A century ago, the South Sydney Rabbitohs achieved a feat that remains unmatched in rugby league history, completing the 1925 premiership season without a single loss or draw. While other undefeated sides have played out at least one drawn match, the Rabbitohs of 1925 won every game, cementing their place as the only team to achieve true perfection. As this historic milestone reaches its 100-year anniversary, the legacy of that season continues to stand as one of the greatest achievements in the sport.

This look back at the 1925 season delves deeper than ever before, highlighting the players and officials who etched their names into club folklore. Known as ‘The Perfect Season,’ it was a campaign that defied expectations from the outset. Even before the first trial match on April 4, 1925, concerns were raised about the team’s prospects. Journalist Dinny Campbell, writing for Evening News, questioned whether the club had lost too many champions and whether the next generation was ready to uphold the high standards expected. He warned that the 1925 season could be the most critical in the history of the New South Wales Rugby League, pointing to club officials' reliance on aging stars rather than unearthing new talent from the lower grades.

Rugby league has seen this cycle play out time and time again—when champions move on, others step up. South Sydney faced a significant test in 1925, having lost key figures such as Cyril ‘Cec’ Blinkhorn, Howard Hallett, Harold Horder, Perce Horne, and Ernie Wilmot. The coaching role also changed hands, with Hallett transitioning from player to head coach, taking over from Owen McCarthy after six successful seasons. Despite these challenges, what followed was the most dominant season ever witnessed—a campaign that would forever define South Sydney’s legacy.

1924 Recap

In 1924, where only nine rounds were played, Balmain and Souths finished in equal first place on 15 points, five points clear of Wests, Glebe, and St. George. A final had to be played between the Tigers and the Rabbitohs to determine the winner, and Balmain won by a narrow margin in front of 15,000 spectators at the SCG by only 3-0, after Reg Latta scored their match-winning try in the first half.

The 1925 Season

Souths exceeded everyone’s expectations in 1925, with seven new players making the grade to produce a season of magnificent achievement. It also kick-started their first Golden Era, where they went on to win seven premierships in the next eight years. Their winning run featured the revolutionary five-man forward pack, which allowed them to play with an extra five-eighth alongside their organiser and captain, Alf Blair.

Before the premiership season started, there were four weeks of trials played. In Week 1 against Newtown, the Rabbitohs used 99 players in three games, showing the club was serious in their search for new blood to replace the stars they lost.

Trial or Practice Games – Week 1

Saturday, April 4, 1925, at Sydney Sports Ground (3 games played)

• First Game – Souths 3 (R.Prosser try) defeated Newtown 0
• Second Game – Souths 8 (J.Breen, J.Evans tries; A.Righton goal) defeated Newtown 0
• Third Game – Souths 5 (O.Quinlivan try; E.Lapham goal) defeated Newtown 0

Trial or Practice Games – Week 2

Saturday, April 11, 1925, at Birchgrove Oval (4 games played)

• First Game – Souths 18 (J.Johns 2, H.Colbran 2 tries; C.Weston 2, W.McAnulty goals) defeated Wests 0
• Second Game – Souths 13 (J.Jones 2, J.Evans tries; J.Tait, Evans goals) defeated Wests 0
• Third Game – Souths 17 (B.Moloney 3, H.Mulheron, J.Breen tries; J.Day goal) defeated Wests 3 (O.Rumph try)
• Fourth Game – Souths 2 (A.Blair goal) defeated Wests 0

Trial or Practice Games – Week 3

Saturday, April 18, 1925, at Wentworth Park (4 games played)

• First Game – Souths 20 (H.Colbran 3, G.Mansour, J.Tregent, C.Boardman tries; W.McAnulty goal) defeated Glebe 3 (F.Fitzpatrick try)
• Second Game – Souths 15 (J.Why 2, F.Larter, E.Root, D.Shipway tries) defeated Glebe 0
• Third Game – Souths 22 (P.Murphy, A.Blair, F.Funnell, B.Moloney, T.Barry, E.Lapham tries; Blair, Funnell goals) defeated Glebe 0
• Fourth Game – Glebe 15 (E.Goddard 2, A.Gray tries; A.Gray, S.Quigley 2 goals) defeated Souths 5 (W.Gillespie try; J.Day goal)

