2008 NRL season results explained

See main article: 2008 NRL season.

The 2008 National Rugby League season consisted of 26 weekly regular season rounds, starting on 14 March, followed by four weeks of play-offs, culminating in a Grand Final on 5 October.^[1]

Regular season

Times for Rounds 1–3 are Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time. Times for Round 4 and the remainder of the season are Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Round 1

This round marked the first premiership round of the centenary season of rugby league in Australia.
Skilled Park on the Gold Coast becomes the 70th first-grade venue used and is filled to capacity for its first NRL match with the Gold Coast Titans against the North Queensland Cowboys.
The Titans' Jordan Atkins equalled the competition record of four tries on debut, emulating Johnno Stuntz (1908), Viv Farnsworth (1910), and Tony Nash (1942).
The Bulldogs suffered their worst collapse when they led Parramatta 20–0 at halftime to lose 28–20 at ANZ Stadium, while that comeback was Parramatta's second largest.
Brisbane's Corey Parker surpassed Darren Lockyer's and Michael De Vere's club record of most goals kicked in a match, scoring 10 goals out of 10.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	20-34	align=left	Sydney Roosters	14 March 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony Archer	29,386
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	36-18	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	14 March 2008, 8:30 pm	Skilled Park	Shayne Hayne	26,974
align=left	Parramatta Eels	28-20	align=left	Bulldogs	15 March 2008, 5:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jason Robinson	25,065
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	10-16	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	15 March 2008, 7:30 pm	Brookvale Oval	Jared Maxwell	15,424
align=left	Newcastle Knights	30-14	align=left	Canberra Raiders	15 March 2008, 7:30 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	17,233
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	48-12	align=left	Penrith Panthers	16 March 2008, 2:00 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Gavin Badger	31,250
align=left	Wests Tigers	24-16	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	16 March 2008, 3:00 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Sean Hampstead	18,211
align=left	Melbourne Storm	32-18	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	17 March 2008, 7:00 pm	Telstra Dome	Ben Cummins	20,084

Round 2

Newcastle Knights and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles played out the first golden point game of the season.
The Melbourne Storm lost their 100th ever game and their first game at Olympic Park since round 24, 2006.
Both of National Rugby League season 2007's grand finalists, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Melbourne Storm, were beaten this round both by one point by Newcastle and Cronulla.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Sydney Roosters	14-20	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	21 March 2008, 7:30 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Jared Maxwell	18,724
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	12-25	align=left	Bulldogs	21 March 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Sean Hampstead	21,839
align=left	Penrith Panthers	16-20	align=left	Canberra Raiders	22 March 2008, 5:30 pm	CUA Stadium	Jason Robinson	7,503
align=left	Newcastle Knights	13-12	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	22 March 2008, 7:30 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Ben Cummins	18,117
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	10-30	align=left	Wests Tigers	22 March 2008, 9:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	20,655
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	30-16	align=left	Parramatta Eels	23 March 2008, 2:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Shayne Hayne	15,250
align=left	Melbourne Storm	16-17	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	23 March 2008, 3:00 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Tony Archer	10,720
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	30-12	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	24 March 2008, 7:00 pm	WIN Stadium	Gavin Badger	10,521

Round 3

All matches this round were won by home teams.
A new Suncorp Stadium attendance record for premiership games is set with 50,612.
Brisbane Broncos made it three wins from their first three matches of the season for the first time since 2003.
Newcastle Knights played their second consecutive golden point game but lost to the Parramatta Eels.
Melbourne Storm suffered their first back-to-back loss since rounds 3 and 4, 2006.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles got their biggest ever win over the New Zealand Warriors.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	36-2	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	28 March 2008, 8:30 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Ben Cummins	50,612
align=left	Parramatta Eels	24-23	align=left	Newcastle Knights	28 March 2008, 7:30 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Tony Archer	15,176
align=left	Sydney Roosters	10-6	align=left	Melbourne Storm	29 March 2008, 5:30 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Shayne Hayne	12,137
align=left	Canberra Raiders	21-14	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	29 March 2008, 7:30 pm	Canberra Stadium	Gavin Badger	14,400
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	18-4	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	29 March 2008, 9:30 pm	Skilled Park	Jason Robinson	19,050
align=left	Penrith Panthers	26-22	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	30 March 2008, 2:00 pm	CUA Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	10,839
align=left	Bulldogs	32-12	align=left	Wests Tigers	30 March 2008, 3:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jared Maxwell	21,546
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	52-6	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	31 March 2008, 7:00 pm	Brookvale Oval	Sean Hampstead	10,175

Round 4

A new ANZ Stadium regular season attendance record (excluding double headers) was set when 36,526 came to the match between the Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters.
Golden point is invoked for the third time in 2008, the Cronulla v St. George Illawarra match going to extra time.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are the remaining team to yet win a game after falling for their fourth consecutive game against the Manly Sea Eagles who managed to keep them tryless by 20 points to 2.
The Sydney Roosters' and the Bulldogs' match was labelled the "Grudge Match of the Year" as many of the Roosters high-profile players were former Bulldogs and it was their first clash since forward Willie Mason left the Bulldogs for the Roosters. However the match was one-sided as the Roosters scored a 28-point victory. Braith Anasta, a former Bulldog, was named man of the match while Mason scored two tries.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Bulldogs	12-40	align=left	Sydney Roosters	4 April 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony Archer	36,526
align=left	Melbourne Storm	28-8	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	4 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Jared Maxwell	13,831
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	16-18	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	5 April 2008, 5:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Sean Hampstead	15,318
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	32-12	align=left	Canberra Raiders	5 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Skilled Park	Ben Cummins	17,381
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	38-14	align=left	Parramatta Eels	5 April 2008, 9:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Bernard Sutton	19,231
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	26-20	align=left	Newcastle Knights	6 April 2008, 2:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Tony Le Las Heras	11,518
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	20-2	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	6 April 2008, 3:00 pm	Brookvale Oval	Shayne Hayne	14,426
align=left	Wests Tigers	8-30	align=left	Penrith Panthers	7 April 2008, 7:00 pm	Campbelltown Stadium	Jason Robinson	11,898

