List of National Rugby League Premiers
Updated: 11/5/2025, 10:52:05 PM Wikipedia source
As of the end of 2023, there have been 26 NRL Premierships and 116 including the lesser, state premierships, (NSWRL and ARL). This is a list of all the grand finals that were played to decide those premierships. Between 1912 and 1925, and again in 1937, the NSW premiership was decided on a first-past-the-post basis, with a final only played if two teams finished with an equal amount of competition points. This happened in 1916, 1922, 1923 and 1924. From 1926 until 1953, the second amended Argus System was used, whereby the minor premiers had the right to challenge the winner of the final to a grand final to decide the premiership. From 1954, the grand final became the only way to determine the premiership.
Tables
| Season | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Attendance | |
| New South Wales Rugby League | ||||||
| 1908 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 14–12 | Eastern Suburbs | RAS Showground | 4,000 | |
| 1909 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (2) | N/A | Balmain Tigers | N/A | N/A | |
| 1910 | Newtown Jets | 4–4 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | RAS Showground | 14,000 | |
| 1911 | Eastern Suburbs | 11–8 | Glebe Dirty Reds | 20,000 | ||
| 1912 | Eastern Suburbs (2) | N/A | Glebe Dirty Reds | N/A | N/A | |
| 1913 | Eastern Suburbs (3) | Newtown Jets | ||||
| 1914 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (3) | Newtown Jets | ||||
| 1915 | Balmain Tigers | Glebe Dirty Reds | ||||
| 1916 | Balmain Tigers (2) | 5–3 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Sydney Cricket Ground | 7,000 | |
| 1917 | Balmain Tigers (3) | N/A | South Sydney Rabbitohs | N/A | N/A | |
| 1918 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (4) | Western Suburbs Magpies | ||||
| 1919 | Balmain Tigers (4) | Eastern Suburbs | ||||
| 1920 | Balmain Tigers (5) | South Sydney Rabbitohs | ||||
| 1921 | North Sydney Bears | Eastern Suburbs | ||||
| 1922 | North Sydney Bears (2) | 35–3 | Glebe Dirty Reds | Sydney Cricket Ground | 15,000 | |
| 1923 | Eastern Suburbs (4) | 15–12 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 15,000 | ||
| 1924 | Balmain Tigers (6) | 3–0 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 15,000 | ||
| 1925 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (5) | N/A | Western Suburbs Magpies | N/A | N/A | |
| 1926 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (6) | 11–5 | Sydney University | RAS Showground | 20,000 | |
| 1927 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (7) | 20–11 | St. George Dragons | 8,000 | ||
| 1928 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (8) | 26–5 | Eastern Suburbs | 25,000 | ||
| 1929 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (9) | 30–10 | Newtown Jets | Sydney Sports Ground | 16,360 | |
| 1930 | Western Suburbs Magpies | 27–2 | St. George Dragons | 12,178 | ||
| 1931 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (10) | 12–7 | Eastern Suburbs | 27,104 | ||
| 1932 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (11) | 19–12 | Western Suburbs Magpies | 16,925 | ||
| 1933 | Newtown Jets (2) | 18–5 | St. George Dragons | 18,080 | ||
| 1934 | Western Suburbs Magpies (2) | 15–12 | Eastern Suburbs | 25,174 | ||
| 1935 | Eastern Suburbs (5) | 19–3 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Sydney Cricket Ground | 22,106 | |
| 1936 | Eastern Suburbs (6) | 32–12 | Balmain Tigers | 14,395 | ||
| 1937 | Eastern Suburbs (7) | N/A | South Sydney Rabbitohs | N/A | N/A | |
| 1938 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 19–6 | Eastern Suburbs | Sydney Cricket Ground | 20,287 | |
| 1939 | Balmain Tigers (7) | 33–4 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 26,972 | ||
| 1940 | Eastern Suburbs (8) | 24–14 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24,167 | ||
| 1941 | St. George Dragons | 31–14 | Eastern Suburbs | 39,957 | ||
| 1942 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (2) | 11–9 | St. George Dragons | 26,171 | ||
| 1943 | Newtown Jets (3) | 34–7 | North Sydney Bears | 60,922 | ||
| 1944 | Balmain Tigers (8) | 12–8 | Newtown Jets | 24,186 | ||
| 1945 | Eastern Suburbs (9) | 22–18 | Balmain Tigers | 44,585 | ||
| 1946 | Balmain Tigers (9) | 13–12 | St. George Dragons | Sydney Sports Ground | 32,296 | |
