1933 Auckland Rugby League season

There were also House Matches played on Saturdays between business sides including W. Lovett's Limited, Auckland Gas Company, McKendrick Bros, Bycroft's, Miller Paterson & Lees, Australian Waste Products, A.J.

George Rhodes announced his resignation of the chairmanship due to business commitments which would require him leaving Auckland regularly.

[3] At the ARL Board of Control meeting prior to the commencement of the season the chairman Mr. G. Grey Campbell said the policy of granting gate percentages to senior clubs should be retained.

[5] The New Zealand Herald printed an article ‘reviewing’ the season where they wrote of the visiting St George team and the standard of play in Auckland.

[6] In late April efforts were made to protect players from colliding with the concrete retaining wall on the number 2 field by placing sacks filled with sand bags on the lower part of it.

Prior to the match a running race was held between Len Brennan and Bernard Martin of the touring side and several members of local clubs.

At a meeting of the Auckland Rugby League in the week prior to the start of the season there were several suggestions put forward in regard to Carlaw Park.

[25] Matches on 2 June featured this new rule change and it was commentated from referees that it had so far improved play around scrums and eliminated a lot of whistle.

The play the ball rule was said to be being better controlled with the “same command as evident in a boxing match, when a referee called ‘break’ and the contenders were bound to obey”.

[28] The Auckland Rugby League decided to forward a motion of protest from Ted Phelan to the New Zealand Government regarding the ban on the 1ZR station.

The speaker said that patients at the Evelyn Firth Home and Auckland Hospital “were strong in their protest against being denied the privilege of listening to the station”.

[29] After not being played in 1932 the midweek business league competitions returned with eight teams competing with matches held at Carlaw Park.

[30] Ponsonby and Richmond wrote to Auckland Rugby League objecting to any of their players playing for the midweek teams as it would risk their health for the weekend matches.

The league decided that no senior or reserve grade players could take part in the competition unless they had the permission of the clubs and the Wednesday management group be advised of this decision.

The league decided to enforce the rule that permission must by granted from senior clubs before players were allowed to participate in the mid-week competition.

He also represented Auckland and New Zealand in the post war period before moving to Tauranga in 1920 to establish a wool and hide export business.

Dick Smith and Albert Laing both left the field injured in the second half leaving Devonport with just 11 players against Marist.

Devonport went on the win 17-12 with Kiwi's Allan Seagar (2) and Bert Leatherbarrow scoring tries, along with Horace Hunt, a former Auckland cricket wicket keeper.

[49] The Ponsonby match with Marist was played at Sturges Park in Otahuhu as a way of promoting rugby league in the area with a charge being made at the ground to gain funds.

Bert Cooke turned out for Richmond for the first time in the season against Newton Rangers in Round 1 of the Roope Rooster after returning to Auckland from Waihou where he had been working.

Ponsonby claimed that the referee “allowed the game to continue after Newton committed a breach in-goal”, and that they should have been awarded a point.

Prior to the match there would be a goal kicking competition, a 100-yard race involving senior players and the Waterside Workers’ Band would be performing.

On 8 November at a meeting of the Auckland Rugby League Board of Control the Grey Lynn Relief Committee expressed gratitude for assistance in the success of the football match at Carlaw Park, as a result of which a considerable sum had been raised for the benefit of needy people in the district.

The leading try scorers were Alf Smith of Devonport United and Bill Turei of City with 11, followed by Arnold Porteous of Ponsonby who scored 9 tries, and Bert Schultz of Marist Old Boys with 8.

They were captained by future New Zealand halfback Frank Halloran who at the start of the following season transferred to Ponsonby along with Walter and John Stockley.

Devonport United were awarded the Rhodes Shield after a 5-5 draw in the last round with the second placed team, Ōtāhuhu on August 19.

These include W. Lovett's Limited, Auckland Gas Company, McKendrick Bros, Bycroft's, Miller Paterson & Lees, Australian Waste Products, A.J.

It was common for non senior clubs to request that higher profile matches be played on their suburban ground in order to help grow the rugby league code in their area.

[79] The City Rovers team travelled to New Plymouth to play the local Taranaki side and ran out 29–22 winners with Bill Turei scoring 5 tries.

It was decided not to play the annual inter-island fixture because the cost of assembling and bringing the South Island side would be in the region of 300 pounds and with the depression in full swing it was not considered viable financially.