Round 5

For the fifth time in their ten-year history, St. George Illawarra Dragons started the season with one win and four losses.
The New Zealand Warriors won their first match against the Bulldogs since the first week of the finals in 2003.
Canberra Raiders won the inaugural 1989 League Legends Cup against the Wests Tigers.
The Brisbane Broncos won their fourth straight match over the Newcastle Knights.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Melbourne Storm	26-4	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	11 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Tony Archer	13,632
align=left	Parramatta Eels	20-28	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	11 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Jared Maxwell	13,321
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	16-20	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	12 April 2008, 5:30 pm	WIN Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	11,639
align=left	Penrith Panthers	12-28	align=left	Sydney Roosters	12 April 2008, 7:30 pm	CUA Stadium	Bernard Sutton	16,294
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	36-16	align=left	Bulldogs	13 April 2008, 12:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Ben Cummins	15,912
align=left	Canberra Raiders	30-24	align=left	Wests Tigers	13 April 2008, 2:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Sean Hampstead	12,240
align=left	Newcastle Knights	22-34	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	13 April 2008, 3:00 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Shayne Hayne	21,614
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	10-12	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	14 April 2008, 7:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jason Robinson	12,998

Round 6: Heritage round

This premiership round, the Heritage Round, was set down to celebrate the anniversary of the first round of the 1908 premiership. Teams wore jerseys reflecting their club or region's first season in the competition.

Corey Parker played his 150th career game for the Brisbane Broncos.
Cronulla play their first home game of the season after five rounds on the road when waiting for their home venue (Toyota Stadium) to be upgraded. It results in a golden point loss to Penrith.
The Newcastle Knights put their season back into the positive after defeating the Sydney Roosters, bouncing back from a 20-12 half time deficit by scoring four tries within the remaining ten minutes.
Melbourne win their twelfth straight match against Canberra after coming from 16-4 down at halftime.
This round saw a change in the lead on the competition ladder, with the Gold coast Titans edging ahead of the Brisbane Broncos.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	26-24	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	18 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Skilled Park	Tony Archer	27,176
align=left	Parramatta Eels	16-20	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	18 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Shayne Hayne	14,025
align=left	Bulldogs	30-18	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	19 April 2008, 5:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Bernard Sutton	14,767
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	48-20	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	19 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Jason Robinson	20,554
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	20-21	align=left	Penrith Panthers	19 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Sean Hampstead	13,852
align=left	Sydney Roosters	20-34	align=left	Newcastle Knights	20 April 2008, 2:00 pm	Bluetongue Stadium	Steve Lyons	14,176
align=left	Wests Tigers	30-10	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	20 April 2008, 3:00 pm	Sydney Cricket Ground	Ben Cummins	19,122
align=left	Canberra Raiders	16-23	align=left	Melbourne Storm	21 April 2008, 7:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Jared Maxwell	15,550

Round 7

South Sydney Rabbitohs lose their ninth consecutive match (from round 24, 2007), this time to the Brisbane Broncos. It was also Tonie Carroll's 200th game for the Broncos.
The Dragons bounce back from their four-game slump causing the Sydney Roosters' first back-to-back losses for this season.
Gold Coast recorded their fifth successive win, becoming the first of any Gold Coast team in the top grade ever to do so.
Wests Tigers extend their winning streak against Cronulla to nine.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	26-6	align=left	Sydney Roosters	25 April 2008, 3:15 pm	ANZ Stadium	Sean Hampstead	21,596
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	32-18	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	25 April 2008, 7:45 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Jason Robinson	34,112
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	30-22	align=left	Bulldogs	26 April 2008, 5:30 pm	Brookvale Oval	Tony Archer	15,229
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	10-12	align=left	Melbourne Storm	26 April 2008, 7:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Gavin Badger	24,053
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	36-24	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	27 April 2008, 2:00 pm	Skilled Park	Steve Lyons	25,310
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	16-20	align=left	Wests Tigers	27 April 2008, 3:00 pm	Toyota Stadium	Shayne Hayne	17,241
align=left	Parramatta Eels	BYE	align=left	Newcastle Knights
align=left	Penrith Panthers	BYE	align=left	Canberra Raiders

Round 8

The Newcastle Knights get their first win over the Gold Coast Titans with a thrilling 13-12 match.
Referee Ben Cummins was hit by a foam football thrown by angry Penrith fans after the Parramatta Eels 26-18 win over the Panthers.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs got their first win of the season.
This round was followed by the 2008 ANZAC Test in what was the first test match played at the Sydney Cricket Ground since 1986.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Newcastle Knights	13-12	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	3 May 2008, 5:30 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Gavin Badger	21,280
align=left	Penrith Panthers	18-26	align=left	Parramatta Eels	3 May 2008, 7:30 pm	CUA Stadium	Ben Cummins	18,724
align=left	Wests Tigers	22-34	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	3 May 2008, 8:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony Archer	11,177
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	14-6	align=left	Canberra Raiders	4 May 2008, 2:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Sean Hampstead	7,358
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	28-24	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	4 May 2008, 3:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Shayne Hayne	9,818
align=left	Bulldogs	BYE	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	BYE	align=left	Sydney Roosters
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	BYE	align=left	Melbourne Storm

