1928 Auckland Rugby League season

The 1928 Auckland Rugby League season was its 19th. Devonport United won the Senior A Championship for the first time under the Devonport United name, though they had won it twice before as North Shore Albions, before the North Shore merger with Sunnyside. Marist Old Boys won the Roope Rooster trophy for the first time. This was their second major trophy after winning the championship in 1924. They also went on to defeat Devonport to win the Stormont Shield.

Devonport United, the 1928 first grade champions

Marist Old Boys, Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield winning team

Ellerslie United finished last in the first grade championship and as a result had to play a promotion relegation match with the winners of the B Division which was Grafton Athletic. This was the second consecutive year they had met in this match. Ellerslie won 15-13 to retain their place in the first grade. The Grafton club then decided to amalgamate with Kingsland Rovers who were also in the B Division to gain acceptance into the 1st grade competition for the 1929 season.

Preceded by 1927

19th Auckland Rugby League season 1928

Succeeded by 1929

Season news and summary

Club teams by grade participation

Team	1st	B Div.	2nd	3rd Open	3rd Int.	4th	5th	6th A	6th B	Schools	Total
Richmond Rovers	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Devonport United	1	0	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	0	9
Ponsonby United	1	0	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	5
Point Chevalier	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	1	0	5
Otahuhu Rovers	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	5
Newton Rangers	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	4
City Rovers	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	4
Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	4
Akarana	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	4
Newmarket	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	1	4
Ellerslie United	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	4
Māngere United	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4
Marist Old Boys	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	3
Grafton Athletic	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	3
Kingsland Rovers	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	3
Remuera	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	3
Parnell	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
New Lynn	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2
Mount Albert United	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2
Glen Eden	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Browne Bros & Geddes	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Onehunga Convent	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Papatoetoe Primary School	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Total	7	7	6	14	9	10	6	9	8	7	83

Senior competition

The senior club season featured over 110 matches through various competitions and did not finish until late October when suburban cricket competitions had already begun.

Grafton Athletic won the Senior B Division competition going undefeated season after they had been relegated the previous season, though they were beaten in the promotion relegation match with Ellerslie meaning they would have to stay there for another season. Point Chevalier defeated Grafton Athletic in the Stallard Cup final which was the Senior B knockout competition. The season was notable for the number of teams which played sides from other areas. Ponsonby, Richmond, Parnell, and the Northcote and Birkenhead Ramblers all played sides from north Auckland and the Waikato. During the year Carlaw Park saw its 300th senior grade match played on it stretching back to its opening in 1921 while the senior competitions also saw its 1000th game played (includes all official 1st grade matches and matches involving senior teams in the B Division).

Mt Albert Club formed

Mt Albert held their first meeting at St George's Hall in Mt Albert on the evening of 3 April. Ralph Wilson chaired the meeting and George Rhodes, chairman of the Auckland Rugby League was present. It was decided that they would form a club in the Mt Albert area though they did not decide on a name at this time. They would enter teams in the third and fourth grades.^[1] During the season Auckland Rugby League made a grant of £3 to Mount Albert for a dressing shed.^[2]

Newmarket Club formed

In April it was reported that Newmarket was entering a team in the 6th grade competition. They club was to wear yellow and black. There was a fear that the club would rob the Parnell club of players but the league accepted the nomination anyway.^[3][4] The also then entered sides in the third grade intermediate grade as well as another team in the sixth grade in the B section. They also had a Primary School side which won the schoolboy championship.

Representative program

It was a very busy season, with ten representative fixtures including matches against the touring England team. Ernie Asher, Edwin Vincent Fox, and Bert Avery were appointed selectors for the representative team for the season.

Annual general meeting

At the annual general meeting of Auckland Rugby League it was noted that out of the 28 playing days during the 1927 season thirteen of them were played in wet weather; however, crowds were still good and they were happy with the growth of the game. Further developments at Carlaw Park were planned, consisting of "conveniences for ladies...extra accommodation... for players, and three more dressing rooms" at a cost of £60. There was a lengthy discussion about Ellerslie's application to join the A Grade. They had won the B Grade competition and defeated the last placed Grafton from A Grade.^[5] The annual general meeting was held at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on Swanson Street.^[6]

Thistle Cup

The Management Committee announced at the midway mark of the senior club season that the Thistle Cup would be awarded to the A or B grade team that had scored the most points in the second round of competition. If two teams were tied then the trophy would be awarded to the team which had scored the most points for the whole season.^[7]

Ground availability

An ongoing issue for many clubs in Auckland was the availability of playing fields as the number of teams grew. During the season Northcote opened a new field at Stafford Park which is still in existence adjacent to State Highway 1 just north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Devonport also had a deputation present at the Devonport Borough Council meeting on 10 May to ask about the shortage of grounds in the area. The club asked for permission to use some of the spare cricket grounds for matches. Mayor E. Aldridge said there would be a ground available at Stanley Bay.^[8]

Rule changes

After Round 5 the issue of time keeping in matches at Carlaw Park was raised at the weekly Management Committee meeting. The bell had been rung in the match between Richmond and Devonport at Carlaw Park before the ball was dead which was against previously arranged rules. Agreement could not be reached on whether the timekeeper or referee should be responsible for calling time. In the end it was decided that official timekeepers should attend the Referees' Association meeting for instructions.^[9]

It was noted that the dead ball area on both fields at Carlaw Park had been reduced from 12 yards to 8 yards in accordance with the laws of rugby league.^[10]

A rule change came into effect during the season after the annual meeting of the English Rugby League. They decided that no forward at any time in the scrum could have both feet off the ground. Also forwards could not drop to one knee to attempt to hook the ball. The game in New Zealand would adhere to these rules.^[11]

Richard Stack benefit matches

Richard (Dick) Stack in hospital after having his leg amputated following an injury at Carlaw Park in 1927.

The crowd at the Dick Stack benefit matches.

The opening weekend of the season saw four first grade matches played at Carlaw Park, though these matches were not part of the competition. The round was dedicated to Richard Stack (commonly known as Dick Stack) of the Newton Rangers who had suffered a broken leg in the Stormont Shield final the previous season and the injury was so bad Auckland Hospital staff were forced to amputate it. This meant that he was unable to continue in his profession and so the league fundraised so that he was able to start his own business. A total of £500 was taken at the gates with 10,000 spectators in attendance. The day also featured a program of boxing matches with the prizes donated back to Stack. After all the accounts were balanced it was worked out that the fund for Stack totalled £610 12/3. An oddity of the games themselves was the low scoring nature and that all four losing teams failed to register a single point. Given the timing in the season and the fact they were for charity and competition points they were largely treated as practice matches with the City Rovers side using 18 players.^[12] Jack O'Sullivan made his debut for Marist. He was a champion bantam weight boxer and his son went on to become the well known horse racing trainer Dave O'Sullivan and his grandson is Lance O'Sullivan, one of New Zealand's greatest ever jockey's.

