The Balmainiacs

Now that I have your attention with a bit of "poetic license", or "bloggers license" about deep throats etc.. I must now go back into the past.

Not being one to dwell on the past like some others, of past glories or alleged grievances. I must look at history because those that ignore history are destined to repeat the wrongs of history.

I go back to the 18th September 1909. This date exactly 100 years ago to the day of the publishing of this blog, is a very black day in Rugby League history.

This day marks the day of that infamous no show game in the playoffs for the Premiers of 1909. This game featured South Sydney as minor premiers and Balmain as the second placed team. Balmain decided to not play, the play off games, and of course, you ask, why.

Well I will allow the following to educate you on what happened on that black day. The lead up to it and the very surprising findings of why this occurred.

I have in my blog the full transcript from the website, plus my comments in blue. I have also provided a link to that web site.

This is the website that contains these very surprising and damaging revelations.

The Balmainiacs of 1909

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

Balmain were referred to many critics as 'The Balmainiacs'. It was the most dramatic action ever taken by a rugby league club - the 1909 Balmain team forfeited the premiership Final (18th September 1909).

Arguments have raged as to what led to Balmain's actions, and the day's events have caused the 'Tigers' and the South Sydney Rabbitohs to generally harbour nothing but ill-will towards each other ever-since.

Maybe the two dinasours, Bradasouris and BobsTrex may come to blows?

The seeds of the dramatic events of 1909 lay in the years before rugby league was formed, back when Balmain and Souths were rugby union clubs.

In 1900 the Metropolitan Rugby Union (MRU) replaced the private clubs of the 1800s with district clubs. This was done to more evenly distribute the talent between clubs, and to build upon the growing support for suburban based clubs.

While Balmain had use of 'the best ground in the colony' in Birchgrove Park [Oval], the MRU inexplicably ignored its 'home-and-away' scheduling for club matches, and refused to allocate South Sydney matches anywhere but at the SCG or Sports Ground.

Between 1900 and 1906, Souths and Balmain had met 14 times, yet the 'red-and-greens' had only twice been required to play at Birchgrove.

Why would South Sydney expect to slum it at Balmain anyway.

While most clubs trained indoors at night or on fields under moonlight, Souths and Easts had exclusive use of the lights of the Sports Ground. Understandably, other clubs, particularly Balmain and Norths felt that Souths and Easts were receiving favourable treatment.

The newspapers and opposing fans had come to call the Balmain club "the Balmainiacs". Unafraid to vent their feelings, especially at home games, Balmain were not the most popular club amongst Sydney 'rugbyites'.

When the opportunity came to join the newly formed rugby league in the early months of 1908, most rugby union clubs lost approximately half of their players and members. In Balmain's case, the League got just about everybody.

When the Balmain Union club held its first meeting of 1908, all the district's League supporters attended and voted against the election of every official for the coming season.

While they really had no cause to even be at the Union club's meeting, the presence of the League supporters prevented the Union club from being formed for the coming season. The MRU organised the follow-up meeting for the same night as the next Balmain League meeting, just so it could carry on its business.

By the start of the 1909 season, the NSWRL was in a dire financial crisis - its founding fathers, James Giltinan, Victor Trumper and 'Harry' Hoyle, all lost their positions.

Under the stewardship of North Sydney's Alexander Knox, the NSWRL convinced the clubs to forgo their gate receipts from matches, and hand it all over to the League.

It quickly became apparent to Knox that the only club attracting reasonable crowds was Balmain at Birchgrove Park. Consequently, Balmain were given a home game in almost every round. As a result, they enjoyed great on-field success and climbed the premiership ladder. Balmain reached the Final against South Sydney.

However, as Souths had won the minor premiership by two points, the NSWRL play-offs system meant that Balmain had to beat them in the Final, and then beat them again in a second Final to claim the title. It seemed unlikely.

