Rugby League may have established itself in the Sydney metropolitan area in 1908 but the progress of this rugby game, played under different rules, into country NSW was lamentably slow. It was not until the end of World War 1 that news of it reached the south-west area of the state. Rugby Union was the only football known until then. In fact it has been documented that some parts of NSW had not heard of this new game as late as 1928.
Perhaps it was a fear of this new game spreading that enticed Mr. Ted Maher, the publican of the Wyndard Hotel Tumut, in 1920 to come up with the idea of a challenge trophy as an additional competition to counter any progress of the game of Rugby League in the south-west of the state. The offer was accepted but the Rugby Union wanted this new challenge competition conducted their way and not the way Ted Maher intended. Nevertheless that year, 1920, Gundagai twice challenged Tumut for the Cup, but by 1921 this new game Rugby League had won over a majority of players and Ted Maher, still not happy with the Rugby Union administration told them what he thought and the Rugby League Maher Cup challenge was on its way.