Billy Cann was a South Sydney founding father and one of the original pioneers of rugby league in 1907. A three time South Sydney premiership winner in 1908, 1909 and 1914, who also played in two other premiership deciders in 1910 and 1916. He also played in the premiership winning 1905 South Sydney Rugby Union team.
Cann was a premiership winning RU player, winning 1905 South Sydney RU team, before coming get involved in the NSW Pioneer breakaway when Victor Trumper and Ed Fry came to visit him and Arthur Hennessy. Cann played in all 3 NSW Pioneer matches in 1907, winning the NSW Pioneers forwards medal for scoring the first forwards try in the series.
Cann would be a key player in the formation of South Sydney District Rugby League football club. On the eve of the first game, he broke his thumb in the 1908 trials against North Sydney missing the first competition round. He made his first grade premiership debut in the 1908 Round 2 clash against Western Suburbs at the RAS Showground.
In Cann's move to rugby league, he would revolutionise how locks play. A steady player, fast and tricky in the loose, and a sound tackler. He could fill with credit in any position in the field. He was considered the best open forward Rugby League had known.
Cann played 9 seasons with South Sydney. He played 78 first grade club games for South Sydney, which includes 72 first grade premiership games and 3 first grade cup games. Cann was made club captain in 1911 and made his first grade captaincy debut, in the 1911 Round 1 clash North Sydney. He captained South Sydney on 12 occassions.
Cann played 90 representative games while at South Sydney. After playing with the NSW Pioneers in 1907, Cann would play 39 games for New South Wales. Touring New Zealand in 1912 and 1913. In 1908 he made his international debut for Australia in the 3rd Test against New Zealand. Cann was a member of the 1908-09 and 1911-12 Kangaroos tours. All up he would play 47 games for Australia/Australasia, which included 12 internationals.
Cann played his last first grade premiership game in the 1916 premiership final against Balmain at the Sydney Cricket Ground. A week later he played his final first grade cup game in 1916 Round 1 City Cup clash against Glebe at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He briefly came out of retirement during the 1920 South Sydney western Tour matches, showing he still had the ability scoring two tries. He played his final South Sydney first grade club game in the 1920 Tour match against Blayney in Neville, NSW.
Cann was a awarded NSWRL Life Membership as one of the NSW Pioneers in 1908. In 1939 he was named as South Sydney's greatest ever lock. In 1952, Cann was named a Immortal by the RL News. In 2007, Cann was named in the 100 ARL Greatest Player, and in 2018 he was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame. In 2021 he was named as a South Sydney Founding Father. Cann is one of South Sydney's greatest ever players.
Player Relatives
Brother - Cann, Sydney
Playing - Height / Weight
5ft 10.5in / 12st 10lb
Representative Qualification
NSW City
Date of Birth
Sydney - 11th October 1882 (Died - 1958)
Previous Clubs First Grade
M T G FG Pt
Cleveland RU (1901-03)
South Sydney RU (2G) (1904-05)
South Sydney RU (1905-07) 20 5 - - 15
Previous Rep Honours M T G FG Pt
Combined 2G RU (1905)
Playing Career at South Sydney (1908-16,20)
South Sydney First Grade Debut
1908 Apr 25 Rd02 RASG v Western Suburbs (25y 197d)
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 5 5 - 6 - - 18
1909 9 8 (1) 7 - - 21 : : 1 1 - 1 - - 3
1910 9 9 - 5 3 - 21
1911 10 10 - 2 1 - 8 : : - - - - - - -
1912 9 9 - 3 - - 9 : - - - - - - -
1913 13 13 - 6 - - 18 : - - - - - - -
1914 9 9 - 2 - - 6 : 2 2 - 1 - - 3 : - - - - - - -
1915 5 5 - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1916 3 3 - - - - - : 1 1 - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1920 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : 2 2 - 2 - - 6
TOTAL 72 71 (1) 31 4 - 101 : 3 3 - 1 - - 3 : 3 3 - 3 - - 9
SS Cup 3 3 - 1 - - 3
SS FG 78 77 (1) 35 4 - 113
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 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1916 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1920 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
TOTAL - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
South Sydney Senior(FG/RG/3G) Grade Career
Premiership : Cup : All Matches
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
CAREER 72 71 (1) 31 4 - 101 : 3 3 - 1 - - 3 : 78 77 (1) 35 4 - 113
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 Rd01 v Norths
First Grade
Year Premiership( W- D-L %)
1911 10( 7- 2-1 70%) :
1913 2( 1- 0-1 50%) :
TOTAL 12( 8- 2-2 67%)
SS FG 12( 8- 2-2 67%)
Suspension Record at South Sydney
Year Grade v Wk CHARGE 1910 Rd10 FG Newtown 0 Excessive Roughness
Player Awards
Year Award 1907 - Pioneers First Try Scorer Medal - Forwards 1908 - NSWRL Life Membership 1939 - South Sydney Greatest Team 1952 - Rugby League News Immortal 2007 - ARL 100 Greatest Players 2018 - NRL Hall of Fame 2021 - South Sydney Founding Father
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 1907-13 6 6 - 8 7 - 38 : 21 21 - 6 2 - 22 : 12 12 - 11 3 - 39
Kangaroos 1909,17 : : 3 3 - 1 - - 3
Sydney Metropolis 1912 1 1 - 1 - - 3 : :
TOTAL 43 43 - 27 12 - 105
International Internationals : Other
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
Australia 1908-14 7 7 - 2 - - 6 : 15 15 - 3 - - 9
Australasia 1910-12 5 5 - 1 1 - 5 : 20 20 - 10 3 - 36
TOTAL 47 47 - 16 4 - 56
ALL REPS 90 90 - 43 16 - 161
