THE CLUB

The Beginning…

South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club was formed at a public meeting held at Redfern Town Hall on 17 January 1908.

On March 5, 1908, the NSW Rugby League issued the Club its receipt No. 2 for their £ -1 – 1 – 0 affiliation fee.

The Club’s first premiership match, also the first in the NSWRL competition, was played at Birchgrove Oval on Easter Monday, 20 April 1908. Souths defeated North Sydney 11-7. Winger Tommy Anderson scored Souths first try, with others added during the historic game by forwards Dick Green and Harold Butler, who also kicked a goal.

The Club was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee at a Special General Meeting on 13 June 1982.

The rebirth of the Rabbitohs began on 7 June, 2006 through a new partnership between Russell Crowe, Peter Holmes à Court and the 8000 Members of the Club. The voting Members of the Football Club voted by a 75.8% majority to convert the Club from a company limited by guarantee to a company limited by shares at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 19 March 2006.

Outstanding Seasons

1925: Won the first, reserve and third grade premierships and City Cup. First grade was undefeated in its 12 matches – the first and still the only team to win every game in a season.

1953: Won the first and reserve grade premierships, Club Championship and President’s Cup (then the only interdistrict junior competition). Runner – up in third grade, losing 11-9, after playing extra time.

1968: Won first and reserve grade premierships, Club Championships, President’s Cup and Flegg Trophy. Third grade defeated 14-9 in preliminary final.

1969: Minor premiers and runner’s up in first grade. Minor premiers in reserve grade. Won third grade premiership, Club Championship, Pre-season Competition, President’s Cup, Flegg Trophy and Ball Cup.

Team Achievements

PREMIERSHIPS AND COMPETITIONS

First Grade Premiers: 20

1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971

First Grade Runners-Up: 13

1910, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1949, 1952, 1965, 1969

Reserve Grade Premiers: 20

1913, 1914, 1917, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1945, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1966, 1968, 1983

Reserve Grade Runners-Up: 7

1918, 1920, 1930, 1954, 1963, 1964, 1967

Third/Under23/Under21 Grade Premiers: 10

1912, 1918, 1925, 1928, 1933, 1962, 1969, 1981, 1986, 1989

Third/Under23/Under21 Runners-Up: 14

1913, 1926, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1942, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1970, 1987

Third Grade South Sydney affiliated Clubs Premiers: 7

1908 (Sydney), 1909 (S.S. Federal), 1910 (Sydney), 1913 (S.S. Federal), 1921, 1922 (Mascot), 1923 (Kensington).

Club Champions (1930 - ): 7

1932, 1933, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1989

City Cup Won (1912 – 1925, first grade): 4

1912, 1921, 1924, 1925

City Cup Runners-Up: 2

1914, 1917

Sports Ground Cup won (1912-1916, reserve grade): 3

1914, 1915, 1916 – won outright.

League’s Cup won (1917 – 1926 reserve grade): 4

1917, 1918, 1919, 1922

Pre-season competition won (1962 – 1981, 1990 – 1995): 5

1966, 1969, 1972, 1978, 1994

Mid-week Knockout Cup won (1974 – 1989): 1

1971 as Tooth Cup

State Championship won (1932, 1939-1945): 1

1932

Sevens won (1988 - 2005): 1

1988

JUNIORS COMPETITIONS WON

Munn Cup (1908 – 1910): 3

1908, 1909, 1910 – won outright

President’s Cup (1910 - ): 20

1936, 1942, 1943, 1951, 1953, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983

H.J. Flegg Trophy (1961 - ): 8

1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1978

S.G. Ball Cup (1965 - ): 10

1965, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1994, 1998

H. Matthews Cup (1970 - ): 1

1974

Junior Club Championship (1982 - ): 1

1986

Lennox Cup (1947 – 1950): 1

1948

SUMMARY

78 NSWRL Grade competitions won

44 NSWRL junior competitions won

Total: 122

LARGEST HOME GROUND ATTENDANCES

No specific Home Ground (1908 - 1927):

31,500 at Sydney Cricket Ground V St George, 18 June 1927

Sydney Sports Ground (1928 - 1947):

31,095 v Balmain 4 June 1967

32,373 v Western Suburbs (Final) 16 September 1950, when not at home ground.