	21 April	Ponsonby	13–0	Newton	Carlaw Park 1
	3:30	Try: Lou Hutt, George Gardiner, Victor Fagan Con: George Gardiner, W Langley	[13]		Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Les Bull

	21 April	Marist	3–0	Devonport	Carlaw Park 1
	2:00	Try: Kirkland	[14]		Attendance: 10,000 Referee: William Mincham

	21 April	Richmond	10–0	City	Carlaw Park 2
	3:30	Try: McCarthy, Jones Con: L Taylor Pen: L Taylor	[15]		Attendance: 10,000 Referee: H McKubrey

	21 April	Grafton	4–0	Ellerslie	Carlaw Park 2
		Pen: Ralph Longville 2	[16]		Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Percy Rogers

Monteith Shield (First Grade Championship)

Monteith Shield standings

Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Devonport United	12	9	0	3	224	149	18
Richmond Rovers	12	7	1	4	143	132	15
Newton Rangers	12	7	0	5	143	138	14
Ponsonby United	12	5	2	5	154	144	12
Marist Old Boys	12	5	1	6	154	170	11
City Rovers	12	4	0	8	144	164	8
Ellerslie United	12	3	0	9	102	162	6

Monteith Shield fixtures

Round 1

Bill Hadley, future All Black debuted for City and would go on to play for them for three seasons before switching to rugby union.

Round 1 saw the newly promoted Ellerslie upset Ponsonby 15 points to 8. This was Ellerslie's first ever match in the first grade. The season was ceremonially kicked off by Miss Peggy Rhodes, daughter of George Rhodes, the chairman of Auckland Rugby League Management Committee. Bill Hadley made his first grade debut for City alongside his brother Joe. Hadley switched to rugby union in 1931 and became an All Black in 1934 and played 25 games for them over three years. His older brother Swin Hadley was an All Black in 1928.

	28 April	Richmond	18–10	Newton	Carlaw Park 1
	3:15	Try: McCarthy 2, Turton, Ralph Jenkinson Con: L Taylor 3	[17]	Try: M Herewini, Alan Clarke Con: Craddock Dufty Pen: Craddock Dufty	Attendance: 5500 Referee: William Mincham

	28 April	Devonport	24–6	City	Carlaw Park 2
	3:15	Try: Len Scott 2, Stanley Rule, S Casey, Alf Scott, Alfred Saxon Con: Allan Seagar 2 Pen: Allan Seagar	[18]	Try: George Perry, Norman Pascoe	Attendance: 5500 Referee: Les Bull

	28 April	Ellerslie	15–8	Ponsonby	Carlaw Park 1
	1:45	Try: Davis, Allen, A Dance Con: John Shand 3	[19]	Try: Tim Peckham, Bert Payne Pen: Tim Peckham	Attendance: 5,500 Referee: Vic Simpson

Round 2

	5 May	Richmond	15–0	Marist	Carlaw Park 1
	3:15	Try: Ralph Jenkinson 2, H Stewart Con: L Taylor Pen: L Taylor 2	[20]		Attendance: 6000 Referee: Les Bull

	5 May	Devonport	12–11	Newton	Carlaw Park 1
	1:45	Try: Len Scott 2, Preston, Alfred Saxon	[21]	Try: Hayden, Henry, Murray Con: Craddock Dufty	Attendance: 6000 Referee: H McKubrey

	5 May	Ponsonby	19–6	City	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Goodley, Tim Peckham, Victor Fagan, J Payne 2 Con: Tim Peckham 2	[22]	Try: J Iveson, Lawrence	Attendance: 6000 Referee: Percy Rogers

Round 3

Tim Peckham, the representative halfback for Ponsonby, was suspended for 4 weeks following comments he made towards the referee in their loss to Newton.

	12 May	Devonport	31–22	Marist	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Len Scott 4, Alfred Saxon, Horace Dixon 2 Con: Alf Scott 2, Ernest Ruby 2 Drop: Lindsay Simons	[23]	Try: Bernard Sweeney, Dick Moisley, Jock Graham, Hec Brisbane Con: Owen Cronin 4 Pen: Owen Cronin	Attendance: 6000 Referee: William Mincham

	12 May	Newton	22–13	Ponsonby	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Trevor Hall, Robert Purdy, Murray, M Little Con: Craddock Dufty 4 Pen: Craddock Dufty	[24]	Try: Lou Hutt, Albert Payne, Victor Fagan Con: Tim Peckham 2	Attendance: 6000 Referee: Arthur Rae

	12 May	City	26–3	Ellerslie	Auckland Domain 1
	3:00	Try: George Perry, Lawrence 2, Fraser Webberley, Norman Pascoe, Bill Hamilton Con: Horne 3 Pen: Horne	[25]	Try: Ivan Littlewood	Referee: Les Bull

Round 4

It was decided by Auckland Rugby League after the 3rd round that they would no longer play curtain-raiser matches by Senior A Grade teams at 1:30pm. This was due to players having difficulty getting to the ground on time as they often worked on Saturdays and had to travel from the outer suburbs. A recent example had been the Newton Rangers v Devonport match where several Newton players had arrived late and the match was so late kicking off that the second half lasted only 25 minutes instead of 40.^[26] Leslie Letton, a well known rugby player transferred from rugby union where he had been playing for Marist, and scored 2 tries for Ponsonby on debut in their 18–14 loss to Marist. He had only just left hospital days earlier after nursing a broken arm since the beginning of the season. He had played for Auckland B rugby team in 1927 and represented Waikato prior to that. Davis played break away for Ellerslie after having previously played representative league for Otago in the backs.

	19 May	Devonport	12–7	Richmond	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Alf Scott, Ernest Ruby Con: Wells Pen: Wells 2	[27]	Try: Colebrook Pen: L Taylor 2	Attendance: 9,000 Referee: Percy Rogers

	19 May	Marist	18–14	Ponsonby	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Hec Brisbane, Jim Johnson 2, Wilf Hassan Con: Charles Gregory 3	[28]	Try: Leslie Letton 2 Con: Frank Delgrosso Pen: Frank Delgrosso 3	Attendance: 9,000 Referee: Bert Emirali

	19 May	Ellerslie	5–13	Newton	Ellerslie Reserve
	3:00	Try: Davis Con: John Shand	[29]	Try: M Little, Roy Hardgrave 2 Con: Craddock Dufty Pen: Craddock Dufty	Referee: H McKubrey

Round 5

Bill Davis, the Richmond halfback clearing the ball with George Gardiner leaving the scrum for Ponsonby. Hector Cole can be seen in the background at first five for Ponsonby

Dooley Moore at halfback about to pick up and pass to Hector Cole at first five.

In Marist's win over Ellerslie representative tennis player Leslie Knott made his first appearance of the year after debuting the previous season. Dick Moisley scored 4 tries on the other wing for Marist after spending the 1927 season in the forwards before playing the previous week at standoff and now being tried on the wing. For Ellerslie Robert (Bob) Crewther was playing his second game after having played for Marist the previous season. He had started the season playing for the Petone side in Wellington before moving back to Auckland. His brother Selby was in his second year for Ellerslie after previously having played with Robert at City Rovers. At the Auckland Domain City beat Newton (6-3) who were missing Craddock Dufty, Trevor Hall, M Herewini, and Murray who were all injured.

	26 May	Ponsonby	10–6	Richmond	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Dooley Moore, Frank Delgrosso Con: Frank Delgrosso Pen: Frank Delgrosso	[30]	Pen: L Taylor 3	Attendance: 4,000 Referee: Les Bull

	26 May	Marist	26–8	Ellerslie	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Dick Moisley 4, Hec Brisbane, Jack Keenan Con: Charles Gregory 4	[31]	Try: Robert Crewther, Cooke Con: Selby Crewther	Attendance: 4,000 Referee: William Mincham

	26 May	City	6–3	Newton	Auckland Domain 1
	3:00	Try: Joe Hadley, Lawrence	[32]	Try: Alan Clarke	Referee: H McKubrey

Round 6

The match between Richmond and Ellerslie was played at 9:30 in the morning on the Kings Birthday holiday as part of the celebrations.

