Rugby League is one of Australia's most popular sports, but after its debut season in 1908, the sport was financially on it's knees. The sport had one hope of survival... stealing the nations greatest players to improve the quality of its sport. And thats exactly what they did when they poached almost the entire Wallabies squad during an exhibition series between the Kangaroos and Wallabies.

But surprisingly, this isn't the most controversial moment from that season. That honour goes to the Premiership Final between South Sydney and Balmain, a match that only one side turned up to play.

So strap on your headgear, put in your mouthguard, and drink your own piss, as we go to the very beginning of rugby league, to tell the story of the only first grade final to be played by only one team. This is a story that involves underhanded deals, war effort funding, and the biggest double cross in Australian sport history, and of course a ranking on our wild and mild board to find the wildest story in the world of sport.

References:

https://www.nrl.com/operations/history-of-rugby-league/#:~:text=Rugby%20league%20began%20in%201895,for%20rugby%20tours%20and%20injuries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dally_Messenger

https://www.theroar.com.au/rugby-league/longform/all-blacks-all-blues-all-golds-the-birth-of-australian-rugby-league-454220/

https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/league-of-legends/game-begins#:~:text=On%208%20August%201907%20a,paid%20for%20playing%20the%20game.

https://rugbyleaguemonthly.com/2020/05/27/the-grand-final-that-never-was/

https://www.theroar.com.au/2022/03/26/the-mother-of-all-feuds-balmain-souths-and-the-1909-premiership-farce/

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/04/04/stranger-things-rugby-leagues-history-of-bizarre-events/

https://www.bbmaustralia.org.au/dreadnought-scheme

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1909_NSWRFL_season

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/07/1969-grand-final-rewind-tigers-cook-up-a-bunnies-boilover/

Presenters:

James Whybrow

Ben Whybrow

Carlin Sheaves

Music and Cover art:

Zoe Behrendt