Club Records /

Key Information

Club records 1908-2020

Colours: Red and green (cardinal and myrtle)

Emblem: Rabbit

Year entered premiership: 1908

Note: South Sydney did not participate in the NRL in 2000 and 2001

First match: April 20, 1908, won 11-7 v Norths, Birchgrove Oval

First team: Arthur Conlin; Frank Jarman, Frank Storie, Edward ‘Son’ Fry, Tommy Anderson; Arthur Butler, Jack Leveson; Arthur Hennessy (c), John Rosewell, Dick Green, Jack Cochrane, Jim Davis, Harry Butler.

First try: Tommy Anderson (v Norths, Birchgrove Oval, April 20, 1908)

Full premiership record: Played 2,179, won 1,129, lost 1,004, drew 46, byes 65, for 37,641 (6,990 tries, 6,804 goals, 245 field goals), against 37,455 (6,741 tries, 6,803 goals, 165 field goals), points 2,321. Winning percentage: 51.8%.

Home grounds: Agricultural Ground (1908-10, 1914-20), Sydney Sports Ground (1911-13, 1921-24, 1928-47), Redfern Oval (1948-87), Aussie Stadium (1988-99, 2002-2005), ANZ Stadium (2006-20).

Note: Aussie Stadium known as Sydney Football Stadium until 2002, ANZ Stadium known as Telstra Stadium until 2007.

Home ground attendance record: 59,708 v Sydney Roosters, ANZ Stadium, September 6, 2013. 35,316 v Sydney Roosters, Aussie Stadium, March 15, 2002. 23,257 v Manly, Redfern Oval, July 19, 1987.

Average home crowds 2020: n/a (due to COVID-19 restrictions, spectators were prevented from attending matches until Round 7, when limits were imposed on attendances which remained until the end of the season).

Record average home crowds: 22,261 in 2013

Major sponsors: VIP Insurance (1976-77), KLG Sparkplugs (1978-80), 100 Pipers Whisky (1981-83), Ignis Refrigerators (1984-85), Smith’s Crisps (1986-91), Northwest Airlines (1992-94), Canon (1995-97), Downtown Duty Free (1999), Kerry Stokes (TV Week) (2002), Allight (2003-04), Real Insurance (2005-06), Firepower (home games, 2007), High Concept by Trivest (away games, 2007), National Australia Bank (home games, 2008-10), DeLonghi (away games, 2008-14), Star Casino (home games, 2011-13), Crown Resorts (home games 2014-18), Fujitsu (away games 2015-18), Aqualand (home games, 2019-20), Alcatel (away games, 2019-20).

Team Records

First grade (21): 1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 2014

Runners‑up (13): 1910, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1949, 1952, 1965, 1969

Minor premierships (17): 1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1932, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1989

Pre‑season Cup (4): 1966, 1969, 1972, 1978

Tooth Cup (1): 1981

Tooheys Challenge (1): 1994

Sevens (1): 1988

Auckland Nines (1): 2015

World Club Challenge (1): 2015

Reserve grade (20): 1913, 1914, 1917, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1945, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1966, 1968, 1983

Third grade (and equivalent competitions) (10): 1912, 1918, 1925, 1928, 1933, 1962, 1969, 1981 (Under-23s), 1986 (Under-23s), 1989 (President’s Cup)

Club championship (9): 1932, 1933, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1989

Biggest wins

• 67‑0 v Wests, Sydney Showground, July 23, 1910 (highest score)
• 63-0 v University, Sydney Sports Ground, April 17, 1937
• 59-5 v Penrith, Redfern Oval, May 11, 1980
• 53-0 v Norths, Sydney Sports Ground, August 12, 1939
• 60-8 v Sydney Roosters, ANZ Stadium, September 25, 2020
• 50-0 v Easts, Sydney Sports Ground, June 7, 1952
• 56-6 v Parramatta, ANZ Stadium, August 8, 2011

Most consecutive wins: 16, May 30, 1908 to July 17, 1909

Biggest comeback: Recovered from 24-point deficit to win. Trailed North Queensland 28-4 after 51 minutes at Dairy Farmers Stadium on June 28, 2008 and won 30-28

Biggest losses

• 66-0 v Warriors, Telstra Stadium, June 25, 2006 (highest score conceded)
• 62-0 v Sydney City, Sydney Football Stadium, April 25, 1996
• 60-0 v Newcastle, Marathon Stadium, August 8, 1999
• 64-6 v Melbourne, AAMI Park, August 26, 2017
• 54-0 v Manly, Brookvale Oval, August 24, 1975
• 54-0 v Parramatta, Parramatta Stadium, August 10, 2002

Most consecutive losses: 22, June 23, 1945 to April 12, 1947

Worst collapse: Surrendered 18-point lead (twice). Led Newtown 18-0 after 45 minutes at Sydney Cricket Ground on August 14, 1926 and lost 25-21. Led Warriors 24-6 after 58 minutes at Aussie Stadium on June 29, 2003 and lost 31-30 (in extra-time)