	2 June	Devonport	21–19	Ponsonby	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Len Scott, Allan Seagar 2, J Beattie, Ernest Ruby, Alfred Saxon Con: Alf Scott 2, Alfred Saxon	[33]	Try: George Gardiner, Lou Hutt, Bert Payne Con: Frank Delgrosso 3 Pen: Frank Delgrosso 2	Attendance: 5,000 Referee: H McKubrey

	2 June	Marist	39–12	City	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Owen Cronin, George Batchelor, Hec Brisbane, Dick Moisley, Bill Noble, Bernard Sweeney, Phil Brady 2, Jim Graham Con: Charles Gregory 5, Owen Cronin	[34]	Try: George Perry, Lawrence Con: Laurie Barchard Pen: Laurie Barchard Drop: George Perry	Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Wilfred Simpson

	4 June	Richmond	6–4	Ellerslie	Carlaw Park 1
	9:30	Try: L Taylor 2	[35]	Pen: Bob Crewther 2	Attendance: 1,500 Referee: A Saunders

Round 7

Following the conclusion of the first round, The New Zealand Herald published the individual points tallies of all the point scorers. This was the first time this had been done. Taylor of Richmond led the standings with 46 points, Len Scott of Devonport had 33, while Craddock Dufty of Newton was third with 26 points.^[36]

	9 June	Newton	21–3	Marist	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Murray, Trevor Hall, G Rhodes, Robert Purdy, Roy Hardgrave Con: Craddock Dufty 3	[37]	Try: George Batchelor	Referee: William Mincham

	9 June	Richmond	27–18	City	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: L Taylor 2, Stan Prentice, Bill Davis, McCarthy Con: L Taylor 4 Pen: L Taylor 2	[38]	Try: Maurice Wetherill 2, George Perry, McDonald Con: Laurie Barchard Pen: Laurie Barchard 2	Referee: H Taylor

	9 June	Devonport	16–3	Ellerslie	Devonport Domain
	3:00	Try: Stan Webb, Len Scott 2, Allan Seagar Con: Alf Scott 2	[39]	Try: V Speight	Referee: Percy Rogers

Round 8

Jim O'Brien the Devonport forward came out of retirement to rejoin their forward pack. he had debuted in the senior grade for Maritime in 1920 before joining Devonport in 1921 and playing over 70 games for them. He represented New Zealand once in 1925 and had played for Auckland 20 times from 1922 to 1927.

	23 June	Newton	17–13	Richmond	Carlaw Park 1
	2:45	Try: M Little, Roy Hardgrave, G Cammick Con: Craddock Dufty Pen: Craddock Dufty 3	[40]	Try: Trevor Hanlon Con: L Taylor Pen: L Taylor 4	Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Arthur Rae

	23 June	Ponsonby	22–5	Ellerslie	Carlaw Park 2
	2:45	Try: Leslie Letton 2, Dooley Moore, Sydney Usher 2, Horne Con: Tim Peckham, Frank Delgrosso	[41]	Try: Hemingway Con: J Shand	Attendance: 3,000 Referee: William Mincham

	23 June	Devonport	8–6	City	Devonport Domain
	3:00	Try: Len Scott, Preston Con: Alf Scott	[42]	Try: Williams, Crouch	Referee: Les Bull

Round 9

	30 June	Newton	23–16	Devonport	Carlaw Park 1
	2:45	Try: Roy Hardgrave 3, Murray, Wally Somers Con: Craddock Dufty 4	[43]	Try: Len Scott 3, J Beattie Con: Alf Scott 2	Attendance: 4000 Referee: Les Bull

	30 June	Richmond	10–9	Marist	Carlaw Park 2
	2:45	Try: Wheaton, Trevor Hanlon Con: L Taylor 2	[44]	Try: George Batchelor, Dick Moisley, Bernard Sweeney	Attendance: 4000 Referee: T Hill

	30 June	Ponsonby	2–0	City	Auckland Domain 2
	3:00	Pen: Frank Delgrosso	[45]		Referee: H McKubrey

Round 10

Jim O'Brien returned to the field for Marist after retiring at the end of the 1927 season. He had played for the All Blacks in 1922 before switching to rugby league in 1924. He had played for the New Zealand rugby league side in 1924 and would make the national team again later this season before going on to play 2 more seasons for the Marist side retiring finally in 1930.

	7 July	Ponsonby	17–3	Newton	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Cyril Thompson, Frank Delgrosso, Donovan Con: Frank Delgrosso 3 Pen: Frank Delgrosso	[46]	Try: Trevor Hall	Referee: Percy Rogers

	7 July	Marist	14–13	Devonport	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Hec Brisbane 2, William Noble, Jim O'Brien Con: Charles Gregory	[47]	Try: Len Scott, Allan Seagar, Stanley Rule Con: Allan Seagar, Alf Scott	Referee: T Chernside

	7 July	Ellerslie	22–2	City	Carlaw Park 1
	1:30	Try: Hemingway, Davis, V Speight, Ivan Littlewood Con: Hemingway 3 Pen: Hemingway	[48]	Pen: Laurie Barchard	Referee: H McKubrey

Round 11

	14 July	Richmond	16–14	Devonport	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Ralph Jenkinson, G Stewart, L Taylor, Colebrook Con: L Taylor 2	[49]	Try: Stanley Rule, J Beattie, Allan Seagar, Len Scott Con: Alf Scott	Attendance: 5000 Referee: William Mincham

	14 July	Ponsonby	11–11	Marist	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Kenneth Peckham, Joseph Peckham, Leslie Letton Con: Frank Delgrosso	[50]	Try: William Noble, Hec Brisbane, Phil Brady Con: Charles Gregory	Attendance: 5000 Referee: Bert Emirali

	14 July	Newton	5–2	Ellerslie	Auckland Domain 1
	3:00	Try: C Rhodes Con: Craddock Dufty	[51]	Pen: Hemingway	Referee: T Hill

Round 12

The New Zealand team was playing the 2nd test against England in Dunedin this weekend so all the Auckland players in the New Zealand side were unavailable for their club sides.

	18 August	Ponsonby	13–13	Richmond	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: George Gardiner 2, C 'Dooley' Moore Con: George Gardiner 2	[52]	Try: Colebrook, Jones, Dixon Con: L Taylor 2	Referee: H McKubrey

	18 August	City	31–5	Newton	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: George Perry, Bill Hamilton 2, C Reynolds 2, Lawrence 2 Con: Laurie Barchard 4 Pen: Laurie Barchard	[53]	Try: Alan Clarke Con: Alan Clarke	Referee: Percy Rogers

	18 August	Ellerslie	11–0	Marist	Carlaw Park 1
	1:45	Try: Ivan Littlewood, Hemingway, V Speight Con: Edward Crewther	[54]		Referee: Les Bull

Round 13

William Mincham refereed approximately his 50th ever senior club match in the game at Ellerslie Reserve between Ellerslie and Richmond. He had begun refereeing in 1920 after retiring from playing. Mincham had represented Auckland and his son Ted Mincham and grandson Robert Mincham both represented New Zealand.

