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National Rugby League season 2005
Teams	15
Premiers	Wests Tigers (1st title)
Minor premiers	Parramatta (5th title)
Matches played	189
Points scored	8861 (average 46.884 per match)
Attendance	3,276,675 (average 17,337 per match)
Top points scorer(s)	Brett Hodgson (308)
Top try scorer(s)	Matthew Bowen (21)

The year 2005's National Rugby League (NRL) premiership was the 98th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the eighth run by the NRL. The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen clubs contesting the 2005 Telstra Premiership. The Wests Tigers won their first premiership, beating the North Queensland Cowboys in the grand final.

[edit] Season summary

The 2005 NRL season was statistically the closest season ever, with just sixteen points separating the Parramatta Eels (first) and Newcastle Knights (fifteenth). It was also notable in that the previous four premiers failed to qualify for the finals (Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights). During the season, the National Rugby League announced a six-year $500 million television deal with Channel Nine and Fox Sports, to take effect in 2007.

The Knights recorded their worst ever start to a season (13 straight losses) and were consigned to last place for the entire season. They did however win 8 of their last 11 games thanks to the return of superstar Andrew Johns. They also recorded their then equal worst ever defeat - a 50-0 thrashing by the Parramatta Eels in round 14. During this match, an EnergyAustralia Stadium attendant ran onto the field, trying to tackle Parramatta's Daniel Wagon before he scored in the 78th minute.

It was announced that the Gold Coast Titans were to be admitted into the NRL as the sixteenth team, scheduled to begin playing in the 2007 season. The Titans would recruit John Cartwright as their inaugural coach and Preston Campbell was their first signing.

Johnathan Thurston won the 2005 Dally M Medal by a single point from Newcastle's Andrew Johns, despite Johns missing over a third of the season with a broken jaw. Johns had previously won the award in 1998, 1999 and 2002.

The two clubs that had players sent off won their matches (unlike in 2004) but the dismissal of John Hopoate made rugby league headlines. Hopoate was sent off in his team's win over the Cronulla Sharks and consequently received a 17-match ban. The Sea Eagles then terminated his contract.

The Wests Tigers became the first ever joint venture club to win the premiership, having formed in 2000 as a union between the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies, both foundation members of the original New South Wales Rugby Football League.

[edit] Teams

Brisbane Broncos			Canberra Raiders			Bulldogs			Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles			Melbourne Storm			Newcastle Knights			New Zealand Warriors
North Queensland Cowboys			Parramatta Eels			Penrith Panthers			South Sydney Rabbitohs
Sydney Roosters				St. George Illawarra Dragons				Wests Tigers

[edit] Advertising

In 2005 the NRL and their advertising agency MJW Hakuhodo for the third year running stayed with the Hoodoo Gurus' "That's My Team" soundtrack and developed three different musical executions.

The campaign focussed on the association of "strength" with the game and the ads featured three different musical interpretations of the song all without vocals. Each was created intending to bring out the positionings of rugby league characteristice of ‘strength of body’, ‘strength of mind’ and ‘strength of character’

Outdoor supersites also featured in suburban locations in NSW and local cinema versions of the TVC ran with a call to action inviting fans to attend a game of the team local to the cinema location.^[1].

[edit] Ladder

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Parramatta	24	16	0	8	2	704	456	+248	36
2	St George Illawarra	24	16	0	8	2	655	510	+145	36
3	Brisbane	24	15	0	9	2	597	484	+113	34
4	Wests Tigers	24	14	0	10	2	676	575	+101	32
5	North Queensland	24	14	0	10	2	639	563	+76	32
6	Melbourne	24	13	0	11	2	640	462	+178	30
7	Cronulla	24	12	0	12	2	550	564	-14	28
8	Manly	24	12	0	12	2	554	632	-78	28
9	Sydney	24	11	0	13	2	488	487	+1	26
10	Penrith	24	11	0	13	2	554	554	=0	26
11	New Zealand	24	10	0	14	2	515	528	-13	24
12	Canterbury	24	9	1	14	2	472	670	-198	23
13	South Sydney	24	9	1	14	2	482	700	-218	23
14	Canberra	24	9	0	15	2	465	606	-141	22
15	Newcastle	24	8	0	16	2	467	667	-200	20

