Frank Gressier 1911 1912 22 1 5 - 13
Edward Griffiths 1919 1919 5 - - - -
John Groves 1910 1910 3 - - - -
William Guilfoyle 1920 1920 1 - - - -
Walter Haddock 1910 1920 80 7 2 - 25
James Heaney 1916 1916 14 - 1 - 2
Charlie Hedley 1910 1911 23 - 18 1 38
Alick Henderson 1910 1910 5 1 - - 3
Walter Hogg 1913 1913 1 - - - -
Snowy Holland 1910 1910 1 - - - -
Sidney Hughes 1918 1920 17 4 7 - 26
H. Hunt 1920 1920 8 1 - 1 5
Herbert Ironside 1918 1918 1 - - - -
George Jolly 1917 1920 49 11 - - 33
Bede Kenna 1913 1914 2 1 1 - 5
Matthew Keogh 1920 1920 9 4 - - 12
Thomas Knight 1913 1915 24 1 - - 3
William Kyle 1912 1915 15 1 5 - 13
John Larkin 1915 1915 9 6 - - 18
Angus Lennon 1910 1914 36 - - - -
Jim Leonard 1912 1913 19 4 4 - 20
Percy Lillyman 1910 1913 29 7 - - 21
Bill Lindsay 1912 1915 35 7 1 - 23
Roy Liston 1920 1920 12 1 2 - 7
Bill Lucas 1918 1920 27 1 - - 3
Sydney Lyons 1910 1910 11 2 - - 6
Patrick McCue 1913 1913 1 - - - -
Nicholas McGuinness 1918 1920 32 - - - -
Patrick McGuinness 1920 1920 2 - - - -
Tom McGuinness 1915 1920 31 2 1 - 8
A. McGuire 1919 1919 1 - - - -
James McPherson 1910 1912 2 1 - - 3
George Munce 1911 1915 38 5 - - 15
Bernard Norman 1910 1910 4 1 - - 3
Ray Norman 1910 1913 48 12 26 - 88
Rex Norman 1910 1914 56 9 - - 27
Roy Norman 1910 1915 31 16 3 - 54
Walter Palmer 1913 1917 54 2 11 - 28
Sam Parker 1914 1919 48 3 - - 9
Harry Pearce 1912 1912 6 - - - -
Sam Perry 1912 1920 46 3 - - 9
Bert Pidcock 1918 1919 11 - - - -
Henry Pidcock 1915 1916 17 5 - - 15
Albert Potter 1920 1920 11 1 - - 3
Jack Pye 1914 1916 25 4 - - 12
Jim Pye 1914 1915 24 2 - - 6
Frank Quigley 1920 1920 10 - 2 - 4
George Reynolds 1913 1913 13 2 - - 6
Robert Rigby 1911 1911 1 - - - -
A. Robinson 1915 1915 8 - - - -
J. Robinson 1920 1920 1 - - - -
John Rosewell 1911 1912 10 - - - -
Norman Seach 1914 1914 3 - - - -
Oscar Shirley 1919 1919 4 - 1 - 2
George Short 1910 1910 5 1 - - 3
Joe Smith 1914 1914 6 - - - -
Alex Stuart 1910 1910 12 2 - - 6
Charles Stuart 1918 1920 15 - - - -
Dan Stuart 1917 1917 2 - - - -
Bob Stuart 1911 1918 45 10 - - 30
William Stuart 1910 1910 4 - - - -
William Thomas 1910 1913 34 1 - - 3
Percy Upham 1919 1919 12 3 1 - 11
Ernie Usher 1918 1920 27 1 7 - 17
Lyall Wall 1913 1913 9 2 15 3 42
Archibald Wardley 1920 1920 1 - - - -
Fred Wellington 1917 1917 11 - - - -
Roland Westbrook 1913 1913 5 - - - -
Arthur Wheatley 1914 1914 14 1 - - 3
George Wilcox 1910 1911 21 8 - - 24
Alex Williamson 1910 1910 1 1 - - 3
James Woodward 1913 1914 22 2 - - 6
John Wooll 1917 1919 22 1 - - 3
Albert Wright 1920 1920 7

Statistics and records

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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 2016, only on seven occasions has a team failed to win a game in a season. Annandale achieved this twice, in 1918 and 1920.

Club records

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Biggest Win

Biggest Loss

Most Consecutive Wins

  • 3 matches, 1 – 15 July 1916.

Most Consecutive Losses

  • 16 matches, 18 July 1917 – 10 May 1919.

Record appearance holder

Record point scorer

Wooden Spoons

  • 1914, 1918, 1920

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ 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. "Rugby League Tables / Venues / Wentworth". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 29 April 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2008.
  2. ^ "Annandale District RLFC Formed". www.ssralmanac.com.
  3. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1910". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  4. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1911". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  5. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1912". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  6. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1913". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  7. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1914". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  8. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1915". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  9. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1916". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 29 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  10. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1917". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  11. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1918". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  12. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1919". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  13. ^ "Rugby League Tables / Season 1920". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  14. ^ "Annandale - Players - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
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