The 1924 season of Auckland Rugby League was its 15th. Marist won the first grade championship for the first time in their history after defeating Devonport in the final by 20 points to 17 in front of a club record crowd of 17,000 at Carlaw Park.[1] While City won the Roope Rooster competition for the 4th time.
At a Management Committee meeting on 9 April, the Mangere United team, and Ellerslie clubs who had requested to enter senior teams in the First Grade competition were accepted, bringing the total number of teams to nine. The Mangere team registered its colours and green and black. The suggested format was one where after the first round the top six teams would continue while the bottom three teams would have other matches arranged for them.[2] However all nine teams remained in the grade until the end of the season. The Mangere United team was a combined team from the Manukau and Mangere clubs. Both clubs retained their own identity in the junior grades.
On the opening day of the season all four First Grade matches were played on Carlaw Park. The junior matches on the same day were postponed as the railway workers were on strike and there was no way for the players to reach the outer suburban grounds which were used for matches in these grades.
Lou Brown, the New Zealand international had played for Newton Rangers in 1922 and 1923 however at the end of the season he moved to England to play for Wigan. He had been granted a release by Newton and New Zealand Rugby League. Upon his return he wished to play for the City Rovers club and he turned out for them despite being told by the Auckland Rugby League that he was not eligible to play for them. City were adamant that he had been fully released and could play for any team. The New Zealand Rugby League Council supported the decision but Brown played anyway. He was subsequently suspended for 3 matches. City took the extraordinary step of withdrawing its team from the competition and they defaulted their Round 9 match with Mangere United.[3] On 18 July Newton held a special board meeting and agreed to grant Brown a transfer and thus the issue was finally settled.
The entire Manukau Rovers club switched to rugby union after a dispute with Auckland Rugby League. The issue arose after one of their players (King) was suspended for four playing Saturdays. He had been suspended because he was registered with the Manukau club but "suddenly joined, or played, for the Māngere United team without having been granted a transfer". An opposing team had protested and King had in the meantime moved back to the Manukau club. The Manukau club took exception to the decision and refused to play any of its six teams in the following grades: Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth A, and Sixth B. It then went a step further by switching the entire club to rugby union with the Auckland Rugby Union accepting them.[4] The Secretary of the club, C.J, Williams disputed the way the ARL had handled the matter and several of the facts in a letter to the Auckland Star. The ARL Chairman, Mr. W. Hammill replied to the letter "that the matters contained therein were hardly correct".[5]
At the Auckland Rugby League meeting of April 2 the affiliation of the United Suburbs club was approved. Their club colours were gold with a black badge.[6] Two weeks later at the management committee meeting their colours were registered however they were now maroon and gold.[7]
A club was also formed at New Lynn in early March. They only lasted until around 1930 however and are not the present day New Lynn Stags club. They played around the Kelston area opposite the present day Kelston Shopping Centre, possibly at the site of present day Kelston Girls College. At their formation meeting the Auckland chairman, Mr. W.J. Hammill was present along with A. Powell from the New Zealand Council (rugby league). The following officers were elected:- Patron, hon. Christopher James Parr; vice patron, Mr. Albert Crum, senr.; president, Mr. C.F. Gardiner; secretary and delegate to the league, Mr. Colin Crum; treasurer, Mr. Mathieson; auditor, Mr. Ivan Culpan; management committee, Messrs. T. Brown and R. Brown, in addition to the chairman, secretary and treasurer. They decided to enter three teams in junior grades though ultimately fielded 2 sides in the 3rd and 5th grades. The Tahurangi/Crum Park in nearby Titirangi is named after Albert Crum who was a well known figure in the New Lynn pottery industry.[8][9]
At the ARL Management Committee meeting on 13 August, the Referee's Association reported that goals from marks would no longer be permitted. This rule would come into place from Saturday, 23 August onwards.
A record nine teams competed in the First Grade competition in 1924 with the addition of the Māngere United and Ellerslie senior teams. Mangere had their colours registered as green and black. It was initially decided that after the first round the bottom three teams would drop out of the competition for the second round. At the end of the first round these teams were Māngere United, and Ellerslie. However, this was later rescinded and all teams remained in the competition until the end of the season.
Jim O'Brien debuted for Marist. He had previously played for the New Zealand national rugby team in 3 matches in 1922.
In the match at Devonport Domain Ben Davidson was knocked unconscious and had to be taken to hospital. City had a bye the following weekend and he returned to play in Round 5. Neville St George and Alf Townsend were ordered off in the City match with Devonport. They were the two hookers and there had been issues with the scrum.
Two matches were postponed in Round 4 as the league decided that they wanted the #1 field in the best possible condition for the exhibition match between City Rovers and Marist Old Boys of Christchurch. The weather had been particularly poor in the lead up with the previous weekend seeing all football in Auckland cancelled. These postponed matches were unique in that they were eventually played 10 days later on a Tuesday morning at 9.30am. This would surely be one of the only times a senior match had been played on a working weekday morning in the competitions history.[18]
George Gardiner debuted for Marist. He had played rugby union for the Māori Pioneer Battalion side in 1918-19 and for the Bay of Plenty rugby team. In rugby league he went on to represent Auckland 4 times and New Zealand 21 times on their 1926 tour of England. In the early 1930s he moved to Australia to emabark on a professional wrestling career. After the outbreak of World War 2 he enlisted but was killed fighting in Libya.
