NRL team rivalries

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NRL team rivalries are matches in the National Rugby League which typically draw large crowds and interest regardless of both teams' positions on the ladder. Only last year was there a particular round earmarked as Rivalry Round, made a permanent fixture. The first "Rivalry Round" took place in Round 19 last year. Rivalries in the National Rugby League can be built on teams which share roughly the same geographical region, or teams that have built strong rivalries based on their history of playing each other in past Grand Finals.

From the 2008 season onwards, the National Rugby League allowed clubs to choose which clubs they would prefer to play at home, or even twice, during the course of the regular season. This also allowed the National Rugby League to schedule more rivalry-based matches between Sydney teams and also the interstate teams. Prior to then, teams according to their final position on the ladder in the preceding season would be placed in a "pool" where they would play each team in their pool only once during the following season, and teams outside of their pool twice.

Under the aforementioned format, Pool A would consist of teams 1, 6, 7, 12 and 13, Pool B would consist of teams 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14 and Pool C would contain teams 3, 4, 9, 10 and 15. For example, if the Sydney Roosters finished in first position, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs finished in second position, the St. George Illawarra Dragons finished in fifth position and the Melbourne Storm finished in sixth position at the end of season 2004, the Roosters would play the Bulldogs twice during the 2005 season, whereas they would only have to play the Storm only once. By contrast, the Bulldogs would have to play the Storm twice during the 2005 season, whereas they would only have to play the Dragons only once. This format resulted in an unequal draw which saw less rivalry-based matches during past seasons.

Contents 1 Rivalry Round 2 Traditional rivals 2.1 Sydney Roosters v South Sydney Rabbitohs 2.1.1 Incidents 2.1.2 Statistics 2.2 Sydney Roosters v St. George Illawarra Dragons 2.3 St. George Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs 2.4 Sydney Roosters v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2.5 St. George Illawarra Dragons v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2.6 St. George Illawarra Dragons v Parramatta Eels 2.7 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Parramatta Eels 2.8 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 2.9 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Newcastle Knights 2.10 Sydney Roosters v Brisbane Broncos 3 Local derbies 3.1 Brisbane Broncos v North Queensland Cowboys 3.2 St. George Illawarra Dragons v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 3.3 Brisbane Broncos v Gold Coast Titans 3.4 Parramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers 4 More recent rivals 4.1 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Melbourne Storm 4.2 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Wests Tigers 4.3 North Queensland Cowboys v Wests Tigers 4.4 Brisbane Broncos v Melbourne Storm 4.5 St. George Illawarra Dragons v Melbourne Storm 4.6 St. George Illawarra Dragons v Brisbane Broncos 4.7 Sydney Roosters v New Zealand Warriors 4.8 Penrith Panthers v Sydney Roosters 5 References

Rivalry Round

"Rivalry Round" was held in Round 19 2010. Below were the following results from the matches:

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
			Date and Time (Local)	Venue	Referees	Crowd
Gold Coast Titans	10 – 24	Brisbane Broncos	16 July 2010, 7:35pm	Skilled Park	Jason Robinson Matt Cecchin	26,197
South Sydney Rabbitohs	13 – 16	St George Illawarra Dragons	16 July 2010, 7:35pm	ANZ Stadium	Shayne Hayne Chris James	22,238
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	18 – 48	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	17 July 2010, 7:30pm	Toyota Stadium	Jared Maxwell Aland Shortall	8,863
New Zealand Warriors	13 – 6	Melbourne Storm	17 July 2010, 7:30pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Steve Lyons Gerard Sutton	13,118
Penrith Panthers	28 – 34	Parramatta Eels	17 July 2010, 7:30pm	CUA Stadium	Ben Cummins Brett Suttor	22,582
Canberra Raiders	52 – 18	Newcastle Knights	18 July 2010, 2:00pm	Canberra Stadium	Jason Robinson Ashley Klein	9,459
Sydney Roosters	36 – 32	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	18 July 2010, 3:00pm	Sydney Football Stadium	Gavin Badger Tony De Las Heras	19,121
Wests Tigers	26 – 16	North Queensland Cowboys	19 July 2010, 7:00pm	Leichhardt Oval	Shayne Hayne Matt Cecchin	11,364

In 2011, the round earmarked as "Rivalry Round" again occurred in Round 19. These were the results from the matches:

