Has a team ever forfeited?

[jamesgould]

The Warriors were willing to send the side over, and I think there was talk of Brisbane also naming a local side at the time, for a little while? But the they just forfeited.

I don't think it was the Warriors being sneaky, just coming to their senses and realising that a forfeit was not going to achieve anything.

 

[jamesgould]

wow i remember being at that game all those years ago

I remember watching it on tv, it was an entertaining match. Wests came from behind with a couple of late tries, right?

 

[OVP]

Every time steve clarke refs the tigers I imagine a walk off--I think north sydney did a walk off at bear park,but went back on------not to sure many years ago--maybe 70s

I imagine that every single time this colossal turd refs ANYONE, let alone the Tigers. He is the biggest disgrace in the game atm.

 

[chunk]

That has been the legend passed down through the years, and no doubt it has greatly benefited the rich rivalry between the clubs.

However, from looking at the newspapers from 1909 and 1910 there is nothing to indicate Souths were ever in support of not turning up. In fact, Balmain officials went to the NSWRL offices on the Friday demanding the game be re-scheduled - Souths officials refused to become involved.

It was pretty clear they (Souths) were going to turn up for the match. Souths made no public noises against the match at all, and most of the Balmain team did in fact turn up in time for the kick-off, but instead of playing stood outside the ground picketing the entry gates. The NSWRL played a lot of double-headers in 1908 & 1909, so early games were not that unusual.

Full story in The Rugby Rebellion - available in the "Pioneers of Rugby League" book early August: http://www.RL1908.com/Pioneers/index.htm

I do like the the 'legend' story though.

Thanks it seems like you know your League history.

Its amazing to think of the turmoil going on back then between Union and League and what it meant to the future of our game.

Todays carry on seems like pittance compered to back then.

 

[Quidgybo]

Has a game ever been called off due to bad weather or other conditions, I remember Balmain playing Manly in the hail, and lightning striking the scoreboard at another, and the famous Canberra snow game.

None of those were cancelled, but what about in the days before TV ruled the schedules etc.

I'm sure you'd find a myriad of examples in British RL. The basic rule for fog is if the referee can stand in the middle of the half way line and can't see the four corner posts then he should call the game off. I can't recall a specifc example but I'm pretty sure that's occured at least once in the last twenty years (I have a vague idea a Kangaroo tour match in 1990 or 1994 might have ended that way).

Leigh.

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

Well it wasnt Watson but it was something to do with the Ownership situation, and maybe specifically NZ law as well.

Correct on the NZ law part.. Forfeiting NRL matches over their is punishable by death :sarcasm:

 

[Anon]

I am a Dragons supporter and was strongly in favour of them forfeiting a game earlier this year when they were missing something like 13 players and were at risk of breaching the salary cap. I reckon they should have considered it unless the NRL agreed to an exemption.

 

[Nuke]

I'm sure you'd find a myriad of examples in British RL. The basic rule for fog is if the referee can stand in the middle of the half way line and can't see the four corner posts then he should call the game off. I can't recall a specifc example but I'm pretty sure that's occured at least once in the last twenty years (I have a vague idea a Kangaroo tour match in 1990 or 1994 might have ended that way).

Leigh.

I could've used that rule a few years ago in the WARL! It was a cold Friday night game in Fremantle and I was playing reserve grade. I'm a winger (and was then), and I couldn't see my own corner post from 20m away! The only times I knew where it was was when the car in the carpark turned his headlights on and the shadow of a corner post emerged!

 

[Red Bear]

I remember watching it on tv, it was an entertaining match. Wests came from behind with a couple of late tries, right?

no idea i was like 6 at the time

 

[kay]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/League/How-the-war-unfolded/2005/03/25/1111692633683.html
"March 22, 1996 Seven games in the opening round of the ARL competition result in forfeits after Super League players refuse to play."

I've read somewhere that Warriors flew up there with those named local players who were therefore not contracted to Super League.

 

[RL1908]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/League/How-the-war-unfolded/2005/03/25/1111692633683.html
"March 22, 1996 Seven games in the opening round of the ARL competition result in forfeits after Super League players refuse to play."

Not exactly a correct summation.

 

[Razor]

Funny that one Super League Club, the Warriors, didn't forfeit

There was a change of management at the Warriors from the time they signed to the start of 1998; the new management disagreed with the decision. Which is why the Warriors were expected to defect back the ARL had there been no deal made.

But their players hadn't changed their decision, which is why the team that the Warriors named wouldn't beat a Premier League team.