Syd Jerram. : Mon Feb 01, 2016 3:28 pm  

Here's a short article from my programme last Saturday, when I popped to my local ground, which just happens to share the same name as your rivals.
I have no idea who wrote it, so I am not responsible for repeated references to 'that name', nor the phrase 'northern poachers'


Past Player profile: Syd Jerram
Position: Scrum half
Clubs: Swansea, Wigan RLFC
Honours: Wales RL 5 caps, 'Other Nationalities' v England RL 1 cap.

S.D (Sydney, George) "Syd" Jerram was born in Swansea in 1891 and entered the
Swansea RFC 1st XV in the 1911-12 season when Welsh International scrum half

Dickie Owen was given the captaincy in his last season as a player.
His debut came towards the end of an indifferent season for the club, against

the Barbarians at the Easter Holiday match in 1912. Ostensibly introduced as an outside half, he formed a thriving partnership with young scrum half "Dodger" Owen (in his own first season with The Whites).

In the 1912-13 season, Billy Trew was recalled to the captaincy for a record sixth time. Under his leadership, Swansea regained some of the dash of earlier years, winning the 1912-12 Championship and in a rain soaked pitch on Boxing Day 1912, beat the touring South Africans 3-0.
Syd Jerram played in this match without his natural partner "Dodger" Owen but with Oswald Jenkins at outside half and Jerram at scrum half.
The two outplayed their opponents on the day and a D J Thomas try secured the win.
The papers were full of praise for the young half backs.


This naturally drew the attention of the 'northern poachers' who descended on St Helens in the close season.
Although forwards were signed from Welsh clubs to the Northern league, it was half backs, and especially club pairings that commanded the greatest fees.
Swansea was unfortunate to have had the young upcoming pair noticed so early on in their career at St Helens.

Rumour was rife that Syd Jerram and "Dodger" Owen had signed for a northern club.

Following a meeting with a Wigan RL club representative at the Bush Hotel, Swansea on 28th September 1913, the rumours became reality and the Swansea 1913-14 season was to start without the two, who had signed for the Lancashire club for £180 each down payment, with win bonuses guaranteed and jobs at £2 per week cash.

For young working men at this time, it was an irrestistible offer.

Syd Jerram would surely have been capped in the Union game, had he remained at the St Helens ground.


Syd Jerram had a very successful career with the Wigan RL club either side of the great War.
He played in their Lancashire League victories of 1920-21, 1922-23, 1923-24 and 1925-26.
He also had a 24-4 win with Wigan in the 1923-24 Challenge Cup final against Oldham at the Athletic Ground, Rochdale on 12th April 1924.

He played in his preferred position of stand-off (five eighth) for the Wigan club and also represented Wales in the Rugby League code against England and Australia in 1921, against England twice in 1923 and again twice in 1925.
He had also been capped for 'Other Nationalities' against England in 1921.




My question. Have there been any other Swansea players who went to Wigan?

Re: Syd Jerram. : Mon Feb 01, 2016 4:15 pm  

Anthony Jones wrote:

Here's a short article from my programme last Saturday, when I popped to my local ground, which just happens to share the same name as your rivals.
I have no idea who wrote it, so I am not responsible for repeated references to 'that name', nor the phrase 'northern poachers'


Past Player profile: Syd Jerram
Position: Scrum half
Clubs: Swansea, Wigan RLFC
Honours: Wales RL 5 caps, 'Other Nationalities' v England RL 1 cap.

S.D (Sydney, George) "Syd" Jerram was born in Swansea in 1891 and entered the
Swansea RFC 1st XV in the 1911-12 season when Welsh International scrum half

Dickie Owen was given the captaincy in his last season as a player.
His debut came towards the end of an indifferent season for the club, against

the Barbarians at the Easter Holiday match in 1912. Ostensibly introduced as an outside half, he formed a thriving partnership with young scrum half "Dodger" Owen (in his own first season with The Whites).

In the 1912-13 season, Billy Trew was recalled to the captaincy for a record sixth time. Under his leadership, Swansea regained some of the dash of earlier years, winning the 1912-12 Championship and in a rain soaked pitch on Boxing Day 1912, beat the touring South Africans 3-0.
Syd Jerram played in this match without his natural partner "Dodger" Owen but with Oswald Jenkins at outside half and Jerram at scrum half.
The two outplayed their opponents on the day and a D J Thomas try secured the win.
The papers were full of praise for the young half backs.


This naturally drew the attention of the 'northern poachers' who descended on St Helens in the close season.
Although forwards were signed from Welsh clubs to the Northern league, it was half backs, and especially club pairings that commanded the greatest fees.
Swansea was unfortunate to have had the young upcoming pair noticed so early on in their career at St Helens.

Rumour was rife that Syd Jerram and "Dodger" Owen had signed for a northern club.

