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ABOVE ALL FOR RUGBY LEAGUE NSWRL Referees Association 1908 - 2008 Foreword On behalf of the Australian Rugby League, it with ever-increasing scrutiny, and proved is a pleasure to introduce the NSW Referees that ultimately their presence, and indeed Association Centenary publication. performance, is critical to Rugby League’s ongoing success. In doing so, it comes to mind that one aspect of Rugby League which has always been a Through it all has been the underlying support constant over the last 100 years has indeed of the NSW Referees Association, and its been the referee. affiliate bodies, all equally as important to our sport as any player or team. For every one of those years our referees have toiled bravely alongside their playing Therefore it’s once again an honour to counterparts, charged with making the introduce herewith the NSW Referees sometimes unpopular decisions that make Association’s proud history. Rugby League such a fascinating spectacle. Colin Love AM Referees over the past 100 years have battled CHAIRMAN through different types of pressure situations, Australian Rugby League and overcome a different type of fatigue, copes NSW Rugby League Introduction 100 years, hundreds of referees, thousands of in the success of the last 100 years. Rugby League matches, millions of memories… and the status of its officials are better as a result. The Centenary of the NSWRL Referees The men – and more recently women – who Association has been a long time coming. have served the Association and the game since When you survey the progress Rugby League its inception should be justifiably proud of the has made in its first one hundred years and the robust and vibrant collective that represents the contribution made by referees to the success NSWRL Referees Association in 2008. Let us all of the code it all appears far removed from the hope that continues for another 100 years and obstacles that faced the Pioneers in 1908. beyond. This publication records the major milestones Dennis Spagarino of the Association and the key figures that have CHAIRMAN NSWRLRA played their part in shaping both Rugby League and its referees. It also examines other aspects of the Association through the individual thoughts of a range of past and present members, and I thank all those who completed submissions. I would also congratulate historian and author Terry Williams for his role in co-ordinating this project I congratulate all members, past and present, of the NSWRL Referees Association, for their part 2 Above all for Rugby League The Formative Years 1907-1939 rules and by-laws. The rules and regulations are practically “From little things big the same as those of the NSW Rugby Union, except that things grow” the League provides for higher remuneration and consistent engagements, either as referees or linesmen. When Rugby League kicked off in Australia in 1907 James Giltinan was faced with the problem “It was decided by the Referees Association to affiliate of recruiting an adequate number of suitable with the NSW Rugby Football League. Messrs P.A. officials to assist in establishing the game. He was Stanton and T O’Farrell were elected joint treasurers. Mr lucky that many union referees and former players O’Farrell was appointed secretary and Mr G Boss elected empathised with the players’ struggle to win a share as the Association’s representative on the League. of the revenue they generated and willingly crossed over to assist the new code start. “The following gentlemen were elected to constitute the Referees Association and in addition will become life The early years were anything but smooth sailing members of the association: PA Stanton, H Johnson, for the referees. To begin with they had the H Woodhill, H Odbert, G Hay, G Seabrook and P problem of attempting to interpret rules that they Rohan.” had never seen. The Northern Union (now known as the RFL) had only started to make changes to However O’Farrell (and the Association records up the game that would make it recognisable to the to that time) went to New Zealand between August modern era in 1906, including the reduction from 1907 and March 1908, so that, with the start of the fifteen to thirteen players. first NSWRFL season rapidly approaching, another meeting was called for Friday March 13, 1908. As a result, the matches between the NSW Pioneers Thumbing their nose at Dame Fortune on a Black and Baskerville’s New Zealand team in 1907 were Friday, the NSW League Referees Association (sic) played under rugby union rules. The first two of gathered together, and it is from this meeting that those games were refereed by George Boss, with we trace the history of the Association. George Hay as one touch judge and a member of the New Zealand team, “Massa” Johnstone, the other. Tom O’Farrell refereed