Trial or Practice Games – Week 4

Saturday, April 25, 1925, at North Sydney Oval (2 games played)

• First Grade – Souths 29 (J.Lodge 2, E.Lapham, P.Murphy, O.Quinlivan, T.Barry, J.Lawrence tries; A.Blair 2, Quinlivan goals) defeated Norths 5 (L.O’Connor try; W.Faull goal)
• Reserve Grade – Souths 27 (B.Moloney 2, H.Mulheron, E.Root, W.McAnulty, C.Boardman, F.Funnell tries; J.Day 2, J.Tait goals) defeated Norths 3 (R.Hogan try)

1925 First Grade Trial or Practice Matches Played

1925 First Grade Premiership Results

Round 1

Souths 16 (B.Wearing, E.Lapham tries; B.Wearing 4, A.Blair goals)
defeated Balmain 10 (D.Millard, R.Latta tries; F.McMillan 2 goals)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, May 2, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 16,000
Referee: Tom McMahon
Halftime: Souths 7-5

Last season’s finalists had the match of the day in Round 1 at League headquarters, in front of a bumper crowd. ‘Sunday News’ headline read: “League Favorites Beaten In First Round”. They said on paper, it appeared that last season’s premiers would prove too strong for the wearers of the red and green, but Balmain were beaten in their opening match by a faster and cleverer side. The Rabbitohs led 7-5 at the break and were never threatened with defeat, winger Benny Wearing scoring 11 points in their well-deserved 16-10 victory which was described as a fine game. Wearing was noted for being easily the most dangerous player on the field, but he did not get the full support he should have got. Dave Hickey also had an excellent game for the Rabbitohs.

Round 2

Souths 13 (B.Wearing 2, A.Why tries; Wearing, A.Blair goals)
defeated Sydney University 0
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, May 9, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 6,000
Referee: Frank Delaney
Halftime: Souths 10-0

University held the Rabbitohs early in the game, but Souths skipped to a 10-0 lead at the break and were never really threatened by their attack. The Students defended their line well and allowed Souths to only score a try in the second stanza. Benny Wearing proved elusive again and scored another two tries.

Round 3

Souths 14 (H.Cavanough, E.Lapham tries; B.Wearing 4 goals)
defeated Easts 0
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, May 16, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 9,000
Referee: Tom McMahon
Halftime: Souths 12-0
Sent Off: A.O’Connor (Souths) – Late tackle (Cautioned)
Sent Off: T.Molloy (Easts) – Repeated scrum infringements (Cautioned)

Easts played up well in the first half on a treacherous field, which was covered in water in the middle of the pitch. But Souths received two lucky breaks which led to tries and give them a 12-0 lead at the break. Despite their good defence, Easts didn’t press the Rabbitohs enough in attack to score any points. The second half was a little drab as a spectacle, with mainly strong defence showing out. Both sides had a player sent off late in the game, but it was mainly a clean game.

Round 4

Souths 11 (B.Wearing try; Wearing 3, O.Quinlivan goals)
defeated St. George 10 (T.Burns, F.Saunders tries; G.Carstairs 2 goals)
Venue: Earl Park
Date: Saturday, May 23, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 9,000
Referee: Tom McMahon
Halftime: St. George 5-2

In ideal weather and the ground which was a bit on the heavy side seemed to distress both sides in a keen and close game. St. George raced to 5-2 lead at the break and give the Rabbitohs a real scare. They scored two tries to the Rabbitohs one and were pipped in the end by one point. The hero for Souths was Benny Wearing again, who scored a try and three goals for a personal tally of 9 points. Penalties were frequent, mainly owing to the infringements against the new play-the-ball and scrummaging rules. St. George were the worst offenders, and this had a huge impact on the scoreline as Wearing kicked three goals from those penalties.

