Newcastle Rugby League

The original franchise from Newcastle competed in the inaugural Sydney Rugby League premiership of 1908 but withdrew after the 1909 season to form the local competition under the banner of the Northern Branch of the NSWRL.

The four original teams were Central Newcastle (Blue & White), North Newcastle (Light & Dark Blue vertical stripes), South Newcastle (Red & White) and West Newcastle (Red & Green).[1] The season kicked off 14 May 1910 with South playing West and Central playing Northern Suburbs. South Newcastle finished the season on top of the ladder; the final was played in front of 2500 spectators at Hamilton League Ground, with Central overcoming South 13–4.

The 1911 season saw the previous minor premiers South slump to the bottom of the ladder. The final was played in front of 4000 spectators and saw North victorious over Central 10–2. 1911 saw the Combined Newcastle & Hunter team Tour Queensland, defeating the Queensland State team in all matches played. Newcastle played against the touring New Zealand team in a tight match almost pulling off an upset before going down 21–20.

The 1912 season saw the addition of East Newcastle, playing in Black and White. They were immediately competitive and made the grand final.

The First World War saw a halt to the competition for 1917 and 1918. Although the Newcastle Morning Herald did continue to publish results for competition games for those two years.[2] The NSW Football League sacked most of the local officials following an early game of the 1917 season in which the Western Suburbs Club played a disqualified player. The competition was thrown into turmoil and the season was abandoned. The 1918 season was also abandoned because the officials were still serving their suspensions and the player shortage had worsened.

1919 saw a split, with two smaller competitions held – the "Lilywhites" or clubs faithful to the NSWRL, composed of Eastern Suburbs and Northern Suburbs, and the "Bolsheviks" or rebels composed of South, Central, North and West.

1920 saw the competition reunited when the Newcastle Rugby League (NRL) was officially formed and expanded to six teams as Kurri Kurri competed for the first time. The Newcastle Sports Ground (No1) was officially opened 16th September 1922 on land donated by the Australian Agricultural Company. The opening was marked between Western Suburbs (Sydney) and a Newcastle representative side, with Newcastle winning 20–16. The first game under lights was played at the Newcastle Coursing and Sporting Club (later the Newcastle Greyhound track) at Hamilton South in 1928.

The 1930s saw the emergence of the Coalfields teams (such as Cessnock Goannas in 1930). Football games were first broadcast on the radio in this decade, but only after considerable debate by Newcastle Rugby League. The record score was established in this decade on the 27th July 1939, when Northern Suburbs defeated Morpeth-East Maitland 127–16. North winger Alf Fairhall scored 11 tries and kicked 14 goals, with the game called off 20 minutes early.

The Country Rugby League (CRL) formed in 1934 and became the governing body for the sport of rugby league in areas of New South Wales outside the Sydney metropolitan area, such as Newcastle.

In the mid 1950s,the major football clubs were opening large licensed Social Clubs. Bar and poker machine revenue from these clubs provided a new source of cash to fund and develop the game. Also in this era, the 'six-yard rule' was introduced to keep both the attacking and defending teams from being within three yards of the play the ball.

Prior to 1960, if the minor premiers were defeated in the playoffs, they then had the right to challenge the winner of the final to a grand final match. The Second Division competition started in 1960 with nine teams, growing to 23 for the 1961 season. Macquarie also entered the league in 1960. In 1962, the local Television station (NBN 3) began transmitting to Newcastle audiences.

From 1963 to 1965, the Newcastle representative team won 15 consecutive matches, including wins in three Country Championships and wins against South Africa and France, and the famous victories in the State Cup. This Cup, in which Sydney teams played NSW Country Divisional teams in a knockout competition, was launched in 1964 by the NSWRL. Newcastle defeated South Sydney, North Sydney, the all-conquering St George and Parramatta to win the Cup. This side featured names such as Terry Pannowitz, Allan Buman, and Dave Brown (captain).

In 1968, the Central Newcastle club relocated from the inner-city to Charlestown and became Central-Charlestown, popularly known as 'The Butcher Boys'.

During the 1970s, the ten District clubs engaged in an impressive line-up of high profile Captain/Coaches. Great Britain international Terry Clawson (South Newcastle), immortal and Australian international Johnny Raper (Western Suburbs), Australian international Brian 'Chicka' Moore (Macquarie) and Australian international Alan Thomson (Lakes United), to name a few. In 1971, the 'six tackle rule' was introduced. In 1978, foundation club Northern Suburbs became North Newcastle after it enlarged its district to include Raymond Terrace and Nelson Bay.

In 1988, the league changed majorly with the introduction of the Newcastle Knights into the NSWRL competition, the first representation of the Newcastle and Hunter region since the Newcastle Rebels departed after the 1909 season.

