Happy 110th Birthday North Sydney
It is with great pride that we wish the North Sydney Rugby League Community a very happy 110th Birthday
1908 THE BEGINNING
The first meeting of the North Sydney RLFC was held in the North Sydney School of arts in Mount Street on 7th February 1908. The North Sydney Club hold the No. 1 receipt for payment of registration.
The first officials of the Club appointed in 1908 were:
Patron: E.M. Clark (Clark was labor through-and-through and was responsible for getting the Marist Brothers Schools to play League)
President: J. Feneley (Feneley had an Irish background, was a boxing promoter & had a gift for the gab)
Vice-Presidents: E. Blue, R. Friend, C. Ford, P. Dunne, C. Dunne (Charles H. Ford later managed the 1911 Kangaroo Tour.)
Hon. Treasurer: H. Glanville (Harry ‘Dosser’ Glanville was a rep in the 1st NSW side and played 9 matches for the Bears in 1908.)
Hon. Secretary: W. Hedge (Hedge was a boatbuilder by trade)
Committee:
J. Devereux (The pioneering representative scored the first ever try League try against Great Britain)
E. Boland (Paddy Boland was a boxer, unionist and WWI Digger)
J. Abercrombie (Paddy Boland was a boxer, unionist and WWI Digger)
W. Hunt (Hunt was a labourer)
A. Osborne
D. Lutge (Denis ‘Dinny’ Lutge was captain of the North Sydney side & the 1908 Kangaroos)
H. Odbert (Herbert Odbert was a New Zealander and a clerk by trade)
THE EARLY YEARS
1908 – NORTH SYDNEY TEAM
E. Boland, A. Bollard, A. Broomham, J. Coste,
Courtney, M. Curphey, S. Deane, J. Devereux,
W. Drummond, A. Eckland, A. Findlater, H. Granville,
E. Glasson, Golding, L. Hansen, J. Kendall,
D. Lutge (c), M. Lyons, W. McCarthy, J. Mathieson,
A. Morton, F. Notting, H. Odbert, W. Rochester,
A. Sprouster, E. Tait, W. Whitfield.
1909 – NORTH SYDNEY TEAM
C. Baily, S. Banks, E. Boland, A. Bollard,
A. Broomham, M. Carroll, F. Courtney, A. Dale,
O. Deane, J. Delaney, E. Glasson, L. Hansen,
J. Hedge, W. House, J. Huggins, J. Kendall,
S. King, W. McCarthy, R. McDonald, S. McFarlane,
W. Mather, J. Mathieson, R. Montgomery, A. Morris,
F. Notting, S. Peters, M. Pettiford, P. Rogers,
C. Sandow, G. Smith, A. Stevens, A.G. Tipper,
W. Whitfield, J. Whitman, Williams.
1916 – NORTH SYDNEY TEAM
C. Blinkhorn, E. Boland, W. Clayton, O. Deane,
R. Farnell, R. Gosper, G. Green, W. Green,
F. Hancock, C. Hurlstone, Hyland, R. Ide,
C. Irish, J. Kenny, S. Lloyd, J. McArthur,
E. McIntyre, L. Mayo, E. Mooney, H. Stewart,
E. Taplin, D. Thompson, C. Toomey, A. Wickham.
THE CHAMPION YEARS
1921 NORTH SYDNEY TEAM
The Shoremen did not lose one game in 1921. But it was an epic 8-all draw against Easts in May where the team established their credentials as a truly great football side. First game 23 April V South Sydney, With Clarrie Harder as captain of Souths, marking his more illustrious brother who was Norths’ captain, both sides scored 3 tries. Norths won on goals.
J. Baker, C. Blinkhorn, F. Buckland,
A. Faull, G. Green, D, Hodgins,
H. Horder, G. Horsey, J.C. Ives,
C. McGrath, H. Peters, J. Pye,
F. Rule, E. Taplin, D. Thompson.
1922 – NORTH SYDNEY TEAM
The North Sydney backline were very cocky, playing ‘champagne football’, lick passes, inside passes and short kicks. In the final playoff against equal placed Glebe for the 1922 premiership, the Shoremen overran the Dirty Reds 30-6. The Shoremen then defeated Easts 18-11 in the City Cup.
J. Baker, C. Blinkhorn, D. Campbell, V. Edwards,
R. Farnell, A. Faull, G. Green, W. Hancock,
D. Hodgins, H. Horder, J.C. Ives, C. McGrath,
H. Peters, N. Proctor, J. Pye, F. Rule,
E. Taplin, D. Thompson, H. Waterhouse.
1943 – GRAND FINAL
“Everything was against us – the referee was against us – the touch judges were against us – the ball boys were against us the ball bounced the wrong way every time we went to play it and even with all that they only just won by the skin of their teeth – 34-7!” – Frank Hyde.
“I was accused of attacking Herb Narvo’s fist with my eye, and I plead guilty to that!” – Frank Hyde.
Grand Final Team:
R. Ainsworth, F. Collins, D. Campbell,
L. Doran, F. Facer, F. Hyde (c),
R. McKinnon, J. McLachlan, C. McMahon,
S. Ridgway, E. Rudd, C. Scully, M. Whitehead
1958 – 1970 KEN IRVINE
“Captain Marvel, Superman, Brick Bradford and Batman & Robin all rolled into one.” Mike Gibson.Unquestionably ‘Mango’ Irvine was a great athlete.