Round 9

The 0-0 halftime scoreline during the Melbourne and Newcastle match was the fourth time in three years that the first half of an NRL match has been scoreless.
Melbourne's win over Newcastle places the 2007 minor premiership winning Storm to the top of the table for the first time in 2008. Meanwhile, last year's second finishing team, the Sea Eagles, entered the top four.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Sydney Roosters	30-4	align=left	Canberra Raiders	10 May 2008, 5:30 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Jason Robinson	10,241
align=left	Bulldogs	4-30	align=left	Penrith Panthers	10 May 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jared Maxwell	10,257
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	18-24	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	10 May 2008, 7:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Tony Archer	17,065
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	12-30	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	11 May 2008, 2:00 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Shayne Hayne	27,469
align=left	Parramatta Eels	19-18	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	11 May 2008, 3:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Sean Hampstead	16,313
align=left	Melbourne Storm	18-4	align=left	Newcastle Knights	12 May 2008, 7:00 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Ben Cummins	10,624
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	BYE	align=left	Gold Coast Titans
align=left	Wests Tigers	BYE	align=left	New Zealand Warriors

Round 10

The 34 players selected for State of Origin are required to stand down for this round's club matches.
The Gold Coast Titans finally defeated the Bulldogs; the first Gold Coast team of any era - Giants, Seagulls, Chargers or Titans - to do so.
The Brisbane Broncos recorded their first back-to-back losses of the season.
The St. George Illawarra Dragons defeated Melbourne for the first time since 2004. Up to eight players from the usual Melbourne squad were omitted from the match due to State of Origin duties.
The Penrith Panthers made the top eight for the first time in 2008 by beating the Warriors.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Parramatta Eels	12-32	align=left	Sydney Roosters	16 May 2008, 7:45 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Shayne Hayne	16,211
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	24-20	align=left	Bulldogs	16 May 2008, 7:45 pm	Skilled Park	Jason Robinson	22,676
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	13-6	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	17 May 2008, 5:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Jared Maxwell	13,431
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	36-12	align=left	Melbourne Storm	17 May 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Phil Haines	6,881
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	38-6	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	17 May 2008, 7:30 pm	Bluetongue Stadium	Ben Cummins	9,343
align=left	Penrith Panthers	46-22	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	18 May 2008, 2:00 pm	CUA Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	9,450
align=left	Newcastle Knights	26-38	align=left	Wests Tigers	18 May 2008, 3:00 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Sean Hampstead	20,154
align=left	Canberra Raiders	38-10	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	19 May 2008, 7:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Gavin Badger	11,115

Round 11

The Warriors' loss to the Roosters was the first home game they lost in 2008.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	18-20	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	23 May 2008 7:45 pm	Brookvale Oval	Jason Robinson	12,058
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	10-15	align=left	Melbourne Storm	24 May 2008 7:30 pm	Bluetongue Stadium	Jared Maxwell	8,761
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	12-38	align=left	Sydney Roosters	25 May 2008 2:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Ben Cummins	11,922
align=left	Wests Tigers	20-18	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	25 May 2008 3:00 pm	Leichhardt Oval	Shayne Hayne	17,493
align=left	Bulldogs	30-22	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	26 May 2008 7:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony Archer	9,289
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	BYE	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys
align=left	Parramatta Eels	BYE	align=left	Newcastle Knights
align=left	Penrith Panthers	BYE	align=left	Canberra Raiders

Round 12

Manly's Adam Cuthbertson is sent off during Manly's win over Canberra.
Denan Kemp equalled the club record for most tries in a match for the Brisbane Broncos with 4 tries, one of which was the match-winner scored after the final siren.
The Bulldogs became the first team for 2008 to be held scoreless in a match.
North Queensland's Luke O'Donnell is also sent off in the Cowboys loss to Penrith in golden point extra time.
Brett Finch played his 200th NRL game. He became only the 5th player to reach this milestone before reaching the age of 27.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	30-26	align=left	Parramatta Eels	30 May 2008, 7:45 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Jason Robinson	25,564
align=left	Canberra Raiders	18-31	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	30 May 2008, 7:45 pm	Canberra Stadium	Sean Hampstead	13,120
align=left	Melbourne Storm	46-0	align=left	Bulldogs	31 May 2008, 5:30 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Shayne Hayne	12,251
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	18-19	align=left	Penrith Panthers	31 May 2008, 7:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Alan Shortall	16,553
align=left	Newcastle Knights	16-18	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	31 May 2008, 7:30 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Jared Maxwell	15,489
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	12-26	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	1 June 2008, 2:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Gavin Badger	12,978
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	30-14	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	1 June 2008, 3:00 pm	Toyota Stadium	Ben Cummins	8,214
align=left	Sydney Roosters	19-10	align=left	Wests Tigers	2 June 2008, 7:45 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Tony Archer	15,204

Round 13

Players selected for State of Origin were again absent from this round's fixtures.
South Sydney's rare win over the Warriors was their first win against them since 1999.
Wendell Sailor makes his return to the NRL with St. George Illawarra after a seven-year absence.
The Sydney Roosters fail to score against Manly for the second time in a row, losing 0-56 in Round 17, 2007.
For the first time, the Gold Coast Titans held their opposition scoreless with an 18-0 win over the Melbourne Storm at Skilled Park, in the process maintaining their undefeated home record in 2008.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	28-10	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	6 June 2008, 7:45 pm	ANZ Stadium	Ben Cummins	11,234
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	28-35	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	6 June 2008, 8:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	13,112
align=left	Bulldogs	12-22	align=left	Newcastle Knights	7 June 2008, 5:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Sean Hampstead	9,565
align=left	Wests Tigers	40-16	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	7 June 2008, 7:30 pm	Campbelltown Stadium	Gavin Badger	10,488
align=left	Parramatta Eels	30-12	align=left	Canberra Raiders	7 June 2008, 7:30 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Alan Shortall	10,195
align=left	Penrith Panthers	22-24	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	8 June 2008, 2:00 pm	CUA Stadium	Jared Maxwell	10,543
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	42-0	align=left	Sydney Roosters	8 June 2008, 3:00 pm	Brookvale Oval	Shayne Hayne	13,842
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	18-0	align=left	Melbourne Storm	9 June 2008, 7:00 pm	Skilled Park	Jason Robinson	19,409

