Australian rugby league premiers explained

Australian rugby league premiers
Founded
1908
Country

Editions completed
Number of teams
17
Current premiers
Penrith Panthers (5th title)
Most titles won
(NSWRL/NRL) South Sydney
(21 times)
(BRL) Fortitude Valley
(23 titles)
The Australian rugby league premiers are the winners of the top grade competition in Australian rugby league, which is currently the National Rugby League. From 1908 until 1995, when the ARL Premiership was formed, there were two premiers, one each from Sydney and Brisbane. This occurred again in 1997 during the Super League war.

History

From 1905, the states of Queensland and New South Wales were beginning to create Rugby League competitions, using the rules created in Northern England as a break-away game from Rugby Union.

The first season of rugby league in Australia commenced in New South Wales and was held in 1908 and was run by the New South Wales Rugby Football League. Queensland Rugby League was established in 1908 also; they ran their inaugural senior season in 1909. Both states ran parallel state competitions from that time. The game was adopted in both states in order to break away from the amateur rugby union competitions that existed at the time. The players had fallen out of heart with the administration of that game due to increased revenue from the game not being reflected in player allotments. At the end of the 1908 NSW season, South Sydney became the first team to win the New South Wales premiership. The Fortitude Valley Diehards, then known as Valleys, won the inaugural senior Queensland Rugby league season in 1909.

The New South Wales Rugby League and Brisbane Rugby League competitions ran parallel to each other for nearly the entire 20th century, with interstate competitions held annually. However, due to these competitions being mainly between state representative sides, apart from a few NSWRL premier v BRL premier competitions held in the 1920s, there was often no way to determine a national premier.

After 19 years of interstate-era dominance by New South Wales, the advent of State of Origin football in 1980 led to increased nationalisation of rugby league in Australia. After a failed proposal to play the first ever "National Championship" game in 1984 between the highly fancied BRL premier Wynnum-Manly Seagulls and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the NSWRL, it was decided that the Queensland Rugby League should form a team in 1986 to enter the NSWRL premiership. While the QRL slowly looked to create their own team, a private bid from the Brisbane Broncos consortium won the licence and the team entered the NSWRL in 1988. As a result, the standard of the Brisbane Rugby League decreased, and no BRL player was picked to represent Queensland or Australia afterwards; at this point most historians agree that the NSWRL became the premier competition nationwide.

Although the BRL was also a first-class competition, similar to Australian Rules Football, where the Australian Football League which evolved from the Victorian Football League keeps VFL statistics back to 1897 as its own history but considers South Australia's SANFL and Western Australia's WAFL as separate competitions, the National Rugby League counts the history of the NSWRL Premiership as its own but considers the Brisbane Rugby League separate. Therefore, BRL champions are considered Australian Rugby League premiers but are not NRL premiers.

Starting from 1995, the New South Wales competition began to call itself the Australian Rugby League. In 1997, an actual national competition was created by News Limited known as Super League, this was formed and run alongside the New South Wales and Queensland state premierships, a number of New South Wales competition teams being promoted to it. Later that year, an agreement was made between Super League and the New South Wales competition, following massive financial loss to both parties, to merge into a new National competition, known as the National Rugby League.

South Sydney, with 20 New South Wales State titles, have been crowned New South Wales premiers more times than any other team. Fortitude Valley Diehards won the Queensland competition 23 times during its period as a first class competition, giving them the most first-class titles in Australian rugby league. They are followed by St. George with 15 premierships, including a record 11 New South Wales premierships in a row between 1956 and 1966. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks took nearly 50 years to win their maiden premiership in 2016 - longer than any other club in the history of the game (Parramatta's maiden premiership came in its 35th season in 1981).

There are three clubs currently playing in the National Rugby League that are yet to win a premiership; the Dolphins, New Zealand Warriors and the Gold Coast Titans.

Since 1908, counting the NRL and some of its predecessors (including the 1997 Super League Season), the following sides are among those that have never won a premiership:

All BRL teams except the Ipswich Jets and Logan Scorpions won a premiership during its time as a top-level competition.

List of Premierships

List of NSWRL/ARL/NRL Premiers (1908-present)

See also: List of NRL Grand finals.