A professional sprinter, he was extremely, almost freakishly fast.
At Dubbo in 1963 he ran 100 yards in 9.3 seconds, setting a world professional sprint record, and this on a track suitable for the grazing of cows and heavy with rain.
1959 – NORTHS BECOME THE BEARS
On 25 February 1959, the club considered correspondence from the operator of the newly established Big Bear Supermarket at Neutral Bay, suggesting that Norths henceforth be known as ‘The Bears’.
NORTH SYDNEY CLUB TITLES
FIRST GRADE
Premiers: 1921, 1922
Grand-Finalists: 1943
Semi-Finalists: 1908, 1928, 1935, 1936, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1964, 1965, 1982, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
City Cup: 1920, 1922
Channel 10 Challenge Cup: 1978
RESERVE GRADE
Premiers: 1940, 1942, 1955, 1959, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993
Grand-Finalists: 2007
Semi-Finalists: 2012
Preliminary Finalists: 2011, 2013
THIRD GRADE (President’s Cup/Jersey Flegg)
Premiers: 1937, 1945, 1946, 1959, 1998
Semi-Finalists: 2005
NORTH SYDNEY RECORD BREAKERS
Greg Florimo: 285 most first grade games for North Sydney 1986-1998.
Ken Irvine: 171 tries for North Sydney 1958-1970.
Cec Blinkhorn: 5 tries in a match for the club 1920.
Michael Buettner: 21 tries in a season for North Sydney in 1998.
Allen Arkey: 10 goals in one match for North Sydney in 1953.
Jason Taylor: 1274 most points for North Sydney 1994-1999.
Jason Taylor: 20 most field goals for North Sydney 1986-1989.
Jason Taylor: 242 most points in one season for North Sydney 1997.
Jason Taylor: 93 most goals in one season for North Sydney 1994
NORTH SYDNEY AUSTRALIAN REPS
George Ambrum 1972, Martin Bella 1986-1989, Tom Berecry 1911-1912, Michael Buettner 1995,
Cec Blinkhorne 1921-1922, Albert Broomham 1909-1912, Brian Carlson 1958-1961, Tedda Courtney 1910,
Arch Crippin 1936, Brett Dallas 1995, Sid Deane 1908-1914, Jim Devereux 1908-1909,
Peter Diversi 1954-1955, David Fairleigh 1994-1995, Greg Florimo 1994-1995, Nevyl Hand 1948-1949,
Harold Harder 1920-1921, Ben lkin 1995, Ken Irvine 1959-1968, Clarrie Ives 1921-1922,
Peter Jackson 1991-1992, Less Kiss 1986, Gary Lason 1995, Dinny Lutge 1908-1909,
Ken Mccaffery 1957, Don McKinnon 1982, Keith Middleton 1950, Billy Moore 1995,
Andy Morton 1908-1909, Fred Nolan 1937-1938, Herman Peters 1921-1922, Tim Pickup 1972-1974,
Con Sullivan 1910-1914, Bob Sullivan 1954, Duncan Thompson 1921-1922, Roy Thompson 1937-1938,
Laurie Ward 1937-1938, Lloyd Weier 1965-1966, Billy Wilson 1936.
NORTH SYDNEY KANGAROO TOURISTS
Martin Bella 1986, Tom Berecry 1911-1912, Cec Blinkhorne 1921-1922, Albert Broomham 1911-1912,
Brian Carlson 1959-1960, Sid Deane 1908-1909, Jim Devereux 1908-1909, David Fairleigh 1994,
Greg Florimo 1994, Nevyl Hand 1948-1949, Harold Harder 1921-1922, Ken Irvine 1959-1960, 1963-1964, 1967-1968,
Clarrie Ives 1921-1922, Less Kiss 1986, Dinny Lutge 1908-1909, Don McKinnon 1982,
Andy Morton 1908-1909, Fred Nolan 1937-1938, Herman Peters 1921-1922, Tim Pickup 1973,
Con Sullivan 1911-1912, Duncan Thompson 1921-1922, Roy Thompson 1937-1938, Laurie Ward 1937-1938.
NORTH SYDNEY TEAM OF THE CENTURY
1. Brian Carlson 1957-1962
2. Ken Irvine 1958-1970
3. Jim Devereux 1908, 1910, 1912-1913
4. Greg Florimo 1986-1998
5. Harold Horder 1920-1923
6. Tim Pickup 1972-1974
7. Duncan Thompson 1916, 1920-1923
8. Gary Larson 1987-1999
9. Ross Warner 1963-1974
10. Billy Wilson 1963-1967
11. David Fairleigh 1989-1999
12. Mark Graham 1981-1988
13. Peter Diversi 1952-1955
Bench
14. Sid Deane 1908, 1912-1914, 1919
15. Ken McCaffery 1957-1959
16. Billy Moore 1989-1999
17. John Gray 1975-1977, 1981-1983
Coach: Chris McKivat 1920-1923
