The 1917 Auckland Rugby League season was its 9th. Due to the large number of players now serving in the First World War it was agreed to relax transfer rules to allow players from stronger teams to join weaker teams to even the competition. It was noted how many men from various clubs had been killed in battle by the beginning of 1917. They were Cecil Walker, Doug Dawson, T Marshall (Grafton Athletic), Charles Savory, Frank McWhirter (Ponsonby United), Graham Cook (Ponsonby United), N Vause, V McCollum, Alf Gault, T Lambert, E Tiernan, F Stubbs, W. G. Handle (Ponsonby United), B Hart, F Gladding, A Powley, Chas Mann (North Shore Albions), , G Jones, W Harris, S Magee, S Greer (City Rovers), A Miller, C Sinton, and L O'Leary (Sunnyside). City Rovers had 'sent' ninety men to war by this tim