Following a meeting with a Wign RL club representative at the Bush Hotel, Swansea on 28th September 1913, the rumours became reality and the Swansea 1913-14 season was to start without the two, who had signed for the Lancashire club for £180 each down payment, with win bonuses guaranteed and jobs at £2 per week cash.

For young working men at this time, it was an irrestistible offer.

Syd Jerram would surely have been capped in the Union game, had he remained at the St Helens ground.


Syd Jerram had a very successful career with the Wigan RL club either side of the great War.
He played in their Lancashire League victories of 1920-21, 1922-23, 1923-24 and 1925-26.
He also had a 24-4 win with Wigan in the 1923-24 Challenge Cup final against Oldham at the Athletic Ground, Rochdale on 12th April 1924.

He played in his preferred position of stand-off (five eighth) for the Wigan club and also represented Wales in the Rugby League code against England and Australia in 1921, against England twice in 1923 and again twice in 1925.
He had also been capped for 'Other Nationalities' against England in 1921.

My question. Have there been any other Swansea players who went to Wigan?

After a quick search I have only come up with one Swansea player who played for Wigan ( there must be others) and that was Peter Rowe who played over 200 first team games for Wigan after signing for them in 1966. From 1964 until leaving for Wigan in 1966 he played for Swansea youth and Captained the Welsh youth team during that time.

He left Wigan in 1973 and went on to play for Blackpool and Huddersfield before returning to Wales.

Peter was mainly a centre at Wigan but I think he sometimes played standoff and later in his career I think he moved into the back row, especially when he went to other Clubs in league.

I think he went back to play for Cardiff, 1981-1983.

Re: Syd Jerram. : Mon Feb 01, 2016 10:02 pm  

[quote="Anthony Jones"]Here's a short article from my programme last Saturday, when I popped to my local ground, which just happens to share the same name as your rivals.
I have no idea who wrote it, so I am not responsible for repeated references to 'that name', nor the phrase 'northern poachers'


Good evening Anthony, after my reply regarding ex Swansea players didn't come up with anyone other than Peter Rowe it started me thinking, back in the 1950s when I was working as an apprentice plater in a steel fabrication shop in Leigh (3/4 miles from Wigan) the firm I worked for signed a player from Swansea.

That player was a centre named Gordon Lewis, he was a 5 cap Welsh Union International and I think it was about 1958, the reason I show this interest is because he came to work for the firm I worked for . I think he was about 22 and I was 18 at the time, it was said at the time he had spent some time working in the meterallagy department of a steel co in Wales.
He did not stay in the steel game long , he bought a grocers shop in Leigh and played for Leigh for about 12 years, I do not know if he is still in the area so may be "Charlie knows" can fill me in on that.
He was a very good centre and at the time he signed for Leigh I think it was said that Wigan were in for him as well, he was a very nice bloke and in the short time that I knew him he would tell me how much he was enjoying League especially the local derbys.

Re: Syd Jerram. : Mon Feb 01, 2016 10:18 pm  

[quote="stillinthepast"]
Brian I remember Gordon Lewis very well , he was playing Centre when I first started watching Leigh in 1962,he attended a recent Past Players meeting g at the LSV but I'm not sure where he now resides.

Re: Syd Jerram. : Tue Feb 02, 2016 9:18 am  

Didn't we sign Peter Endy Rowe from a Cornish Rugby Union Club?

Re: Syd Jerram. : Tue Feb 02, 2016 1:31 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

Didn't we sign Peter Endy Rowe from a Cornish Rugby Union Club?

I Rouges, everything I have found lends it self to Peter Rowe having signed for Wigan from Swansea , most of the sites are Wiki sites which give date signed, years at that Club, dates when the player has moved on to other clubs and statistics of number of appearances, tries scored etc.

After having another look I found his twitter account which gives the following profile.
I have deleted his account reference, because I do not know if I would be in order giving it, now maybe there is another Peter Rowe, but I do not know of him.



Peter Rowe.
Twitter.

Ex Rugby Player Played for Welsh Youth/Swansea RU/Wigan RL /Blackpool RL/Huddersfield RL /Cardiff RL/&WalesRL, Now retired & Golfing as much as I can..

Re: Syd Jerram. : Wed Feb 03, 2016 12:03 pm  

Thanks all, I shall look up Peter Rowe.

Since the 80s, I can recall Swansea RU players going to RL including Scott Gibbs, Stuart Evans, Richard Webster, Paul Moriarty and Adrian Cambriani. However, none of those went to Wigan.

Re: Syd Jerram. : Wed Feb 03, 2016 9:44 pm  

from the records i can find, for Welsh internationals :
Sid Jerram, George Owens, Peter Rowe - all played for Swansea RU and Wigan RL
Scott Quinnell - was born in Swansea and played for Wigan RL but didnt play for Swansea RU