Telegraph Messengers Rugby League Club
On May 8, 1916 “the Telegraph Messengers Club wrote nominating a team for the sixth grade, and the secretary was instructed to make the necessary arrangements for affiliation”.
The Telegraph Messengers club had protested the result arguing that Emiraldi who played for Grafton was in fact a member of the North Shore Albions.
Their team was listed for the first time and included the following names: Bykers, Foster, Herd (captain), Dodds, Tooley, Knowles, Donaldson, Jones, Tracey, Sharp, Munro, Baker, and Powley.
[6] It was reported in late May that the Auckland Rugby League chairman, Dick Benson was having a busy time as an instructor of the junior clubs and he was presently working with the Telegraph Messenger side.
Sinclair, the organiser of the Telegraph Messengers’ Football Club, is a recent arrival to Auckland from Christchurch, where he has played in the senior grade in past seasons.
At present Mr. Sinclair is assisting in coaching the messenger boys, and in all probability will shortly be found donning the jersey for one of the Auckland city teams”.
Sinclair, who played for the Northern Suburbs Junior team last season, and who has since been transferred to Auckland, has been successful in forming a League club among the telegraph messengers, with a membership of fifty, and the majority of them players.
Mr. Sinclair pays tribute to the league officials in Auckland, who he says, are keen and wide awake, and gave him every assistance”.
The behaviour of the Ōtāhuhu team was remarked on at the Wednesday, Auckland Rugby League meeting with chairman Benson saying “this kind of thing will have to be dealt with firmly” when commenting on the ”unruly conduct of the Ōtāhuhu players in the fifth grade match against Telegraph Messengers on Saturday”.
[12] The side struggled to get results, losing to North Shore, Manukau 7–8, Grafton Athletic 2–3, and Ōtāhuhu 5–8, though they were competitive in most matches.
[13] Heavier defeats followed against North Shore (2-19), and Manukau (7-14) though the later match was awarded to Telegraph Messengers after they protested against a refereeing decision and the Auckland Rugby League agreed.
The fifth grade side for their opening game against City Rovers A at Victoria Park was: Mathieson, Herd, Richards, Dodds, Knowles, Paris, Donaldson, Campbell, Munro, Bennett, Shaw, Baker (captain), and Powley.
While the sixth grade team to play Richmond was: Clayton, Page (captain), Mackey, Cooke, Keefe, Curson, Curtis, Otway, Lee, O’Brien, Churton, Smith, and Pound.
[20] Towards the end of the season their team lineups were published and the Sixth grade side featured two players named “Cooke”.
The Fourth Grade side included: N. Dodds (captain), E. Smith, G. Baker, H. Munro, W. Tracey, Herd, A. Bennett, B. Daly, H. Knowles, D. Campbell, S. Sharpe, R. Cliffe, and L. Manley.
Page, Caddy, W. Whittington, L, Baker, Walker, Menzies, Keefe, Daly, Pearce, Clayton, Dean, Troup, O’Brien, Smith, and McIntosh.
[24][25] At the end of the season the Telegraph Messengers fourth grade side travelled to Thames by the Wakatere Steamer to play an exhibition game.
It asked “all members to attend a THIS (SATURDAY) NIGHT, to be held in the League Rooms, 5 Swanson Street, at 7:30 p.m. Business: Urgent and important”, and was sent in by W. Pearce, their honorary secretary.
Messrs Charles Sinclair (their original secretary and organiser of the club), and W. Pearce travelled to the Auckland Rugby League officers on June 25 to the weekly meeting there.
The committee decided that the matter was one outside its jurisdiction, as it could recognise only registered and affiliated bodies, but the deputation was advised by Mr. Carlaw as to the course most likely to avert further friction”.