	25 August	Devonport	24–6	Ponsonby	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Horace Dixon, Jim O'Brien 2, Trevor O'Leary, Ernest Ruby, Allan Seagar Con: Alf Scott 2, Ernest Ruby	[55]	Try: Bert Payne, Ford	Referee: Les Bull

	25 August	City	14–10	Marist	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: C Reynolds 2, George Perry, Lawrence Con: Laurie Barchard	[56]	Try: Gordon Campbell, Petherick Con: Charles Gregory Pen: Charles Gregory	Referee: Arthur Rae

	25 August	Ellerslie	8–10	Richmond	Ellerslie Reserve
	3:00	Try: Ivan Littlewood 2 Con: Selby Crewther	[57]	Try: J Swift, L Taylor Con: L Taylor Drop: L Taylor	Referee: William Mincham

Round 14

	1 September	Devonport	33–16	Ellerslie	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Len Scott 2, Alf Scott, Trevor O'Leary, Jim O'Brien, Ernest Ruby, Stan Webb Con: Alf Scott 3, Allan Seagar 2 Drop: Lyndsay Simons	[58]	Try: Allan, Ivan Littlewood Con: J Hemingway 2 Pen: J Hemingway 3	Referee: Percy Rogers

	1 September	City	17–2	Richmond	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: William McLaughlin, Joe Hadley, George Perry, Bill Hadley, Lawrence Con: Horne	[59]	Drop: L Taylor	Referee: William Mincham

	1 September	Newton	10–2	Marist	Carlaw Park 1
	1:45	Try: Roy Hardgrave, M Little Con: M Little Pen: Joy	[60]	Pen: Charles Gregory	Referee: A Saunders

Roope Rooster Knockout Competition

Marist won the Roope Rooster for 1928 after defeating Ponsonby in a closely contested final. It was the first time they had won the trophy in their history.

Round 1

	8 September	Newton	25–16	City	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Trevor Hall, Wilson, Roy Hardgrave 3 Con: Craddock Dufty 5	[61]	Try: Lawrence, George Perry, James Everson, Joe Hadley Con: Lawrence, Laurie Barchard	Referee: William Mincham

	8 September	Marist	14–9	Richmond	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: George Batchelor, Hec Brisbane, Dick Moisley, C McKay Con: Hec Brisbane	[62]	Try: Paterson Con: L Taylor Pen: L Taylor 2	Referee: H McKubrey

	8 September	Devonport	12–11	Ellerslie	Carlaw Park 1
	1:45	Try: Les O'Leary, Horace Dixon Con: Allan Seagar Pen: Allan Seagar Drop: Bill Cleaver	[63]	Try: Ivan Littlewood, A Dance, Allen Con: Selby Crewther	Referee: Arthur Rae

Semifinals

Extra time was played in the Ponsonby match with Newton. Craddock Dufty was tackled into touch going for a try and the match ended a 5–5 draw with a replay required the following weekend.

	22 September	Newton	5–5	Ponsonby	Carlaw Park 1
	3:15	Try: M Little Con: Craddock Dufty	[64]	Try: Revell Pen: Frank Delgrosso	Referee: Percy Rogers

	22 September	Marist	10–5	Devonport	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Jim Johnson, Hec Brisbane Con: Charles Gregory Pen: Charles Gregory	[65]	Try: Stanley Rule Con: Lindsay Simons	Referee: William Mincham

Semifinal Replay

	29 September	Ponsonby	8–6	Newton	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Bert Payne, Lou Hutt Con: Frank Delgrosso	[66]	Try: Little, Roy Hardgrave	Referee: William Mincham

Final

After being injured and stretchered from the field the previous week Charles Gregory was moved from his regular fullback position to first five eighth with Jack Kirwan at second five eighth and Hec Brisbane at centre. The three of them combined brilliantly in their sides win. The Marist hooker Jim Johnson was sent off after a skirmish with Ponsonby forward Dooley Moore in the second half.

	6 October	Marist	10–8	Ponsonby	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Bill Noble, F Hansen Con: Charles Gregory 2	[67]	Try: George Gardiner, Ken Peckham Pen: Frank Delgrosso	Attendance: 7,000 Referee: A Saunders

Stormont Memorial Shield

Marist won the Stormont Shield (named after their former teammate William (Bill) Stormont) for the first time when they defeated the Monteith Shield champions Devonport with a late try by 9 points to 8. Bill Stormont's younger brother Jim played his first game of the year in the memorial match for his brother and scored a try in Marist's win. Remarkably it was the fifth time the teams had met this season with Marist winning four (3-0, 14-13, 10-5, 9-8), and Devonport's lone win a round 3 victory by 31-22.

	13 October	Marist	9–8	Devonport	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Hec Brisbane, Jim Stormont, F Hansen	[68]	Try: Trevor O'Leary 2 Con: Lindsay Simons	Attendance: 4,000 Referee: Les Bull

Labour Day Tournament

The ‘Labour Day Tournament’ was played over two days (the official holiday, and the following Saturday). It featured Huntly from the Lower Waikato competition and Pt Chevalier who had won the second grade competition. Marist won the trophy despite having to win two games on the first day, and two more on the second. For their efforts they were awarded £50 in prize money. Future international Ted Mincham made his debut for Richmond and scored a try.

Round 1

	20 October	Marist	12–10	Huntly	Carlaw Park 1
	2:00	Try: George Batchelor, Bill Noble, F Hansen, Petherick	[69]	Try: S Grooby, Tom Timms Con: Jones, Stan Rayner	Referee: Arthur Rae

	20 October	City	11–3	Devonport	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: George Perry 2, William McLaughlin Con: Laurie Barchard	[70]	Try: Trevor O’Leary	Referee: H McKubrey

	20 October	Richmond	11–5	Newton	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: Bill Davis, Colebrook, Ted Mincham Con: Eric (Mick) Carroll	[71]	Try: Roy Hardgrave Pen: Craddock Dufty	Referee: T Chernside

	20 October	Ponsonby	25–13	Pt Chevalier	Carlaw Park 2
	4:00	Try: Cyril Thompson 2, Frank Delgrosso 2, Ken Peckham, Revell, Dooley Moore Con: Frank Delgrosso	[72]	Try: McPherson, Carroll, Monoghan Con: Robert Purdy	Referee: Percy Rogers

	20 October	Marist	11–8	Ellerslie	Carlaw Park 1
	4:00	Try: Phil Brady, Dick Moisley, George Batchelor Con: William Noble	[73]	Try: Ivan Littlewood, Capner Pen: Crewther

Semifinals

	27 October	Richmond	11–5	Ponsonby	Carlaw Park 1
	2:00	Try: L Taylor 3 Con: L Taylor	[74]	Try: Crooks Con: Frank Delgrosso	Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Les Bull

	27 October	Marist	17–12	City	Carlaw Park 2
	2:00	Try: George Batchelor 3, Charles Gregory, Jim O'Brien Con: Charles Gregory	[75]	Try: George Perry 2 Con: Laurie Barchard 2 Pen: Laurie Barchard	Attendance: 2,500 Referee: H McKubrey

Final

	27 October	Marist	12–5	Richmond	Carlaw Park 1
	4:00	Try: Jim O'Brien, Jock Graham, George Batchelor, Hec Brisbane	[76]	Try: Ted Mincham Drop: L Taylor	Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Percy Rogers

A Division B Division promotion-relegation match

For the second year in a row Ellerslie United and Grafton Athletic met in a match to decide who would play in the Senior A Division in 1929. Ellerslie scored a converted try in the closing stages of the match to remain in the A Grade.

	6 October	Ellerslie	15–13	Grafton	Carlaw Park 2
	3:00	Try: V Speight, Allen, Davis Con: Selby Crewther 2 Pen: Selby Crewther	[77]	Try: N York, York jun., Allen Con: Ralph Longville Pen: Ralph Longville	Attendance: 7,000 Referee: Bert Emirali

Top try scorers and point scorers

L (Snowy) Taylor of Richmond, top scorer.

Top try and point scorers for Dick Stack Benefit Games, A Division, Roope Rooster, Stormont Shield and Labour Day competitions (the competitions A Division teams competed in).