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
			Date and Time (Local)	Venue	Referees	Crowd
Brisbane Broncos	30 – 10	Gold Coast Titans	15 July 2011, 7:35pm	Suncorp Stadium	Gavin Badger Chris James	31,035
New Zealand Warriors	36 – 12	Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs	15 July 2011, 8:30pm	Mt Smart Stadium	Shayne Hayne Gavin Reynolds	12,012
South Sydney Rabbitohs	21 – 20	Sydney Roosters	16 July 2011, 5:30pm	ANZ Stadium	Brett Suttor Phil Haines	14,671
North Queensland Cowboys	18 – 38	Wests Tigers	16 July 2011, 7:30pm	Dairy Farmers Stadium	Ben Cummins Gerard Sutton	12,880
Penrith Panthers	23 – 22	Parramatta Eels	16 July 2011, 7:30pm	Centrebet Stadium	Jared Maxwell Alan Shortall	17,333
Canberra Raiders	0 – 26	Melbourne Storm	17 July 2011, 2:00pm	Canberra Stadium	Matt Cecchin Adam Devcich	11,853
Newcastle Knights	10 – 32	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	17 July 2011, 3:00pm	Ausgrid Stadium	Tony Archer Ashley Klein	21,798
St George Illawarra Dragons	38 – 8	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	18 July 2011, 7:00pm	WIN Jubilee Oval	Steve Lyons Jason Robinson	16,879

Traditional rivals

Sydney Roosters v South Sydney Rabbitohs

The rivalry between the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league teams is the longest surviving in the current National Rugby League competition. The two teams are the only remaining "foundation clubs" in the league, that is, they were both participants in the inaugural season of the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership. Between them, the two clubs have managed to secure many premierships and minor premierships, mostly before 1975 and with Souths being the most successful.

The two clubs neighbour each other in the inner suburbs Sydney and over the years have often been in bitter dispute over numerous issues. Despite being the two teams to have dominated the early seasons of the premiership and in fact being the two clubs to contest the first Grand Final, the last time the two clubs met in a finals match was in the 1938 season.

Since the Rabbitohs were readmitted into the NRL in 2002, the Roosters and Rabbitohs always play each other in the first round of each season, with the exception of 2003 when the Roosters played the Parramatta Eels in round one whereas the Rabbitohs played the Bulldogs. Since 2005, home ground advantage has been alternated between the two teams. In the odd years, the Roosters have home ground advantage; in the even years the Rabbitohs have the home ground advantage.

Incidents

The Roosters and their fans have built up rivalries with other clubs, particularly the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the other remaining foundation club. The Roosters and the Rabbitohs share inner-Sydney territory, causing a strong rivalry since 1908. The rivalry increased after 1950 due to conflict between junior territories, and escalated once more in the 1990s with the increased financial success of the Roosters eclipsing the decreasing funds of the Rabbitohs. In 2005, the Rabbitohs broke a ten-year, thirteen-game losing streak to the Roosters in a close 17–16 match.^[1]

Although the Rabbitohs drew key Roosters players to the Redfern-based club in previous years, the Roosters signed Rabbitohs captain Ashley Harrison and former South Sydney junior Braith Anasta from the Bulldogs; whom the Rabbitohs also heavily pursued—in 2005.^[2]

Late in 2007 former Rabbitohs turned Rooster Craig Wing signed on to return to South Sydney for the 2008 season. The signing was highighted by an event in which Craig Wing turned up to a Rabbitohs press conference in front of teams sponsorship logos while still under contract by the Roosters. Roosters chairman Nick Politis publicly criticised the press conference for the use of a player still contracted to the Roosters. In the last game of the regular season in 2007, both teams met in a fiery encounter in which the Roosters went on to win. The victory however was overshadowed by incidents in the game in which South Sydney second rower David Fa'alago was sent off for punching Braith Anasta after the Rabbitohs No 12 was held in a grapple tackle. Anasta-who was later sin-binned in the match for 'striking' Rabbitohs halfback Jeremy Smith-stated after the game that Fa'alago was a "weak human being".

In 2008 the rivalry hit boiling point in the lead up to their opening clash, which also was used to open the 2008 Centenary NRL season. Coming off a much improved 2007 season, the South Sydney Rabbitohs appeared to have one of their most competitive teams for the better half of two decades in which the Roosters have dominated most clashes against the Rabbitohs. Leading up to the match, the South Sydney Rabbitohs released their 'Book of Feuds', in which the author claimed the Roosters club "had no soul". Both Roosters coach Brad Fittler and player Willie Mason added their own views, stating they "hate Souths".

Management of South Sydney expressed their feelings for the Roosters by allocating poor seating to the Roosters officials and players families for the round 1 clash. NRL protocol dictates that the hosts of the game are to provide seating for the visiting teams officials and players families, there have been no other reported incidents of teams providing poor seating allocation for visiting teams.

The game itself proved just as controversial, in the 7th minute Rabbitohs recruit and former Rooster Craig Wing was severely injured after being shoulder charged on by hooker Riley Brown. While the incident did not receive any punishment and referral by the NRL Judiciary, the incident did not escape public scrutiny and mixed opinions are shared about the legality and integrity of the tackle, given Craig Wing was sidelined for close to 22 weeks. The Roosters went on to win the match 34–20.

