Arthur Butler is the 1914 South Sydney premiership winning captain. He was a two time South Sydney premiership winner in 1909 and 1914. He was also a South Sydney premiership winning squad member in 1908, missing the final as he was on the 1908-09 Kangaroo Tour. He also played in the 1910 premiership decider. He also won the 1912 City Cup with South Sydney as captain.
Butler came across to the new league after playing rugby union in the lower grade Alexandria club. He made his first grade debut in South Sydney's inaugural Round 1 1908 clash against North Sydney at Birchgrove Oval.
Described in 1939 as the best pre World War II halfback South Sydney has produced. Butler had great hands, a slick passing game and outstanding kicking game. A skill he learned kicking the ball with Aussie Rules players. Playing at halfback he was a smart tactician and a grim tackler.
Butler played 8 seasons with South Sydney. He played 103 first grade games, which included 95 first grade premiership and 7 first grade cup games.
In 1911 Butler made his South Sydney captaincy debut in the Round 11 clash against Eastern Suburbs at the Sports Ground. He would act in a Captain-Coach role for 3 seasons in 1912, 1914 and 1915. He captained South Sydney first grade on 63 occassions, which included 56 first grade premiership games.
Butler was the original leading South Sydney season point scorer in 1908, before handing over the reign to Arthur Conlin in 1909. He was also the leading South Sydney try scorer before handing over the reign to Tommy Anderson in 1909.
Butler made his representative debut in the 1st 1908 clash between New South Wales and the touring New Zealand team. He made his international debut in the 1st Test for Australia against the New Zealand Maori. He was selected on the 1908-09 Kangaroo tour of England. Butler played 47 representative games while at South Sydney. This included 8 games for New South Wales, and 29 games for Australia which included 4 internationals.
Butler would play his final first grade game in the Round 1 City Cup clash against Eastern Suburbs at the RAS Shhowground. Butler was awarded NSWRL Life Membership in 1919. Arthur Butler is one of South Sydney's greatest ever players.
In 1922 Arthur Butler, who was the winning captain of the inaugural 1912 City Cup, presented a 1912 City Cup team montage to the South Sydney club, which proudly still sits on the walls of club to this day.
Player Relatives
Brother - Butler, Harry
Brother - Butler, Tom
Representative Qualification
NSW City
Date of Birth
Brisbane - 8th June 1882 (Died - 1947)
Previous Clubs First Grade
M T G FG Pt
Alexandria RU 2G (1907)
Playing Career at South Sydney (1908-15)
South Sydney First Grade Debut
1908 Rd01 Brch v North Sydney (25y 317d)
First Grade
Premiership City Cup : Tour
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
1908 9 9 - 8 11 - 46
1909 8 8 - 3 - - 9 : : 1 1 - 2 - - 6
1910 14 14 - 1 2 - 7
1911 12 12 - 2 4 - 14 : : - - - - - - -
1912 14 14 - 2 2 - 10 : 3 3 - - - - -
1913 11 11 - 4 - - 12 : - - - - - - -
1914 14 14 - - - - - : 3 3 - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1915 13 13 - 2 - - 6 : 1 1 - - - - -
TOTAL 95 95 - 22 19 - 104 : 7 7 - - - - - : 1 1 - 2 - - 6
SS FG 103 103 - 24 19 - 110
Lower Grades
Second Grade : (2G)Sports Ground Cup : Third Grade :
Year M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts :
1908 - - - - - - - : : - - - - - - -
1909 - - - - - - - : : - - - - - - -
1910 - - - - - - - : : - - - - - - -
1911 - - - - - - - : : - - - - - - -
1912 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1913 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1914 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1915 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
TOTAL - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
South Sydney Senior(FG/RG/3G) Grade Career
Premiership : All Matches
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
CAREER 95 95 - 22 19 - 104 : 103 103 - 24 19 - 110
Short Form
Short-Game Knockout
M S R T G/A FG Pts
1915 - - - - - - -
TOTAL - - - - - - -
SS SF - - - - - - -
Captaincy Record at South Sydney
South Sydney First Grade Captaincy Debut
1911 Rd11 v Easts
First Grade
Year Premiership( W- D-L %) : Other( W- D-L %)