Round 14

For the first time since 2005, the Cronulla Sharks have managed to win three consecutive games.
The Cowboys lost their seventh consecutive match for the first time since 1999.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Sydney Roosters	32-12	align=left	Penrith Panthers	13 June 2008, 7:45 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Sean Hampstead	9,724
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	24-8	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	14 June 2008, 7:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Ben Cummins	9,023
align=left	Canberra Raiders	34-16	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	15 June 2008, 2:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Jason Robinson	11,157
align=left	Wests Tigers	6-44	align=left	Parramatta Eels	15 June 2008, 3:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony Archer	22,170
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	18-30	align=left	Newcastle Knights	16 June 2008, 7:00 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Shayne Hayne	14,234
align=left	Bulldogs	BYE	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	BYE	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs
align=left	Melbourne Storm	BYE	align=left	Gold Coast Titans

Round 15

Both Friday night games were won by the home teams by one point which both avoided heading into extra time.
The Bulldogs suffered their second thrashing in five weeks, this time 18-58 by Canberra and is the most points the Bulldogs have ever conceded in 49 seasons (since 1959).
The Cowboys suffered their 8th loss in a row, this time going down 48-20 to the Melbourne Storm in Melbourne and are now in grave danger along with South Sydney for wooden spoon contenders.
The Roosters maintained their seven-year undefeated streak in Newcastle, grittingly winning 16-14.
The Sharks have ended Parramatta's clean run with their Toyota Park Stadium however, it resulted with Cronulla losing their key man and Blues five-eighth Greg Bird, injured in Cronulla's 16-14 win over Parramatta.
South Sydney earn their third win of the season in a tough affair with Gold Coast 24-23 with only a penalty goal from Isaac Luke putting them in front into full-time. Their win sees the Rabbitohs move out of last place for the first time this season after 15 rounds, slipping North Queensland to their long-held position.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	19-18	align=left	Wests Tigers	20 June 2008, 7:45 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Sean Hampstead	27,864
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	13-12	align=left	Penrith Panthers	20 June 2008, 7:45 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jared Maxwell	9,032
align=left	Bulldogs	18-58	align=left	Canberra Raiders	21 June 2008, 5:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Gavin Badger	9,845
align=left	Melbourne Storm	48-20	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	21 June 2008, 7:30 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Bernard Sutton	10,880
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	14-20	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	22 June 2008, 2:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	7,141
align=left	Newcastle Knights	14-16	align=left	Sydney Roosters	22 June 2008, 2:00 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Tony Archer	19,253
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	16-14	align=left	Parramatta Eels	22 June 2008, 3:00 pm	Toyota Stadium	Shayne Hayne	17,547
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	24-23	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	23 June 2008, 7:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Steve Lyons	9,827

Round 16

Once again, players selected for State of Origin duties were unable to play in this round.
The Penrith Panthers and the Brisbane Broncos played out the first draw of the season, and the sixth golden point game.
The Gold Coast Titans finally lost at home, going down to the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs equalled the second-biggest ever comeback in Rugby League History coming from 24 points down to win by a point against wooden spoon contenders the North Queensland Cowboys at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
The New Zealand Warriors defeated the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval for the first time in the Warriors' history.
The Parramatta Eels' win over the Melbourne Storm was their first since 2005, and first at home since 2001.
The Cronulla Sharks maintained their four-year unbeaten streak against the Canberra Raiders at Canberra Stadium.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Sydney Roosters	24-14	align=left	Bulldogs	27 June 2008, 7:45 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Jared Maxwell	9,271
align=left	Penrith Panthers	12-12	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	27 June 2008, 7:45 pm	CUA Stadium	Gavin Badger	9,967
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	22-26	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	28 June 2008, 5:30 pm	Skilled Park	Bernard Sutton	26,453
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	28-12	align=left	Newcastle Knights	28 June 2008, 7:30 pm	Bluetongue Stadium	Shayne Hayne	13,798
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	28-29	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	28 June 2008, 7:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	15,631
align=left	Wests Tigers	26-28	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	29 June 2008, 2:00 pm	Leichhardt Oval	Steve Lyons	15,027
align=left	Parramatta Eels	24-22	align=left	Melbourne Storm	29 June 2008, 3:00 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Ben Cummins	12,597
align=left	Canberra Raiders	24-36	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	30 June 2008, 7:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Sean Hampstead	9,136

Round 17

The Dragons protected their five-year unbeaten streak in Newcastle with a 24–16 victory over the Knights, which was also St George Illawarra's seventh consecutive victory.
The Melbourne Storm won their 13th straight match against the Canberra Raiders, ensuring their coach Craig Bellamy is unbeaten as coach against his old club.
Penrith's win over Parramatta was somewhat soured when Penrith captain Petero Civoniceva was racially taunted by Eels fans at Parramatta Stadium.
For the second week in a row, the South Sydney Rabbitohs came back to win, this time coming from 18 points down early in the second half against the Bulldogs in extra time, scoring four consecutive games for the first time in 14 years.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	14-34	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	4 July 2008, 7:45 pm	Skilled Park	Jared Maxwell	21,374
align=left	Newcastle Knights	16-24	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	5 July 2008, 7:30 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Sean Hampstead	22,348
align=left	Melbourne Storm	30-14	align=left	Canberra Raiders	6 July 2008, 2:00 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Ben Cummins	11,719
align=left	Parramatta Eels	16-22	align=left	Penrith Panthers	6 July 2008, 3:00 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Shayne Hayne	14,459
align=left	Bulldogs	30-34	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	7 July 2008, 7:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jason Robinson	15,562
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	BYE	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys
align=left	Sydney Roosters	BYE	align=left	Cronulla Sharks
align=left	Wests Tigers	BYE	align=left	New Zealand Warriors