Statistics

Statistics correct as of 1 January 2008.

Team	Head to Head							Overall
Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD
South Sydney	196	104	5	87	2931	2941	-10	1853	955	45	853	30355	30761	-406
Sydney Roosters	196	87	5	104	2941	2931	+10	1919	1009	68	842	32918	29247	+3671

Sydney Roosters v St. George Illawarra Dragons

These two clubs have built a significant rivalry dating back to the 1960s. St. George claimed their fifth of 11 consecutive premierships against the Roosters in 1960, but it was in 1975 that the Roosters ended a record-breaking season with a 38-0 thumping of St. George in the Grand Final that year.

Since 2002, the Roosters and Dragons have played each other on Anzac Day. The first match resulted in a narrow 24-22 win to the Roosters, before the Dragons won their first match 24-20. The first four matches have been marginally close but in recent times the Dragons have claimed wins by more than 10 points.

The Roosters won their 1000th ever premiership match against the Dragons on Anzac Day, 2007. Before then, the Roosters had been stranded on 999 wins dating back to round 23, 2006. It also ended their worst start to a season since 1994.

The turning point in their rivalry came when these two teams played against each other in the much-hyped 2010 NRL Grand Final. The Dragons, in their first premiership decider since 1999, were trying to break a 31-year premiership drought whereas the Roosters were attempting to become the first team since the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1933-1934 to back up a wooden spoon season with a premiership in the following year. After trailing 8-6 at halftime, the Dragons went on to win 32-8.

St. George Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs

Historically the Rabbitohs and the Dragons are the most successful clubs in Australian rugby league. The Rabbitohs have won 20 premierships, their last coming in 1971 whereas the St. George half of the merger won 15; their last premiership coming in 1979. When the merger won the premiership in 2010, questions were asked about whether this was the Dragons' first premiership, as it was won by the merger, or their sixteenth as part of the St. George half of the merger.

The Rabbitohs and Dragons met in several Grand Finals many times throughout their history, and shared the same geographical area that is Sydney's inner-southern suburbs. The Charity Shield was contested between these two clubs throughout the 1990s; in 2002 it was revived after Souths were readmitted into the competition. This match is always played as a pre-season fixture. Until 2005, the match was played at the Sydney Football Stadium; from 2006 onwards the match is played at ANZ Stadium, the Rabbitohs' home ground.

Sydney Roosters v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

The Sydney Roosters have a long-standing rivalry with fellow Sydney team, the Canterbury Bulldogs. Whilst both teams had crossed premiership paths in Grand Finals on four occasions, the most significant chapter came when the Sydney Roosters won the 2002 NRL Premiership on the back of a 10-game winning streak. This was the same year the premiership favourite Bulldogs were stripped of 37 points due to systematic breaches of the salary cap in the 2001 and the 2002 seasons.^[3] The following year, the Bulldogs prevailed in both regular season matchups with the Roosters; however, the Sydney Roosters retaliated by defeating the Bulldogs 28–18 in the Grand Final qualifier. In 2004, both teams met up in the Grand Final itself; the Bulldogs prevailed 16–13.

After the 2004 Grand Final the rivalry between both teams settled down. However since 2006, the rivalry has once again re-ignited with players and officials from both clubs trading blows against each other. The Roosters during this time acquired four of the Bulldogs first grade players; Braith Anasta (2006), Nate Myles (2007), Mark O'Meley (2008) and Willie Mason (2008). All four have played representative rugby league and all except Nate Myles were a part of the 2004 Bulldogs premiership winning team.

In leading up to their first game against each other in the 2008 season, the Bulldogs released a t-shirt with the label 'Bred not bought' with a cartoon depicting a Bulldog attacking a Rooster. The t-shirt which was considered a taunt at the Roosters recruiting techniques and was subject to media scrutiny and led to Roosters great and former recruitment manager Arthur Beetson criticising the release of the t-shirt and also questioning the merits of the Bulldogs' recruitment policies. The match itself, played in round 4 of the 2008 NRL season was the subject of much media hype. The Roosters won comfortably, 40-12, with former Bulldog Willie Mason featuring strongly, scoring two tries.

The Bulldogs triumphed in their only match in 2009; whilst in 2010 results were split. The Bulldogs thrashed the Roosters 60-14 in the former of those matches.

