The 1908 NSWRFL season was the inaugural season of the New South Wales Rugby Football League's premiership, Australia's first rugby league football club competition, in which nine clubs (eight from Sydney and one from Newcastle) competed from April till August 1908.

The season culminated in the first premiership final, for the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield, which was contested by Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney.

The reasons for this split were ultimately based on the fact that clubs had wanted to compensate their players for time away from work due to injuries and travelling.

When crowd numbers started to rise, clubs were able to afford to pay players benefits as a direct result of increased gate takings.

[2][3] In 1906 in Sydney, crowd numbers for football matches began to increase significantly following the emergence of an especially talented player, Dally Messenger, whose skill was considered a pleasure to watch.

[2][3] It was around this time that the discontent of players with their clubs for failing to shift away from the amateur culture of the Rugby Football Union was starting to show.

[4] On 8 August 1907 a group of leading players and supporters met at Bateman's Hotel, George Street, Sydney and resolved to form the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL).

[5] In the latter half of 1907, and unknown to the general public, Dally Messenger secretly agreed to sign on to play in a breakaway professional competition that would start the following year, run by the NSWRFL.

Adopting the playing rules of the rebel Northern Union of England, the new competition began on Easter Monday, 20 April 1908.

[8] The team watched the first round of the competition before heading to Newcastle and playing the first game of rugby league in that city.

[9] A New Zealand Māori side had arrived in Sydney in the first week of June and watched the All Golds' final test.

[3] The reason and exact timing of when this decision was made is unknown, and the only consequence is who was awarded the competition's first ever wooden spoon - them, or Western Suburbs.

After the regular season had completed, the top four teams played an extra round in order break the deadlock between South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs which both ended up on 18 points.

"The final match to determine the premiership in the first grade of the Rugby League was played on the Agricultural Society's Ground on Saturday in perfect weather.

South Sydney lost the toss, and kicked off from the southern end, an easterly wind blowing across the ground, and the sun shining strongly against them.

Getting the ball from the scrum repeatedly, South Sydney's backs executed several brilliant bursts, but the tackling of their opponents was very safe.

However, they broke through once, Conlin making a beautiful feinting run, and then passing to Senior, on the wing, the latter scoring a pretty try.

Just before half time, Edward Fry marked at Eastern Suburb's 25, and Conlin kicked a fine goal, South Sydney leading by 8 points to 7.

The second half proved exciting from start to finish, Eastern Suburbs at first attacked and South Sydney got out of the difficulty by forcing.

McNamara almost repeated the performance a few minutes later, South Sydney rallied, and Levison getting from a scrum at the 25 passed in to Butler, who scored.

With many of the Eastern Suburbs second graders required to fill in first grade for club-mates in transit to England, this was quickly changed.