Balmain lobbied the NSWRL to schedule the Final at Wentworth Park, which was half-way between the two districts. The League refused, and put the match on at the Agricultural Ground - Souths home field.

Balmain's complaints were quickly overtaken by outside events when more than half of the 1908 Wallabies team suddenly defected to rugby league for a series of matches against the Kangaroos. The Final was postponed indefinitely.

Knox publicly criticised the NSWRL officials who were involved in 'bringing-down' the NSWRU via paying huge sums to the Wallabies. Other officials didn't see a problem with the League's actions, and Knox soon lost his position on the NSWRL.

Funded by entrepreneur James Joynton-Smith, the three 'Wallabies v Kangaroos' matches did not earn enough gate-money to fully cover his costs or those of the NSWRL. So a fourth game was arranged. To increase interest and gate-takings, the NSWRL scheduled the Final on the under-card.

Balmain were seemingly aggrieved at the demotion of importance of the Final, and asked the NSWRL to ensure it was played on a separate day. They also argued that their players' labour should not go towards paying money owed to Joynton-Smith and the NSWRL. The League refused and Balmain announced that they would not play.

What a disgrace, would that happen today, I would hope not.

On the day of the Final the Balmain players arrived outside the ground in the early afternoon, well before the scheduled kick-off time of 2 o'clock. They then picketed the entrance, endeavouring to convince patrons not to enter.

Disgraceful, what a low act against the NSWRL that was.

Despite very heavy rain and the protests of the Balmain footballers, enough of a crowd turned up to clear the debts of Joynton-Smith and the NSWRL. Balmain stuck to their word and did not appear on the field. Souths kicked-off, picked up the ball and scored a try. The referee awarded them the match, and with it the 1909 premiership.

Now that was a disgraceful affair for a club to act in such a manner. But wait, is that the worst, is there something else to this very tawdry affair, to this very black day in NSWRL history. I would say that this is the worst thing that a club could do. But no, there is more to this very grubby affair. Read on.

In the days that followed a public meeting was held at Balmain to decide what to do about challenging Souths being credited as premiers. It then became apparent what Balmain had been trying to achieve. The first speaker at the meeting was North Sydney's Alexander Knox. He had convinced Balmain to forfeit the Final in the hope that the NSWRL would not earn enough money to pay off its debts or be able to reimburse Joynton-Smith.

With the NSWRL bankrupted, Balmain and Norths officials would lead the formation of a new rugby league body - one in which they, and not South Sydney and Easts, would be the dominant office-holders. With little hope of winning the premiership, Balmain felt they had more to gain by causing the NSWRL to collapse.

Well, what a disgraceful act of "TREASON" that was. Balmain and North Sydney should have been expelled from the NSWRL for such a dastardly act. An act of naked greed and a grab for power.

Further meetings were held, attempting to instigate legal proceedings and investigate forming a new League, but they eventually stalled.

In the opening round of the 1910 competition, the NSWRL scheduled a 're-match' between Souths and Balmain at Birchgrove Park to appease the local supporters.

'The Balmainiacs' responded by establishing a record crowd for a NSWRL club match of over 5,000. The home team though were beaten 13-5 in a very tough and physical encounter.

Go you mighty Rabbits.

The Referee thought it necessary to praise the Birchgrove crowd for their behaviour, offering, "Naturally they like to see their favourites win, and what district does not? In the present instance, however, their team had to play second fiddle, but as sports they took the defeat in good spirit, and liberally applauded the visitors."

At the first NSWRL meeting of 1910, Norths'
Alexander Knox was banned from rugby league
for life.

So he should have been, and also with the Balmain and North Sydney clubs. Shame on them.

Shame, Shame, Shame.

This is the lesson of history we should all learn. No club or person is greater than the game. Balmain and North Sydney tried to dominate by stealth and lost out.

This has no bearing on the club Balmain or the amalgamated clubs Wests Tigers now. It is just a glimpse into the past, a past we should not forget so we don't repeat the sins of the past.

Here ends my sermon.