1913 NSWRFL season
The 1913 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the sixth season of Sydney's top-level rugby league club competition, Australia's first. Eight teams from across the city contested during the season.
Season summary
By the start of the 1913 season, the NSWRFL had secured the use of the Sydney Cricket Ground for its games.As occurred in the 1912 season, the minor premiers were deemed the overall premiers. Eastern Suburbs, who finished top of the table for the second time in as many years, claimed their third straight premiership as a result. The team's success could be attributed to the talent in the team at the time, with ten players having played for Australia and another three for New South Wales. Of the team's two losses, one came at the hands of runners-up Newtown midway through the season and the other in the final round to Glebe after the title had already been won.
This Eastern Suburbs side is still considered to be one of the greatest club teams ever assembled, with players including Dally Messenger, Wally Messenger, Sandy Pearce, Larry O'Malley, Les Cubitt, Dan Frawley and Arthur "Pony" Halloway. This season also saw the retirement from the League of future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Dally Messenger.
Teams
The teams remained unchanged from the previous season.- Annandale
- Balmain, formed on 23 January 1908 at Balmain Town Hall
- Eastern Suburbs, formed on 24 January 1908 at Paddington Town Hall
- Glebe, formed on 9 January 1908
- Newtown, formed on 14 January 1908
- North Sydney, formed on 7 February 1908
- South Sydney, formed on 17 January 1908 at Redfern Town Hall
- Western Suburbs, formed on 4 February 1908
| Annandale 4th season Ground: Wentworth Park Captain-Coach: Paddy McCue | Balmain 6th season Ground: Birchgrove Oval Coach: Robert Graves Captain: Bill Noble | Eastern Suburbs 6th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Captain-Coach: Dally Messenger | Glebe 6th season Ground: Wentworth Park Captain-Coach: Chris McKivat |
| Newtown 6th season Ground: Erskineville Oval Captain-Coach: Charles "Boxer" Russell | North Sydney 6th season Ground: North Sydney Oval Coach: Captain: Sid Deane & Jim Devereux | South Sydney 6th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: John Rosewell Captain: Arthur Butler | Western Suburbs 6th season Ground: Pratten Park Captain-Coach: Tedda Courtney, Jim Abercrombie |
Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
| 1 | Eastern Suburbs | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 227 | 118 | +109 | 24 |
| 2 | Newtown | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 203 | 135 | +68 | 21 |
| 3 | South Sydney | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 200 | 132 | +68 | 18 |
| 4 | Glebe | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 198 | 161 | +37 | 16 |
| 5 | North Sydney | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 199 | 193 | +6 | 12 |
| 6 | Balmain | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 83 | 135 | -52 | 9 |
| 7 | Annandale | 14 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 119 | 219 | -100 | 6 |
| 8 | Western Suburbs | 14 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 115 | 251 | -136 | 6 |