| 1947 | Balmain Tigers (10) | 13–9 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 29,292 | ||
| 1948 | Western Suburbs Magpies (3) | 8–5 | Balmain Tigers | 29,122 | ||
| 1949 | St. George Dragons (2) | 19–12 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Sydney Cricket Ground | 56,534 | |
| 1950 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (12) | 21–15 | Western Suburbs Magpies | Sydney Sports Ground | 32,373 | |
| 1951 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (13) | 42–14 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 28,505 | ||
| 1952 | Western Suburbs Magpies (4) | 22–12 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Sydney Cricket Ground | 41,060 | |
| 1953 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (14) | 31–12 | St. George Dragons | 44,581 | ||
| 1954 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (15) | 23–15 | Newtown Jets | 45,759 | ||
| 1955 | South Sydney Rabbitohs (16) | 12–11 | Newtown Jets | 42,466 | ||
| Season | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Attendance | |
| Super League | ||||||
| 1997 | Brisbane Broncos (3) | 26–8 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (3) | Queen Elizabeth II Stadium | 58,912 | |
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up | |
| 1 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 21 | 14 | 1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 2014 | 1910, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1949, 1952, 1965, 1969, 2021 |
| 2 | Sydney Roosters | 15 | 15 | 1911, 1912, 1913, 1923, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1945, 1974, 1975, 2002, 2013, 2018, 2019 | 1908, 1919, 1921, 1928, 1931, 1934, 1938, 1941, 1960, 1972, 1980, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2010 |
| St. George Dragons | 15 | 12 | 1941, 1949, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1977, 1979 | 1927, 1930, 1933, 1942, 1946, 1953, 1971, 1975, 1985, 1992, 1993, 1996 | |
| 4 | Balmain Tigers | 11 | 9 | 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1924, 1939, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1969 | 1909, 1936, 1945, 1948, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1988, 1989 |
| 5 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 8 | 11 | 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2008, 2011 | 1951, 1957, 1959, 1968, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1995, 1997ARL, 2007, 2013 |
| Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 10 | 1938, 1942, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1995, 2004 | 1940, 1947, 1967, 1974, 1979, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2012, 2014 | ||
| 7 | Brisbane Broncos | 7 | 2 | 1992, 1993, 1997SL, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2025 | 2015, 2023 |
| 8 | Penrith Panthers | 6 | 2 | 1991, 2003, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | 1990, 2020 |
| 9 | Western Suburbs Magpies | 4 | 8 | 1930, 1934, 1948, 1952 | 1918, 1925, 1932, 1950, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963 |
| Parramatta Eels | 6 | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986 | 1976, 1977, 1984, 2001, 2009, 2022 | ||
| Melbourne Storm | 6 | 1999,2012, 2017, 2020 | 2006, 2008, 2016, 2018, 2024, 2025 | ||
| 12 | Newtown Jets | 3 | 7 | 1910, 1933, 1943 | 1913, 1914, 1929, 1944, 1954, 1955, 1981 |
| Canberra Raiders | 3 | 1989, 1990, 1994 | 1987, 1991, 2019 | ||
| 14 | North Sydney Bears | 2 | 1 | 1921, 1922 | 1943 |
| Newcastle Knights | 0 | 1997ARL, 2001 | – | ||
| 16 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 1 | 3 | 2016 | 1973, 1978, 1997SL |
| North Queensland Cowboys | 2 | 2015 | 2005, 2017 | ||
| St. George Illawarra Dragons | 1 | 2010 | 1999 | ||
| Wests Tigers | 0 | 2005 | – | ||
| 20 | Glebe Dirty Reds | 0 | 4 | – | 1911, 1912, 1915, 1922 |
| New Zealand Warriors | 2 | – | 2002, 2011 |
References
- Melbourne were stripped of their 2007 and 2009 premierships due to salary cap breaches.
- Newcastle Heraldhttps://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/488759/sea-eagles-return-to-nrls-top-perch/
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/apr/22/melbourne-storm-stripped-nrl-titles
- "Awesome Foursome: Panthers down Storm to claim place in history"https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/10/06/four-of-the-best-panthers-down-storm-to-claim-special-place-in-history/