Normal service resumes after two shocks – Valleys win the 1917 BRL
The 1917 Brisbane Rugby League season is now live on Redcap’s BRL – see the details of every game from a season eventually won by the mighty Valleys club after two mighty surprises by first-year teams (Merthyr and Westerns) in the semi-finals.
Disruption was rife early in the 1917 season. The war in Europe dragged on, claiming more and more young lives to, as Blackadder put it, ‘move Field Marshal Haig’s drinks cabinet a few inches closer to Berlin.’ Even though more were enlisting, the federal government was trying vainly to establish conscription. So tense was the atmosphere, there was even talk of limiting or ceasing spectator sports.
Rugby union had already mostly ceased, with Merthyr (Christian Brothers), a forerunner to the Past Brothers and Souths rugby league clubs, joining the league a few rounds in. University and Grammars would follow a few years later.
But Wattles, a small junior club who’d been promoted in 1916, had to withdraw around the same time because they could no longer field a team. The three games Wattles did play were stricken from the records, with points gained by Wests, Westerns and Coorparoo against them not counting. An extra round was played in late July to balance the table.
Still, there didn’t seem anybody who could possibly challenge Valleys and Wests. Then, Valleys fell to Merthyr in the first semi-final, before Westerns produced one of the bigger upsets in BRL history by downing Wests the following Saturday. Though when you consider Westerns boasted the talents of the Meibusch brothers (later of Toowoomba), future Kangaroos Nev Broadfoot and Jim Bennett, and former Wests premiership player Billy Brereton, perhaps it wasn’t that surprising.
Merthyr beat Westerns in the final, but of course, Valleys struck back, with the challenger winning the premiership for the third straight season. Losing the semi-final wasn’t necessarily a bad strategy for the minor premier – have a rest while the others belt each other and come back fresh for the decider.
More seasons to come soon…
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