Round 5

Souths 14 (V.Lawrence, B.Wearing, O.Quinlivan, F.Brogan tries; J.Lawrence goal)
defeated Newtown 12 (H.Bains, D.Seddon tries; T.Ellis 3 goals)
Venue: Marrickville Oval
Date: Saturday, June 6, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 4,000
Referee: S. Jackson
Halftime: Souths 6-3

The Rabbitohs were forced to rearrange their backline after their captain Blair was out with injury, and it looked like they missed his leadership on the field. Barry was brought into five-eighth, Quinlivan played in the centre, and Lodge re-appeared on the wing. Newtown showed their best form so far this season, mainly owing to their hooker Tom Leamy getting more than his share of the ball from the scrums. With all that possession they put their inside backs to good use and gave the Rabbitohs another scare. Souths didn’t play at their best for most of the game and if a couple of passes stuck for Newtown, then we could’ve had a different outcome. Souths led 6-3 at the break and increased their lead to 11-3 early in the second half. But Newtown clawed their way back with a penalty goal and a converted try to bring them within one point of Souths. The Rabbitohs were now desperately trying to win by a bigger margin, but instead, their over-eagerness was fatal when they were penalised and Tommy Ellis kicked the penalty goal to give Newtown the lead at 12-11. A scrum was packed close to Newtown’s tryline and Souths’ five-eighth Frank Brogan wriggled his way over to score the match winning try in the last play of the match. Benny Wearing had an off-day with the boot after missing all four kicks he attempted.

Round 6

Souths 31 (E.Lapham 4, A.Carr-Why, V.Lawrence, B.Wearing tries; Wearing 4, J.Jones goals)
defeated Glebe 8 (C.Ricketts, E.Goddard tries; F.Quigley goal)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, June 13, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 7,000
Referee: John ‘Dinny’ Murray
Halftime: Souths 11-2

Souths bounced back into top form against Glebe in Round 6 with an easy 31-8 victory, with their second rower, Ernie Lapham scoring 4 tries. Despite Blair still missing, the Rabbitohs showed their best form to outclass their opposition. Their backs were too good for Glebe, and in the forwards Lapham and Carr-Why stood out.

Round 7 – Bye

Round 8

Souths 23 (E.Lapham 2, B.Wearing 2, P.Murphy tries; A.Blair 4 goals)
defeated Wests 20 (R.Lindfield, C.Bellamy, J.Drew, E.Doig tries; G.Stettler 4 goals)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, June 26, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 8,000
Referee: Tom McMahon
Halftime: Souths 15-7

Wests ran with the wind in the first half, and despite winning more than their share of the ball still found themselves behind at the break by 15-7. The speed and elusiveness of the South Sydney backs proved to be the real difference in the end. Also, great form by Carr-Why and Lapham in the forwards helped their cause. Souths were cruising and at one stage seemed like they could run over the Magpies when they led 23-7. But when Wests swung into action quickly scored 13 points, and if the game had lasted a few more minutes, they had a chance of winning it.

Round 9

Souths 15 (B.Wearing, O.Quinlivan, A.Why tries; B.Wearing 2, A.Blair goals)
defeated Norths 10 (L.O’Connor, G.Sewell tries; J.Courtney 2 goals)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, July 4, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 20,000
Referee: Tom McMahon
Halftime: Souths 5-4

The Rabbitohs defeated Norths at League headquarters in front of the seasons largest crowd of 20,000. The football never rose to any great heights, with neither side showing outstanding play, though flashes of brilliance now and then came only from Souths. Overall, the crowd was left cold, their enthusiasm being rarely touched in a dour defensive game. Souths raced to a 13-4 lead in the second half and looked comfortable, but Norths closed the gap late in the game. The win gave the Rabbitohs a five-point buffer on the table.

Round 10

Souths 8 (A.Blair, B.Wearing tries; Wearing goal)
defeated Sydney University 2 (F.O’Rourke goal)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, July 18, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 14,000
Referee: S.Jackson
Halftime: University 2-0

In glorious weather and a keen crowd of 14,000 saw the Rabbitohs secure their fifth title after defeating the Students for the second time that year. Their 8-2 victory put them six points clear on the ladder ahead of Balmain. ‘The Sunday Times’ wrote: “Their unbeaten record is one every member of the team must be proud of. Two men – Wearing and Carr-Why – more than any others, have contributed to their splendid success.”