SeasonPremiersScoreRunners-upMinor PremiersWooden Spoon
New South Wales Rugby League
1908 South Sydney14 – 12 Eastern Suburbs South Sydney Western Suburbs (Disputed)
1909 South Sydney (2)No Grand Final Balmain South Sydney (2) Western Suburbs (2)
1910 Newtown4 – 4 South Sydney Newtown Western Suburbs (3)
1911 Eastern Suburbs11 – 8 Glebe Glebe Balmain
1912 Eastern Suburbs (2)No Grand Final Glebe (2) Eastern Suburbs Western Suburbs (4)
1913 Eastern Suburbs (3)No Grand Final Newtown Eastern Suburbs (2) Western Suburbs (5)
1914 South Sydney (3)No Grand Final Newtown (2) South Sydney (3) Annandale
1915 BalmainNo Grand Final Glebe (3) Balmain North Sydney
1916 Balmain (2)5 – 3 South Sydney (2) Balmain (2) Western Suburbs (6)
1917 Balmain (3)No Grand Final South Sydney (3) Balmain (3) North Sydney (2)
1918 South Sydney (4)No Grand Final Western Suburbs South Sydney (4) Annandale (2)
1919 Balmain (4)No Grand Final Eastern Suburbs (2) Balmain (4) North Sydney (3)
1920 Balmain (5)No Grand Final South Sydney (4) Balmain (5) Annandale (3)
1921 North SydneyNo Grand Final Eastern Suburbs (3) North Sydney Sydney University
1922 North Sydney (2)35 – 3 Glebe (4) North Sydney (2) St George
1923 Eastern Suburbs (4)15 – 12 South Sydney (5) Eastern Suburbs (3) Sydney University (2)
1924 Balmain (6)3 – 0 South Sydney (6) Balmain (6) Newtown
1925 South Sydney (5)No Grand Final Western Suburbs (2) South Sydney (5) Newtown (2)
1926 South Sydney (6)11 – 5 Sydney University South Sydney (6) St George (2)
1927 South Sydney (7)20 – 11 St. George South Sydney (7) Sydney University (3)
1928 South Sydney (8)26 – 5 Eastern Suburbs (4) St. George Newtown (3)
1929 South Sydney (9)30 – 10 Newtown (3) South Sydney (8) Sydney University (4)
1930 Western Suburbs Magpies27 – 2 St. George (2) Western Suburbs Magpies Sydney University (5)
1931 South Sydney (10)12 – 7 Eastern Suburbs (5) Eastern Suburbs (4) Sydney University (6)
1932 South Sydney (11)19 – 12 Western Suburbs Magpies (3) South Sydney (9) North Sydney (4)
1933 Newtown (2)18 – 5 St. George (3) Newtown (2) Western Suburbs Magpies (7)
1934 Western Suburbs Magpies (2)15 – 12 Eastern Suburbs (6) Eastern Suburbs (5) Sydney University (7)
1935 Eastern Suburbs (5)19 – 3 South Sydney (7) Eastern Suburbs (6) Sydney University (8)
1936 Eastern Suburbs (6)32 – 12 Balmain (2) Eastern Suburbs (7) Sydney University (9)
1937 Eastern Suburbs (7)No Grand Final South Sydney (8) Eastern Suburbs (8) Sydney University (10)
1938 Canterbury-Bankstown19 – 6 Eastern Suburbs (7) Canterbury-Bankstown St George (3)
1939 Balmain (7)33 – 4 South Sydney (9) Balmain (7) Newtown (4)
1940 Eastern Suburbs (8)24 – 14 Canterbury-Bankstown Eastern Suburbs (9) Western Suburbs Magpies (8)
1941 St. George31 – 14 Eastern Suburbs (8) Eastern Suburbs (10) North Sydney (5)
1942 Canterbury-Bankstown (2)11 – 9 St. George (4) Canterbury-Bankstown (2) Western Suburbs Magpies (9)
1943 Newtown (3)34 – 7 North Sydney Newtown (3) Canterbury-Bankstown
1944 Balmain (8)12 – 8 Newtown (4) Newtown (4) Canterbury-Bankstown (2)
1945 Eastern Suburbs (9)22 – 18 Balmain (3) Eastern Suburbs (11) South Sydney
1946 Balmain (9)13 – 12 St. George (5) St. George (2) South Sydney (2)
1947 Balmain (10)13 – 9 Canterbury-Bankstown (2) Canterbury-Bankstown (3) Parramatta
1948 Western Suburbs Magpies (3)8 – 5 Balmain (4) Western Suburbs Magpies (2) North Sydney (6)
1949 St. George (2)19 – 12 South Sydney (10) South Sydney (10) Eastern Suburbs
1950 South Sydney (12)21 – 15 Western Suburbs Magpies (4) South Sydney (11) North Sydney (7)
1951 South Sydney (13)42 – 14 Manly-Warringah South Sydney (12) North Sydney (8)
1952 Western Suburbs Magpies (4)22 – 12 South Sydney (11) Western Suburbs Magpies (3) Parramatta (2)
1953 South Sydney (14)31 – 12 St. George (6) South Sydney (13) Western Suburbs Magpies (10)
1954 South Sydney (15)23 – 15 Newtown (5) Newtown (5) Parramatta (3)
1955 South Sydney Rabbitohs (16)12 – 11 Newtown (6) Newtown (6) Western Suburbs Magpies (11)
1956 St. George (3)18 – 12 Balmain (5) St George (3) Parramatta (4)
1957 St. George (4)31 – 9 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (2) St George (4) Parramatta (5)