Round 18

The Gold Coast Titans beat the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium, in doing so becoming the first Gold Coast team of any era to do so.
The New Zealand Warriors condemned the North Queensland Cowboys to their record 10th loss in succession.
South Sydney won their fifth match in succession for the first time since 1994.
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles took outright top spot on the NRL Ladder after beating the Cronulla Sharks at Toyota Stadium.
The St George Illawarra Dragons were, for the second time in three years, denied a record-equalling 8th-straight victory when they succumbed to the Canberra Raiders, who won their first match at WIN Stadium since 1995.
Darren Lockyer made a successful comeback for the Brisbane Broncos, who suffered a defeat to the Bulldogs.
Wests Tigers captain Brett Hodgson, the only remaining player to have played for the now merged Western Suburbs Magpies club, played his last ever match at Campbelltown Stadium. The team wore the iconic black-and-white Magpies uniform to celebrate this occasion.
During the Monday night match with the Tigers, Melbourne Storm veteran Matt Geyer became the first Storm player to play 250 games for the club.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Penrith Panthers	18-30	align=left	Newcastle Knights	11 July 2008, 7:45 pm	CUA Stadium	Gavin Badger	10,029
align=left	Sydney Roosters	28-32	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	11 July 2008, 7:45 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Ben Cummins	10,762
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	24-14	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	12 July 2008, 5:30 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Sean Hampstead	7,722
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	6-34	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	12 July 2008, 7:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Jason Robinson	18,217
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	32-20	align=left	Parramatta Eels	12 July 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Matt Cecchin	17,897
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	12-19	align=left	Canberra Raiders	13 July 2008, 2:00 pm	WIN Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	14,040
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	18-26	align=left	Bulldogs	13 July 2008, 3:00 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Tony Archer	37,683
align=left	Wests Tigers	18-30	align=left	Melbourne Storm	14 July 2008, 7:00 pm	Campbelltown Stadium	Jared Maxwell	16,653

Round 19

North Queensland's now eleventh consecutive loss is the worst such streak in the club's history.
The Manly Sea Eagles beat the Parramatta Eels despite losing captain/halfback Matt Orford, five-eighth Jamie Lyon and forwards Jason King and Luke Williamson. Lyon and King injured themselves early in the first half (Orford and Williamson had been ruled unfit to play before the game).
The Warriors posted just their third away win of 2008 by thumping the Bulldogs by 40 points to 22 to achieve their first win over the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.
Dragons prop Jason Ryles became the fourth player to be sent off this season for intentionally kicking Storm prop Jeff Lima. Melbourne's Billy Slater and Adam Blair and Dragons' Jamie Soward were also sin-binned for fighting. St. George Illawarra failed to score for the first time since Round 3, 2000 – a scoring streak of 219 matches.
Gavin Badger was dropped from refereeing for the following week as a result of several bad decisions in the Melbourne Storm – St. George Illawarra game.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	18-32	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	18 July 2008, 7:35 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Ben Cummins	22,048
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	28-10	align=left	Parramatta Eels	18 July 2008, 7:35 pm	Brookvale Oval	Shayne Hayne	18,970
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	22-36	align=left	Penrith Panthers	19 July 2008, 5:30 pm	Skilled Park	Matt Cecchin	17,759
align=left	Bulldogs	22-40	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	19 July 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	12,973
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	16-13	align=left	Newcastle Knights	19 July 2008, 7:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Tony Archer	10,112
align=left	Canberra Raiders	34-12	align=left	Sydney Roosters	20 July 2008, 2:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Jarred Maxwel	13,417
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	12-36	align=left	Wests Tigers	20 July 2008, 3:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jason Robinson	21,818
align=left	Melbourne Storm	26-0	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	21 July 2008, 7:00 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Gavin Badger	9,335

Round 20

All matches on this round were won by the home teams.
Top two sides Melbourne and Manly were beaten by 2 and 22 points respectively.
The St. George Illawarra Dragons defeated the Bulldogs for the first time since 2003. Future Dally M Medallist and Sharks 2016 premiership player Ben Barba made his NRL debut for the Bulldogs in this match.^[2]
There were four games with crowds under 10000.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Parramatta Eels	16-4	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	25 July 2008, 7:35 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Steve Lyons	7,253
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	18-12	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	25 July 2008, 7:35 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Shayne Hayne	27,905
align=left	Canberra Raiders	46-4	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	26 July 2008, 5:30 pm	Canberra Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	8,700
align=left	Penrith Panthers	24-10	align=left	Wests Tigers	26 July 2008, 7:30 pm	CUA Stadium	Tony Archer	14,075
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	8-6	align=left	Melbourne Storm	27 July 2008, 12:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Jarred Maxwell	8,752
align=left	Newcastle Knights	39-12	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	27 July 2008, 2:00 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Ben Cummins	23,182
align=left	Sydney Roosters	34-12	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	27 July 2008, 3:00 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Jason Robinson	22,681
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	30-0	align=left	Bulldogs	28 July 2008, 7:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Sean Hampstead	7,802