the third fixture with Arthur Hennessey and Dan Gilchrist, the latter another member of the NZ side. Tom McCabe, the Englishman who had appeared with Widnes and Wigan before emigrating in 1907, assisted in educating the players and referees on the implications of the new rules and when Baskerville’s team returned after their successful tour of Great Britain they were able to further enlighten the devotees of the new code. Ted Hooper convened the meeting on August 28, 1907, at which the NSWRFL Referees Association was formed, and he was elected the first President of the Association. A report in the Australian Star newspaper the next morning reported: “A large and representative gathering was present, which included several prominent referees who submitted their names to the association. Mr E Hooper occupied the chair and Mr T O’Farrell (secretary pro tem) read the proposed N.S.W.R.L Referees Association 1908 - 2008 3 Having referees participation enabled the NSWRL premiership to get underway on Monday April 20 1908 and the first grade referees on that historic day were: Eastern Suburbs v Newtown – Ted Hooper Glebe v Newcastle – Tom Costello South Sydney v North Sydney – George Boss Balmain v Western Suburbs – George Seabrook As Rugby League celebrates its centenary we owe it to them to acknowledge the part played by those pioneers of refereeing. The modern multi-million dollar business that is Rugby League has been built on great deeds by players but equally by dedicated officials who have served the NSWRLRA and the game itself. Although there is insufficient scope here to record in detail the efforts of those who dug the well, the four initial first grade referees stand alongside Laurie Kearney, Tom McMahon, Arthur Farrow, Arthur Ballerum, Fred Henlen, Bill Finegan, William Munn, Aub Welch Minutes of Meeting of NSW League Referees Assn and Charlie Hutcheson Held March 13, 1908 as the most prominent names of the Association Chairman: Mr T Costello in those formative years. Present: Messrs J Treanor, F Brodie, E Hooper, H Poulton, All of those pioneers of A Farrow, AH Brown, R Duffin, L Hansen, T McCabe, Mcdermott, Buchanan, Frost, Boss, Phelan, Larkin, the Referees Association Henlen and Oberg. should be acknowledged and remembered for their Mr Boss explained the reason of the meeting being convened and that Mr O’Farrell who efforts. had been acting as Sec of the Association had gone to New Zealand and the official books could not be found so it was necessary to elect fresh officers. Some had served as rugby Election of officers was then proceeded with, the following is the result: union referees while others were former players President Mr Hoyle who wanted to show their Vice Presidents Messrs McCabe, Trumper, Burdon, Giltinan and Messenger Secretary AC Welch support for the new code. Treasurer G Boss Many had connections Delegate to Council G Boss with one of the district General Committee Messrs Costello, Hooper, Henlen, Buchanan and Hansen clubs – and that sometimes Examination Board Messrs Costello, McCabe, Hooper, Burden and Henlen Auditors Messrs Knox and Trumper caused its own problems. Mr Boss moved that Secretary write to the NSW Rugby Football League asking for Poulton, who was involved financial assistance to cover initial expenses of this Association to enable us to purchase with Souths, was in trouble books, blackboard, etc Seconded by Mr Treanor Mr Frost then moved that meeting adjourn until Friday the 20th inst. a couple of times. After 4 Above all for Rugby League the 1910 final he was accused of trying to fire the Rabbitohs up by telling them the game had gone five minutes over time (Newtown secured the premiership with a goal in the dying moments). A couple of years later he was again censured, this time for taking refreshments on the field to a Souths Presidents Cup team during a match against North Sydney. There were other challenges that had to be met in the game’s formative years. The issue of independence raised its head on more than one occasion, and Seabrook achieved some notoriety when he sent Giltinan from the field after the game’s founder had stopped a game between Australia and the Maori at Wentworth Park to remonstrate with Seabrook’s rule interpretations. Boss was another who refused to kowtow to Giltinan’s demands and he resigned from the Association in June after acting as manager of the Maori visit and being caught in the middle of their imbroglio with the League. Finance was also an issue. The NSWRL were hardly flushed with funds during that first two years but the referees still felt they were getting less than they deserved. They asked for ten shillings per first grade match but the League said they could only afford five shillings per game ie fifty cents in The original Tom McMahon modern currency.

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