1958 St. George (5)20 – 9 Western Suburbs Magpies (5) St George (5) Parramatta (6)
1959 St. George (6)20 – 0 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (3) St George (6) Parramatta (7)
1960 St. George (7)31 – 6 Eastern Suburbs (9) St George (7) Parramatta (8)
1961 St. George (8)22 – 0 Western Suburbs Magpies (6) Western Suburbs Magpies (4) Parramatta (9)
1962 St. George (9)9 – 6 Western Suburbs Magpies (7) St George (8) South Sydney Rabbitohs (3)
1963 St. George (10)8 – 3 Western Suburbs Magpies (8) St George (9) Eastern Suburbs (2)
1964 St. George (11)11 – 6 Balmain Tigers (6) St George (10) Canterbury-Bankstown (3)
1965 St. George (12)12 – 8 South Sydney Rabbitohs (12) St George (11) Eastern Suburbs (3)
1966 St. George (13)23 – 4 Balmain Tigers (7) St George (12) Eastern Suburbs (4)
1967 South Sydney Rabbitohs (17)12 – 10 Canterbury-Bankstown (3) St George (13) Cronulla-Sutherland
1968 South Sydney Rabbitohs (18)13 – 9 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (4) South Sydney Rabbitohs (14) Newtown (5)
1969 Balmain Tigers (11)11 – 2 South Sydney Rabbitohs (13) South Sydney Rabbitohs (15) Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (2)
1970 South Sydney Rabbitohs (19)23 – 12 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (5) South Sydney Rabbitohs (16) Parramatta (10)
1971 South Sydney Rabbitohs (20)16 – 10 St. George (7) Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Western Suburbs Magpies (12)
1972 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles19 – 14 Eastern Suburbs Roosters (10) Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (2) Parramatta (11)
1973 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (2)10 – 7 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (3) Penrith Panthers
1974 Eastern Suburbs Roosters (10)19 – 4 Canterbury-Bankstown (4) Eastern Suburbs Roosters (12) Balmain Tigers (2)
1975 Eastern Suburbs Roosters (11)38 – 0 St. George (8) Eastern Suburbs Roosters (13) South Sydney Rabbitohs (4)
1976 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (3)13 – 10 Parramatta Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (4) Newtown Jets (6)
1977 St. George9 – 9 Parramatta Parramatta Newtown Jets (7)
St. George (14)22 – 0 Parramatta (2)
1978 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles11 – 11 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Western Suburbs Magpies (5) Newtown Jets (8)
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (4)16 – 0 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (2)
1979 St. George Dragons (15)17 – 13 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (5) St George Dragons (14) North Sydney Bears (9)
1980 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (3)18 – 4 Eastern Suburbs Roosters (11) Eastern Suburbs Roosters (14) Penrith Panthers (2)
1981 Parramatta Eels20 – 11 Newtown Jets (7) Eastern Suburbs Roosters (15) Balmain Tigers (2)
1982 Parramatta Eels (2)21 – 8 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (6) Parramatta Eels (2) Canberra Raiders
1983 Parramatta Eels (3)18 – 6 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (7) Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (5) Western Suburbs Magpies (13)
1984 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (4)6 – 4 Parramatta Eels (3) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (4) Western Suburbs Magpies (14)
1985 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (5)7 – 6 St. George Dragons (9) St George Dragons (15) Illawarra Steelers
1986 Parramatta Eels (4)4 – 2 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (6) Parramatta Eels (3) Illawarra Steelers (2)
1987 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (5)18 – 8 Canberra Raiders Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (6) Western Suburbs Magpies (15)
1988 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (6)24 – 12 Balmain Tigers (8) Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Western Suburbs Magpies (16)
1989 Canberra Raiders19 – 14 Balmain Tigers (9) South Sydney Rabbitohs (17) Illawarra Steelers (3)