Top try scorers Rk Player Team Gms Tries 1 Len Scott Devonport 15 19 2 Roy Hardgrave Newton 15 13 3 George Perry City 13 12 4 Hec Brisbane Marist 15 11 5 Lawrence City 12 10 6= George Batchelor Marist 14 9 6= L Taylor Richmond 16 9 8= Dick Moisley Marist 16 8 8= Ivan Littlewood Ellerslie 12 8 10 Bert Payne Ponsonby 13 7

Top point scorers Rk Player Team G T C P Pts 1 L Taylor Richmond 16 9 19 14 2 97 2 Frank Delgrosso Ponsonby 12 5 15 12 0 69 3 Len Scott Devonport 15 19 0 0 0 57 4 Craddock Dufty Newton 14 0 20 7 0 54 5 Charles Gregory Marist 16 1 19 3 0 47 6 Alf Scott Devonport 13 3 16 0 0 41 7 Roy Hardgrave Newton 15 13 0 0 0 39 8 George Perry City 13 12 0 0 1 38 9 Laurie Barchard City 16 2 9 6 0 36 10 Hec Brisbane Marist 15 11 1 0 0 35

Norton Cup (B Grade standings and results)

Norton Cup standings

Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Grafton Athletic	12	10	2	0	145	69	22
Otahuhu Rovers	12	7	1	4	123	115	15
Kingsland Rovers	12	6	0	6	130	105	12
Māngere United	12	5	1	6	139	89	11
Parnell	12	5	1	6	118	127	11
Point Chevalier	12	4	1	7	104	138	9
Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers	12	1	0	11	52	171	2

Norton Cup results

Stafford Park in Northcote. It was the original home ground for the Northcote club before they later moved to the Birkenhead War Memorial Domain.

Round 1 saw the opening of the new municipal ground (Stafford Park) at Northcote prior to Northcote and Birkenhead Ramblers match with Point Chevalier. The ground was opened by Northcote Mayor A. E. Greenslade who kicked off the ball to start the match. It was approximately the 21st ground in Auckland that had hosted an official senior club rugby league match. During the season Otahuhu asked the Otahuhu Borough Council for permission to take up a collection at the Princes St. Reserve and they also asked the council if they would erect a building. The council agreed to the collection but declined in regards to the building.^[78] On June 9 Sturges Park in Ōtāhuhu was used for the first time for an official senior rugby league game when Ōtāhuhu beat Māngere 7 to 5. Prior to the Round 11 matches Wirenui Mapi, the halfback of the Mangere team died after a short illness. The team wore white armbands for their match with Newton in honour of him.

Grafton Athletic won the competition after an undefeated season.

Fixtures

	Date		Score		Score	Venue
Round 1	28 April[79]	Parnell	13	Mangere	5	Carlaw Park # 2, 3:15pm
–	28 April	Northcote	10	Point Chevalier	9	Stafford Park, Northcote, 3pm[80]
–	28 April	Otahuhu	13	Grafton	15	Otahuhu Reserve, 3pm
Round 2	5 May[81]	Grafton	12	Parnell	12	Auckland Domain # 1, 3pm
–	5 May	Mangere	8	Kingsland	5	Auckland Domain # 3, 3pm
–	5 May	Point Chevalier	5	Otahuhu	5	Point Chevalier, 3pm
Round 3	12 May[82]	Grafton	12	Kingsland	5	Auckland Domain # 6, 3pm
–	12 May	Otahuhu	14	Northcote	0	Victoria Park, 3pm
–	12 May	Point Chevalier	8	Parnell	14	Point Chevalier, 3pm
Round 4	19 May[83]	Grafton	11	Mangere	8	Auckland Domain # 1, 3pm
–	19 May	Kingsland	30	Point Chevalier	7	Auckland Domain # 5, 3pm
–	19 May	Parnell	7	Northcote	5	Victoria Park # 2, 3pm
Round 5	26 May[84]	Northcote	5	Kingsland	9	Stafford Park, Northcote, 3pm
–	26 May	Otahuhu	8	Parnell	5	Otahuhu Reserve, 3pm
–	26 May	Point Chevalier	5	Mangere	11	Point Chevalier, 3pm
Round 6	2 June[85]	Mangere	13	Northcote	5	Victoria Park, 3pm
–	2 June	Otahuhu	3	Kingsland	8	Otahuhu Reserve, 3pm
–	2 June	Point Chevalier	0	Grafton	12	Point Chevalier, 3pm
Round 7	9 June[86]	Northcote	2	Grafton	24	Stafford Park, Northcote, 3pm
–	9 June	Ōtāhuhu	7	Māngere	5	Sturges Park, Otahuhu, 3pm
–	9 June	Kingsland	19	Parnell	10	Auckland Domain # 2, 3pm
Round 8	23 June[87]	Point Chevalier	17	Northcote	3	Point Chevalier, 3pm
–	23 June	Grafton	15	Otahuhu	0	Auckland Domain # 2, 3pm
–	23 June	Mangere	32	Parnell	18	Mangere Trotting Club, 3pm
Round 9	30 June[88]	Otahuhu	22	Point Chevalier	9	Sturges Park, Otahuhu, 3pm
–	30 June	Grafton	13	Parnell	8	Auckland Domain # 6, 3pm
–	30 June	Kingsland	6	Mangere	3	Otahuhu Trotting Track, 3pm
Round 10	7 July[89]	Grafton	8	Kingsland	3	Auckland Domain # 1, 3pm
–	7 July	Otahuhu	8	Northcote	6	Victoria Park, 3pm
–	7 July	Point Chevalier	8	Parnell	5	Outer Domain, 3pm
Round 11	14 July[90]	Grafton	3	Mangere	3	Carlaw Park # 1, 1:45pm
–	14 July	Parnell	18	Northcote	3	Victoria Park, 3pm
–	14 July	Point Chevalier	19	Kingsland	8	Point Chevalier, 3pm
Round 12	18 Aug[91]	Otahuhu	14	Parnell	8	Auckland Domain # 5, 3pm
–	18 Aug	Kingsland	16	Northcote	5	Outer Domain, 3pm
–	18 Aug	Mangere	6	Point Chevalier	7	Victoria Park, 3pm
Round 13	25 Aug[92]	Grafton	11	Point Chevalier	10	Victoria Park # 2, 3pm
–	25 Aug	Mangere	27	Northcote	3	Auckland Domain # 2, 3pm
–	25 Aug	Otahuhu	25	Kingsland	21	Auckland Domain # 6, 3pm
Round 14	1 Sep[93]	Grafton	9	Northcote	5	Victoria Park, 3pm
–	1 Sep	Mangere	18	Otahuhu	6	Auckland Domain, 3pm
–	1 Sep	Parnell	WBD	Kingsland	LBD	Outer Domain, 3pm

Stallard Cup Knockout Competition

In the first round of matches the referee (Mr. Hill) in the Otahuhu v Kingsland game stopped play early and awarded the game to Kingsland due to the rough play of the Otahuhu side. There were several fights during the match and the referee had difficulty keeping spectators off the field. According to the writer in the NZ Herald this “was not the first time the spectators at Otahuhu had made trouble, and they were really the cause of the players getting out of hand”.^[94]

The final saw Grafton and Point Chevalier tied at the end of normal time necessitating two extra periods of five minutes before Monaghan of Point Chevalier kicked a penalty goal to win the cup. This handed Point Chevalier their first ever senior trophy.

