Game 1
Northern Union 22 drew with Australia 22
| Ashes Series 1908/09 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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– |
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| Match URL | www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/4145 | |||||||
| Status | Completed | |||||||
| Date | Saturday, 12th December, 1908 | |||||||
| Kick Off | 2:30pm (local time) | |||||||
| Referee | JH Smith | |||||||
| Venue | Park Oval (London) | |||||||
| Crowd | 2,000 | |||||||
| Match Stats | ||||||||
| Halftime Score | 14 | – | 5 | |||||
| Northern Union | Scoresheet | Australia | ||||||
| Billy BATTEN | 2 | T | 3 | Jim DEVEREUX | ||||
| Ernie BROOKS | Arthur BUTLER | |||||||
| Asa ROBINSON | ||||||||
| Johnny THOMAS | ||||||||
| George TYSON | ||||||||
| Ernie BROOKS | 2 | G | 5 | Dally MESSENGER | ||||
| Northern Union | Teams | Australia | ||||||
| Harry GIFFORD | 1 | FB | 1 | Mick BOLEWSKI | ||||
| Billy BATTEN | 2 | W | 2 | Wilhelm HEIDKE | ||||
| Bert JENKINS (c) | 3 | C | 3 | Sid DEANE [North Sydney] |
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| George DICKENSON | 4 | C | 4 | Dally MESSENGER (c) [Eastern Suburbs] |
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| George TYSON | 5 | W | 5 | Jim DEVEREUX [North Sydney] |
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| Ernie BROOKS | 6 | FE | 6 | Arthur HALLOWAY [Glebe] |
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| Johnny THOMAS | 7 | HB | 7 | Arthur BUTLER [South Sydney] |
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| Arthur MANN | 8 | FR | 8 | Larry O'MALLEY [Eastern Suburbs] |
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| John HIGSON | 9 | HK | 9 | Sandy PEARCE [Eastern Suburbs] |
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| Bill JUKES | 10 | FR | 10 | Alex BURDON [Glebe] |
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| Bill LONGWORTH | 11 | 2R | 11 | Jim ABERCROMBIE [Western Suburbs] |
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| Arthur SMITH | 12 | 2R | 12 | Ed COURTNEY [Newtown] |
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| Asa ROBINSON | 13 | L | 13 | Pat WALSH [Newcastle] |
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Team Info
Northern Union
- Previous Game:
- England vs New Zealand 1908 - Game 4 vs. New Zealand
- Next Game:
- Ashes Series 1908/09 - Game 2 vs. Australia
- Out:
- Harry Taylor (fullback), Phil Thomas (centre), Jim Jolley (five-eighth), Tom White (halfback), Jack Spencer (front row), Bill Holder (hooker), John Birch (front row), Jim Clampitt (second row), Harry Wilson (second row)
- In:
- Harry Gifford (fullback), George Dickenson (centre), Ernie Brooks (five-eighth), Johnny Thomas (halfback), Arthur Mann (front row), John Higson (hooker), Bill Jukes (front row), Bill Longworth (second row), Asa Robinson (lock)
- Changes:
- Arthur Smith (lock to second row)
Australia
- Previous Game:
- Kangaroos Tour 1908/09 - Game 19 vs. Swinton
- Next Game:
- Kangaroos Tour 1908/09 - Game 21 vs. Treherbert
- Out:
- Charlie Hedley (fullback), Dan Frawley (wing), Robert Graves (front row), Tom McCabe (second row)
- In:
- Mick Bolewski (fullback), Jim Devereux (wing), Larry O'Malley (front row), Alex Burdon (front row)
- Changes:
- Dally Messenger (wing to centre), Wilhelm Heidke (centre to wing), Arthur Butler (five-eighth to halfback), Arthur Halloway (halfback to five-eighth), Jim Abercrombie (hooker to second row), Sandy Pearce (front row to hooker)
Match Notes
The Times newspaper reported that the quality of football on display during this game deserved a much larger patronage.
It also mentions a good performance by Herbert Messenger, which was marred by "two or three examples of inexcusable obstruction".
It also reports that the half time score was 14-5 in favour of the Northern Union.
This match is a part of the following:
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash

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