[edit] Finals

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
			Date and Time	Venue	Referee	Crowd
Qualifying Finals
Wests Tigers	50–6	North Queensland Cowboys	9 September 2005	Telstra Stadium	Paul Simpkins	26,463
Brisbane Broncos	18–24	Melbourne Storm	10 September 2005	Suncorp Stadium	Steve Clark	25,193
St George Illawarra Dragons	28–22	Cronulla Sharks	10 September 2005	WIN Stadium	Tony Archer	19,608
Parramatta Eels	46–22	Manly Sea Eagles	11 September 2005	Parramatta Stadium	Tim Mander	19,710
Semi Finals
Melbourne Storm	16–24	North Queensland Cowboys	17 September 2005	Aussie Stadium	Paul Simpkins	16,810
Wests Tigers	34–6	Brisbane Broncos	18 September 2005	Aussie Stadium	Tim Mander	36,563
Preliminary Finals
St George Illawarra Dragons	12–20	Wests Tigers	24 September 2005	Aussie Stadium	Tim Mander	41,260
Parramatta Eels	0–29	North Queensland Cowboys	25 September 2005	Telstra Stadium	Steve Clark	44,327
Grand Final
Wests Tigers	30–16	North Queensland Cowboys	2 October 2005	Telstra Stadium	Tim Mander	82,453

[edit] Grand Final

After winning twelve of their last fourteen games, including impressive victories against the Cowboys (twice), Broncos and Dragons in the finals, the Wests Tigers reached their first Grand Final. They faced the North Queensland Cowboys who were also making their Grand Final debut since entering the competition in ARL season 1995.

First Half

For the third week in a row, Matt Bowan was the first try scorer for the match when he crossed over for North Queensland first try in the 8th minute with Josh Hannay converting to give North Queensland a 6-0 lead. 10 minutes later, Bryce Gibbs scored Wests first try of the game after a pass from North Queensland's Paul Bowman went wrong in the in-goal when he missed team mate Matt Bowan and then Bryce Gibbs scored with Brett Hodgeson converting levelling the socres at 6-6. 5 minutes from halftime, Benji Marshall got the ball 10 meters from his own try line before making a break running 50 meters before making a freakish back flick pass to Pat Richards who scored Wests second try with Brett Hodgeson converting to give Wests the lead 12-6, which was the halftime scoreline.

Second Half.

5 minutes into the second half, Wests extended their lead to 18-6 with a try to Anthony Laffranchi and a conversion to Brett Hodgeson. 10 minutes later, North Queensland bridged the margin back to six when Travis Norton scored the try and Josh Hannay converting making the score 18-12. in the 63rd minutes Wests' took it back to a twelve point game with a try to Shane Elford and a conversion to Brett Hodgeson to take it to 24-12. With only a few minutes left in the game, North Queensland scored with a try to Matt Sing but an important kick from Josh Hannay was missed narrowly making the score 24-16. Right on fulltime, Wests prop Todd Payton scored with Brett Hodgeson converting giving Wests the 30-16 win.

Wests Tigers 30 (Tries: Gibbs, Richards, Laffranchi, Fitzhenry, Payten. Goals: Hodgson 5/5)

North Queensland Cowboys 16 (Tries: Bowen, Norton, Sing. Goals: Hannay 2/3 )

Clive Churchill Medal: Scott Prince

[edit] Statistics

[edit] Records set in 2005

• Newcastle Knights' club record for their longest losing streak with 13 games from round 1 to round 15.
• Wests Tigers' club record for their longest winning streak with 8 wins from round 16 to round 24.
• Wests Tigers' standing record for their biggest ever win : 54-2 over the Canterbury Bulldogs in Round 24.
• Wests Tigers came only the third team in history to win a premiership in their first finals campaign; only behind South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1908 and Newtown in 1910

[edit] Leading try scorers

[edit] Leading point scorers

[edit] Sources and footnotes

[edit] See also

• National Rugby League
• 2005 NRL Finals Series
• Brisbane Broncos 2005
• 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations

[edit] External links

• NRL official website
• LeagueUnlimited
• Rugby League Tables and Statistics 2005
• Sports Australia League