First grade coaches: Wayne Bennett (2019-20), Anthony Seibold (2018), Michael Maguire (2012-17), John Lang (2010-11), Jason Taylor (2007-09), Shaun McRae (2005-06), Arthur Kitinas (2004), Paul Langmack (2003-2004), Craig Coleman (1998-2002), Steve Martin (1998), Ken Shine (1994‑97), Bob McCarthy (1975, 1994), Frank Curry (1991‑93), George Piggins (1986‑90), Ron Willey (1983‑85), Bill Anderson (1980‑82), Jack Gibson (1978‑79), John O’Neill (1977), Johnny King (1976), Clive Churchill (1958, 1967‑75), Bernie Purcell (1964‑66), Denis Donoghue (1959‑63), Jack Rayner (1950‑57), Dave Watson (1947‑49), Arthur Hennessy (1918, 1946), Eric Lewis (1945), Alf ‘Smacker’ Blair (1927, 1944), Jim Tait (1941‑43), Charlie Lynch (1928‑34, 1937‑40), Dave Watson (1935‑36), Howard Hallett (1925‑26), Owen McCarthy (1924), John Rosewell (1913).

Canterbury Cup NSW: Coach Ben Rogers. Competition abandoned after one round.

Representative

Club Internationals

Australia (71): Tommy Anderson, Jim Armstrong, Alf ‘Smacker’ Blair, Cec Blinkhorn, Ray Branighan, Tim Brasher, Arthur Butler, Billy Cann, Mark Carroll, Clive Churchill, Michael Cleary, Arthur Conlin, Damien Cook, Ron Coote, Les Cowie, Frank Curran, Steve Darmody, Les Davidson, Jim Davis, Denis Donoghue, Terry Fahey, Harry Finch, Bryan Fletcher, Dane Gagai, Herb Gilbert, Bob Grant, Johnny Graves, Howard Hallett, Ernie Hammerton, Greg Hawick, Arthur Hennessy, Bob Honan, Harold Horder, Greg Inglis, Brian James, Alex Johnston, Harry Kadwell, Clem Kennedy, John Kerwick, Jack Leveson, Eric Lewis, Jim Lisle, Paddy Maher, Bob McCarthy, Ted McGrath, Ian Moir, Cameron Murray, William ‘Webby’ Neill, Ray Norman, Alf O’Connor, Frank O’Connor, John O’Neill, Arthur Oxford, George Piggins, Denis Pittard, Bernie Purcell, Jack Rayner, Eddie Root, Johnny Rosewell, Paul Sait, John Sattler, Eric Simms, Bill Spence, Gary Stevens, David Taylor, George Treweek, Dylan Walker, Elwyn Walters, Benny Wearing, Jack Why, Percy Williams

Test captains (4): Arthur Hennessy (1908), Clive Churchill (1950-55), John Sattler (1969-70), Bob McCarthy (1973)

World Cup captains (2): Clive Churchill (1954), Ron Coote (1970)

Record Test or World Cup representation: 8 players v New Zealand, October 21, 1970 (Eric Simms, Ray Branighan, Denis Pittard, John O’Neill, Elwyn Walters, Bob McCarthy, Paul Sait, Ron Coote).

New Zealand (10): Roy Asotasi, David Fa’alogo, Bryson Goodwin, Terry Hermansson, David Kidwell, Issac Luke, Gene Ngamu, Jeremy Smith, Tyran Smith, Jason Williams

England (3): George Burgess, Sam Burgess, Thomas Burgess

Great Britain (1): Thomas Burgess

State of Origin

Representatives (30):

New South Wales (20): Phil Blake, David Boyle, Tim Brasher, Mark Carroll, Damien Cook, Angus Crichton, Les Davidson, Mario Fenech, Bryan Fletcher, Gary Hambly, Graham Lyons, Tony Melrose, Nathan Merritt, Cameron Murray, Ziggy Niszczot, Tony Rampling, Adam Reynolds, Peter Tunks, Cody Walker, Craig Wing

Queensland (10): Mitch Brennan, Michael Crocker, Dane Gagai, Ashley Harrison, Greg Inglis, Ethan Lowe, Chris McQueen, Julian O’Neill, Dave Taylor, Ben Te’o

Record State of Origin representation: 5 players, 2020 (Game 1): Cook, Murray, Walker (NSW), Gagai, Su’A (Qld)

Finishing Positions

Individual Records

Rothmans Medal winners (1): Denis Pittard (1969, 1971)

Dally M winners (1): Robert Laurie (1980)

Clive Churchill Medal winners (1): Sam Burgess (2014)

Oldest Player: Jack Rayner, 36 and 93 days in 1957

Youngest Player: Paul Mellor, 16 and 313 days in 1991

Last updated 11/12/2020