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

St George Illawarra has a fierce rivalry with neighbour the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were founded in 1935, 14 years after St George. St. George inflicted a RL record 91-6 defeat of Canterbury in 1935 but Canterbury enjoyed premiership success first, however St.George recorded 11 straight premierships in the years following (1955–1966). It was also the Bulldogs who put an end to their Premiership run in 1967, when the Bulldogs beat them by 1 point in the preliminary final to face the Rabbitohs in the Grand Final. Since then, both clubs have inflicted Premiership defeats on the other, St George defeating the Bulldogs in their last Grand Final success in 1979, Canterbury returning the favour in 1985.[1] The two sides are rivals in the NRL Heritage Round.

Round 10, 2009 saw a controversial finish to the only home-and-away clash between these two sides during that season. Jamal Idris was denied a try which would have won the game for the Bulldogs after they had trailed the entire match. The Bulldogs had made a line break on the halfway line following an offload by Bryson Goodwin, only for the try to be disallowed as the Video Referee determined that Greg Eastwood had obstructed Dragons Five-eighth Jamie Soward when the line break was made, with the Dragons winning 20–18.

In 2010 the Dragons won both matches convincingly, keeping the Bulldogs to just one try in both matches whilst scoring 26 and 19 of their own in rounds 2 and 10 respectively. This rivalry is fuelled even more with the Morris twins playing for both clubs, Brett for the Dragons and Josh for the Bulldogs.

In 2011 the Dragons had a convincing 25-6 victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground in round five. St George Illawarra were again victorious in the return bout just five weeks later, notching a 15-10 victory. Round 2, 2012 saw the Bulldogs post their first win over the Dragons in six attempts – a 30-4 thrashing at ANZ Stadium.

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Parramatta Eels

The rivalry between St. George and Parramatta stretches back to 1977 when St. George and Parramatta played out the first ever drawn Grand Final result. The Eels, seeking their first ever premiership after having finished on top of the ladder at the end of the regular season, were beaten 22-0 in the replay by the Dragons, which won its first premiership since 1966.

The rivalry continued into the St. George Illawarra merger era; the Eels being their first opponents in the merger's debut season of 1999. This match, the second ever played at ANZ Stadium (the first match was between Newcastle and Manly), the venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games the following year, was won by the Eels by a scoreline of 20-10.

Following a match in 2004 at Parramatta Stadium which was won by the Dragons 37-6, Parramatta fans booed the team off the field; the Eels having lost their fourth straight match to that point. It was this loss that increased the pressure on then-Eels (and former St. George) coach Brian Smith following what had been a relatively disappointing season for the Eels.

There have recently been some controversial matches between the Dragons and the Eels. Firstly, in Round 18, 2005, the Eels won 40-14 in a match which saw Trent Barrett and PJ Marsh trade blows after Marsh's crude charge-down attempt at Barrett, sparking an all-in brawl whilst the Eels' Wade McKinnon sprinted to score a match-turning 80-metre try.^[4] The return match, although less controversial, saw a Dragons' 25-22 victory in Round 24 which allowed the two teams to share equal first place on the ladder at season's end (the Eels' superior percentage meant they won the minor premiership from the Dragons).

A less-memorable match saw no points scored between the two teams in Round 13, 2006 in the first 70 minutes of play before the Eels slotted a field goal with nine minutes remaining, before the Dragons struck back with two one-pointers to take a 2-1 lead. The Dragons then scored a try through Matt Cooper with mere seconds remaining on the clock to claim an 8-1 victory.^[5]

In recent times St. George Illawarra have won so many one-sided contests against Parramatta, such that the combined total scoreline from their past four regular season matches at Kogarah reads 105-1. Parramatta did however, upset the Dragons at Kogarah by 25-22 in the qualifying final in 2009; this set the Eels onto the path to the Grand Final, whilst the Dragons were sent packing after losing to the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium the following week.

Round 13, 2011 saw a 14-all draw – the first drawn result between these two clubs since Round 5, 2002.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Parramatta Eels

Manly and Parramatta have built a huge rivalry since their entries to the competition in 1947. Not much was made of their clashes until the mid 70's, and in particular the 1976 Grand Final in which Manly denied the Parramatta club a maiden premiership. Further clashes through to the mid 80's cemented a fierce rivalry between many of the clubs supporters. This rivalry has continued through the 2000s, with many notable matches between these clubs, arguably the most notable being the 36–34 win to Manly, at Brookvale, on 18 May 2003, which was the first ever golden point match, Ben Walker, the Manly 5/8th scoring the winning penalty goal, the 23–22 Manly win on 30 April 2006 at the SCG, after being down 16–0 near the end of the first half, the match being held as part of a 30th anniversary event of the famous 1976 Grand Final [2], and the 20–16 win to Manly, at Parramatta Stadium, on 18 April 2008 where Manly won after having 4 players forced off through injury throughout the match, and Heath L'Estrange scoring the match-winning (and his first) try for Manly in the 75th minute [3]

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

This rivalry has been dubbed the "Battle of the Beaches", due to their geographical locations and areas.

