Eastern Suburbs District Rugby Football Club (now known as the Sydney Roosters) competed in their fourth New South Wales Rugby League season in 1911, winning their maiden premiership.
1911 playing squad
1911 results Round OpponentResultRoosters ScoreOpponent ScoreDateVenueCrowd1Annandale DalesWon30 (6-6-0)3 (1-0-0)29 April 1911Agricultural20002North Sydney BearsWon22 (4-5-0)9 (1-3-0)6 May 1911Sports Ground5000
Premiership Round 3. 13 May Glebe Dirty Reds 8 ( Muggivan, L. Cubitt tries; A.Burge goal ) defeated Eastern Suburbs 0 at Wentworth park. crowd 4000 "Quite the liveliest, contest of the day was that at Wentworth Park, where about 4000 locals cheered the Reds to victory over the redoubtable Eastern Suburbs. It was fast and furious at times. Two men were carried off Injured. Two more were ordered off the field-one for indiscriminate kicking, and one for unnecessarily rough play. Now and then the spectators, worked to a pitch of excitement, started melees of their own. The game itaelf was a triumph for the local forwards, who ran over the opponents, and the Glebe backs, taking advantage of the situation, notched 8 points to nil."
4Newtown JetsLost7 (1-2-0)16 (4-2-0)20 May 1911Sports Ground150005Balmain TigersWon16 (4-2-0)11 (3-1-0)27 May 1911Sports Ground30006Western Suburbs MagpiesWon22 (4-5-0)15 (3-3-0)17 June 1911Sports Ground30007South Sydney RabbitohsLost8 (0-4-0)12 (2-3-0)1 July 1911Sports Ground100008Balmain TigersWon29 (5-6-1)7 (1-2-0)8 July 1911Birchgrove40009Western Suburbs MagpiesDraw8 (2-1-0)8 (2-1-0)22 July 1911Agricultural200010Newtown JetsDraw13 (3-2-0)13 (3-2-0)29 July 1911Agricultural100011South Sydney RabbitohsWon24 (4-6-0)14 (4-1-0)5 August 1911Sports Ground1500012Glebe Dirty RedsWon18 (2-5-1)8 (2-1-0)12 August 1911Sports Ground1600013Annandale DalesWon8 (0-4-0)5 (1-1-0)19 August 1911Agricultural3000
Round OpponentResultRoosters ScoreOpponent ScoreDateVenueCrowd14North Sydney BearsWon3 (1-0-0)0 (0-0-0)26 August 1911North Sydney2000
1911 NSWRL ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Glebe14110324488+156222 Eastern Suburbs14923208129+79203 South Sydney14923188117+71204 Newtown14635154120+34155 Annandale14518113184-71116 North Sydney14419138209-7197 Western Suburbs14419116189-7398 Balmain143011130255-1256
Eastern Suburbs first premiership
Finals campaign premiership Semi Final, Saturday 2 September 1911. At the Sydney Sports Ground. 23 Eastern SuburbsTriesMessenger 2, WhiteGoalsMessenger 710 South SydneyTriesHilliard, McCabeGoalsDymant 2
Fullback Fred Kinghorn Three-Quarters Barney DaltonH. H. Messenger(c)John 'Dinny' CampbellEddie White Halves Herb Collins Leslie Cody ForwardsW. DaltonCharlie LeesSid 'Sandy' PearceEddie Griffiths Larry O'Malley Mick Frawley
premiership Final, 9 September 1911, at the Agricultural Ground.
22 Eastern SuburbsTriesWhite 2, Griffiths, CodyGoalsMessenger 59 GlebeTriesR. BurgeGoalsA. B. Burge, Algie Field GoalAlgie
Fullback Fred Kinghorn Three-Quarters Barney DaltonH. H. Messenger(c)John 'Dinny' CampbellEddie White Halves Herb Collins Leslie Cody ForwardsW. DaltonCharlie LeesEddie GriffithsSid 'Sandy' Pearce Larry O'Malley Mick Frawley
premiership Final re-match, Saturday 16 September 1911. 11 Eastern SuburbsTryLeesGoalsMessenger 3Field GoalMessenger 18 GlebeTriesC. R. Cubitt 2Field GoalL. Cubitt
Fullback Fred Kinghorn Three-Quarters Barney DaltonJohn 'Dinny' CampbellH. H. Messenger(c)Eddie White Halves Herb Collins Leslie Cody ForwardsW. DaltonCharlie LeesEddie GriffithsMick Frawley Sid 'Sandy' Pearce Larry O'Malley
Offence The lowdown:
Eastern Suburbs completed the following score options in the 1911 season:
45 tries 64 goals 2 field goals
Defence The lowdown:
Eastern Suburbs conceded the following score options in the 1911 season:
34 tries 26 goals 1 field goals
The result:
Eastern Suburbs conceded a total of 129 points in the 1911 season.
The verdict:
Eastern Suburbs try scoring defence dropped by 35.2% on their previous season. Eastern Suburbs goal kicking defence dropped by 7.6% on their previous season. Eastern Suburbs field goal defence was maintained on their previous season. Eastern Suburbs overall defense dropped by 10% on their previous season. Eastern Suburbs total points against defensive effort improved by 17.7% on their previous season.
1911 season highlights Eastern Suburbs won their first premiership defeating the Glebe 11-8 in the Final. Won the 1911 reserve grade competition for the fourth year in a row. Dally Messenger was the top point scorer in the NSWRL with 148 points. Eastern Suburbs were once again the winners of the presidents cup competition. Eastern Suburbs players to represent Australia were:- Dan Frawley & Bob Williams Eastern Suburbs players to gain selection for that year's Kangaroo Tour were:- Dan Frawley & Bob Williams. Eastern Suburbs played their first match at the Sydney Sports Ground. Dan Frawley was the first rugby league player to score a try on the Sydney Cricket Ground, Dally Messenger the first to kick a goal.
Notes No Semi-final would normally be required under the rules of the day. However, because Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney finished level on points, They played off to see who met the minor premiers Glebe, in the final. As minor premiers Glebe had the right of challenge, if beaten. A second final was played one week later. While representing NSW in an interstate match against Queensland, Dally Messenger scored a record 32 points, coming from four tries and ten goals. In the 3 match series, Messenger scored a total of 72 points. Dan Frawley, while playing in a representative match, became the first rugby league player to score a try on the Sydney Cricket Ground.
References
External links Rugby League Tables and Statistics Ian Heads, True Blue - the true story of the NSW Rugby League, ,