Remembering The Perfect Season: South Sydney’s Unbeaten 1925 Premiership
In 1925, South Sydney achieved something no other club in Rugby League has ever matched. Across an entire premiership season, the Rabbitohs did not lose and did not draw, winning every single match on their way to a title that would forever be known as “The Perfect Season.”
What makes that feat even more remarkable is how it began. Before a ball was kicked, there were doubts. Leading into 1925, Souths had lost a string of champions, including Cyril ‘Cec’ Blinkhorn, Howard Hallett, Harold Horder, Perce Horne and Ernie Wilmot. Hallett himself had moved into the head coach role, replacing Owen McCarthy. Some critics suggested the club was leaning too heavily on ageing stars and had not brought enough new talent through. The question hung in the air - could South Sydney stay at the top, or would this be the year they slipped?
The answer came quickly and emphatically. Across four weeks of trials, Souths rolled out close to 100 players, searching hard for the next generation. Seven new faces would ultimately make the step up, and with them came a new way of playing. The Rabbitohs introduced a five-man forward pack, which freed them to use an extra five-eighth alongside their organiser and captain, Alf Blair. It gave South Sydney more options with the ball, more creativity in attack and a style that other clubs simply could not contain.
Once the premiership proper began, the Rabbitohs caught fire. They beat Balmain in the opening round, then moved through the competition with a blend of polish and grit. Benny Wearing became one of the stars of the season with his speed and goal kicking, while Ernie Lapham terrorised defences in the forwards, including a famous four-try haul against Glebe. There were tense moments along the way, including narrow wins over Newtown and Easts, but every time Souths were tested, they found a way to respond.
By the end of the season, the ladder told the story. South Sydney had played 12 matches for 12 wins, scoring 190 points and conceding only 87. They finished ten points clear of their nearest rivals, so dominant that the New South Wales Rugby League brought in an automatic finals system the following year to keep the competition alive even when one team was clearly on top. The change was a direct response to the Rabbitohs’ control of the 1925 season.
A hundred years on, the legacy of that side still stands tall. The 1925 Rabbitohs did not just win a premiership - they set a standard that has never been matched. They proved that when champions move on, South Sydney finds new ones. They showed that belief, hard work and courage can turn doubt into dominance.
It remains one of the proudest chapters in our history, a season that still echoes every time we talk about who we are and what this club stands for.
Since 1908. Still here.