Round 21

The Sharks defeated the Dragons for the fourth consecutive time.
The Cowboys lost their 13th match in succession, leading up to a possible wooden spoon battle with the Bulldogs.
The Wests Tigers equalled their 2005 record for best victory (54-2) by beating the Bulldogs 56-4

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Melbourne Storm	44-4	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	1 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Tony De Las Heras	9,400
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	30-10	align=left	Penrith Panthers	1 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Brookvale Oval	Shayne Hayne	7,862
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	13-12	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	2 August 2008, 5:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Jared Maxwell	18,256
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	18-16	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	2 August 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Steve Lyons	9,276
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	20-32	align=left	Sydney Roosters	2 August 2008, 7:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Sean Hampstead	14,061
align=left	Wests Tigers	56-4	align=left	Bulldogs	3 August 2008, 2:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Ben Cummins	16,121
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	34-6	align=left	Canberra Raiders	3 August 2008, 3:00 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Tony Archer	28,103
align=left	Newcastle Knights	32-12	align=left	Parramatta Eels	4 August 2008, 7:00 pm	Energy Australia Stadium	Jason Robinson	16,435

Round 22

Melbourne's victory over Manly was their first win at Brookvale Oval since 1999, and their third straight against the Sea-Eagles.
North Queensland ended a 13-game losing streak with a win over the Bulldogs.
The Canberra Raiders recorded their highest score in a match, beating the previous best of 68, set in 1993, it was the equal 3rd highest score in history and the highest score by any team since 2003 when Parramatta also scored 74. Raiders' five-eighth Terry Campese scores 36 points (four tries and 10 goals), a feat bettered only three times in history.
The Eels and Roosters contested the inaugural Jack Gibson Cup this round, with Parramatta claiming the trophy.^[3]

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	10-16	align=left	Melbourne Storm	8 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Brookvale Oval	Tony Archer	18,442
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	10-18	align=left	Wests Tigers	8 August 2008, 7:35 pm	WIN Stadium	Shayne Hayne	14,207
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	16-12	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	9 August 2008, 5:30 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Sean Hampstead	13,007
align=left	Bulldogs	12-36	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	9 August 2008, 7:30 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Bernard Sutton	8,549
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	28-14	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	9 August 2008, 7:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Ben Cummins	12,618
align=left	Canberra Raiders	74-12	align=left	Penrith Panthers	10 August 2008, 2:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Jason Robinson	6,500
align=left	Sydney Roosters	24-28	align=left	Parramatta Eels	10 August 2008, 3:00 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Jared Maxwell	12,468
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	12-32	align=left	Newcastle Knights	11 August 2008, 7:00 pm	Skilled Park	Steve Lyons	15,136

Round 23

The St George Illawarra Dragons recorded their seventh-straight victory over the Brisbane Broncos, with ex-Bronco Wendell Sailor scoring his first NRL try since he switched to rugby union against his former club.
The Gold Coast Titans got one step closer to completing a clean sweep over the fellow Queensland teams in the competition this season, beating the North Queensland Cowboys.
Manly-Warringah conceded more than 40 points in a match for the first time since 2005. This was also South Sydney's highest score achieved under coach Jason Taylor.
Parramatta's win over the Wests Tigers brought them to eight consecutive wins against their opposing club.
After the completion of round 23, the Melbourne Storm reclaimed the top spot on the competition ladder, taking advantage of Manly's loss to Souths.
Panthers Vs Bulldogs became the longest match without extra time due to referee Gavin Badger's referrals to video referee Russell Smith.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Melbourne Storm	30-6	align=left	Sydney Roosters	15 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Shayne Hayne	13,335
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	20-24	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	15 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Jared Maxwell	33,237
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	18-4	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	16 August 2008, 5:30 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Tony Archer	10,417
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	20-26	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	16 August 2008, 7:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Bernard Sutton	17,065
align=left	Penrith Panthers	52-16	align=left	Bulldogs	16 August 2008, 7:30 pm	CUA Stadium	Gavin Badger	7,841
align=left	Canberra Raiders	38-18	align=left	Newcastle Knights	17 August 2008, 2:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Ben Cummins	12,206
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	40-32	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	17 August 2008, 3:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Steve Lyons	11,114
align=left	Parramatta Eels	40-12	align=left	Wests Tigers	18 August 2008, 7:00 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Matt Cecchin	13,065

Round 24

For the second time this season, the Sydney Roosters were held scoreless, against a top four team.
For the second consecutive time at Suncorp Stadium, the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans were brought into golden point, with the Broncos taking out both games. This denied the Titans a complete clean sweep over their fellow Queensland teams.
The NRL schedule staged its first double-header since Round 1 of the 2004 season. ANZ Stadium featured both the Wests Tigers vs Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles match and the Bulldogs vs Parramatta Eels game in sequence with one another during Saturday night of 23 August 2008.
After trailing 19–6 at halftime, the Canberra Raiders tallied 34 points in the second half to stun the South Sydney Rabbitohs 25–40.
The New Zealand Warriors' poor record at Wollongong's WIN Stadium continued as they had not won at that ground since 1996.
Melbourne won their first match at CUA Stadium since 2003.