Round 11

Souths 12 (F.Brogan, J.Lodge tries; A.Righton 2 goals; Righton field goal)
defeated Glebe 2 (F.Quigley goal)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, July 25, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 6,000
Referee: S.Jackson
Halftime: Souths 2-0

Souths continued their unbeaten run after downing Glebe 11-2 at the SCG. Their football was not very exhilarating, but it was crisp by comparison with what Glebe showed. It was a drab game, with very few players showing any class at all. Glebe, apart from their tackling, were like a third-rate team in attack. ‘Sunday News’ described it as certainly the worst match that has been seen at headquarters this season. Indeed, one can hardly imagine that a poorer display has been given anywhere else.

Round 12

Souths 25 (B.Wearing 2, O.Quinlivan 2, J.Lodge 2, V.Lawrence tries; A.Blair 2 goals)
defeated St. George 8 (F.Saunders, C.Tye tries; G.Carstairs goal)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, August 1, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 8,000
Referee: William ‘Webby’ Neill
Halftime: Souths 11-5

Round 12 saw Souths bounce back into great form as they defeated St. George 25-8 at the SCG, who almost snatched victory against them in Round 4. The Rabbitohs captain and five-eighth, Alf Blair, had a blinder and played all over his opponents. So too did Wearing, who as usual showed his rare speed and opportunism. One of his two tries he scored was from inside his own quarter line. It was a spectacular game and was highly enjoyed by the vast crowd. The St. George forwards dominated most of the play in the first half, but their backs could do nothing with the ball and were completely outplayed by their opponents.

Round 13

Souths 8 (E.Lapham, A.O’Connor tries; B.Wearing goal)
defeated Easts 5 (L.Steel try; goal)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, August 8, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 3,000
Referee: John ‘Dinny’ Murray
Halftime: Souths 3-2
Sent Off: P.Murphy (Souths) – Fighting (Severely cautioned)

In their last round match a small crowd of 3,000 turned up at the SCG to witness Souths defeat Easts 8-5. Sydney received extremely heavy rain and the Bulli soil patch in the centre of the SCG pitch was under water and the rest of the field was very heavy. The poor conditions prevented Souths’ speedy backline from dominating the game and near the end of the game Souths’ prop Pat Murphy was sent off for fighting. The Tricolours forwards felt more at home in the mud and even dominated play, but the Rabbitohs stubborn defence and another great run by that elusive winger, Wearing, won the game. He broke away after a scrum win and ran to the opponent’s quarter-line and then short kicked to Hardy. He was upset at himself at first, but Lapham snapped the ball from the ruck and scored the first try to give Souths a 3-0 lead. Just before the break Les Steel kicked a penalty goal to make it 3-2 for Souths. Steel scored a try with ten minutes to go and give his side a narrow 5-3 lead. Pat Murphy got his marching orders in the 73rd minute for punching, and things looked grim for the Rabbitohs. But they bounced back with Alf O’Connor scoring the winning try, which Wearing converted in the 76th minute and give them a narrow victory. ‘Sunday News’ called it easily the most exciting and most strenuous league game of the season.

The mighty Rabbitohs outfit of 1925 won their premiership by a comfortable 10 points and their dominance was so great that the NSWRL were forced into introducing an automatic finals series the following season in order to maintain interest in the competition. The system stayed in place until 1953.

1925 First Grade Premiership Ladder

Key:

• P = Played
• W = Wins
• D = Draws
• L = Losses
• B = Byes
• F = Points For
• A = Points Against
• Pts = Total Points
• PD = Points Differential

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  1925 First Grade Premiership Matches Played

Souths Tour of Darling Downs (QLD)

After the premiership ended Souths toured Queensland’s Darling Downs district, where they played two games against Toowoomba and Warwick. Their first game was billed locally as the ‘Club Championship of Australia’, even though Toowoomba’s Galloping Clydesdales were a representative team made up from their local competition and not as a single club. In 1925 Toowoomba had three clubs playing in their first grade competition, Valleys (who were premiers), Newtown (runners-up) and Brothers. The locals won the game which one newspaper report noted that Souths’ visit had been “one round of festivities, dances, euchre parties and motor outings”. The Rabbitohs bounced back in the second game to claim a sound victory. Number one Sydney referee Tom McMahon toured with the group and officiated in both games.

