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National Rugby League season 2005

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.

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.

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

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..

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

Finals

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
Home	Score	Away	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

Grand Final

Wests Tigers	Position	North Queensland
Brett Hodgson	FB	Matthew Bowen
Daniel Fitzhenry	WG	Ty Williams
Shane Elford	CE	Josh Hannay
Paul Whatuira	CE	Paul Bowman
Pat Richards	WG	Matt Sing
Benji Marshall	FE	Justin Smith
Scott Prince (c)	HB	Johnathan Thurston
Anthony Laffranchi	PR	Paul Rauhihi
Robbie Farah	HK	Aaron Payne
John Skandalis	PR	Shane Tronc
Ben Galea	SR	Steve Southern
Mark O'Neill	SR	Luke O'Donnell
Dene Halatau	LK	Travis Norton (c)
Liam Fulton	Interchange	Brett Firman
Chris Heighington	Interchange	Rod Jensen
Bryce Gibbs	Interchange	David Faiumu
Todd Payten	Interchange	Mitchell Sargent
Tim Sheens	Coach	Graham Murray

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.

The enduring memory from the match was a sublime break and flick pass from Benji Marshall which saw Pat Richards score the Tigers' second try. The moment happened in the critical period leading up to half-time with the scores locked at 6-all. After a positive set of tackles, Cowboys half-back Johnathan Thurston kicked deep to the corner from the Tigers' 40 where fullback Brett Hodgson fielded the ball three metres from his own line.

In support was Marshall who had been defending on the left wing. The Cowboys' chase was staggered and Marshall sped past the kicker, Thurston and dragged himself out of the attempted tackle of Matt Sing. He also left Cowboy David Faiumu in his wake as he hit top speed and crossed into North Queensland's territory. He was near the Cowboys 40m line when he encountered fullback Matt Bowen looming in defence. By this time Richards was positioned for Marshall's reverse pass which would give him a shot for the line. Instead of the more standard hand-off, Marshall added a flourish with a barely perceptible flick of the wrist. The ball floated into Richards' hands and he set sail for the line, scoring after a 38-metre dash.

The Tigers increased their lead after half-time with hooker Robbie Farah sending prop Anthony Laffranchi into a gap to take the score to 18-6. The Cowboys responded when their most dangerous player Thurston put captain Travis Norton over to score 15 minutes into the second half.

Tigers' halfback and captain Scott Prince, who won the Clive Churchill Medal on the day, later drifted across field and showed the ball to three defenders before centre Shane Elford released winger Daniel Fitzhenry on a short dash to the line. Hodgson's sideline conversion restored the 12-point lead and the Tigers' confidence soared.

The win was a triumph for unfashionable forwards John Skandalis, who started with the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1996, and Mark O'Neill in his last match, who had started his career with the Balmain Tigers.

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

Statistics

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

Leading try scorers

Rank	Tries	Player	Team	Matches	Try Ave.
1	20	Billy Slater	Melbourne Storm	21	0.95
1	20	Matt Bowen	North Queensland Cowboys	25	0.80
1	20	Colin Best	St George Illawarra Dragons	26	0.77
1	20	Pat Richards	Wests Tigers	28	0.71
5	19	Shaun Berrigan	Brisbane Broncos	23	0.83
6	18	Ty Williams	North Queensland Cowboys	23	0.78
7	17	Amos Roberts	Sydney Roosters	24	0.71
6	18	Paul Whatuira	Wests Tigers	28	0.61
9	16	Brett Stewart	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	24	0.67
9	16	David Simmons	Cronulla Sharks	25	0.64
9	16	Matt Sing	North Queensland Cowboys	25	0.64

Leading point scorers

Rank	Points	Player	Team	Matches	Tries	Gls	Fld Goals	Pts Ave.
1	308	Brett Hodgson	Wests Tigers	28	15	124	-	11.00
2	214	Luke Burt	Parramatta Eels	23	11	85	-	9.30
3	190	Preston Campbell	Penrith Panthers	23	11	73	-	8.26
4	186	Luke Covell	Cronulla Sharks	22	9	75	-	8.45
5	180	Hazem El Masri	Bulldogs	18	11	68	-	10.00
6	172	Matt Orford	Melbourne Storm	26	11	63	2	6.62
7	152	Josh Hannay	North Queensland Cowboys	21	7	62	-	7.24
8	147	Stacey Jones	New Zealand Warriors	23	5	63	1	6.39
9	142	Clinton Schifcofske	Canberra Raiders	19	6	58	2	7.47
10	140	Michael Witt	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	19	5	60	-	7.37