1928 Stallard Cup Results

	Date		Score		Score	Venue
Round 1	8 Sep[95]	Point Chevalier	15	Mangere	8	Carlaw Park # 2, 1:45pm
–	8 Sep	Grafton	10	Northcote	2	Auckland Domain # 1, 3pm
–	8 Sep	Otahuhu	5	Kingsland	8	Otahuhu, 3pm
Semifinal	22 Sep[96]	Point Chevalier	13	Parnell	6	Point Chevalier, 3pm
Semifinal	22 Sep[97]	Grafton	18	Kingsland	10	Carlaw Park # 1, 1:45pm
Final	30 Sep[98]	Point Chevalier	15	Grafton	13	Carlaw Park # 2, 3pm

Other club matches and lower grades

Lower grade competitions

Richmond were awarded the Davis Points Shield for the most junior grade wins. They gained 75 points, with Devonport finishing second.

Second grade (Wright Cup)

Devonport United won the championship, 6 points clear of Remuera, Ponsonby and Newton. Many of the results were not reported so the final standings are incomplete and shows the trailing teams 8 points behind. Newton won the knockout competition with an 8-7 win over Ponsonby on September 8.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	Pts
Devonport United	12	10	0	1	1	77	40	20
Remuera	12	6	0	5	1	141	87	12
Newton Rangers	11	6	0	4	2	83	56	12
Ponsonby United	11	6	0	5	2	68	76	12
Richmond Rovers	12	3	0	9	1	39	117	6
Māngere United	6	0	0	6	0	2	34	0

Third grade open (Walker Shield)

The championship was won by Richmond who finished 2 competition points ahead of Mount Albert though with many results not reported the standings do not reflect this. Richmond also won the knockout competition when the defeated Mount Albert on October 27. Mangere United withdrew after defaulting in round 1.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	Pts
Richmond Rovers	15	13	2	0	1	191	23	28
Mount Albert United	15	11	1	3	1	148	31	23
Grafton Athletic	13	8	0	1	1	62	34	16
Ellerslie United	13	6	2	2	1	69	28	14
New Lynn	13	6	0	4	1	67	41	12
Kingsland Rovers	14	5	1	5	1	54	58	11
Parnell	9	4	1	4	2	55	46	9
Otahuhu Rovers	15	4	0	9	0	26	89	8
Glen Eden	13	3	0	5	2	37	46	6
Ponsonby United	14	3	0	9	0	68	163	6
Devonport United B	13	2	1	7	2	37	88	5
Devonport United A	14	1	0	6	1	31	51	2
Northcote & Birkenhead Rambers	14	0	1	10	1	30	177	1
Māngere United	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0

Third grade intermediate

Won by Richmond who were unbeaten with 15 wins, 8pts clear of Ponsonby. They had scored 308 points and conceded only 28. They also won the knockout competition when they beat Newmarket 15-10 in the final on September 29. Newmarket had beaten Devonport 6-3 in one semi final, while Richmond defeated New Lynn in the other semi final. The Richmond team had been together for four seasons and won the competition each year as they progressed from sixth grade to third. They had only lost one championship match in that time.^[99] Grafton Athletic withdrew after 1 round so have not been included in the standings. Remuera withdrew after 9 rounds having lost all their matches to that point.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	Pts
Richmond Rovers	15	15	0	0	2	308	28	30
Ponsonby United	15	9	2	4	1	135	113	20
Newmarket	15	7	2	4	1	143	88	16
City Rovers	15	6	1	4	2	202	78	13
Newton Rangers	16	4	1	7	0	60	130	9
Devonport United	15	3	2	5	1	38	58	8
Point Chevalier	15	3	1	8	1	57	181	7
New Lynn	13	2	1	9	1	29	189	5
Remuera	8	0	0	7	1	6	105	0

Fourth grade (Hospital Cup)

Richmond won by Richmond, 2 pts clear of Remuera. Richmond also won the knockout competition when they beat Akarana in the final by 13 points to 8 on October 13. Richmond had beaten Remuera 3-2 in one semi final, while Akarana defeated City 11-3 in the other.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	Pts
Richmond Rovers	13	11	1	1	2	140	30	23
Remuera	15	10	1	2	1	129	42	21
Akarana	12	9	1	2	3	158	25	19
City Rovers	12	7	1	4	2	110	32	15
Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers	13	5	0	5	1	78	48	10
Otahuhu Rovers	14	3	0	9	1	27	145	6
Ponsonby United	13	1	0	9	2	21	95	2
Point Chevalier	12	0	0	8	2	6	158	0
Ellerslie United	10	0	0	6	1	2	96	0
Devonport United	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	0

Fifth grade (Endean Shield)

Akarana won the championship by 6 clear points from Devonport. Devonport beat Richmond 15–7 in the knockout final on September 15. On July 14 the newly formed Mount Albert side entered a team mid season and played 4 matches before the conclusion of the competition. Browne Bros and Geddes were a side made up of the employees of a confectionery company which entered a team in the competition. Their only win came against the Mount Albert side on July 21 when they beat them 6-4.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	Pts
Akarana	11	11	0	0	2	201	11	22
Devonport United	10	7	0	3	3	93	32	15
Grafton Athletic	9	4	0	5	2	53	57	8
Richmond Rovers	11	4	0	6	1	50	63	8
Browne Bros & Geddes	11	1	0	10	2	19	189	2
Mount Albert United	4	0	0	3	0	4	87	0

Sixth grade A

Point Chevalier won the championship, 6pts clear of Richmond. Richmond won the knockout competition when they beat Newmarket 5-3 in the final on October 6. Richmond had beaten Northcote 27-7 in a semi final while Newmarket beat Point Chevalier 14-0 in the other semi final. Otahuhu withdrew after 9 rounds.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	Pts
Point Chevalier	16	14	0	2	1	105	29	28
Richmond Rovers	16	11	0	5	1	71	53	22
Marist Old Boys	16	9	1	5	1	144	53	19
Newmarket	15	7	2	4	1	46	22	16
Akarana	15	6	2	4	1	99	35	14
Kingsland Rovers	15	2	2	8	1	35	57	6
Devonport United	14	2	2	9	2	23	121	6
Otahuhu Rovers	8	1	1	5	1	16	89	3
Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers	15	0	0	10	2	8	88	0

Sixth grade B (Myers Cup)

Point Chevalier won the championship with a 5 point gap back to Marist. Marist won the knockout competition with a 6-2 win over Point Chevalier in the final on September 29. Point Chevalier had beaten Richmond in one semi final, while Marist beat Devonport 11-6 in the other.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	Pts
Point Chevalier	13	11	2	0	1	133	8	24
Marist Old Boys	15	9	1	2	0	164	22	19
Richmond Rovers	17	7	2	3	2	107	41	16
Devonport United	14	8	0	4	1	120	80	16
City Rovers	15	6	0	4	0	67	58	12
Akarana	13	3	1	8	0	56	51	7
Newton Rangers	15	3	0	11	0	38	144	6
Newmarket	14	0	0	14	0	3	284	0

Schoolboys competition

Newmarket Primary School won the championship. Otahuhu Schools won the final of the school knockout competition after defeating Onehunga Convent 13 to 3 on October 27. Otahuhu had beaten Newmarket 12-10 in their semi final while Onehunga Convent A beat Mount Albert Primary School 8-0 in the other semi final. Newton, Mount Albert, Otahuhu B, Onehunga Convent B, and Onehunga Convent C had entered teams for the knockout competition which began on September 8.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	Pts
Newmarket Primary School	9	4	0	0	1	74	5	8
Otahuhu Schools	10	3	1	1	1	88	19	7
Richmond Rovers	9	3	1	1	1	52	10	7
Papatoetoe Primary School	8	2	0	2	1	22	52	4
Onehunga Convent A	8	1	0	1	0	30	17	2
Ellerslie Primary School	9	0	0	4	2	2	62	0
Mangere Primary School	9	0	0	4	1	3	106	0

Exhibition matches

Hikurangi v Richmond

Richmond traveled north to play Hikurangi in the first rugby league match in the area. The local rugby team had become dissatisfied with their treatment by the rugby union and had switched to the league code. Richmond won the match in poor weather by 5 points to 0. Due to the terrible conditions only about 50 spectators sheltered in the pavilion while there were half a dozen cars which spectators sat in and watched from. Some reports said the referee was Les Bull, the well known Auckland referee while others said the game was refereed by Richmond manager Ben Davis.

