New South Wales Rugby League premiership

This article is about the NSWRL Premierships run from 1908 until 1994. For the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales, see New South Wales Rugby League.

New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL)
Sport	Rugby league
Formerly known as	New South Wales Rugby Football League (1908-1983)
Instituted	1907
Inaugural season	1908
Ceased	1994
Replaced by	National Rugby League
Number of teams	16
Country	Australia
Most titles	South Sydney Rabbitohs (20 ((*NSWRL)) titles)

The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and predecessor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League (initially named the New South Wales Rugby Football League) from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition.

For most of the premiership's history it was contested by clubs from the state of New South Wales only, but later grew into a nationwide competition, eventually leading to the competition being played under the auspices of the Australian Rugby League in 1995. Despite this name, the 1995 and 1996 Australian Rugby League Premierships competitions were still administered by the Board and staff of the New South Wales Rugby League.

1908: Rugby league premiership in Sydney

The inaugural New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) premiership began in 1908, and was made up of eight Sydney-based teams and one team from Newcastle. Cumberland joined the competition after the first round, meaning that they played one game fewer than the rest of the field for the season. Still known as the "foundation clubs" today, these nine teams battled against one another during the 1908 season, with South Sydney taking the first premiership honours after beating Eastern Suburbs in the Final.

Club	Traditional Colours	Years Contested		Matches						Seasons
				Played	Won	Drew	Lost	Win/Loss		Played	Premiers	Minor Premiers	Runners-Up
Balmain		1908 - 1999		1705	871	68	766	53.08%		92	11	7	9
Cumberland		1908		8	1	0	7	12.50%		1	0	0	0
Eastern Suburbs		1908 - current		1880	995	67	818	54.71%		107	13	18	15
Glebe		1908 - 1929		297	163	6	128	55.89%		22	0	1	4
Newcastle		1908 - 1909		20	9	0	11	45.00%		2	0	0	0
Newtown		1908 - 1983		1305	583	59	663	46.93%		76	3	6	7
North Sydney		1908 - 1999		1665	678	71	916	42.85%		92	2	2	1
South Sydney		1908 - 1999 2002 - current		1813	940	45	828	53.09%		105	21	17	13
Western Suburbs		1908 - 1999		1691	734	49	908	44.86%		92	4	5	8

1909 - 1994: Expansion of the premiership

As a result of South Sydney's dominant 1925 season, the NSWRFL introduced a finals system in order to maintain interest in the competition.

Over the decades since the NSWRFL competition started, Sydney suburban teams came and went throughout its history but it was not until 1982 that the competition saw significant expansion outside of the Sydney area. The two new inclusions were from the Australian Capital Territory - the Canberra Raiders - as well as a team from the southern New South Wales region - the Illawarra Steelers. This corresponded with the adoption of commercial sponsorship of the competition for the first time, seeing it become the Winfield Cup (named after the popular cigarette brand).

The NSWRFL had also commenced a very popular and successful mid-week competition in 1973, originally known as the Amco Cup, but also as the Tooth Cup and the National Panasonic Cup. The success of this competition, which included teams from both Brisbane and New Zealand ultimately created pressure for further expansion of the NSWRL competition. In 1984, the New South Wales Rugby Football League changed its name to New South Wales Rugby League.

In 1988, for the very first time, two Queensland teams joined the competition, with the inclusions of the Brisbane Broncos and the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants. This saw the premiership competition move beyond the outer borders of New South Wales. At the same time, as a result of mounting pressure from the central coast of New South Wales, a Newcastle franchise was returned to the competition. Their return saw the end of an 86-year wait in the wilderness and this time around the team was badged the Newcastle Knights.

Club	Traditional Colours	Years Contested		Matches						Seasons
				Played	Won	Drew	Lost	Win/Loss		Played	Premiers	Minor Premiers	Runners-Up
Annandale		1910 - 1920		153	25	6	122	18.30%		11	0	0	0
University		1920 - 1937		242	47	5	190	20.45%		18	0	0	1
St. George		1921 - 1998		1545	910	56	579	60.71%		78	15	15	12
Canterbury-Bankstown		1935 - current		1502	778	53	671	53.56%		71	8	6	8
Manly-Warringah		1947 - 1999 2003 - current		1261	719	35	507	58.41%		56	7	9	10
Parramatta		1947 - current		1321	608	38	675	47.46%		59	4	5	4
Cronulla-Sutherland		1967 - current		932	456	22	454	50.11%		39	0	2	3
Penrith		1967 - current		917	379	26	512	42.75%		39	2	2	1
Illawarra		1982 - 1998		396	153	13	230	40.28%		17	0	0	0
Canberra		1982 - current		606	323	9	274	54.04%		24	3	1	2
Brisbane		1988 - current		457	299	11	147	66.63%		18	5	4	0
Newcastle		1988 - current		446	234	14	198	54.04%		18	2	0	0
Gold Coast		1988 - 1998		246	53	9	184	23.37%		11	0	0	0