Manly played the Sharks in two grand finals during the 1970s. The Sea Eagles took both titles, 10–7 in 1973 and 16–0 in the 1978 replay. This was after the 78 grand final ended in an 11-all draw. These two grand finals are renowned for being the most brutal in history. Today, the rivalry remains strong between the Sharks and the Sea Eagles, the battle of the Northern and Southern Beaches. Another interesting note is their record at each other's home grounds. Cronulla has only won five times at Brookvale in four decades, while Manly went twenty one years without a victory at the Sharks home ground, before finally breaking the drought with a 29–22 win in Rd, 19 2007 [4] and continuing their good form by smashing them 34–6, at Cronulla, in Rd. 18 2008 [5], which cemented Manly as a top side, although somewhat ironically Cronulla had had a rare 16–10 win against Manly at Brookvale Oval in Round 1 that year in what was a successful season for both sides. Both teams looked destined to make the 2008 NRL Grand Final, but Cronulla were soundly beaten 28–0 by the Melbourne Storm who were without suspended captain Cameron Smith, putting the Sharks rivalry on the backburner while the Storm rivalry intensified.

Controversy erupted during a match in 2005 when John Hopoate was sent off for king-hitting Sharks forward Keith Galloway. Galloway was knocked conscious from the incident, and played no further part in the match. For his part, Hopoate's case was referred straight to the judiciary at the conclusion of the match, and was given a 17-match ban. Manly later terminated his contract, forcing his retirement.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Newcastle Knights

Since the mid 1990's, Manly built a rivalry with the Newcastle Knights club. In many ways this mirrors the Manly/Wests clashes where class distinction is used to fuel the perceived underdogs, in this case the working class city of Newcastle. In 1997, both Manly and Newcastle fought out the decider, with Newcastle winning 22–16. A controversial match in 2006 saw Knights captain Andrew Johns charged and suspended after an outburst at match officials.^[6] Manly won this game 16-14.

These two clubs would meet during the 2006 NRL finals series with Newcastle claiming a 25-18 victory, but their win came at a cost with hooker Danny Buderus suspended for a spear tackle on Manly's Michael Robertson. In 2007, the Sea Eagles claimed a huge 50-16 victory in a match which marked ten years since the famous 1997 ARL Grand Final. More recently, the Knights had a 13-12 golden point win in 2008, but since then results have been divided with the home team always prevailing.

Sydney Roosters v Brisbane Broncos

Since the 2000 NRL Grand Final, won by the Broncos 14-6, the Roosters and Broncos have built on a rivalry which continues today. In the grand final rematch in 2001, which the Roosters won 20-18, Brad Fittler was booked for striking Scott Prince, after which Fittler was suspended for the first time in his first-grade career. In the 2002 preliminary final, played on the Roosters home ground (Sydney Football Stadium) despite the match being earmarked as a Broncos home game, the Roosters won 16-12, and went on to win the premiership. It was the last game for Broncos' winger Lote Tuqiri until 2010.

Between 2002 and 2010 inclusive, these two teams played each other in the traditional Good Friday match. The Broncos won the first match, before the Roosters claimed their first bragging rights in 2003. In the 2003 match, the Roosters through Brett Finch scored in just the first minute of play before going on to win a classic by 27-20 after falling behind 20-18 at halftime. The Broncos would dominate the fixture, winning the next six in succession, before the Roosters won the 2010 fixture by 25-6. Also in 2010 the Roosters won a thrilling match 34-30 at Suncorp Stadium with Shaun Kenny-Dowall scoring four tries for the Roosters.

In 2011 the fixture was altered with the Wests Tigers replacing the Roosters in playing the Broncos in the annual Good Friday match, still held at the Sydney Football Stadium (the Tigers' home ground). Brisbane won this first match in Round 7 of the 2011 season.

Local derbies

Brisbane Broncos v North Queensland Cowboys

Between 1999 and 2006 inclusive, these two clubs were the only clubs from Queensland playing in the National Rugby League. In the early days, Brisbane would always beat North Queensland either in Brisbane or Townsville where the Cowboys are based.

A turning point in their rivalry came in the 2004 finals series where the Cowboys were drawn to play the Broncos. Due to both clubs being based from Queensland, the NRL rescheduled the second semi-final which was originally to be held at the Sydney Football Stadium, to Dairy Farmers Stadium, the Cowboys' home ground, the first time a semi-final had been taken outside of Sydney. Having never beaten the Broncos in their history, the Cowboys defied history and fought out a 10-0 win, which not only marked the Cowboys' first ever win over the Broncos but also the first (and to date only) time the Broncos had been held scoreless on Queensland soil.