	7 July	Hikurangi	0-5	Richmond	Hikurangi Recreation Ground
	3:00		[100]	Try: G Stewart Con: L Taylor	Attendance: 100 Referee: Les Bull or Ben Davis

Ponsonby Tour Matches v Hikurangi

	1 September	Hikurangi	10–22	Ponsonby	Hikurangi Recreation Ground
	3:00	Try: C Meyers, Taylor Pen: J Hamilton 2	[101]	Try: Leslie Letton 3, Lou Hutt, Ford, George Gardiner Con: Kenneth Peckham 2

	1 September	Hikurangi Juniors	5–11	Ponsonby Juniors	Hikurangi Recreation Ground
	12:30	Try: O'Callaghan Con: Unknown x 1	[102]	Try: Wilson 2, Ashby Con: Fleming

Hikurangi tour to Auckland

	8 September	Ponsonby	17–14	Hikurangi	Carlaw Park 2
	1:45	Try: Crooks, Moore, Victor Fagan 2, Kenneth Peckham Con: Frank Delgrosso	[103]	Try: Bell, E Cunningham Con: J Hamilton Pen: J Hamilton, T Meyers Drop: J Hamilton	Referee: B Emirali

Exhibition matches

List of exhibition matches

	Date		Score		Score	Venue	Referee	Attendance
Exhibition Match	8 Aug[104]	Hikurangi Juniors	13	Richmond B	17	Hikurangi
Exhibition Match	15 Sep[105]	Hikurangi	23	Parnell	6	Hikurangi Recreation Park	-	400
Exhibition Match	6 Oct[106]	North Auckland	9	Auckland Selection	33	Whangarei	-	1,000
Exhibition Match	13 Oct[107]	Northcote	5	Hamilton	3	Carlaw Park # 2, 3pm	-
Exhibition Match	20 Oct[108]	Mount Albert 3rd Grade	5	Huntly Juniors	15	Carlaw Park # 1, 1pm	-

Representative season

The first representative fixture of the season was played against South Auckland for the Northern Union Challenge Cup which the visitors had won from Auckland in 1927. Auckland won the 1928 match by 22 points to 3. The game was played in poor weather and was notable for the number of serious injuries with Stan Prentice of Auckland breaking his nose, W. Smith of Huntly suffering a severe back injury, and Stan Raynor of Huntly breaking his ribs. All three of them were taken to Auckland Hospital.^[109]

A midweek trial match was played between the Possibles and Probables in order to select the Auckland team which was due to play the touring England side later in the season.

Auckland trounced Canterbury in a Northern Union Cup match by 66 points to 22 with winger Roy Hardgrave (son of former Kiwi Arthur Hardgrave) running in five tries. The match was played in good conditions for the most part and was witnessed by a large crowd of 15,000.

A North Island v South Island trial match was played at Carlaw Park. The North Island team fielded a large contingent of Auckland players including Craddock Dufty, Roy Hardgrave, Hec Brisbane, Maurice Wetherill, Stan Prentice, Frank Delgrosso, A. Scott, Lou Hutt, Wally Somers, and Jim O'Brien (Marist). The North Island team was far too good, winning 44 to 8. The following week a Probables v Possibles match was played as part of the selection process for the New Zealand team to play against the touring England side. The two teams featured the following Auckland players (Probables): Craddock Dufty, Len Scott, Hec Brisbane, Allan Seagar, Tim Peckham, Wally Somers, Jim O'Brien (Marist), Trevor Hall, Alf Scott, (Possibles): J Beattie, Trevor Hanlon, and Bill Cleaver.

A match was also played by Auckland in Whangarei. This was the first time an Auckland representative team had played in Northland and they were up against a fledgling North Auckland side. The area was relatively lowly populated and it was thought that they could not sustain both competitive rugby union and rugby league sides. Auckland win relatively convincingly and rugby league was to continue to struggle in the area for some time. The final match of the season saw Auckland go down to South Auckland both physically and on the scoreboard by 21 points to 7. The Auckland team was below strength.

Representative fixtures and trials

Auckland v South Auckland (Northern Union C.C.)

Stan Prentice of Auckland broke his nose, while W. Smith of South Auckland sustained serious injuries to his back and broken ribs. While Stan Raynor also of South Auckland broke ribs with all three players being admitted to Auckland Hospital.

	16 June	Auckland	22–3	South Auckland	Carlaw Park 1
	2:45	Try: Len Scott, Claude List 2, Roy Hardgrave, Lou Hutt, Bert Payne Con: Craddock Dufty 2	[110]	Try: L Williams	Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Les Bull

Auckland trial match

	11 July	Auckland Probables	14–24	Auckland Possibles	Carlaw Park 1
	2:30	Try: Tim Peckham, Ralph Jenkinson, Joe Hadley, Dooley Moore Con: Charles Gregory	[111]	Try: Roy Hardgrave, Maurice Wetherill, Claude List, Stan Prentice 2, Trevor Hall Con: Frank Delgrosso 2 Pen: Frank Delgrosso	Attendance: 1,500 Referee: H McKubrey

Auckland v Canterbury

	21 July	Auckland	66–26	Canterbury	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Craddock Dufty 3, Claude List 2, Maurice Wetherill, Roy Hardgrave 5, Allan Seagar 3, Stan Prentice 2 Con: Craddock Dufty 2, Allan Seagar, Frank Delgrosso 4, Alan Clarke, Wally Somers	[112]	Try: P Smith, J Spillane 3, E Consedine, E Spencer Con: B O’Connell, P Smith, E Spencer Pen: R Bond	Attendance: 15,000 Referee: R.T. Hill

Auckland v South Auckland

	25 July	Auckland	17–19	South Auckland	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Len Scott 2, Claude List, Roy Hardgrave, Alan Clarke Con: Tim Peckham	[113]	Try: George Raynor, George Tittleton, Stan Raynor, Brownie Paki Con: Stan Raynor Pen: D Hall	Attendance: 2,500 Referee: William Mincham

Inter Island Match

	28 July	North Island	44–8	South Island	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Roy Hardgrave 2, Hec Brisbane 3, Stan Raynor, Frank Delgrosso 2, Lou Hutt, Tom Timms Con: Craddock Dufty, Frank Delgrosso 5 Pen: Craddock Dufty	[114]	Try: J Spillane, Goodall Con: J Spillane	Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Les Bull

New Zealand Trial Match

	1 August	NZ Probables	27–24	NZ Possibles	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Ralph Longville 3, Allan Seagar, Wilson 2, Ralph Jenkinson Con: Craddock Dufty 2, Wally Somers	[115]	Try: J Spillane, Alf Townsend, Quinn, J Payne, Alan Clarke, McOliver Con: J Beattie, Bert Eckhoff Pen: Alan Clarke	Referee: H McKubrey

England Tour Match

The entire Auckland Provincial team were Auckland club players aside from Joe Menzies

	8 August	Auckland Province	9–14	England	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Len Scott Pen: Craddock Dufty 3	[116]	Try: Alf Frodsham, Les Fairclough, Emlyn Gwynne, Billo Rees Con: Walter Gowers	Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Percy Rogers

Auckland v England

Crowd making their way to Carlaw Park.