1990 Canberra Raiders (2)18 – 14 Penrith Panthers Canberra Raiders South Sydney Rabbitohs (5)
1991 Penrith Panthers19 – 12 Canberra Raiders (2) Penrith Panthers Gold Coast Seagulls
1992 Brisbane Broncos28 – 8 St. George Dragons (10) Brisbane Broncos Gold Coast Seagulls (2)
1993 Brisbane Broncos (2)14 – 6 St. George Dragons (11) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (5) Gold Coast Seagulls (3)
1994 Canberra Raiders (3)36 – 12 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (7) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (6) Balmain Tigers (4)
Australian Rugby League
1995 Sydney Bulldogs (7)17 – 4 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (8) Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (7) North Queensland Cowboys
1996 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (6)20 – 8 St. George Dragons (12) Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (8) South Queensland Crushers
1997 Newcastle Knights22 – 16 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (9) Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (9) South Queensland Crushers (2)
Super League
1997 Brisbane Broncos (3)26 – 8 Cronulla Sharks (3) Brisbane Broncos (2) North Queensland Cowboys (2)
National Rugby League
1998 Brisbane Broncos (4)38 – 12 Canterbury Bulldogs (8) Brisbane Broncos (3) Western Suburbs Magpies (17)
1999 Melbourne Storm20 – 18 St. George Illawarra Dragons Sharks (2) Western Suburbs Magpies (18)
2000 Brisbane Broncos (5)14 – 6 Sydney Roosters (12) Brisbane Broncos (4) North Queensland Cowboys (3)
2001 Newcastle Knights (2)30 – 24 Parramatta Eels (4) Parramatta Eels (4) Penrith Panthers (3)
2002 Sydney Roosters (12)30 – 8 New Zealand Warriors New Zealand Warriors Bulldogs (4)
2003 Penrith Panthers (2)18 – 6 Sydney Roosters (13) Penrith Panthers (2) South Sydney Rabbitohs (6)
2004 Bulldogs (8)16 – 13 Sydney Roosters (14) Sydney Roosters (16) South Sydney Rabbitohs (7)
2005 Wests Tigers30 – 16 North Queensland Cowboys Parramatta Eels (5) Newcastle Knights
2006 Brisbane Broncos (6)15 – 8 Melbourne Storm Melbourne Storm1 South Sydney Rabbitohs (8)
2007 Melbourne Storm134 – 8 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (10) Melbourne Storm1 Penrith Panthers (4)
2008 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (7)40 – 0 Melbourne Storm (2) Melbourne Storm1 Bulldogs (5)
2009 Melbourne Storm123 – 16 Parramatta Eels (5) St George Illawarra Dragons Sydney Roosters (5)
2010 St. George Illawarra Dragons32 – 8 Sydney Roosters (15) St George Illawarra Dragons (2) Melbourne Storm1
2011 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (8)24 – 10 New Zealand Warriors (2) Melbourne Storm Gold Coast Titans
2012 Melbourne Storm (2)14 – 4 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (9) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (7) Parramatta Eels (12)
2013 Sydney Roosters (13)26 – 18 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (11) Sydney Roosters (17) Parramatta Eels (13)
2014 South Sydney Rabbitohs (21)30 – 6 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (10) Sydney Roosters (18) Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (3)
2015 North Queensland Cowboys17 – 16 Brisbane Broncos Sydney Roosters (19) Newcastle Knights (2)
2016 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks14 – 12 Melbourne Storm (3) Melbourne Storm (2) Newcastle Knights (3)
2017 Melbourne Storm (3)34 – 6 North Queensland Cowboys (2) Melbourne Storm (3) Newcastle Knights (4)
2018 Sydney Roosters (14)21 – 6 Melbourne Storm (4) Sydney Roosters (20) Parramatta Eels (14)
2019 Sydney Roosters (15)14 – 8 Canberra Raiders (3) Melbourne Storm (4) Gold Coast Titans (2)
2020 Melbourne Storm (4)26 – 20 Penrith Panthers (2) Penrith Panthers (3) Brisbane Broncos
2021 Penrith Panthers (3)14 - 12 South Sydney Rabbitohs (14) Melbourne Storm (5) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (6)
2022 Penrith Panthers (4)28 - 12 Parramatta Eels (6) Penrith Panthers (4) Wests Tigers
2023 Penrith Panthers (5)26 - 24 Brisbane Broncos (2) Penrith Panthers (5) Wests Tigers (2)

