A salary cap was introduced to the NSWRL in 1990 to even the playing field of teams in the Winfield Cup. Since that time, many high-profile indigenous athletes have played in the competition, including Arthur Beetson (the first Aboriginal person to captain an Australian national team in any sport) and former Test match representatives Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis. National Rugby League footballers are among Australasia’s most famous athletescitation needed, commanding multimillion-dollar playing contracts and sponsorship deals. The player judged to be the man-of-the-match by the Australian national team selectors is awarded the prestigious Clive Churchill Medal and the Prime Minister of Australia is typically on-hand to hand the trophy to the winning captain. At the conclusion of the grand final, there is a presentation ceremony where the winning team are awarded the Provan-Summons Trophy and premiership rings to each player and the head coach. From 1998 to 2011, the NRL used the McIntyre final eight system but with the introduction of the ARLC, it was decided to change to the current format which was perceived as fairer for teams finishing in the top four.

Updated Team Lists: Bulldogs vs Wests Tigers – Round 20, 2026

The game itself is usually preceded by an opening ceremony featuring entertainment and the singing of the national anthem by well-known Australasian and international musical acts. These two teams then contest the grand final, which is usually played on the first Sunday of October. However, following the boycott of the game by seven Manly players who refused to wear the specially designed jersey and ensuing poor publicity, it was decided not to have a Pride Round in 2023, but to stick with the other four rounds. Separate trophies between rival teams are also presented throughout the season.

Teams

A selection of classic NRL games is available for free worldwide on the league’s website. In July 2026, Nine, Fox and Sky NZ signed a new agreement worth $5.3 billion to continue broadcasting rights until 2034. Each player from the premiership-winning side is also awarded premiership rings. The trophy is awarded following each grand final to the captain of the winning club. These infractions are usually technical in nature and can sometimes be influenced by third-party factors, such as loss of sponsorship revenue affecting an allowance.

The Titans were the first professional sporting team to occupy the Gold Coast since 1998, when the Gold Coast Chargers were one of the teams removed during the NRL’s rationalisation process between the end of the Super League war and the 2000 season. In its tenth season, the NRL returned to having a club based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, with the inclusion of the Gold Coast Titans. In 2005, a record national audience of 4.1 million tuned in to watch the grand final between the Wests Tigers and the North Queensland Cowboys. In 2001, Australia’s largest telecommunications provider, Telstra, became the naming rights sponsor of the NRL, with the competition’s name becoming the NRL Telstra Premiership. The Auckland Warriors experienced much financial hardship in the early part of the decade, ultimately collapsing before being resurrected as the New Zealand Warriors for the 2001 season. Balmain and Western Suburbs formed the joint-venture club, the Wests Tigers at the end of 1999, while North Sydney and Manly Warringah created the ill-fated Northern Eagles.

In the city of Melbourne, whose team was playing in their second grand final, the game’s television ratings were higher than in Sydney, where the game was played. https://carrollforcolorado.com The matchup was a significant milestone in the history of the NRL, as two interstate teams (teams not from New South Wales, the “heartland” of the NRL) contested the grand final for the first time. From 2004 to 2005, there was a 39% increase in sponsorship, a 41% increase in merchandise royalties, and a 12% increase in playing participation. As part of another image makeover, a number of teams also released new club logos.

The NRL and its clubs receive significant revenue from sponsorships, with sponsors’ logos appearing on most parts of players’ and referees’ uniforms, the playing surface and even the ball itself. 2GB also airs representative games, as well as all matches throughout the finals series, and all three matches on Grand Final day. Prime broadcasts select games live in New Zealand starting from the 2022 season, and will continue to broadcast every Warriors match on delay. The first year it was held at Stadium Australia, the NRL Grand Final broke the record for attendance at an Australian rugby league game, with 107,999 people attending. The system consists of a number of games between the top eight teams over four weeks in September, until only two teams remain.

By revenue, the NRL is recognized as the richest rugby league football league and overall rugby league (including rugby union and rugby league) in the world as of 2023. The Provan-Summons Trophy is awarded to the team that wins the match, signifying their status as season premiers and allowing them to compete in the World Club Challenge against the English Super League champions. Typically, each NRL season spans from March to October, during which every team participates in 24 matches. An expansion team based in Papua New Guinea is anticipated to join the competition in 2028.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the finals series features the eight teams that achieved the highest rankings. Besides competing for their clubs in the premiership, players in the NRL frequently receive selections for various representative competitions held throughout the season. In 2022, several themed rounds were organized by the NRL, such as a Pride Round celebrating inclusivity for LGBTQ+ players, a Multicultural Round, an ANZAC Round, a Brain Cancer Round, and a Women in League Round. The initial two Series included the champions of the leagues along with two invited teams from each league, culminating in a three-game series.

In 2015, two exhibition games were added to the competition prior to the Challenge game. Clubs typically utilize this period to arrange trial matches aimed at testing player combinations. Within the Greater Sydney area, nine clubs are located (including one that represents the Illawarra region south of Sydney), with another club in regional New South Wales, four in Queensland, and one each in Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and New Zealand. On December 12, 2024, an announcement was made by ARLC chairman Peter V’landys, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Prime Minister James Marape regarding a Papua New Guinea-based team entering the NRL in the 2028 season. The plan to add three teams to the NRL by 2030 was confirmed by ARLC CEO Andrew Abdo and chairman Peter V’landys, with up to two of those teams potentially based outside Australia. This marked the first instance since 2008 in which the teams finishing in first and second place faced each other in the grand final.

Throughout the year 2008, the NRL commemorated the 100-year anniversary of rugby league’s introduction to Australia, implementing numerous initiatives to honor this significant milestone, including a comprehensive marketing campaign titled the ‘Centenary of Rugby League’. The opening round featured two matches at Lang Park in Brisbane, with the first match showcasing the reigning champions Brisbane against the North Queensland team, while the second match displayed the new team, the Gold Coast, competing against St. George Illawarra. The previously mentioned system was not implemented; instead, teams received a single bye during the year, organized in segments to assist clubs in managing representative matches. Due to an odd number of teams participating between 2002 and 2006, the draw necessitated that at least one team would have a bye each weekend.

The selection of teams occurs through public voting, with the two competing sides vying for the Arthur Beetson Trophy. The NRL Pre-season Challenge was introduced in 2023, aiming to create a more organized pre-season for every club. After selecting a Papua New Guinea NRL team as its eighteenth club, the NRL initially paused negotiations in April 2025, opting to postpone the addition of a 19th team. This new team will be located in Port Moresby, the capital city, and will host home matches at the National Football Stadium.

Manly achieved a 24–10 victory, securing their second premiership under the leadership of head coach Des Hasler. This marked the club’s first premiership in its eleven-year history and was the first time in 31 years that the St. George component of the joint venture had triumphed. By winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive series, Queensland further made history, triumphing in the 2010 series with a score of 3–0, marking their first Origin clean sweep since 1995.