	11 August	Auckland	15–26	England	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Len Scott, Roy Hardgrave, Alan Clarke Con: Craddock Dufty 2 Drop: Craddock Dufty	[117]	Try: Alf Ellaby, Jim Brough, Alf Frodsham, Billo Rees 2, Harold Bowman Con: Jim Sullivan 4	Attendance: 25,000 Referee: William Mincham

Auckland v Otago (Northern Union C.C.)

	15 September	Auckland	42–22	Otago	Carlaw Park 1
	3:00	Try: Roy Hardgrave 3, Len Scott, Hec Brisbane 3, Dick Moisley, Ernest Ruby 2 Con: Craddock Dufty 4, Frank Delgrosso 2	[118]	Try: W Clydesdale, R Cusack, J Timlin, T Hicks Con: W Clydesdale 2 Pen: W Clydesdale, Bert Eckhoff 2	Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Les Bull

North Auckland v Auckland

	6 October	North Auckland	9–33	Auckland	Kensington Park, Whangarei
	3:00	Try: H Connolly, E Cunningham, J Hamilton	[119]	Try: Claude List, Roy Hardgrave 2, Jones, Trevor Hall, Ernest Ruby, Ralph Jenkinson Con: Craddock Dufty 4, Roy Hardgrave Drop: Craddock Dufty	Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Les Bull

Auckland v South Auckland

	13 October	South Auckland	21–7	Auckland	Huntly Recreation Ground
		Try: Unknown x 21 points	[120]	Try: Unknown x 7 points

Auckland representative matches played and scorers

No	Name	Club	Played	Tries	Con	Pen	DG	Points
1	Craddock Dufty	Newton	5	3	14	0	2	41
1	Roy Hardgrave	Newton	6	13	1	0	0	41
3	Claude List	Kingsland	6	6	0	0	0	18
4	Len Scott	Devonport	5	5	0	0	0	15
5	Frank Delgrosso	Ponsonby	3	0	6	0	0	12
6	Allan Seagar	Devonport	4	3	1	0	0	11
7	Ernest Ruby	Devonport	3	3	0	0	0	9
7	Hec Brisbane	Marist	1	3	0	0	0	9
9	Alan Clarke	Newton	4	2	1	0	0	8
10	Stan Prentice	Richmond	4	2	0	0	0	6
11	Lou Hutt	Ponsonby	5	1	0	0	0	3
11	Albert Payne	Ponsonby	4	1	0	0	0	3
11	Maurice Wetherill	City	2	1	0	0	0	3
11	Trevor Hall	Newton	5	1	0	0	0	3
11	Dick Moisley	Marist	1	1	0	0	0	3
11	W Jones	Richmond	1	1	0	0	0	3
11	Ralph Jenkinson	Richmond	1	1	0	0	0	3
18	Tim Peckham	Ponsonby	3	0	1	0	0	2
18	Wally Somers	Newton	5	0	1	0	0	2
20	Jim O'Brien	Marist	3	0	0	0	0	0
20	Edward Crewther	Ellerslie	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	Alf Scott	Devonport	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	Horace Dixon	Devonport	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	Trevor Hanlon	Richmond	2	0	0	0	0	0
20	B Davis	Ellerslie	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	G Rhodes	Newton	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	Bill Hamilton	City	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	M Little	Newton	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	Ralph Longville	City	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	L Taylor	Richmond	1	0	0	0	0	0
20	Jack Wilson jun.	Mangere	1	0	0	0	0	0

Auckland players selected for New Zealand

The following Auckland players were selected in the New Zealand team to play the first test versus England at Carlaw Park: Craddock Dufty (Newton), Roy Hardgrave (Newton), Claude List (Kingsland), Len Scott (Devonport), Maurice Wetherill (City), Stan Prentice (Richmond), Frank Delgrosso (Ponsonby), Lou Hutt (Ponsonby), Wally Somers (Newton), Jim O'Brien (Marist), Reserves: Tim Peckham (Ponsonby), and Trevor Hall (Newton). New Zealand won the test by 17 points to 13 in front of 27,000 spectators.^[121] Hec Brisbane who had not been considered for the first test due to injury was selected for the second test to be played in Dunedin and replaced Len Scott in the side.

Annual general meetings and club news

Details of annual club meetings were as follows, along with notable news during the season.

• Akarana League Football Club held at Carlaw Park. They stated that the 1927 season had been successful with two of their three teams winning their grades.^[122]
• City Rovers Football Club held at Carlaw Park.
• Devonport United League Football Club held at the Buffalo Lodge Rooms on 19 March. During the season Devonport asked the Devonport Domain Board for permission to use the football ground for a match on 23 June and for the authority to charge spectators for entry. Permission was granted provided the charge did not exceed 1 shilling.^[123]
• Ellerslie United League Football Club held at their training shed opposite the Ellerslie Railway Station on 26 March.
• Glen Eden At the Auckland Rugby League's weekly Management Committee meeting in April they decided to give financial assistance to the Glen Eden Club toward paying off its ground.^[124]
• Grafton Athletic held at Leys Institute in Ponsonby.^[125]
• Kingland Rovers Football Club held at Buffalo Lodge Rooms on 25 March.
• Māngere United League Football Club held at Cook's Hall on 26 March. During the season Wirenui Hapi the halfback of the Mangere senior team died after a short illness. The Mangere team wore white arm bands on the jerseys for their round 11 match at Carlaw Park against Grafton.^[126]
• Marist Old Boys held at Donovan's Gymnasium in Parnell.^[127]
• Mt Albert held their first ever meeting at St George's Hall in Mt Albert. It was decided that they would form a club in Mt Albert although they did not decide on a name at this time. They entered teams in the third and fourth grades.^[128] During the season Auckland Rugby League made a grant of £3 to Mount Albert for a dressing shed.^[129]
• New Lynn League Football Club held at Foresters’ Hall, New Lynn on 28 March.
• Newton Rangers Football Club held at Nairn's Tea Rooms on Karangahape Road.
• Northcote-Birkenhead Ramblers League Football Club held at Foresters’ Hall, Birkenhead on 22 March.
• Parnell League Football Club held at Donovan's Gymnasium in Parnell.^[130] It was noted at the meeting that Parnell had lost its ground as the council was going to put roads through it. They were going to make arrangements to use the Auckland Domain for training purposes.
• Point Chevalier League Football Club held in the Point Chevalier Hall.^[131]
• Ponsonby United Football Club held at The Leys Institute in Ponsonby. Ponsonby were being called “Ponies” in the newspapers during the season. They played the newly formed Hikurangi during the season and also toured the area with a senior and junior team.
• Richmond Rovers Football Club became the first team to play a rugby league match in Northland when they met the Hikurangi side. Their coach for the season was Ben Davis.
• Auckland Rugby League Primary Schools’ Management Committee.^[132] It was stated that eight teams were entered in various competitions in 1927.
• Junior Management Committee held at Gray's Buildings on 27 March.
• Referees Association held at the League Rooms on 26 March. During the season they asked that a written report submitted by its members should suffice for players ordered from the field, rather than requiring them to attend judicial inquiries as it was difficult to attend.^[133]