After mostly solid results were obtained by the expansion teams in 1988, there was increasing pressure for new inclusions into the competition. Having decided in May 1992 that a team from Auckland would join the premiership in 1995, the League announced in November that three more new clubs — from North Queensland, Perth and a second team from Brisbane — will also be invited.

In 1995, some seven years later, the competition expanded further into Queensland, with the inception of the South Queensland Crushers and the North Queensland Cowboys. 1995 also saw a new team in Western Australia, the 'Western Reds', as well as a New Zealand-based team - the Auckland Warriors. The total number of teams in the competition was now twenty - the largest-scale rugby league competition ever in Australia. The premiership's new national outlook was further reflected in the governing body's name, with the New South Wales Rugby League transferring control of the competition to the Australian Rugby League (ARL).

Premiers

Between 1912 and 1925 there was no semi-final system and a final was only played if two clubs finished level at the conclusion of the Minor Premiership. Souths won the 1909 premiership when Balmain forfeited in protest against the final being played as a preliminary match before a promotional game between the national Rugby League and Rugby Union sides. The 1937 season also featured no finals as the year was disrupted by the Kangaroos tour. Between 1926 and 1953 first played third and second played fourth and winners played off. If the minor premiers were defeated they had a right of challenge, but if they were not defeated there was no true "grand final."

From 1954 a mandatory grand final was introduced in which there was a knockout minor semi-final between third and fourth and a second-chance major semi between first and second. The winner of the major semi went to the grand final and a preliminary final was played between the winner of the minor semi and the loser of the major semi to decide who would meet the winner of the major semi.

In 1973 a final five was devised with the top team going straight into the major semi, the second and third teams playing a major preliminary semi, and the fourth and fifth playing a sudden-death minor preliminary semi. The top team played the winner of the major preliminary semi-final, whilst the winner of the minor preliminary semi played the loser of the major preliminary semi in the minor semi-final (which was played as before under the final four system.

