McCabe is a 1 time South Sydney premiership winner in 1914, who also won the City Cup in 1912 with South Sydney. He also played in the 1910 premiership decider for South Sydney, and the 1914 City Cup decider for South Sydney.
Before coming to rugby league, McCabe was a well established international rugby union player. He played with South Sydney RU, and he was the leading try scorer of the 1905 South Sydney RU premiership winning team, and again in 1906 and 1907. McCabe was a Rugby Union international, touring England with the 1908-09 Wallabies and a 1908 Rugby Union Olympic Gold Medalist. He came to League as part of the 1909 Wallabies group, playing in the 1909 Wallabies v Kangaroos end of year series. McCabe was the highest paid Wallaby earning a reported £200 to come across to Rugby League. He made his first grade club and premiership debut in the 1910 Round 1 clash against Balmain at Birchgrove Oval.
McCabe was considered as one of the trickiest five-eighths to play. He was exemptionality quick off the mark, with a side-step either way at top speed, and clever at evading tackler.
McCabe was a prolific try scorer, scoring the most South Sydney and NSWRL tries in 1910 with 19, where he was dubbed the "Will O The Wisp". He would be the South Sydney leading career premiership try scorer from 1911 until 1914 McCabe was also the South Sydney leading career point scorer between 1912 and 1914.
McCabe played 5 seasons with South Sydney between 1910 and 1914. He played 77 first grade club games with South Sydney, which included 65 first grade premiership games and 8 first grade cup games. McCabe scored 57 first grade career tries for South Sydney.
McCabe continued his representative career with South Sydney, playing his first rugby league representaive game in the 1909 1st Wallabies v Kangaroos match at the Showground. In 1910 he made his interstate debut in the 1st New South Wales v Queensland clash at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Overall he played 9 representative games while with South Sydney, which included 3 games for New South Wales.
McCabe played his final first grade premiership game for South Sydney in the 1914 Round 14 clash against Annandale at the Showground. He then played his final first grade club and cup game for South Sydney in the 1914 City Cup Final against Eastern Suburbs at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
McCabe is one of best pre-Great War South Sydney players.
Playing - Height / Weight
5ft 6in / 11st 3lb
Representative Qualification
NSW City
Date of Birth
Tamworth - 23rd June 1887 (Died - 1924)
Previous Clubs First Grade
M T G FG Pt
South Sydney RU (1905-09) (Leading MRU try scorer 1905-06-07)
Previous Rep Honours M T G FG Pt
Sydney Metropolitan II RU (1908)
New South Wales RU (1907-09)
Australia RU (1908-09) 1 - - - - (1908 Gold Medalist)
South-Sydney/Glebe RU (1909) (Combined Team)
Playing Career at South Sydney
South Sydney First Grade Debut
1910 Apr 30 Rd01 Brch v Balmain (22y 311d)
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
1910 12 12 - 19+ - - 57
1911 15 15 - 11 1 - 35 : : - - - - - - -
1912 13 13 - 9 - - 27 : 3 3 - 2 - - 6
1913 11 11 - 2 - - 6 : 2 2 - - - - -
1914 14 14 - 7 1 - 23 : 3 3 - 1 - - 3 : 4 4 - 6 - - 18
TOTAL 65 65 - 48 2 - 148 : 8 8 - 3 - - 9 : 4 4 - 6 - - 18
SS Cup 8 8 - 3 - - 9
SS FG 77 77 - 57 2 - 175
+ - Top NSWRL Try / Pointscorer
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 :
1910 - - - - - - - : : - - - - - - -
1911 - - - - - - - : : - - - - - - -
1912 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1913 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1914 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
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 65 65 - 48 2 - 148 : 8 8 - 3 - - 9 : 77 77 - 57 2 - 175
Captaincy Record at South Sydney
never
Suspension Record at South Sydney
Year Grade v Wk CHARGE never
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
Wallabies 1909 : : 3 3 - 4 - - 12
New South Wales 1910 2 2 - 3 - - 9 : : 1 1 - 1 - - 3
Sydney Metropolis 1911 1 1 - - - - - : : 1 1 - 1 - - 3
Combined Odd FG 1911 : : 1 1 - - - - -
TOTAL 9 9 - 9 - - 27
International Internationals : Other
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
none :
TOTAL
ALL REPS 9 9 - 9 - - 27
Year Pos Team Versus Match T G/A FG
1909 5/8 Wallabies v Kangaroos 1st Match 1 - -
1909 3/4 Wallabies v Kangaroos 2nd Match 2 - -
1909 3/4 Wallabies v Kangaroos 3rd Match 1 - -
1910 5/8 New South Wales v Newcastle 1st Match 1 - -
1910 5/8 New South Wales v Queensland 1st Match 2 - -
1910 5/8 New South Wales v Queensland 2nd Match 1 - -
1911 5/8 Sydney Metropolis v NSW Country 1st Match - - -
1911 5/8 Combined Odd FG v Combined Even FG - - -
1911 5/8 Sydney Metropolis v Hunter/Northern 1st Match 1 - -
First Class Playing Career (1910-14)
M T G FG Pts
Total FG Premiership 65 48 2 - 148
Total FG Cup 8 3 - - 9
Total FG Club Tour 4 6 - - 18
Total Internationals - - - - -
Total State 2 3 - - 9
Total Other Representative 7 6 - - 18
TOTAL FIRST CLASS 86 66 2 - 202
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