1908 Eastern Suburbs Season - Inaugural Season

Inaugural Season

• Pemiership Round 1 - The opening match of the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership consisted of two double headers. The match involving Eastern Suburbs was played on 20 April 1908, (the Easter weekend) at Sydney's Wentworth Park ground against the Newtown club.

The line-ups that day were:

• Eastern Suburbs: Fred Fry; Johnno Stuntz, W. Smith (who was replaced by Horrie Miller after he injured his shoulder during the match), Dave Brown, Dan Frawley; Albert Rosenfeld, Lou D'Alpuget; Bob Mable, Larry O'Malley, Lou Jones, Herb Brackenreg, Sandy Pearce, and Jersey Flegg(c).

Newtown three-quarter Jack Scott had the honour of scoring the first ever try in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership when he took an intercept early in the match. As for Eastern Suburbs, W. Smith had the honour of scoring the first ever try in first grade. It was the only try he ever scored for the club. The try was converted by Lou D'Alpuget and ironically this was also the only goal he ever kicked for Easts while Johnno Stuntz's 4 tries remains the most tries scored on debut in 1st grade. Eastern Suburbs 32 (Stuntz 4, Miller, Brown, Smith, D'Alpuget tries; Jones 2, D'Alpuget goals, Miller field goal) defeated Newtown 16

Newspaper reports of the match were enthusiastic with one journalist describing the match as, "A capital display considering that the contestants have as yet only a fair acquaintance with the rules." Another, The Sydney Mail described it as "The best game of the day.

• Premiership Round 2 BYE

• Premiership Round 3 - 16 May 1908 at the Agricultural Ground. Crowd 2000.

Eastern Suburbs 13 (Miller 2, Pearce Tries; Brackenreg 2 Goals) defeated South Sydney 12 (4 Tries)

This has always been one of the rugby leagues fiercest rivalries, between the only two surviving foundation clubs - It was no different in that very first encounter.

• Premiership Round 4 - 23 May 1908 at the Agricultural Ground. Crowd 1500.

Eastern Suburbs21(Miller, Pearce, Jones, O'Malley, Flegg tries; Jones 3 goals) defeated Balmain8(2 tries; 1 goal)

• Premiership Round 5 - 30 May 1908 at the Agricultural Ground. Crowd 800.

Eastern Suburbs9(Miller 2, Brown tries) defeated Western Suburbs8(2 tries; 1 goal)

• Premiership Round 6 - 20 June 1908 at the Agricultural Ground. Crowd 1500.

Eastern Suburbs19(Dan Frawley 2, Miller, O'Malley, Rosenfeld tries; Messenger 2 goals) defeated North Sydney11(3 tries; 1 goal)

• Premiership Round 7 - 27 June 1908 at the Agricultural Ground. Crowd 4000.

Eastern Suburbs26(Dan Frawley 2, Miller, Brackenreg, Thompson, Rosenfeld tries; Brackenreg 4 goals) defeated Cumberland5(1 try; 1 goal)

• Premiership Round 8 - 4 July 1908 at the Wentworth Ground. Crowd 1200.

Eastern Suburbs5(Jones try; Brackenreg goal) lost to Glebe11(3 tries; 1 goal)

• Premiership Round 9 - 25 July 1908 at the Agricultural Ground. Crowd 400.

Eastern Suburbs34(Miller 2, Messenger 2, Brackenreg, Dan Frawley tries; Messenger 6, Brackenreg 2 goals) defeated Newcastle17(3 tries; 4 goals)

The game was a fast one, with tigerish work amongst the scrumragers. The Newcastle forwards held their opponents well in the scrums, but D'Alpuget, behind the Eastern pack, secured the ball oftener than Patfield, and set his backs to work well. A capital piece of passing, in which the ball went from D'Alpuget to Messenger, to Brown, to Miller, enabled the speedy three-quarter to score the first try for Eastern Suburbs. Messenger converted. The Newcastle full-back was in great form, his fielding and kicking getting his side out of some awkward corners. S. Carpenter landed a good goal for Newcastle, and then combined play by Eastern Suburbs enabled Messenger to score a try, which he also converted. Walsh, the tall Newcastle forward, was conspicuous in the open play. Patfield passed to M'Guinness close to the Eastern line, and scored a try, which S. Carpenter converted. Hot work followed, both sides being truly extended, but the Eastern Suburbs team was not to be denied. Miller obtaining possession, shot like a rocket for the line and scored a try, and a difficult goal was negotiated by Messenger. The half ended in favour of Eastern Suburbs by 17 points to 7. The second half had not long started when a Newcastle player, Bartley, was knocked out, and had to leave the field. Bailey put in a great run for Newcastle, but his pass when he was tackled by M'Namara was overrun by his side. Jones showed prominently for Eastern Suburbs, taking the ball as far as M'Namara, but the fullback beat him for it, and got his kick in. From the centre Flegg passed to Brown to D'Alpuget to Messenger, who put in a characteristic corkscrew run, and scored a try, Brackenreg kicked the goal. Newcastle now shook things up, and had their opponents fully extended. It was hard luck that no score resulted from two of their charges, which were full of merit, but their persistence was rewarded as Cox scored two tries in rapid succession, one of which was converted by S. Carpenter. A magnificent kick by Messenger from 10 yards inside the centre line added 2 more to the Eastern Suburbs' score. It was the fifth goal the three-quarter had kicked, and Carpenter following suit for his side registered his fourth successful shot. The Newcastle team again attacked and kept the bill on the opposition line for five minutes. Their exhibition was distinctly high class. The only mistake their fullback made was in failing to pick up a rolling ball. He touched it forward, and Brackenreg beating him for possession picked up, and scored a try, which he also converted. From a try secured by Frawley Messenger kicked his sixth goal, and the whistle sounded with Eastern Suburbs in the lead by 34 points to 17.

• Premiership Round 10 - 8 August 1908 at the Agricultural Ground.

Eastern Suburbs 24 (Dan Frawley 3, Rosenfeld, D'Alpuget, Flegg tries: Brackenreg 2, Jones goals) defeated Western Suburbs 2 (1 goal)