Game 1 – Club Championship of Australia

Toowoomba 12 (W.Spencer 2 tries; R.Lindsay 3 goals)
defeated Souths 5 (E.Lapham try; A.Blair goal)
Venue: Athletic Oval, Toowoomba
Date: Saturday, August 15, 1925 (3:30 PM)
Crowd: 8,000
Referee: Tom McMahon
Halftime: Toowoomba 7-3

Game 2

Souths 13 (B.Wearing 2, J.Lodge tries; Wearing 2 goals)
defeated Warwick 2 (F.Laws goal)
Venue: Slade Park, Warwick
Date: Tuesday, August 18, 1925 (3:00 PM)
Crowd: 5,000
Referee: Tom McMahon
Halftime: Souths 5-0

City Cup

Following their short Queensland tour, the Rabbitohs returned to Sydney to compete in the City Cup knock-out competition. Souths claimed the trophy, defeating Glebe 15-8 in the final.

Round 1

Souths 16 (J.Lodge, A.Righton, O.Quinlivan, E.Root tries; A.Blair 2 goals)
defeated Norths 11 (J.Courtney, C.Arneman, A.Faull tries; R.Henry goal)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, August 22, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 5,000
Referee: John ‘Dinny’ Murray
Halftime: Souths 5-3

Semi-Final

Souths 8 (V.Lawrence 2 tries; B.Wearing goal)
defeated Balmain 2 (D.Ponchard goal)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, August 29, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 5,000
Referee: William ‘Webby’ Neill
Halftime: Souths 5-2

Final

Souths 15 (B.Wearing, A.O’Connor, E.Root tries; A.Blair 2, Wearing goals)
defeated Glebe 8 (F.Smith, E.Goddard tries; F.Quigley goal)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Date: Saturday, September 5, 1925 (3:15 PM)
Crowd: 10,000
Referee: Tom McMahon
Halftime: Souths 10-8

The 1925 rugby league season finished with Souths going through unscathed. Along with their unbeaten premiership victory they added their fourth City Cup trophy. Souths were without Vic Lawrence in the Final, owing to the serious illness of his wife. He was replaced by a very promising nineteen-year-old newcomer in Sid Harris. The Rabbitohs were the first to score after a brilliant individual effort by their elusive winger Benny Wearing, who also converted his own try. For rest of the first half Glebe dominated play through their big pack of forwards and led by 8-5, until just before the interval. After a fine typical South Sydney move Alf O’Connor scored a nice try under the posts, and with captain Blair’s conversion they went to the break leading 10-5. In a dour second half it was all Souths as their forwards dominated play and Glebe backs were guilty of kicking far too much. Eddie Root, who came on as a replacement mid-way through the first half for Harry Cavanough, scored a try under the posts near the end of the game and Blair converted to make it 15-8.

1925 First Grade Premiership Players' Records

Pat Murphy was the only player to play in every game for the Rabbitohs, and Benny Wearing finished the season as the competition’s top tryscorer and top pointscorer with 76 points (12 tries and 20 goals). Twenty-two players were used during the premiership season, scoring 40 tries, 34 goals and one field goal, for a total of 190 points for and only 87 points scored against them.

Player Records

Tom Barry (7 games, 0 points)

Local junior who played for the club between 1922-25, and for Easts in 1927. He represented NSW in two interstate games against Queensland in 1925.

Roy Bieber (1 game, 0 points)

Bieber was a Souths junior who played in Souths’ Presidents Cup side in 1920, being graded by the club later that year. He played another season for Souths, all his games were in third grade. In 1922 he moved to St. George where he made his first grade debut. But the following season he came back to Souths and played until 1926, for a total of six games in the top grade. In 1927 he moved to Wests.

Alf Blair (Captain) (10 games, 1 try, 9 goals, 21 points)

Souths junior who went on to captain Souths to the 1915 Presidents Cup final, which they lost to Easts. The following season he was graded by the Rabbitohs and didn’t make his first grade debut until 1917. He went on to play with the Rabbitohs for 13 seasons, winning five premierships in a prodigious career. He was a zippy player in attack, an excellent defender and a reliable goal kicker, but his greatest assets were his organisational ability and inspirational leadership. He is one of our greatest players and another who I consider very unlucky not to have made our Dream Team.