Redfern Oval (1948 - 1987):

23,257 v Manly-Warringah 19 July 1987

Sydney Football Stadium (1988 - 2005):

35,316 v Sydney Roosters 15 March 2002 (competition round)

40,000 v Balmain 10 September 1989 (Preliminary Final)

36,804 vs St George Illawarra 16 February 2002 (Charity Shield)

Telstra Stadium (2006 - ):

34,315 v Bulldogs 6 April 2007 (competition round)

24,566 v St George Illawarra Dragons 18 February 2006 (Charity Shield)

LARGEST ATTENDANCE AT ANY GROUND

Sydney Cricket Ground (1911 – 1987); 78,056 v St George, Grand Final, 18 September 1965

HIGHEST SCORE AND BIGGEST WINNING MARGIN IN PREMIERSHIP GAME

67 – 0 Western Suburbs, Sydney Showground, 23 July 1910

Individual Achievements

MOST GAMES IN FIRST GRADE: 211 Bob McCarthy 1963 – 1975, 1978

MOST GAMES IN ALL GRADES: 283 Craig Coleman 1980 – 1992

FIRST GRADE SCORING FEATS

MOST POINTS IN CAREER: 1843 Eric Simms 1965 – 1975 (23 tries, 884 goals, 6 one point field goals)

MOST POINTS IN A SEASON: 265 Eric Simms 1969 (1 try, 112 goals, 19 two point field goals)

MOST POINTS IN A GAME: 29 Johnny Graves v Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Sports Ground, 7^th June 1952 (3 tries, 10 goals).

MOST TRIES IN CAREER: 144 Benny Wearing 1921-1933

MOST TRIES IN A SEASON: 29 Les Brennan 1954

MOST TRIES IN A GAME: 5 Harold Horder Vs North Sydney 4 June 1917 and 14 July 1917; Alan Quinlivan v University 11 July 1936; Don Manson V University 17 April 1937; John Graves v Eastern Suburbs 16 July 1949; Ian Moir v Parramatta 1 June 1957; Eric Sladden v Parramatta 10 August 1957

MOST GOALS IN CAREER: 890 Eric Simms 1965-1975

MOST GOALS IN SEASON: 131 Eric Simms 1969

MOST GOALS IN A GAME: 11 Eric Simms v Cronulla 11 April 1969 and v Penrith 27 July 1969

MOST TRIES IN CAREER BY A FORWARD: 100 Bob McCarthy 1963-1975, 1978

MOST TRIES IN SEASON BY A FORWARD: 17 Bob McCarthy 1971

MOST TRIES IN A GAME BY A FORWARD: 4 Ernie Laphan v Glebe 13 June 1925; v Balmain 21 May 1927, North Sydney 28 May 1927; Les Cowie v Balmain 1 September 1956

AUSTRALIAN CAPTAINS IN TEST/WORLD SERIES: 5

Arthur Hennessy, Clive Churchill, John Sattler, Bob McCarthy, Ron Coote

PLAYED FOR AUSTRALIA WHILE WITH SOUTH SYDNEY - 62

Tommy Anderson, Jim Armstrong, Alf Blair, Cecil Blinkhorn, Ray Branighan, Tim Brasher, Arthur Butler, Bill Cann, Mark Carroll, Clive Churchill, Michael Cleary, Ron Coote, Les Cowie, Frank Curran, Steve Darmody, Les Davidson, Jim Davis, Denis Donoghue, Terry Fahey, Harry Finch, Bryan Fletcher, Herb Gilbert, Bob Grant, John Graves, Howard Hallett, Ernie Hammerton, Greg Hawick, Arthur Hennessy, Bob Honan, Harold Horder, Brian James, Harry Kadwell, Clem Kennedy, John Kerwick, Jack Levison, Eric Lewis, Jim Lisle, Bob McCarthy, Eddie McGrath, Paddy Maher, Ian Moir, Ray Norman, Alf O’Connor, Frank O’Connor, John O’Neill, Arthur Oxford, George Piggins, Denis Pittard, Bernie Purcell, Jack Rayner, Eddie Root, John Rosewell, Paul Sait, John Sattler, Eric Simms, Bill Spence, Gary Stevens, George Treweek, Elwyn Walters, Benny Wearing, Jack Why, Perce Williams