The match played at Ellerslie Reserve between Richmond and Ellerslie was the first senior match played there since 1912.
Referee Bill Murray was refereeing his 50th first grade match in the clash between Devonport and Mangere at the Devonport Domain. He became only the second referee to achieve this feat after Archie Ferguson 2 years earlier. There was controversy in the match between City Rovers and Richmond as the City team fielded Lou Brown who had not been granted clearance by either Auckland Rugby League or New Zealand Rugby League. Brown had previously played for Newton and had been released to play for Wigan in England. After returning he wanted to turn out for the City club but Newton claimed that he had been released on the grounds that he would return to play for them alone. Brown was later suspended for 3 matches before rejoining the Newton team for their match against Marist.[27]
The match between Māngere and Ellerslie was the first ever rugby league match played at present day Ferguson Park in Onehunga.
City defaulted their match against Mangere United in protest at the decision to not allow Lou Brown to register for the club after returning from England.
In the Athletic match with Richmond, Graham was ordered off for Athletic as was McMillan for Richmond. Richmond had lost Whittington to an injury early in the second half and with the score 25–0 with 6 minutes to go they threw in the towel and the match ended.
The win by City over Devonport was a competition milestone as it was City's 100th win in First Grade. They were the first club to achieve this milestone and did so in their 15th season and 149th game.
Near full-time in the match between Marist and Devonport, Kiwi international Bill Stormont was ordered off.
In the Newton match with Ponsonby a very unusual incident took place. L Williams for the Newton team was dribbling the ball down field and when he kicked ahead to chase, the ball went over the cross bar. He ran through to 'score the try' but the referee awarded a drop goal rather than a try.
It is unlikely that the Māngere v Ponsonby match took place as the Auckland representative team was playing a match against the South Auckland team in Hamilton at the same time. Many of the selected players chose to stay and play for their Auckland club teams in important matches. The team that did end up playing in the representative match featured seven players from the Ponsonby and Māngere teams and there were no reports of a match between the two sides in any newspaper. A table published at the end of the season also only credited Māngere with 14 matches, not 15 which is what they would have played had the match taken place.
Jack Kirwan debuted for Marist in the final. It was slightly controversial that a team in a significant match had signed and registered players midweek to play though not unprecedented. Many teams would debut prospective players later in the season and in particular they would trial (disgruntled) rugby players. Kirwan would go on to represent New Zealand and later serve on the Marist committee for many years. He scored a try in their narrow in, with Charles Gregory kicking 4 goals. For the losers Bert Laing scored a try and kicked 2 goals. Jack Kirwan's grandson John Kirwan played for the All Blacks in the 1980s and 90s.
City Rovers won the Roope Rooster for the 4th time in their history, defeating Ponsonby who were attempting to win their third consecutive title, in the final by 6 points to 5.
Roy Hardgrave debuted for Newton. He went on to play 58 games for them, scoring 39 tries and kicking 6 goals before signing for St Helens R.F.C. in 1929. For St Helens he played 212 times and scored 173 tries. In 1934 he returned to Newton playing twice before joining Mt Albert for 2 matches. He then went back to England and played 89 games for York scoring 52 tries, and then joined Toulouse in France before once again returning to New Zealand. He then rejoined the Mt Albert side playing 22 games and scoring 1 tries before retiring. He later coached Newton Rangers from 1941 to 1943.
The lists include points scored in the First Grade competition and the Roope Rooster. Joe Hadley of Athletic led the league in tries scored with 12, while Craddock Dufty was once again the top scorer with 91 points from 9 tries, 29 conversions and 3 penalties.
Devonport had a try and conversion unattributed in a match. While the match between Mangere United and Ellerslie won by Mangere United 18 to 10 had no points attributed to any player. It is possible that M Paul for Mangere scored more tries than the 9 he is credited with and more than the 3 goals he kicked.
City Rovers played Marist of Christchurch at Carlaw Park in May and were victorious by 16 points to 9. At the end of the season Marist, who had won the First Grade Championship met City Rovers, who had won the Roope Rooster and the two teams played out a 10 all draw on Monday morning as part of the Labour Day celebrations to officially finish the season for Auckland Rugby League.
There were 6 lower grade competitions in 1924 with the 6th grade split into an A and B division.
Otahuhu Rovers won the competition after defeating Richmond Rovers 17-5 on September 6 in the final. Otahuhu had won the A Section and Richmond the B Section. The standings are incomplete with around 18 rounds being played. Athletic withdrew after 3 rounds, Marist and Ellerslie withdrew after 7 rounds, and the Manukau side withdrew when the Manukau board switched to rugby union in protest at a decision by Auckland Rugby League in July. Kingsland won the knockout final when they defeated Otahuhu 6 points to 3 on October 18.