1911 4( 2- 0-2 50%) :
1912 14( 8- 0-6 57%) : 3( 3- 0-0 0%)
1913 11( 8- 0-3 73%) :
1914 14( 11- 1-2 79%) : 3( 2- 0-1 67%)
1915 13( 7- 1-5 54%) :
TOTAL 56( 36- 2-18 64%) : 6( 5- 0-1 83%)
SS FG 63( 41- 2-20 65%)
Suspension Record at South Sydney
Year Grade v Wk CHARGE 1911 Rd14 FG Balmain 1 Disputing Decision
Player Awards
Year Award 1919 - NSWRL Life Membership
Representative Honours at South Sydney
Domestic CvC / Interstate : Tourists : Other
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
New South Wales 1908-11 2 2 - 1 - - 3 : 6 6 - 1 4 - 11 :
Kangaroos 1909 : : 3 3 - - - - -
Possibles 1910 : : 1 1 - - - - -
Sydney Metropolis 1911-15 1 1 - - - - - : : 4 4 - - - - -
Even Placed Teams 1915 : : 1 1 - - - - -
TOTAL 18 18 - 2 4 - 14
International Internationals : Other
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
Australia 1908-09 4 4 - 1 - - 3 : 25 25 - 5 12 - 39
TOTAL 29 29 - 6 12 - 42
ALL REPS 47 47 - 8 16 - 56
Year Pos Team Versus Match T G/A FG
1908 5/8 New South Wales v New Zealand 1st Match - - -
1908 5/8 New South Wales v NZ Maoris 1st Match - - -
1908 5/8 New South Wales v NZ Maoris 2nd Match 1 - -
1908 5/8 New South Wales v Queensland 1st Match 1 - -
1908 5/8 Australia v NZ Maoris 1st Match - - -
1908 5/8 Australia v NZ Maoris 2nd Match (Match Cancelled)
1908 Australia (Kangaroo Tour)
1908 Half Australia v Mid Rhondda Tour Match - - -
1908 Half Australia v Rochdale Tour Match - - -
1908 Half Australia v Runcorn Tour Match - - -
1908 5/8 Australia v Cumberland Tour Match1 - - -
1908 Half Australia v Aberdare Tour Match 1 - -
1908 5/8 Australia v Northern League Tour Match1 - - -
1908 5/8 Australia v Hull KR Tour Match - - -
1908 5/8 Australia v Lancashire Tour Match - 1 -
1908 5/8 Australia v Barrow Tour Match1 - - -
1908 5/8 Australia v Swinton Tour Match - - -
1908 Half Australia v England 1st Test 1 - -
1908 Half Australia v Treherbert Tour Match 1 - -
1908 5/8 Australia v Leeds Tour Match - - -
1908 5/8 Australia v Oldham Tour Match - - -
1909 Half Australia v Widnes Tour Match - - -
1909 Half Australia v England 2nd Test - - -
1909 Half Australia v Keighley Tour Match 1 - -
1909 Half Australia v Broughton Rangers Tour Match - - -
1909 Half Australia v St Helens Tour Match - - -
1909 5/8 Australia v Warrington Tour Match2 - - -
1909 5/8 Australia v Northern Union Tour Match3 - - -
1909 Half Australia v New South Wales 1st Match - - -
1909 Half Australia v New South Wales 2nd Match 1 7/8 -
1909 Half Australia v New Zealand 1st Test - - -
1909 Half New South Wales v New Zealand 1st Match - -/1 -
1909 Half New South Wales v New Zealand 2nd Match - 2/3 -
1909 Half Australia v New Zealand 3rd Test (Withdrew due to injury)
1909 Half New South Wales v NZ Maori 1st Match - 2/3 -
1909 Half New South Wales v NZ Maori 2nd Match (Withdrew after missing train to Brisbane)
1909 Half Australia v NZ Maori 1st Match - - -
1909 5/8 Australia v NZ Maori 3rd Match - 1/2 -
1909 Half New South Wales v NZ Maori 3rd Match (Withdrew due to injury)
1909 5/8 Australia v NZ Maori 4th Match 1 3 -
1909 Half Kangaroos v Wallabies 1st Match - -/1 -
1909 Half Kangaroos v Wallabies 2nd Match - - -
1909 Half Kangaroos v Wallabies 3rd Match - - -
1910 Half Possibles v Probables 1st Match - - -
1910 Half Australia v England 2nd Test - - -
1910 Half New South Wales v England 4th Match (Selected but DNP)
1911 Res New South Wales v Queensland 2nd Match (Selected but DNP)
1911 5/8 Sydney Metropolis v Newcastle 1st Match - - -
1911 Half New South Wales v Queensland 3rd Match - - -
1911 5/8 Sydney Metropolis v Hunter/Northern 1st Match - - -
1912 Half Sydney Metropolis v Australasia - - -
1914 Half Sydney Metropolis v NSW Country - - -
1915 5/8 Sydney Metropolis v Newcastle 1st Match - - -
1915 Res New South Wales v Queensland 1st Match (Selected but DNP)
1915 Half Evens Placed Teams v Odd Placed Teams - - -
After Leaving South Sydney
Butler became the first player in the NSWRL to play 100 first grade premiership games.
Subsequent Clubs First Grade
M T G FG Pt
Glebe (1916-17) 21 1 - - 3
Annandale (1918-19) 21 - - - -
When Butler passed away, John Quinlan remarked at his funeral, that "Arthur Butler was one of the greatest halfbacks I ever saw."
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