Year Pos Team Versus Match T G/A FG
1907 Fwd NSW Pioneer v New Zealand 1st Match 1 - -
1907 Wing NSW Pioneer v New Zealand 2nd Match - - -
1907 Fwd NSW Pioneer v New Zealand 3rd Match - - -
1908 Fwd Australia v New Zealand 3rd Test - - -
1908 SRow New South Wales v NZ Maoris 2nd Match - - -
1908 SRow New South Wales v Queensland 1st Match 1 - -
1908 SRow Australia v NZ Maoris 1st Match - - -
1908 Res Australia v NZ Maoris 2nd Match (Match Cancelled)
1908 Australia (Kangaroo Tour)
1908 Lock Australia v Rochdale Tour Match - - -
1908 Lock Australia v Leigh Tour Match - - -
1909 Lock Australia v Widnes Tour Match - - -
1909 SRow Australia v Batley Tour Match - - -
1909 Prop Australia v Ebbw Vale Tour Match - - -
1909 Cntr Australia v Keighley Tour Match - - -
1909 SRow Australia v St Helens Tour Match - - -
1909 SRow Australia v Warrington Tour Match2 - - -
1909 Fwd Australia v New South Wales 1st Match - - -
1909 Fwd Australia v New South Wales 2nd Match 1 - -
1909 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 1st Match - - -
1909 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 2nd Match 1 - -
1909 Fwd Australia v New Zealand 1st Test - - -
1909 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 3rd Match (Withdrew due to injury)
1909 Fwd Australia v New Zealand 3rd Test - - -
1909 Fwd New South Wales v NZ Maori 1st Match 1 - -
1909 Fwd Australia v NZ Maori 1st Match - - -
1909 Fwd Australia v NZ Maori 3rd Match - - -
1909 Fwd Australia v NZ Maori 4th Match - - -
1909 Fwd Kangaroos v Wallabies 1st Match - - -
1909 Fwd Kangaroos v Wallabies 3rd Match - - -
1910 Fwd New South Wales v England 1st Match 1 - -
1910 Fwd New South Wales v England 2nd Match - - -
1910 Res Australia v England 1st Test (Selected but DNP)
1910 Fwd Australia v England 2nd Test 2 - -
1910 Fwd Australasia v England 1st Test - - -
1910 Fwd Australasia v England 2nd Test - - -
1910 Fwd New South Wales v Newcastle 1st Match 4 - -
1910 Fwd New South Wales v Queensland 1st Match 1 4 -
1910 Fwd New South Wales v Queensland 2nd Match 1 1 -
1910 Fwd New South Wales v Queensland 3rd Match - 2 -
1911 Fwd New South Wales v Queensland 1st Match 2 - -
1911 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 1st Match 1 - -
1911 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 3rd Match - - -
1911 Australasia (Kangaroo Tour)
1911 Prop Australasia v Yorkshire Tour Match 2 3 -
1911 SRow Australasia v Widnes Tour Match - - -
1911 Lock Australasia v English League Tour Match - - -
1911 Lock Australasia v Wigan Tour Match - - -
1911 Lock Australasia v Swinton Tour Match - - -
1911 Lock Australasia v Hull Tour Match 1 - -
1911 Lock Australasia v England 1st Test 1 1 -
1911 Lock Australasia v Oldham Tour Match - - -
1911 Prop Australasia v Wakefield Trinity Tour Match 2 - -
1911 SRow Australasia v Barrow Tour Match1 1 - -
1911 SRow Australasia v Runcorn Tour Match1 - - -
1911 SRow Australasia v Huddersfield Tour Match - - -
1911 SRow Australasia v England XIII Tour Match2 - - -
1911 SRow Australasia v England 2nd Test - - -
1911 SRow Australasia v Wales/West England Tour Match - - -
1911 Prop Australasia v Warrington Tour Match 2 - -
1912 Prop Australasia v England 3rd Test - - -
1912 Prop Australasia v Leeds Tour Match - - -
1912 Prop Australasia v Barrow Tour Match2 - - -
1912 Prop Australasia v Batley Tour Match 1 - -
1912 5/8 Australasia v Northern League Tour Match - - -
1912 Lock Australasia v Runcorn Tour Match2 - - -
1912 Fwd Australasia v Metropolitan 1 - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v Queensland 1st Match 3 - -
1912 Fwd Sydney Metropolis v NSW Country 1st Match 1 - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 1st Match - - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 2nd Match - - -
1912 Fwd Australia v New Zealand 1st Match - - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 3rd Match - - -
1912 New South Wales (New Zealand Tour Squad)
1912 Fwd New South Wales v Taranki Tour Match - - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v Rotorua Tour Match 1 - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 4th Match - - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v Hawke's Bay Tour Match 1 - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v NZ Canterbury Tour Match 2 - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v Wangunui Tour Match 1 - -
1912 Fwd New South Wales v Auckland Tour Match2 - - -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 1st Match - - -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 2nd Match - - -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 3rd Match - - -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 4th Match - - -
1913 New South Wales (New Zealand Tour Squad)
1913 Fwd New South Wales v Canterbury (NZ) Tour Match - 2 -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v Auckland Tour Match 1 - -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v Waikato Tour Match 1 - -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 5th Match 1 1 -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v Wellington Tour Match - - -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v New Zealand 6th Match - 1 -
1913 Fwd New South Wales v Nelson Tour Match - 1 -
1914 Res Sydney Metropolis v England Tour Match (Selected but DNP)
1914 Res New South Wales v England 1st Match (Selected but DNP)
1914 Res Australia v England 1st Test (Selected but DNP)
1914 Fwd Australia v England 2nd Test - - -
1914 Fwd Australia v England 3rd Test - - -
1917 Fwd Kangaroos v New South Wales 1 - -
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