City Rovers won the competition after defeating Devonport United 12-2 on September 6 in the final. The standings are incomplete with 16 rounds being played but with most teams only having 3-5 results reported. City also won the knockout final on October 4 when they beat Athletic in the final 18-8. Marist were listed to play in round one but withdrew after that, Victoria Cruising Club also entered a team but had no fixtures after round 2, and Kingsland B also did not have any fixtures beyond round 2 so have not been included in the standings. Manukau withdrew in July after their boards decision to switch to rugby in protest at a transfer suspension of one of their players.
The competition was played over 14 rounds. Ponsonby United B won the championship after beating Richmond 10-8 in the final on August 30. Ponsonby B had won the A Section and Richmond the B Section. Parnell won the knockout final when they defeated Richmond 3-2 on October 11. City withdrew after 7 rounds, while Takapuna, and Māngere United, and withdrew after round 11 rounds. The Manukau side withdrew in July along with their entire club which switched codes to form the Manukau rugby side.
Ponsonby won the championship after Newton defaulted to them in round 20. Marist entered a team but withdrew either prior to or after one week. The 1949 Rugby League Annual written by Bill Davidson states that Athletic won the A Section and Ellerslie the B Section. Richmond won the B Section knockout when they defeated Maritime. Devonport withdrew after 2 rounds and have not been included in the standings, while Manukau withdrew along with the rest of their club which switched to rugby union in July. The majority of match results were not reported so the standings are very incomplete. In round 5 it was reported in both the Auckland Star and the New Zealand Herald that Newton had beaten Athletic 82-0.
Athletic won the championship when they beat City A 6-3 in the final on October 11. Two weeks prior City A defeated Athletic 5-3 in a 'semi-final' which forced the playoff for the championship. It had been Athletics only defeat of the season. Leys Institute scored their first try of the season in a 25-3 loss to Parnell on September 13.
Ellerslie United finished with a 12 win 0 loss season to win the championship. They scored 125 points and conceded 33, and were managed by Mr E. Chapman, and J. Poland. Ellerslie and Richmond met in the knockout final on September 20 but the result was not reported. Ponsonby seemingly withdrew after 2 rounds so have not been included in the standings. Manukau withdrew along with all their other sides when they switched to rugby union midseason in protest.
A series of house matches were played during the season between the following sides:
Ernie Asher, Edwin Fox, and Ronald MacDonald were appointed selectors for the season with Bill Davidson the coach and Henry Donovan the manager. Auckland played three matches against Australian Universities on 4, 7, and 14 June. In the first match Auckland defeated the University side by 15 to 7. In the second meeting Auckland again won, this time more easily by 17 points to 2. The visiting captain congratulated the Auckland team but made mention of the conditions by saying that “yours are certainly better wet day footballers than we are but this is to be expected when you realise that my club, Sydney University has not played on a wet ground since early in 1922 season”.[71] They had their wish somewhat in the third match with much improved weather conditions and were able to come home strongly in the second half to draw the match 14–14 in front of 11,500 people.
On 26 July in front of 20,000 spectators the touring England side defeated Auckland by 24 points to 11. In the curtain-raisers Ellerslie Sixth Grade B defeated City Sixth Grade B by 5 points to 2, and City Second grade defeated their Richmond counterparts by 8 points to 7. On the Wednesday following, an Auckland provincial team featuring Auckland players from the greater region including the Waikato region played England and lost 28 to 13 in front of 7,000 spectators.
On 20 September an Auckland team played South Auckland in Hamilton and were defeated easily by 21 points to 5. The team was supposed to be a full strength Auckland team but as the club competition was entering its key stages many of the first team players remained behind to play for their clubs. As a result, many players from the struggling Newton team made the trip to Hamilton.[72]
Frank Delgrosso had to come on the replace George Davidson after he collided badly with teammate Clarrie Polson when they were both going after the ball. Polson received a bad cut over his eye and he also later had to retire and was replaced by Billy Ghent.
Wilson Hall broke his collar bone during the second half and had to leave the field. The Auckland B team consisted of Charles Gregory, M Paul, Hec Brisbane, Ivan Littlewood, Lyall Stewart, Wilson Hall, A Garrett, Wally Somers, Jim O'Brien (Devonport), Len Mason, Wilfred McNeil, John Shirley, and Bill Te Whata.
There is film footage of the match taken by Tarr Film and archived on the New Zealand Archive of Film, television and Sound Ngā Taonga website.[78] In scoring on halftime Ben Davidson was knocked out. At the start of the second half Auckland attempted to replace him with Lou Brown who ran out on to the field. However the England captain when seeing this objected as replacements were forbidden in the second half of rugby league matches at this time. Auckland were forced to play with 12 players for a time until Davidson recovered well enough to return to the field.
The team was made entirely from Auckland 'city' players with the exception of Huatahi 'Brownie' Paki and B Johnson from the Waikato (South Auckland) competition. During the first half Paki was injured and replaced by Frank Delgrosso who scored a try after a passing movement. Paki had spent the 1923 season playing in Australia for St. George.
There were several members of the Lipscombe family playing for the Māngere club and it is unclear which of them played in the forwards for Auckland in their match with South Auckland on September 20.