Brisbane won both matches comfortably in 2005, but in 2006 the Cowboys won both matches, by scorelines of 36-4 and 26-16 in rounds one and twenty respectively. In the latter match, Cowboys halfback Johnathan Thurston injured his knee, yet the Cowboys went on to record a much needed win. North Queensland missed the finals that year, whilst the Broncos went on to win their sixth premiership.

Since 2005 these two clubs have played each other in the opening round of the season, with the exceptions of 2008 when it was held in round three, due to the Cowboys playing the Gold Coast Titans in their first ever match at Skilled Park and the Broncos meeting the Penrith Panthers (who was being captained by ex-Bronco Petero Civoniceva for the first time) at home, and in 2012 when it will be held in round two rather than the opening round. This is due to the Cowboys meeting the Titans at home and the Broncos away to Parramatta in the opening round of the 2012 season. Since 2007, the Broncos and Cowboys have always played on a Friday night.

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

One of the competition's most fiercest rivalries is between the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, which share the same geographic region. The Sharks along with Illawarra originally were part of the St George juniors area, and the Sharks has been viewed as St George's "little brother".[6] The Dragons have enjoyed more success than the Sharks, who remain premiership-less since their inception in 1967. In fact, since the Dragons entered the competition in 1999, both the Dragons and Sharks have finished higher than another six times apiece. The rivalry increased in 2005 when they met in a final at a sold out WIN Stadium; the Dragons winning 28-22. Cronulla finished the 1999 season as minor premiers, but the Dragons beat them 26-8 in the preliminary final to progress to the 1999 NRL Grand Final at the Sharks' expense. The Dragons trailed 0-8 at halftime.

Both clubs have been accused of poaching players from the other, and compete for fans in the same region. In 1999, the Cronulla CEO infamously cut up a St George Jersey after a match at Toyota Stadium. During the Super League war, Cronulla-Sutherland was one of only 3 Sydney teams to join the rival competition, entrenching further spite from Dragons fans. The Dragons won the four clashes across 2009–2010, winning 10-6, 26-4, 38-0 and 22-4. However, in Round 2 of the 2011 season, the Sharks caused a major upset winning 16-10.

In 2009, former Dragons captain Trent Barrett switched to the Sharks after two years in the European Super League. In his return match to Kogarah in round 3, 2009, Barrett was injured and with him went any hopes Cronulla had of winning the premiership (in the preceding year, the Sharks had finished equal-first) that year. Other players to have switched clubs include Lance Thompson and Jeremy Smith (Dragons to Sharks), Beau Scott, Sam Isemonger and Matt Bickerstaff (Sharks to Dragons) and Colin Best (Sharks to Dragons and then back again, as of 2011). In another match in 2009, Sharks captain Paul Gallen was found guilty of a racial slur involving then Dragons forward Mickey Paea.

Brisbane Broncos v Gold Coast Titans

This rivalry was built based on the closeness of Brisbane and the Gold Coast, being almost 100 km apart from each other. The Gold Coast Titans' entry to the competition in 2007 saw the number of Queensland teams in the NRL raised to three.

The first match between the Titans and Broncos was played at Suncorp Stadium, despite being earmarked as a Titans home game, on April 13, 2007. The Titans upset the 2006 premiers by 28-16, but the match was remembered for Titans forward Michael Henderson suffering a shocking leg injury which wiped him out of the 2007 season. Round 17 saw a close match between these two teams, with a Darren Lockyer field goal ensuring a Broncos win, 19-18, in golden point extra time. Another golden point match came in Round 24, 2008, when again the Broncos prevailed, 25-21.

The rivalry increased in 2009 when the two teams met during the 2009 finals. The Titans, on their home ground were playing their first ever final after just three years in competition, but the Broncos won 40-32; a late comeback from the Titans stalling when Israel Folau scored an intercept try winning the game for the Broncos.

Parramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers

These two teams build their rivalry on each other as they are based in Sydney's west. The two suburbs are about 30 km away from each other, and both always love to beat each other.

In 2002, the Eels thrashed the Panthers 64-6, this coming after a season in which Parramatta finished first on the ladder and Penrith last. But they would not meet again until Round 26, 2003, when the Panthers, in front of a then-record crowd defeated the Eels 40-22 denying the Eels a place in the finals (Parramatta had to win by 28+ points). Penrith went on to win the premiership that year. Round 17, 2009 saw a Panthers win by 38-34 in which the lead changed several times, before the Eels recorded a huge 48-6 win in the penultimate round of the 2009 season.

A recent match came in Round 19, 2010, when the Panthers broke the home ground record, again against the Eels, but after leading 22-0 the Panthers capitulated to lose 34-28. Round 19, 2011 saw another thriller in Eels captain Nathan Hindmarsh's 300th NRL match, when Parramatta thought they won the match with a 22-16 lead, only for Penrith to level in the final seconds of the match, in controversial circumstances. Penrith went on to secure a golden point win with a field goal.

