Eugene Sylvester 'Owen' McCarthy (1882–1940) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s.
Despite being a Souths junior, McCarthy made his first grade debut for Balmain in Round 1 1911 against Newtown at the Sydney Sports Ground.
Despite repeated attacks at the Balmain line, Souths were unable to score another try and lost the grand final which was played in front of a low crowd of 7,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Souths lost the match 3–0 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the lowest scoring grand final in the game's history.
Following the grand final defeat, McCarthy stepped down as coach and was replaced by club legend Howard Hallett.