As a result, the 1990s saw the Newcastle Knights attract the lion's share of the spectators in Newcastle and support for local clubs suffered. This downturn was offset to a certain extent when former Knights players began to filter into the local competition. The drift of players boosted the profile of the local league, which was no more evident than when Steve Linnane led Kurri to a trifecta of premierships in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

The 2000s saw the league implement a 'salary cap' and a 'points system' for players signing with a 'new' club. This innovation was designed to control spending and to keep clubs alive and well. A joint venture launched in 2009 by the Knights and the Newcastle Rugby League was labelled 'the Player Placement Program', designed to allow Knights players not required by their club on a weekend, to play in the local competition.

2020 saw the competition cancelled for the first time in over one hundred years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With restrictions easing, a decision was made to implement a two tiered amateur competition. First Grade would feature Lakes United, Western Suburbs, Cessnock, Maitland, Central and Souths. Reserve Grade would see representation from Western Suburbs, Lakes United, Cessnock, Maitland, Central, Souths and Kurri Kurri. Of further note, Maitland also elected to participate in the Presidents Cup, spreading their resources across the two Newcastle competitions as well as the New South Wales based Presidents Cup, which they won. Cessnock defeated South Newcastle in the First Grade Grand Final.[3]

The 2021 season featured the regular clubs, as well as both Wyong and The Entrance, forming a 10 team, 18 round competition. The Entrance will contest the competition for the first time in their history. As well as this, the Major Premiers also now advance to meet title winners from Illawarra, Ron Massey Cup and a wildcard in a conference style President's Cup at the end of the year.[4] Unfortunately, the competition was interrupted by COVID-19 restrictions placed on the Hunter region, with a decision made to cancel the competition prior to any finals being played. Maitland Pickers had secured the Minor Premiership, but there would be no Major Premiers for season 2021. No President's Cup tournament was contested.[5]

Season 2022 saw the Maitland Pickers claim the minor premiership with 31 competition points, with Central Newcastle (29), Macquarie Scorpions (22), Cessnock Goannas (22) and South Newcastle (22) rounding out the top five. On the 11th September 2022, Maitland Pickers claimed their 13th premiership with a 40–4 victory over Macquarie Scorpions at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle.[6] On 25th September 2022, Maitland defended their Presidents Cup crown with a 36–12 win over The Hills Bulls.[7] 2022 NSWRL Presidents Cup.

Season 2023 included The Northern Hawks, bumping the number of teams in the league to 11.[8] All teams will compete in the overarching 2023 NSWRL Presidents Cup. 2023 saw the modern-day version of the Newcastle Rebels, a team constructed of the best talent from the Newcastle Rugby League, return to the Men's Country Championships.[9] Maitland Pickers won the Premiership to secure back to back titles, defeating South Newcastle Lions 46-10.[10]

• Central Charlestown
  • (formerly Central Charlestown & Central Newcastle – moved to Charlestown in the early 1960s)[11]
  • Nickname: Butcher Boys
  • Home Ground: St John Oval, Charlestown (played at Passmore Oval, Wickham in 2008; Central Newcastle played at Learmonth Park, Hamilton, before merging with Charlestown)
  • Joined competition: 1910
  • Premierships: 1910 1921 1928 1930 1937 1939 1949 (7)
• Cessnock[12]
  • Nickname: Goannas
  • Home Ground: Cessnock Sportsground, Cessnock (formerly Old Cessnock Sportsground, where Big W currently stands, prior 2004)
  • Joined competition: 1930
  • Premierships: 1941 1950 1954 1955 1960 1972 1977 2003 2020* (9)
• Kurri Kurri
  • Nickname: Bulldogs
  • Home Ground: Kurri Sportsground "The Graveyard", Kurri Kurri
  • Joined competition: 1920 (club formed in 1911)
  • Premierships: 1931 1940 1945 1993 1994 1995 (6)
• Lakes United
  • Nickname: Seagulls
  • Home Ground: Cahill Oval, Belmont
  • Joined competition: 1947
  • Premierships: 1947 1974 1975 1985 1986 1987 1996 2001 2006 2007 2015 (11)
• Macquarie
  • (formerly Macquarie United and Toronto Workers)
  • Nickname: Scorpions
  • Home Ground: Lyall Peacock Field, Toronto
  • Joined competition: 1960
  • Premierships: 1991 2017 (2)
• Maitland
  • (originally Maitland United – merged with Morpeth-East Maitland in 1942)
  • Nickname: Pickers (formerly Pumpkin Pickers)
  • Homeground: Maitland Sportsground, Maitland (formerly Coronation Oval, Telarah for 2 years while Maitland Sportsground was rebuilt)
  • Years in competition: 1925–2003; 2005–2007; 2009–
  • Premierships: 1933 1934 1956 1957 1958 1965 1969 1971 1973 1983 2010 2011 2022 2023 (14)
• Northern Hawks
  • Successor to Northern Suburbs, original Northern & Port Stephens
  • Nickname: Hawks
  • Home Ground: Tomaree Sporting Complex, Nelson Bay
  • Years in competition: 2021–
  • Premierships: (Reserves 2022)
• South Newcastle[13]
  • Nickname: Lions
  • Home Ground: Townson Oval, Merewether
  • Joined competition: 1910
  • Premierships: 1927 1943 1946 1963 1964 1968 1976 1988 1989 2016 2018 (11)
• West Newcastle
  • Nickname: Rosellas or the Maggots
  • Home Ground: Harker Oval, New Lambton
  • Joined competition: 1910
  • Premierships: 1912 1915 1916 1922 1961 1966 1970 1978 1980 1981 1982 1984 1992 1997 1998 1999 2002 2004 2008 2012 2013 2014 2019 (23)
• Wyong
  • Nickname: Roos (mascot is a Kangaroo)
  • Home Ground: Morrie Breen Oval, Wyong
  • Years in competition: 2003–2012 & 2020–present
  • Premierships: 2009 (1)
• The Entrance
  • Nickname: Tigers
  • Home Ground: EDSACC Oval, Bateau Bay
  • Years in competition: 2021–onward
  • Premierships: 0