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	20-0	align=left	Sydney Roosters	22 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Toyota Stadium	Jason Robinson	10,013
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	25-21	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	22 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Ben Cummins	39,757
align=left	Wests Tigers	16-48	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	23 August 2008, 5:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony Archer	27,564
align=left	Bulldogs	12-26	align=left	Parramatta Eels	23 August 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Steve Lyons	27,564
align=left	Newcastle Knights	38-24	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	23 August 2008, 7:30 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Sean Hampstead	10,323
align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	25-40	align=left	Canberra Raiders	24 August 2008, 2:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jared Maxwell	10,128
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	34-6	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	24 August 2008, 3:00 pm	WIN Stadium	Shayne Hayne	11,583
align=left	Penrith Panthers	6-40	align=left	Melbourne Storm	25 August 2008, 7:00 pm	CUA Stadium	Matt Cecchin	8,813

Round 25

After nine previous meetings, the Cronulla Sharks defeated the Wests Tigers for the first time since 2003.
The Canterbury Bulldogs suffered their 7th straight loss in a game to farewell long time Bulldogs hooker Corey Hughes.
Wendell Sailor scored his first NRL hat-trick since 2001.
The Cowboys broke the Raiders top 4 hopes.
Steve Menzies played his last Premiership match at Brookvale Oval.
The Brisbane Broncos won their fifth match in a row at ANZ Stadium.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Sydney Roosters	22-20	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	29 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Steve Lyons	18,127
align=left	Wests Tigers	6-32	align=left	Cronulla Sharks	29 August 2008, 7:35 pm	Leichhardt Oval	Sean Hampstead	10,766
align=left	Newcastle Knights	17-16	align=left	Melbourne Storm	30 August 2008, 5:30 pm	EnergyAustralia Stadium	Shayne Hayne	19,568
align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	22-10	align=left	Canberra Raiders	30 August 2008, 7:30 pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Matt Cecchin	14,981
align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	40-14	align=left	Parramatta Eels	30 August 2008, 7:30 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony Archer	17,103
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	42-20	align=left	Penrith Panthers	31 August 2008, 2:00 pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Ben Cummins	15,214
align=left	Bulldogs	22-36	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	31 August 2008, 3:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Jared Maxwell	7,685
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	28-10	align=left	Gold Coast Titans	1 September 2008, 7:00 pm	Brookvale Oval	Jason Robinson	14,755

Round 26

Wayne Bennett celebrated his last regular season game as the Broncos coach after 21 years of coaching the Brisbane Broncos since their opening season in 1988. Along with Bennett, the defender Tonie Carroll also celebrated playing his last regular season game for the Broncos after serving for twelve seasons and playing over 200 games for the maroon-and-golds. The Broncos also recorded their fifth straight win over the Knights, knocking them out of finals contention.
The Sydney Roosters' physical 10–0 win over St. George Illawarra Dragons saw them make the finals for the first time since 2004 when they finished off runners-up to the Bulldogs. It was also the first time the Roosters had held an opposing team scoreless since 2004.
The New Zealand Warriors finals-earning win over the Eels at Parramatta Stadium was their first win at Parramatta since the club's first season in 1995.
The Tigers levelled their all-time record against the Gold Coast Titans by beating them 28–12, having already beaten them 20–18 in round 11.
The Bulldogs picked up their first wooden spoon since 2002, when they were then controversially stripped of 37 points for their salary-cap breach.
The Melbourne Storm racked up their record third consecutive minor premiership for the first time in the NRL competition, taking hold of pole position in seasons 2006, 2007 and now 2008, a feat which hasn't been known since Manly did so in 1995, 96, and 97. The game was also to commemorate Melbourne's longest serving player, Matt Geyer, who played his last regular season game to defeat the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne 42–4.
The Canberra Raiders scored 52 against the Bulldogs, the 2nd time in the season the Raiders had put 50 or more on the Bulldogs (following the 58-18 demolition job in Round 15), they became the 6th team in history to achieve this feat and the first team since Parramatta did it to Newtown in 1983. It was the 2nd time the Bulldogs had been on the receiving end of this feat, the other being in their debut season, 1935.
The Parramatta and Warriors games got 5,102 people, the lowest crowd of the season

Home	Score	Away	Match information
width=17%	Date and time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	24-2	align=left	Newcastle Knights	5 September 2008, 7:35 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Tony Archer	37,552
align=left	Sydney Roosters	10-0	align=left	St George Illawarra Dragons	5 September 2008, 7:35 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Shayne Hayne	14,127
align=left	Penrith Panthers	16-34	align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	6 September 2008, 5:30 pm	CUA Stadium	Jared Maxwell	6,086
align=left	Parramatta Eels	6-28	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	6 September 2008, 7:30 pm	Parramatta Stadium	Jason Robinson	5,102
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	28-22	align=left	North Queensland Cowboys	6 September 2008, 7:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Ben Cummins	7,057
align=left	Canberra Raiders	52-34	align=left	Bulldogs	7 September 2008, 2:00 pm	Canberra Stadium	Sean Hampstead	15,411
align=left	Gold Coast Titans	12-28	align=left	Wests Tigers	7 September 2008, 3:00 pm	Skilled Park	Bernard Sutton	20,723
align=left	Melbourne Storm	42-4	align=left	South Sydney Rabbitohs	7 September 2008, 7:00 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Steve Lyons	13,875

Finals

The NRL employs the McIntyre final eight system.

In the qualifying finals, matches were played at the higher placed team's home ground. 1st and 2nd highest placed winning teams then proceeded to the preliminary finals.
In the semi-finals, matches were played at the 3rd and 4th highest winning team's home ground, provided it had a capacity of 25,000. Eligible venues were: Stadium Australia, Sydney Football Stadium, Suncorp Stadium, Dairy Farmers Stadium, EnergyAustralia Stadium, Canberra Stadium, Telstra Dome, Melbourne Cricket Ground and Mount Smart Stadium.
In the preliminary finals, matches were played at the highest placed winning teams from the qualifying finals "home region" ground. For Sydney teams, Newcastle, St. George Illawarra and Canberra, this was the Sydney Football Stadium or Stadium Australia. For Brisbane and the Gold Coast - Suncorp Stadium, North Queensland - Dairy Farmers Stadium, Melbourne - the Telstra Dome or the MCG, and for New Zealand, Mt Smart Stadium.