PLAYED FOR AUSTRALIA BEFORE OR AFTER PLAYED WITH SOUTH SYDNEY – 35

Braith Anasta, Royce Ayliffe, Peter Burge, Hugh Byrne, Darrell Chapman, Ron Crowe, Col Donohoe, Jim Dymock, Percy Fairall, Bob Gehrke, Brian Hambly, Shannon Hegarty, Terry Hill, Ray Hines, Johnny Hutchinson, Adam MacDougall, Ian Mackay, Mark McGaw, Keith Middleton, Jim Morgan, Webby Neill, Rex Norman, Claude O’Donnell, Bryan Orrock, Bill Owen, David Peachey, Russell Richardson, Ian Roberts, Craig Salvatori, Jim Serdaris, Billy Thompson, Peter Tunks, Harry Wells, Graham Wilson, Craig Wing

PLAYED FOR SOUTH SYDNEY AND OTHER COUNTRIES – 29

* Indicates while with Souths

Fred Anderson (South Africa as guest), *Roy Asotasi (New Zealand), Bobby Banham (New Zealand), John Burke (Britain), *Angelo Dymock (Tonga), *David Fa’alogo (New Zealand), *Joe Falemaka (Tonga), Joe Galuvao (New Zealand), Henderson Gill (Britain), *Tere Glassie (Cook Islands), *Terry Hermansson (New Zealand), Phil Howlett (Tonga), Lee Jackson (Britain), *David Kidwell (New Zealand), Filimone Lolohea (Tonga), Bernie Lowther (New Zealand), Willie Manu (Tonga), *Manase Manuokafoa (Tonga), Darren Maroon (Lebanon), Martin Masella (Tonga), *Gene Ngamu (New Zealand), Gary Price (Britain), Frank Puletua (Samoa), Ian Rubin (Russia), Sean Skelton (South Africa), *Alan Skene (South Africa), Craig Smith (New Zealand), *Jeremy Smith (New Zealand), *Tyran Smith (New Zealand), *Fetuli Talanoa (Tonga), *Nigel Vagana (Samoa), *Jason Williams (New Zealand)

SOUTH SYDNEY JUNIOR PLAYERS WHO BECAME INTERNATIONALS – 55

Braith Anasta, Bob Banham, Alf Blair, Ray Branighan, Gordon Clifford, Ron Coote, Les Cowie, Steve Darmody, Denis Donoghue, Col Donohoe, Angelo Dymock, Jim Dymock, Harry Finch, Bryan Fletcher, Tere Glassie, Brian Hambly, Ernie Hammerton, Greg Hawick, Terry Hill, Keith Holman, Harold Horder, Harry Kadwell, Clem Kennedy, John Kerwick, Eric Lewis, Reni Maitua, Martin Masella, Bob McCarthy, Brian Moore, Brett Mullins, Wally O’Connell, Alf O’Connor, Frank O’Connor, Bryan Orrock, Arthur Oxford, John Peard, George Piggins, Bernie Purcell, Ian Roberts, Eddie Root, Paul Sait, Craig Salvatori, Jim Serdaris, Eric Simms, Tyran Smith, Bill Spence, Gary Stevens, Billy Thompson, George Treweek, Jack Troy, Benny Wearing, Jack Why, Perce Williams, Graham Wilson, Craig Wing

YOUNGEST PLAYER IN FIRST GRADE STARTING TEAM:

Les Bell, 15 May 1943 v North Sydney, 17 years 4 months.

YOUNGEST PLAYER IN FIRST GRADE AT ANY STAGE:

Paul Mellor, replacement, 30 June 1991 v Gold Coast, 16 years 10 months.

AWARD WINNERS

E.E. CHRISTENSEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR (1946 – 1977):

Clive Churchill, 1949, 1950, 1952; Jack Rayner 1953; Ron Coote 1968, 1969

COACH OF THE YEAR (1971 - ): George Piggins 1986, 1989

CLAUDE CORBETT MEMORIAL TROPHY (1946 - ):

Clive Churchill 1950, 1954

DALLY M PLAYER OF THE YEAR (1980 - ): Robert Laurie 1980

RUGBY LEAGUE WEEK PLAYER OF THE YEAR (1970 - ): Bob Grant 1971

ROTHMAN’S MEDAL (1968 - 1996): Denis Pittard 1969, 1971

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD BEST & FAIREST:

Clive Churchill 1952; Fred Nelson 1959; Richie Powell 1964; Denis Pittard 1971, 1973

HARRY SUNDERLAND MEDAL (1964 - ): Ron Coote 1970

TELEGRAPH-TCN9 PLAYER OF THE YEAR (1946 – 1967): Ron Coote 1967

KEN STEPHEN CITIZENSHIP AWARD (1988 - ): Michael Andrews 1993