These two teams always seem to finish either higher or lower than each other. Not since 2000 have both teams made the finals in the same year. In 2010, the Panthers finished second on the ladder whilst Parramatta missed the finals altogether.

More recent rivals

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Melbourne Storm

This rivalry started in 2005 when Manly and Melbourne met during a top-of-the-table clash in round three. Manly and Melbourne had made unexpected bright starts to the season, when they met at Brookvale Oval. The Sea Eagles won the match 25-18 with Steve Matai making his debut for the Sea Eagles in place of the suspended John Hopoate. This was seen as the beginning of a Sea Eagles revival after several years out of the finals. In 2006, Manly again won at Brookvale Oval 34-12, before Melbourne claimed some revenge in the final round of the 2006 season denying Manly a place in the top four.

The turning point in this rivalry came in 2007 when the two teams played off in the 2007 NRL Grand Final. During the regular season, Manly won a close match 13-12 which was notable for sickening injuries suffered to George Rose (Sea Eagles) and Billy Slater (Storm). But in the Grand Final itself, Melbourne claimed a 34-8 win notable for Storm firebrand Michael Crocker knocking out Sea Eagles fullback Brett Stewart in a match-turning moment just after halftime. In 2010, this premiership was stripped from the Storm as a result of salary cap breaches discovered throughout the 2006-2010 seasons.

The two teams would meet in the Grand Final again in 2008, this time Manly claiming a record-breaking 40-0 win over the Storm who were without suspended captain Cameron Smith. Manly led only 8-0 at halftime. In 2009, they would meet again in the finals, but this time in the qualifying final stage. The match, played at Etihad Stadium, saw Billy Slater score four tries in a Storm 40-12 thrashing. With this victory, Melbourne got the week off whilst Manly's season ended after losses to two teams above Melbourne on the ladder.

Controversy marred a late-season match in 2011 when the Storm and Sea Eagles, placed 1st and 2nd on the NRL ladder respectively, fought off in a potential Grand Final preview. David Gallop was attending his first game involving either club since he suspended Brett Stewart for the first four rounds of the 2009 season following a sexual assault charge for which he was later acquitted, and since he stripped the Storm of two premiership titles and three minor premiership titles for mass breaches of the salary cap in 2010.

In that match itself, Adam Blair and Glenn Stewart were both sent off after trading blows on their way to the stands having initially been sin-binned for their roles in an earlier brawl. Manly won the match 18-4, with a late Billy Slater try keeping Melbourne from being held scoreless for the first time since the 2008 NRL Grand Final. It was this win by the Sea Eagles that ended Melbourne's 12-match winning streak and thus maintained Manly's undefeated run at Brookvale Oval in season 2011.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Wests Tigers

Manly and the Wests Tigers have established a recent and spiteful rivalry in recent years^[7]. In Round 1 of the 2010 season, the Tigers came from 20-4 down with 20 minutes remaining to win a controversial and spiteful encounter 26-22^[8]. There were many moments to come out of the match: Tigers recruit Lote Tuqiri scored on his return from rugby union in just the fourth minute of the match, Manly pair Kieran Foran and Brent Kite were both booked for high tackles in the second half, Manly's George Rose was sin-binned for a high tackle on Daniel Fitzhenry and Brett Stewart suffered a season-ending knee injury whilst attempting a try-saving tackle on Tuqiri.

The return bout proved just as controversial, with the Sea Eagles claiming some revenge for its season opening defeat with a 38-20 win in front of a record crowd in Gosford. Manly accused Tigers captain Robbie Farah of diving in an incident which led to Steve Matai being reported and subsequently sin-binned (he was later cleared by the NRL Judiciary)^[9].

Early in the 2011 pre-season Manly and the Tigers squared off in a one-off charity Twenty20 cricket match to raise funds for the victims of the 2010–2011 Queensland floods^[10]. The Tigers, who were invited by the Sea Eagles to contest the match, accused Manly of "playing to win at all costs" and took the match less seriously than them. In their only NRL match in season 2011, the Tigers came from 12-0 down to win a close and less controversial contest 14-12^[11].

In Round 2 of the 2012 NRL season, the Sea Eagles held off a late Tigers fightback to score a 22-18 victory.

North Queensland Cowboys v Wests Tigers

The rivalry between the Cowboys and Wests Tigers stems from a controversial match in 2001 when Tigers' winger John Hopoate was alleged to have poked his fingers through the anuses of three Cowboys players. Despite his claims that he was trying to give them a "wedgie" - the three players in question - Paul Bowman, Peter Jones and Glenn Morrison dismissed the claim, and Hopoate was suspended for a lengthy time by the judiciary.