1 The Melbourne Storm were stripped of these titles due to long-term salary cap breaches. They also received 0 points in 2010 due to these breaches.

Premiership performances by team

- *Denotes no grand final played

TeamWinners Runners-up Years won Years runner-up
South Sydney Rabbitohs21 (17)14 (11)1908, 1909*, 1914*, 1918*, 1925*, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931,1932, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971,20141910, 1916, 1917*, 1920*, 1923, 1924, 1935, 1937*, 1939, 1949,1952, 1965, 1969, 2021
Sydney Roosters15 (12)15 (13)1911, 1912*, 1913*, 1923, 1935, 1936, 1937*, 1940, 1945, 1974,1975, 2002, 2013, 2018, 20191908, 1919*, 1921*, 1928, 1931, 1934, 1938, 1941, 1960, 1972,1980, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2010
St George Dragons15121941, 1949, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963,1964, 1965, 1966, 1977, 19791927, 1930, 1933, 1942, 1946, 1953, 1971, 1975, 1985, 1992,1993, 1996
Balmain Tigers11 (7)9 (8)1915*, 1916, 1917*, 1919*, 1920*, 1924, 1939, 1944, 1946, 1947,19691909*, 1936, 1945, 1948, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1988, 1989
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles8111972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2008, 20111951, 1957, 1959, 1968, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1995, 1997, 2007,2013
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs8101938, 1942, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1995, 20041940, 1947, 1967, 1974, 1979, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2012, 2014
Brisbane Broncos621992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 20062015, 2023
Penrith Panthers521991, 2003, 2021, 2022, 20231990, 2020
Western Suburbs Magpies48 (6)1930, 1934, 1948, 19521918*, 1925*, 1932, 1950, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963
Parramatta Eels461981, 1982, 1983, 19861976, 1977, 1984, 2001, 2009, 2022
Melbourne Storm441999, 2012, 2017, 20202006, 2008, 2016, 2018
Newtown Jets37 (5)1910, 1933, 19431913*, 1914*, 1929, 1944, 1954, 1955, 1981
Canberra Raiders331989, 1990, 19941987, 1991, 2019
North Sydney Bears2 (1)11921*, 19221943
Newcastle Knights201997, 2001
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks1320161973, 1978, 1997
North Queensland Cowboys1220152005, 2017
St George Illawarra Dragons1120101999
Wests Tigers102005
Glebe Dirty Reds04 (2)1911, 1912*, 1915*, 1922
New Zealand Warriors022002, 2011
Sydney University011926