Past winners of the Newcastle RL Premiership

Season	Grand Final Information			Minor Premiers
	Premiers	Score	Runners-Up
1910	Central Newcastle	13–4	South Newcastle	South Newcastle
1911	North Newcastle	10–2	Central Newcastle	North Newcastle
1912	West Newcastle	10–7	East Newcastle	West Newcastle
1913	East Newcastle	18–0	West Newcastle	East Newcastle
1914	North Newcastle	5–2	Central Newcastle	North Newcastle
1915	West Newcastle	16–8	North Newcastle	West Newcastle
1916	West Newcastle	10–8	North Newcastle	North Newcastle
1917	no competition
1918	no competition
1919	South Newcastle Central Newcastle (Combined Rebel Side)	7–2	West Newcastle
1920	North Newcastle		South Newcastle
1921	Central Newcastle		West Newcastle
1922	West Newcastle		Central Newcastle
1923	East Newcastle		North Newcastle
1924	East Newcastle		North Newcastle
1925	North Newcastle		East Newcastle
1926	North Newcastle		South Newcastle
1927	South Newcastle		North Newcastle
1928	Central Newcastle		North Newcastle
1929	North Newcastle		Waratah-Mayfield
1930	Central Newcastle		South Newcastle
1931	Kurri Kurri		North Newcastle
1932	East Newcastle		Cessnock
1933	Maitland United	20–0	Waratah-Mayfield
1934	Maitland United	4–2	Waratah-Mayfield
1935	North Newcastle		Central Newcastle
1936	Waratah-Mayfield		Cessnock
1937	Central Newcastle		Cessnock
1938	North Newcastle		Waratah-Mayfield
1939	Central Newcastle		West Newcastle
1940	Kurri Kurri		Cessnock
1941	Cessnock	18–3[14]	South Newcastle
1942	Waratah-Mayfield		South Newcastle
1943	South Newcastle		Waratah-Mayfield
1944	Waratah-Mayfield		West Newcastle
1945	Kurri Kurri		South Newcastle
1946	South Newcastle	11–3	West Newcastle
1947	Lakes United		North Newcastle
1948	North Newcastle	5–4	Kurri Kurri
1949	Central Newcastle	28–15	Kurri Kurri
1950	Cessnock	19–12[14]	Central Newcastle
1951	North Newcastle	12–8	Maitland	North Newcastle
1952	Waratah-Mayfield	5–4	Lakes United	Waratah-Mayfield
1953	North Newcastle	16–11	Cessnock
1954	Cessnock	15–3[14]	Maitland	Cessnock
1955	Cessnock	9–7[14]	Maitland	Cessnock
1956	Maitland	16–9	Cessnock	Maitland
1957	Maitland	17–12	Kurri Kurri	Maitland
1958	Maitland	22–7	Cessnock	Maitland
1959	North Newcastle	13–12	Maitland	North Newcastle
1960	Cessnock	33–5[14]	Maitland	Cessnock
1961	West Newcastle	10–9	Waratah-Mayfield	West Newcastle
1962	North Newcastle	18–6	South Newcastle	North Newcastle
1963	South Newcastle	12–7	Central Newcastle	South Newcastle
1964	South Newcastle	17–12	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
1965	Maitland	22–3	South Newcastle	South Newcastle
1966	West Newcastle	31–9	Cessnock	West Newcastle
1967	North Newcastle	13–11	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
1968	South Newcastle	9–6	Lakes United	West Newcastle Lakes United (tied)
1969	Maitland	19–9	Lakes United	Maitland
1970	West Newcastle	21–14	Maitland	Maitland
1971	Maitland	30–19	Lakes United	Maitland
1972	Cessnock	18–10[14]	Maitland	Maitland
1973	Maitland	27–18	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
1974	Lakes United	7–2	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
1975	Lakes United	30–17	West Newcastle	Maitland
1976	South Newcastle	22–15	West Newcastle	Lakes United
1977	Cessnock	21–17[14]	Maitland	Cessnock
1978	West Newcastle	23–16	South Newcastle	West Newcastle
1979	North Newcastle	20–8	Cessnock	North Newcastle
1980	West Newcastle	17–13	Cessnock	Kurri Kurri
1981	West Newcastle	13–2	Cessnock	West Newcastle
1982	West Newcastle	21–14	Kurri Kurri	West Newcastle
1983	Maitland	20–12	Cessnock	Maitland
1984	West Newcastle	10–2	Lakes United	Lakes United
1985	Lakes United	12–6	Cessnock	Cessnock
1986	Lakes United	4–0	South Newcastle	Lakes United
1987	Lakes United	24–16	South Newcastle	South Newcastle
1988	South Newcastle	29–18	Lakes United	South Newcastle
1989	South Newcastle	20–12	West Newcastle	South Newcastle
1990	Waratah-Mayfield	17–14	Lakes United	Lakes United
1991	Toronto Workers	21–10	West Newcastle	South Newcastle
1992	West Newcastle	33–0	Lakes United	West Newcastle
1993	Kurri Kurri	20–18	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
1994	Kurri Kurri	20–16	Toronto Workers	West Newcastle
1995	Kurri Kurri	24–4	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
1996	Lakes United	16–6	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
1997	West Newcastle	26–16	Lakes United	Lakes United
1998	West Newcastle	51–14	South Newcastle	West Newcastle
1999	West Newcastle	22–18	Cessnock	West Newcastle
2000	Waratah-Mayfield	20–14	Lakes United	Waratah-Mayfield
2001	Lakes United	18–10	West Newcastle	Lakes United
2002	West Newcastle	27–16	Lakes United	Lakes United
2003	Cessnock	22–20[14]	Raymond Terrace	West Newcastle
2004	West Newcastle	32–28	Northern Blues	West Newcastle
2005	Northern Blues	30–12	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
2006	Lakes United	40–24	Nelson Bay	Lakes United
2007	Lakes United	32–12	Wyong	Lakes United
2008	West Newcastle	12–10	Cessnock	West Newcastle
2009	Wyong	36–4	Cessnock	Cessnock
2010	Maitland	24–8	Cessnock	Maitland
2011	Maitland	19–18	West Newcastle	Maitland
2012	West Newcastle	16–14	Cessnock	Cessnock
2013	West Newcastle	21–8	Kurri Kurri	West Newcastle
2014	West Newcastle	22–8	Cessnock	West Newcastle
2015	Lakes United	24–18	Macquarie	West Newcastle
2016	South Newcastle	21–12	Macquarie	Macquarie
2017	Macquarie	24–6	West Newcastle	West Newcastle
2018	South Newcastle	30–18	Lakes United	Lakes United
2019	West Newcastle	36–0	Cessnock	West Newcastle
2020	Cessnock*	20–6	South Newcastle	Wyong
2021	Competition cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions			Maitland
2022	Maitland	40–4	Macquarie	Maitland
2023	Maitland	46–10	South Newcastle	Maitland