Past winners of the NSWRL Premiership

Season	Grand Final Information			Minor Premiers
	Premiers	Score	Second
1908	South Sydney	14-12	Eastern Suburbs	South Sydney
1909	South Sydney	forfeit	Balmain	South Sydney
1910	Newtown	4-4	South Sydney	Newtown
1911	Eastern Suburbs	11-8	Glebe	Eastern Suburbs
1912	Eastern Suburbs			Eastern Suburbs
1913	Eastern Suburbs			Eastern Suburbs
1914	South Sydney			South Sydney
1915	Balmain			Balmain
1916	Balmain	5-3	South Sydney	Balmain
1917	Balmain			Balmain
1918	South Sydney			South Sydney
1919	Balmain			Balmain
1920	Balmain			Balmain
1921	North Sydney			North Sydney
1922	North Sydney	35-3	Glebe	North Sydney
1923	Eastern Suburbs	15-12	South Sydney	Eastern Suburbs
1924	Balmain	3-0	South Sydney	Balmain
1925	South Sydney			South Sydney
1926	South Sydney	11-5	University	South Sydney
1927	South Sydney	20-11	St. George	South Sydney
1928	South Sydney	26-5	Eastern Suburbs	St. George
1929	South Sydney	30-10	Newtown	South Sydney
1930	Western Suburbs	27-2	St. George	Western Suburbs
1931	South Sydney	12-7	Eastern Suburbs	Eastern Suburbs
1932	South Sydney	19-12	Western Suburbs	South Sydney
1933	Newtown	18-5	St. George	Newtown
1934	Western Suburbs	15-2	Eastern Suburbs	Eastern Suburbs
1935	Eastern Suburbs	19-3	South Sydney	Eastern Suburbs
1936	Eastern Suburbs	32-12	Balmain	Eastern Suburbs
1937	Eastern Suburbs			Eastern Suburbs
1938	Canterbury-Bankstown	19-6	Eastern Suburbs	Canterbury-Bankstown
1939	Balmain	33-4	South Sydney	Balmain
1940	Eastern Suburbs	24-14	Canterbury-Bankstown	Eastern Suburbs
1941	St. George	31-14	Eastern Suburbs	Eastern Suburbs
1942	Canterbury-Bankstown	11-9	St. George	Canterbury-Bankstown
1943	Newtown	34-7	North Sydney	Newtown
1944	Balmain	12-8	Newtown	Newtown
1945	Eastern Suburbs	22-18	Balmain	Eastern Suburbs
1946	Balmain	13-12	St. George	St. George
1947	Balmain	13-9	Canterbury-Bankstown	Canterbury-Bankstown
1948	Western Suburbs	8-5	Balmain	Western Suburbs
1949	St. George	19-12	South Sydney	South Sydney
1950	South Sydney	21-15	Western Suburbs	South Sydney
1951	South Sydney	42-14	Manly-Warringah	South Sydney
1952	Western Suburbs	22-12	South Sydney	Western Suburbs
1953	South Sydney	31-12	St. George	South Sydney
1954	South Sydney	23-15	Newtown	Newtown
1955	South Sydney	12-11	Newtown	Newtown
1956	St. George	18-12	Balmain	St. George
1957	St. George	31-9	Manly-Warringah	St. George
1958	St. George	20-9	Western Suburbs	St. George
1959	St. George	20-0	Manly-Warringah	St. George
1960	St. George	31-6	Eastern Suburbs	St. George
1961	St. George	22-0	Western Suburbs	Western Suburbs
1962	St. George	9-6	Western Suburbs	St. George
1963	St. George	8-3	Western Suburbs	St. George
1964	St. George	11-6	Balmain	St. George
1965	St. George	12-8	South Sydney	St. George
1966	St. George	23-4	Balmain	St. George
1967	South Sydney	12-10	Canterbury-Bankstown	St. George
1968	South Sydney	13-9	Manly-Warringah	South Sydney
1969	Balmain	11-2	South Sydney	South Sydney
1970	South Sydney	23-12	Manly-Warringah	South Sydney
1971	South Sydney	16-10	St. George	Manly-Warringah
1972	Manly-Warringah	19-14	Eastern Suburbs	Manly-Warringah
1973	Manly-Warringah	10-7	Cronulla-Sutherland	Manly-Warringah
1974	Eastern Suburbs	19-4	Canterbury-Bankstown	Eastern Suburbs
1975	Eastern Suburbs	38-0	St. George	Eastern Suburbs
1976	Manly-Warringah	13-10	Parramatta	Manly-Warringah
1977	St. George	9-9 22-0	Parramatta	Parramatta
1978	Manly-Warringah	11-11 16-0	Cronulla-Sutherland	Western Suburbs
1979	St. George	17-13	Canterbury-Bankstown	St. George
1980	Canterbury-Bankstown	18-4	Eastern Suburbs	Eastern Suburbs
1981	Parramatta	20-11	Newtown	Eastern Suburbs
1982	Parramatta	21-8	Manly-Warringah	Parramatta
1983	Parramatta	18-6	Manly-Warringah	Manly-Warringah
1984	Canterbury-Bankstown	6-4	Parramatta	Canterbury-Bankstown
1985	Canterbury-Bankstown	7-6	St. George	St. George
1986	Parramatta	4-2	Canterbury-Bankstown	Parramatta
1987	Manly-Warringah	18-8	Canberra	Manly-Warringah
1988	Canterbury-Bankstown	24-12	Balmain	Cronulla-Sutherland
1989	Canberra	19-14	Balmain	South Sydney
1990	Canberra	18-14	Penrith	Canberra
1991	Penrith	19-12	Canberra	Penrith
1992	Brisbane	28-8	St. George	Brisbane
1993	Brisbane	14-6	St. George	Canterbury-Bankstown
1994	Canberra	36-12	Canterbury-Bankstown	Canterbury-Bankstown

• 1909: Balmain refused to play the final in protest to the game being held as a curtain-raiser to a Kangaroos v Wallabies match. Souths played, kicked off, scored & were declared premiers. Many contend though that a 'gentlemans agreement' was reached to postpone the game to the following weekend - and the action undertaken by Souths in starting the match sparked a fierce and bitter rivalry between the clubs that continued for many decades.
• 1910: Top two played off for the title. In the event of a drawn match, the superior record during the season secured the title, Newtown had compiled 23 competition points, Souths 22.
• 1977-78: Drawn games requiring a replay.
• 1989: The score was tied 14 all at normal full-time - extra time was played to decide the winner.

See also

• Winfield Cup
• History of rugby league
• Rugby league in Australia
• National Rugby League
• Amco Cup
• New South Wales Cup