Regular season team performance

TeamMinor PremiersWooden SpoonYears Minor PremierYears Wooden Spoon
Sydney Roosters2051912, 1913, 1923, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1941,1945, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 20181949, 1963, 1965, 1966, 2009
South Sydney Rabbitohs1781908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1932, 1949,1950, 1951, 1953, 1968, 1969, 1970, 19891945, 1946, 1962, 1975, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2006
St George Dragons1531928, 1946, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964,1965, 1966, 1967, 1979, 19851922, 1926, 1938
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles901971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1983, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1997
Balmain Tigers741915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1924, 19391911, 1974, 1981, 1994
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs761938, 1942, 1947, 1984, 1993, 1994, 20121943, 1944, 1964, 2002, 2008, 2021
Newtown Jets681910, 1933, 1943, 1944, 1954, 19551924, 1925, 1928, 1939, 1968, 1976, 1977, 1978
Parramatta Eels5141977, 1982, 1986, 2001, 20051947, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1970,1972, 2012, 2013, 2018
Western Suburbs Magpies5181930, 1948, 1952, 1961, 19781908,* 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1916, 1933, 1940, 1942, 1953, 1955,1971, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1998, 1999
Melbourne Storm512006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2019, 20212010
Penrith Panthers541991, 2003, 2020, 2022, 20231973, 1980, 2001, 2007
Brisbane Broncos411992, 1997, 1998, 20002020
St George Illawarra Dragons202009, 2010
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks231988, 19991967, 1969, 2014
North Sydney Bears291921, 19221915, 1917, 1919, 1932, 1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1979
Glebe Dirty Reds101911
New Zealand Warriors102002
Canberra Raiders1119901982
012022
Cumberland011908*
Gold Coast Titans022011, 2019
South Queensland Crushers021996, 1997
North Queensland Cowboys031995, 1997, 2000
Gold Coast Chargers031991, 1992, 1993
031914, 1918, 1920
Illawarra Steelers031985, 1986, 1989
Newcastle Knights042005, 2015, 2016, 2017
Sydney University0101921, 1923, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937

List of QRL/BRL premiers (1909–1994)