Frank Brogan (4 games, 2 tries, 6 points)

Born at Redfern and played his junior footy with South Sydney Ionas. Souths graded him in 1922 and he made his first grade debut in the same year in Round 5 against Newtown. In eight seasons with the Rabbitohs he played in 51 first grade games. He represented New South Wales in two games against the 1924 Great Britain touring side, as well the Probables in 1924 and Metropolis in 1926. He then had a long administrative career at the Club and was bestowed with life membership in 1968.

Alby Carr-Why (11 games, 3 tries, 9 points)

Early in his career he used the name Alby Carr, which was known in the turf world as a ‘ring-in’. He played under that name for Mascot third grade, Newtown lower grades, and even left Australia to play for Huddersfield under that name. By 1929 he wished to be recognised by his real name, as his younger brother Jack Why was also playing at the club. Three of his brothers all played for Souths, with Jack, Ollie and Phillip Why all proudly donning the red and green jersey of the mighty Rabbitohs. Alby was the most colourful out of the four brothers and would often be a ‘ring-in’ at rodeo and other similar sporting events. He would tell the person he impersonated that if he won any trophies, they could keep them, as long as he kept all the prizemoney he would win.

Harry Cavanough (10 games, 1 try, 3 points)

Newtown junior who started playing for his senior club in 1916, then enlisted in WWI. His name appears on our 2018 ANZAC jersey. He came back to Newtown after his war service and made his first grade debut in 1921. He arrived at Souths in 1925 and played with the grand old club until 1929, with an impressive 50 first grade games under his belt in the famous red and green colours.

Les Dolan (1 game, 0 points)

Souths junior who was graded at the Club in 1922 and found it difficult to crack into the top grade. He spent five seasons at the Rabbitohs and finally made his debut in the top grade in 1925 against Glebe, being his only appearance. In 1927 he moved to Wests, where he played another five first grade games.

Dave Hickey (9 games, 0 points)

Dave was a local junior and worked as a plumber. He also served in WWI as a driver and is listed on our 2018 ANZAC jersey. He played with the Rabbitohs between 1920-25, including 13 first grade games. He also played for Glebe in 1928-29. His son, David Jnr, played for Canterbury in 1945 and the Rabbitohs in 1946

Alick Johnston (2 games, 0 points)

Souths junior who served in WWI, his younger brother Henry ‘Matey’ Johnston served in WWII, same as Alick’s son, Alec Johnston. They all played for the Rabbitohs and all three were listed on our 2018 ANZAC jersey.

Alick was a colourful character and was considered a bit unlucky not to have greater representative honours after he was sent off against Glebe in 1924 and then suspended for three games. The premiership took a break during that time while NSW was to play against the touring Great Britain side, and he was the frontrunner for the half-back spot. He left Souths soon after and had a stint with Gundagai as captain-coach but came back to the Rabbitohs. He also played for Glebe in 1929.

Jack Jones (6 games, 1 goal, 2 points)

‘Jackie’ was born in Nowra and his family moved to Sydney when he was young. He played his junior footy with Mascot and played with the Rabbitohs in 1920 and 1923-33, including 43 first grade games. He was premiership winner at the Rabbitohs in 1925, 1928-29 and 1931-32, and also won the City Cup with the club in 1924.

Ernie Lapham (11 games, 9 tries, 27 points)

Lapham was a Saints junior who became a foundation player with the Dragons. He stayed at St. George club for four seasons before coming to the Rabbitohs in 1925-28, where he won premierships in each season, as well as the City Cup in 1925. He was regarded as the fastest forward in the game during the 1920s, after finishing third behind Benny Wearing in a 100 yard 'Championship of League' race in 1923.

He also represented New South Wales on eight occasions between 1926-1928 and was the last surviving member of St. George's foundation team when he died in 2000, at the age of 99.

Jack Lawrence (6 games, 1 goal, 2 points)

The Lawrence's established a family dynasty with the Souths club. His two brothers also played for Souths, Steve and Vic Lawrence. Jack was the oldest of the trio, playing in over 100 grade games during Souths’ championship years of the 1920s. Two of his sons, Jack Jnr and Vic, also played with Souths during the 1940s.

After he retired from playing he became vice-president of the South Sydney Football Club in 1945-47, and was inducted as a life member of the club in 1967.