Both Melbourne Storm and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles finished first and second for the second year running. Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors were the only other teams which had visited the finals series in the previous year.
The Broncos played in their 17th successive finals campaign, second only to St. George's streak of 23 seasons from 1951 to 1973.

Qualifying Finals

The Sydney Roosters make a return to the finals after a three-year absence, their last being in 2004 when they were runners-up to the now wooden-spooned Bulldogs.
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks make a revisit to the finals series since 2005 and host a home final for the first time since 2001, in which they comfortably defeated the Canberra Raiders.
Both Melbourne and Manly faced sides that have defeated them during the season and hold some records against the top two teams this year. Manly took on the 7th ranked St. George Illawarra Dragons who defeated Manly at Brookvale Oval 20-18 in round 11 and have currently won four of their past six games at Brookvale Oval, while Melbourne faced the Warriors, who were recently outdone against the New Zealand club in Auckland by a mere 8-6 and are one of the two teams in the past three years that have defeated the Storm at Melbourne.
Cronulla's defeat over the Canberra Raiders gave them their seventh consecutive finals defeat, last achieving a finals victory in 2000.
The New Zealand Warriors' striking last-minute win over Melbourne made them the first 8th-placed team to defeat the season's minor premiers at their home ground in NRL history since the McIntyre system was introduced in 1999. This landmark win deserved them a home final against the Sydney Roosters.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Sydney Roosters	16 – 24	align=left	Brisbane Broncos	12 September 2008, 7:45 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Tony Archer	18,343
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	36 – 10	align=left	Canberra Raiders	13 September 2008, 6:30 pm	Toyota Stadium	Jared Maxwell	18,252
align=left	Manly Sea Eagles	38 – 6	align=left	St. George Illawarra Dragons	13 September 2008, 8:30 pm	Brookvale Oval	Shayne Hayne	19,227
align=left	Melbourne Storm	15 – 18	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	14 September 2008, 4:00 pm	Olympic Park Stadium	Jason Robinson	15,193

Semi finals

For the second year running Manly had the week off whilst for the first time since 1999 Cronulla hosted a home preliminary final.
Both matches this weekend were NRL grand final rematches; the New Zealand Warriors faced the Sydney Roosters whom they lost to in the 2002 decider, whilst Melbourne travelled to Brisbane to take on their 2006 Grand Final nemesis the Broncos.
New Zealand become the first team to get to a preliminary final from 8th position, beating the Roosters 30-13.
After trailing for all but the last 46 seconds of the match, Melbourne got out of jail in a controversial match against the Brisbane Broncos with a Greg Inglis try and subsequently ended their season, and that of the Broncos' coaching career of Wayne Bennett, and went on to play Cronulla in the preliminary final.

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	New Zealand Warriors	30 – 13	align=left	Sydney Roosters	19 September 2008, 6:30 pm	Mt. Smart Stadium	Tony Archer	25,595
align=left	Brisbane Broncos	14 – 16	align=left	Melbourne Storm	20 September 2008, 7:45 pm	Suncorp Stadium	Shayne Hayne	50,466

Preliminary finals

The Sydney Football Stadium was allocated for both Preliminary Finals, due to both sides from the Sydney region the home stadium could have been allocated to either the Sydney Football Stadium, or the larger ANZ Stadium. It was stated that due to both clubs ranking in the lower half of average attendances for home games in 2008.
Melbourne, under stand-in captain Cooper Cronk defeated the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 28-0, keeping them scoreless for the first time since 2003. The Storm thus made it to their third consecutive Grand Final, joining the likes of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters, Balmain Tigers, St. George Dragons, Western Suburbs Magpies, Parramatta Eels, Canterbury Bulldogs, Canberra Raiders and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles to qualify for at least 3 rugby league Grand Finals in a row.Preliminary Finals at SFS

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
width=17%	Date and Time	width=17%	Venue	width=11%	Referee	width=7%	Crowd
align=left	Cronulla Sharks	0 – 28	align=left	Melbourne Storm	26 September 2008, 7:45 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Tony Archer	27,570
align=left	Manly Sea Eagles	32 - 6	align=left	New Zealand Warriors	27 September 2008, 7:45 pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Shayne Hayne	32,095

Grand Final

See main article: 2008 NRL Grand Final.

Manly's 40 to nil victory against Melbourne win in the 2008 Grand Final is the largest on record, surpassing the Eastern Suburbs' 38-0 win over St. George in 1975.
On the other hand, the runners-up Melbourne Storm became the first team since 1978 to be held scoreless in a Grand Final (when Cronulla suffered so 16-0 against Manly.)

Home	Score	Away	Clive Churchill Medallist	Match Information
width=14%	Date and Time	width=8%	Venue	width=8%	Referee	width=6%	Crowd
align=left	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	40 - 0	align=left	Melbourne Storm	Brent Kite (Manly)	5 October 2008, 5:00 pm	ANZ Stadium	Tony Archer	80,388

External links

2008 trial games

Notes and References

Web site: NRL 2008 - Results - RLP . 2024-02-08 . www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
Web site: A timeline of Ben Barba's league career. ESPN. Matt. Encarnacion. 1 February 2019. 19 May 2023.
News: Henderson . Philip . Roosters, Eels play for Jack Gibson Cup . The sydney Morning Herald . Australia . Fairfax Digital . 6 August 2008 . 4 February 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080806195201/http://news.smh.com.au/sport/roosters-eels-play-for-jack-gibson-cup-20080806-3r1e.html . 6 August 2008 .