SeasonPremiersScoreRunners-upMinor PremiersWooden Spoon
Queensland Rugby League
1909 Fortitude Valley22–4South Brisbane Fortitude ValleyToombul
1910Ipswich17–2ToombulIpswichSouth Brisbane
1911 Valleys-Toombul13–2Ipswich B Valleys-ToombulSouth Brisbane United
1912 Natives10–0South Brisbane NativesWoolloongabba
1913West End5–3 NativesWest EndRailways
1914 Fortitude Valley18–8West End Fortitude ValleyNorth Brisbane
1915 Fortitude Valley10–9 Western SuburbsWoolloongabbaWest End
1916 Western Suburbs4–2 Fortitude Valley Western SuburbsIpswich Starlights
1917 Fortitude Valley13–5 Merthyr Fortitude Valley Coorparoo
1918 Fortitude Valley16–12 Merthyr Merthyr Western Suburbs
(Quit competition after 2-point penalty for fielding ineligible players)
1919 Fortitude Valley28–2 Coorparoo Fortitude ValleyWest End
1920 Western Suburbs16–8 Christian Brothers Fortitude ValleyRailways
1921 Carltons12–10 Coorparoo Carltons University
Brisbane Rugby League
1922 Western Suburbs20–9 Coorparoo Western Suburbs Christian Brothers
1923 Coorparoo13–2 Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley Western Suburbs
1924 Fortitude Valley11–8 Christian Brothers Fortitude Valley University
1925 Carltons24–5 Coorparoo Coorparoo University
1926 Christian Brothers6–5 Coorparoo Christian Brothers Carltons
1927 Past Grammars13–11 Western Suburbs Coorparoo University
1928 University10–7 Carltons Carltons Coorparoo
1929 University12–11 Coorparoo University Western Suburbs
1930 Carltons19–8 Fortitude Valley Carltons University
1931 Fortitude Valley27–9 Past Grammars Fortitude Valley Past Christian Brothers
1932 Western Suburbs8–7 Past Grammars Western SuburbsWynnum District
1933 Fortitude Valley9–3 Western Suburbs Western Suburbs Southern Suburbs
1934 Northern Suburbs7–4 Western Suburbs Western Suburbs Southern Suburbs
1935 Past Christian Brothers11–9 Fortitude Valley Northern Suburbs Southern Suburbs
1936 Western Suburbs13–12 Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley Southern Suburbs
1937 Fortitude Valley9–7 Western Suburbs Fortitude Valley Southern Suburbs
1938 Northern Suburbs16–10 Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley Eastern Suburbs
1939 Past Christian Brothers11–9 Northern Suburbs Northern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs
1940 Northern Suburbs17–11 Past Christian Brothers Northern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs
1941 Fortitude Valley13–7 Northern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Southern Suburbs
1942 Past Brothers20–11 Southern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Western Suburbs
1943 Past Brothers13–7 Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley Western Suburbs
1944 Fortitude Valley16–12 Northern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Eastern Suburbs
1945 Southern Suburbs21–11 Northern Suburbs Northern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs
1946 Fortitude Valley5–2 Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs Western Suburbs
1947 Eastern Suburbs15–2 Southern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs Western Suburbs
1948 Western Suburbs14–8 Eastern Suburbs Western Suburbs Fortitude Valley
1949 Southern Suburbs22–8 Eastern Suburbs Southern Suburbs Northern Suburbs
1950 Eastern Suburbs14–10 Western Suburbs Western Suburbs Northern Suburbs
1951 Southern Suburbs20–10 Eastern Suburbs Southern Suburbs Fortitude Valley
1952 Western Suburbs15–14 Past Brothers Western SuburbsSouth Coast
1953 Southern Suburbs21–4 Eastern Suburbs Southern Suburbs Wynnum-Manly
1954 Western Suburbs35–18 Past Brothers Southern Suburbs Northern Suburbs
1955 Fortitude Valley17–7 Past Brothers Fortitude Valley Eastern Suburbs
1956 Past Brothers17–10 Western Suburbs Past Brothers Eastern Suburbs
1957 Fortitude Valley18–17 Past Brothers Past Brothers Wynnum-Manly
1958 Past Brothers22–7 Fortitude Valley Western Suburbs Southern Suburbs
1959 Northern Suburbs24–18 Past Brothers Northern Suburbs Southern Suburbs
1960 Northern Suburbs18–5 Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley Southern Suburbs
1961 Northern Suburbs29–5 Fortitude Valley Northern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs
1962 Northern Suburbs22–0 Fortitude Valley Northern Suburbs Wynnum-Manly
1963 Northern Suburbs18–8 Southern Suburbs Northern Suburbs Past Brothers
1964 Northern Suburbs13–4 Past Brothers Fortitude Valley Wynnum-Manly
1965 Redcliffe15–2 Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley Southern Suburbs
1966 Northern Suburbs9–6 Past Brothers Northern Suburbs Wynnum-Manly
1967 Past Brothers6–2 Northern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Wynnum-Manly
1968 Past Brothers21–4 Eastern Suburbs Past Brothers Southern Suburbs
1969 Northern Suburbs14–2 Fortitude Valley Northern Suburbs Southern Suburbs
1970 Fortitude Valley13–11 Northern Suburbs Past Brothers Wynnum-Manly
1971 Fortitude Valley18–10 Eastern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Wynnum-Manly
1972 Eastern Suburbs16–15 Fortitude Valley Western Suburbs Wynnum-Manly
1973 Fortitude Valley15–7 Redcliffe Fortitude Valley Wynnum-Manly
1974 Fortitude Valley9–2 Past Brothers Northern Suburbs Western Suburbs
1975 Western Suburbs26–24 Redcliffe Western Suburbs Fortitude Valley
1976 Western Suburbs16–1 Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs Northern Suburbs
1977 Eastern Suburbs17–13 Redcliffe Redcliffe Southern Suburbs
1978 Eastern Suburbs14–10 Fortitude Valley Redcliffe Northern Suburbs
1979 Fortitude Valley26–0 Southern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Wynnum-Manly
1980 Northern Suburbs17–15 Southern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Western Suburbs
1981 Southern Suburbs13–9 Redcliffe Southern Suburbs Past Brothers
1982 Wynnum-Manly17–3 Southern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Western Suburbs
1983 Eastern Suburbs14–6 Redcliffe Redcliffe Western Suburbs
1984 Wynnum-Manly42–8 Southern Suburbs Wynnum-Manly Northern Suburbs
1985 Southern Suburbs10–8 Wynnum-Manly Southern Suburbs Western Suburbs
1986 Wynnum-Manly14–6 Past Brothers Wynnum-Manly Western Suburbs
1987 Past Brothers26–8 Redcliffe Past Brothers Eastern Suburbs
1988 Seagulls-Diehards17–14 Ipswich Southern Suburbs Logan City
1989 Fortitude Valley28–4 Ipswich Fortitude Valley Logan City
1990 Fortitude Valley17–16 Northern Suburbs Fortitude Valley Wynnum-Manly
1991 Eastern Suburbs25–10 Western Suburbs Eastern Suburbs Wynnum-Manly
1992 Western Suburbs40–10 Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs Ipswich
1993 Western Suburbs18–12 Eastern Suburbs Western Suburbs Logan City
1994 Redcliffe24–18 Western Suburbs Redcliffe Northern Suburbs
Note: The BRL maintained first class status until 1994 when the NSWRL became the ARL and a national competition was formed.

See also

External links