Vic Lawrence (11 games, 3 tries, 9 points)

His two brothers also played for Souths – Jack and Steve Lawrence. His son, Victor Jnr, was a fine Souths administrator and life member of the Club. Vic Snr was a local junior who was graded in 1920 and went on to play nine seasons for the Rabbitohs. Chris Lawrence, who played for the Wests Tigers between 2006-20, is also related to the Lawrence clan. His sister, Emma Lawrence, is a sports reporter and footy commentator on Channel 9 and Triple M.

Jack Lodge (9 games, 3 tries, 9 points)

Local junior who was graded by the Rabbitohs in 1919, where he played three games in third grade. In 1921 he moved to Glebe, and in 1923 made his first grade debut with the ‘Dirty Reds’. He came back to Souths in 1925, where he played for another five seasons, including 18 first grade games.

Pat Murphy (12 games, 1 try, 3 points)

Not much is known about him, but he was a local junior who played for the red and greens between 1919-26, including 40 first grade games. He also represented NSW in three games in 1925.

Alf O’Connor (Vice-Captain) (11 games, 1 try, 3 points)

‘Itchy’ was a Mascot junior and came to the Rabbitohs in 1921. He played in eight seasons for the club until 1929, including 84 first grade games. He played in four finals for Souths and won three premierships – in 1925-26 and 1929. He also had an excellent representative career, representing New South Wales on nine separate occasions between 1924-1930, and Australia on three occasions during the 1924 Ashes series. O’Connor was bestowed with life membership at Souths in 1963.

Oscar Quinlivan (10 games, 4 tries, 1 goal, 14 points)

The Quinlivans were a prominent footballing family raised in the NSW mid-north coast settlement of Cundletown. Five Quinlivan boys made it as far as first grade, while two represented New South Wales against Queensland. The family suffered some racial discrimination as their grandfather was a Cok Islander and their grandmother was the daughter of convicts. Oscar came to everyone’s attention when he played for NSW against Queensland in 1922, and the following season he was wearing red and green. He played eight seasons for the Rabbitohs and notching 91 first grade games.

Alan Righton (5 games, 2 goals, 1 field goal, 6 points)

Righton was a South's junior who made his first grade debut in 1925. He went on to play seven seasons with Souths between 1925-1931, being part of three premiership winning teams in 1925,1926 and 1928. Righton represented City Firsts in 1929 and played for New South Wales in one game in 1927. He later switched to Newtown and played three seasons with them between 1933-1935, before retiring.

Eddie Root (2 games, 0 points)

Root first played soccer and then switched to League after his war service ended. He enlisted in WWI at the age of just 16 and had the distinction of being the last rep footballer to go to the Great War. Root started playing first grade for the Rabbitohs in 1923, becoming a mainstay in the side in 1926. While he was playing for the Kangaroos in 1929-30 the League changed the Souths/Newtown boundaries and on his return he was forced to play for Newtown in 1930. He then returned to the Rabbitohs and played in the back-to-back premiership-winning Souths sides of 1931 and 1932. In 1935 he was signed by St. George Dragons and played in the record-breaking 91-6 win over competition newcomers Canterbury-Bankstown and then later became the club's captain-coach.

Arch Thompson (11 games, 0 points)

Thompson was an Easts junior who also made his first grade debut with our arch-rivals in 1920. He played for the Rabbitohs between 1924 and 1927, including 29 games in the top grade. He was on the small side and many Souths fans claimed he was their most successful hooker since the days of Owen McCarthy.

Dave Watson (2 games, 0 points)

Watson was born in Melbourne. His father and three uncles all played Aussie Rules in Melbourne. The family moved to Sydney when his father Dave Watson Snr was transferred to work at the Glass Factory in Redfern. Dave Jnr was a local junior who progressed through the grades and made his first grade debut in 1923, playing in 82 games in the top grade. After retirement he coached the club on two different occasions and had a long administrative career at Souths and the NSWRL. He was inducted as a life member of our club in 1963 and famously didn’t vote for Bob McCarthy to be selected on the 1967-68 Kangaroo Tour, after Macca had a stellar season.