In 2008, rugby league football's centennial year in Australia, the Newcastle Rugby League named its 'Team of the Century':[15]

1. Clive Churchill (Central Newcastle)
2. Eddie Lumsden (Kurri Kurri)
3. Ron Bailey (Waratah-Mayfield)
4. Brian Carlson (North)
5. Johnny Graves (Maitland)
6. Bob Banks (Central Newcastle)
7. Andrew Johns (Cessnock)
8. Paul Harragon (Lakes United)
9. Allan Buman (West Newcastle)
10. Jim Gibbs (South Newcastle)
11. Don Schofield (Cessnock)
12. Herb Narvo (North Newcastle)
13. (c) Wally Prigg (West Newcastle)
14. John Sattler (Kurri Kurri)
15. Albert Paul (Lakes United)
16. Matthew Gidley (West Newcastle)
17. Les Johns (South Newcastle)

• Rugby League Competitions in Australia
• Rugby league in New South Wales

• Power, Bob (1992). The Rebels of Rugby: The Story of Newcastle Rugby League Pioneers "The Bolsheviks vs. The Lilywhites" 1907–1920. Newcastle, New South Wales: self.
• Ryan, Graham & Betty et al., Newcastle Knights 1988: Collectors Edition, Macquarie Publications, Dubbo, 1988.
• Pat "Nimmo" Walsh Family archive Newspaper Match Reports.