Benny Wearing (11 games, 12 tries, 20 goals, 76 points)

Local junior who played for our club between 1920-33, including 172 first grade games and scoring a record 143 tries, 199 goals, 827 points. He was the 1925 season’s top pointscorer and tryscorer. He was freakish at scoring tries, with his over-head kick, run around and picking it up one handed and then dash for the line technique. After retirement he devoted many more years to Souths on their football committee and vice-president in 1934-41. He was bestowed with life membership of the club in 1962, and in 2008 was selected as a winger in the South Sydney Juniors Team of the Century.

1925 Other Players’ Records – City Cup Only

Sid Harris

Harris was an Easts and Souths junior who also played for Easts in their Presidents Cup side. He came to Souths in 1925 and had to start his career in lower grades. He played in one City Cup game during the 1925 season (0 pts), but made his first grade debut the following season. The hard-running centre also represented NSW in 1926 and played in the Rabbitohs win in the 1927 final. He also had stints with Huddersfield in 1927-29, Burrawa in 1930, Grenfell 1931 and later as captain-coach of Cessnock.

Sid Leadbeatter

Dewsbury born, Leadbeatter, sailed to Australia in 1921 as a UK Merchant Navy Seaman. He married a local girl and stayed permanently in Sydney, playing his early football with Mascot in third grade. He was part of the Souths' team that won the 1924 and 1925 City Cups. Members of the wining team were given gold medals, and after losing his job during the depression Sid sold his to a jeweller to support his young family. Sid played in one City Cup game during the year (0 pts).

Don Shipway

Shipway was a Souths junior who never got to play first grade in the premiership. He served in the Australian Army during WWI and his name is listed on our 2018 ANZAC jersey. He played in one City Cup game during the year (0 pts).

1925 South Sydney Coach

Howard Hallett (Coach)

What a dream debut as a coach, unbeaten in his first season and winning another premiership in his second. Pioneer of the club who played from 1908 to 1924, including a record 181 first grade games upon his retirement. He represented NSW and Australia many times and his representative record would be much greater if it wasn’t for WWI. One of our clubs’ greatest players and in my opinion very unlucky not have been selected in our Dream Team.

1925 South Sydney Administrators

They say football success always starts at the front office and every successful club needs the right people to guide them onto their success. We at Souths have been fortunate in having some of the best administrators throughout our rich history and there have been many tributes given to them because a lot of our early success was partly due to our great administration.

Hon. Fred Flowers, M.L.C. (Patron)

Flowers was a former house-painter and politician who was born in England. He came to Sydney in around 1882 and soon after joined the United Painters’ Trade Society, becoming their delegate on the Trades and Labor Council of which he was vice-president in 1892. He played a part in the council's founding of the Labor Electoral League (Labor Party) in 1890-91 and held many other positions. He was Patron of our club between 1911-28.

Hon. Edward Riley, M.H.R. (President)

‘Old Ted’ was his nickname. He was a former plasterer who went on to become a trade union official and parliamentarian. His was born in Scotland and arrived in Sydney with his wife in 1883. Played an important part in founding of the Australian Labor Party. Campaigned for the granting of the old age pension. Joined Newtown Political Labor League and later was president of the Newtown-Camperdown Political Labor League for many years. He was club President between 1917-25.

Bill Bruce (Treasurer & Delegate to the League)

Bruce was a former winger who played for the club between 1915 and 1918. He then worked as an administrator for the Rabbitohs and for 22 years Bruce and George Ball were the club delegates to the League. He was also a club treasurer from 1920 to 1945. On top of all that he was intensely loyal to his colleagues, his club, and the game in general. His manner reflected greatly on the code. All his football life Bruce was South Sydney through and through. He received life membership of the NSWRL in 1935 and won repeated re-elections as a director of the South Sydney Leagues Club.

George Ball (Secretary & Delegate to the League)

Pioneer Souths administrator, who was Souths secretary for more than fifty years. Samuel George Ball was a remarkable figure in the development of the South Sydney club and the growth of rugby league in the 20th century. In 1907 he was one of five men who established South Sydney, serving as their first Treasurer in 1908-09, and then club Secretary from 1910 to 1965. He was inducted as a Life Member of the NSWRL in 1914, and the South Sydney Football Club in 1961. Mr Ball was also the first to make this famous remark: "Let those who drink the water remember those who dug the well", in relation to spiralling wages that some players were earning and continue to do so.