Considered the fairytales of the 2004 and 2005 respectively, not a single rugby league brain would have thought that the Cowboys and Wests Tigers would meet in the Grand Final in 2005. The Cowboys were coming off their own first ever finals appearance, in 2004, whilst the Tigers were in trouble by round 15. The Tigers then strung together a record eight-game winning streak, and finished fourth at the end of the season. In the first qualifying final, these two teams would meet each other at Sydney's Telstra Stadium where the focus was hyped much on the Tigers' first ever finals appearance.

In a one sided contest, the Tigers thrashed the Cowboys 50-6 with fullback Brett Hodgson scoring a record 30 points (three tries and nine goals) in the process. The two teams would meet again in the decider, with the Tigers prevailing 30-16 to become the first merger team to win a premiership, as well as the first team to win a premiership in their first finals appearance. The rivalry between these two clubs has simmered since, with a number of controversial matches including one where Luke O'Donnell was severely injured in a tackle by Wests Tigers players.

Brisbane Broncos v Melbourne Storm

Considered to be two of the biggest teams outside Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne have ignited a rivalry that still continues today. They are also notable for a wide spread of Queensland Origin players across their squads over the past six years. The two teams played six finals across six years from 2004-2009 inclusive. In 2004, the Storm claimed a 31-14 win in the second qualifying final, continuing the Broncos' finals woes. In 2005, the Storm repeated the dose in the same qualifying stage, this time claiming a 24-18 win which saw the rise of young superstar Greg Inglis who was filling in for the injured Billy Slater.

The turning point in the rivalry came in 2006 when the two teams met in the first Grand Final not to feature a New South Wales based team. Melbourne were the favourites, but the Broncos upset the Storm 15-8, winning its sixth premiership in the process. This ensured Brisbane prop Shane Webcke was sent into retirement a winner.

Again these two teams would play in the qualifying stage in 2007, but this time Melbourne finished on top of the ladder whilst an injury-ravaged Brisbane were lucky to finish eighth. The Storm won this match comfortably, 40-0. The 2008 semi-final between these two clubs was just as memorable, with Brisbane hosting the top-of-the-table Storm in a thrilling match where the Storm were in trouble for the majority of the match. Just as Brisbane was set to send Melbourne out of the finals in straight sets, the Storm, through Greg Inglis scored a try in the final minute of the match to break Brisbane's hearts and deny Wayne Bennett a win in his final match as Broncos coach. Brisbane's 2009 season was also ended abruptly by the Storm, in a 40-10 thumping at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium.

More recently the Broncos defeated the Storm 36-14 in the first NRL match played at AAMI Park. It was the Broncos' first win in Melbourne since 2003, and ended an era of unhappy times for the Broncos in Melbourne which included a then-record 50-4 loss in 2005 and the aforementioned 40-0 loss in 2007.

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Melbourne Storm

These two teams played in the Grand Final in 1999. It is remembered for the penalty try conceded by Dragons winger Jamie Ainscough that cost the Dragons the premiership. It was the Dragons' first NRL Grand Final appearance as a joint venture and the Storm's first Grand Final appearance in just its second year in existence. The Dragons had led 14-0 at halftime only for Melbourne to come back and claim a controversial 20-18 win following the penalty try two minutes from time. To date, this remains Melbourne's only premiership after the Storm had been stripped of its 2007 and 2009 titles following mass salary cap breaches.

The two teams have also had some memorable, not to mention controversial matches in the decade that followed, none more so than the Grand Final rematch in 2000 which saw the Storm annihilate the Dragons 70-10 at the MCG (this remains St George Illawarra's biggest defeat as a joint-venture to date). In the lead up to that match, then-Dragons five-eighth Anthony Mundine had claimed that the Storm were not worthy premiers, sparking anger from the Storm's fans and players, thus the catalyst for the huge win. The Dragons however did claim revenge later that year with a 50-4 win at WIN Stadium (that also remains the Storm's worst ever defeat to date).

Melbourne won 24-16 in round 12, 2005, capping a horror weekend for both the red-and-white teams in Melbourne (the other team, the AFL's Sydney Swans, got thrashed by St Kilda the night before).

The 2009 season opened with these two teams going head to head in another much talked about match. Dragons five-eighth Jamie Soward was labelled a 'rag doll' in defence whilst trying to stop the Storm's Greg Inglis scoring a try, however ever since that match Soward's game has matured. The Dragons lost 17-16 in extra time, with Inglis scoring the match winning field goal. In the return match, Soward was also the centre of attention as he used his foot to prevent Inglis again from scoring, resulting in an eight-point try and Soward being put on report (he was reprimanded for this). The Dragons won this match 26-12. In round 4, 2010, the Dragons were the last team to lose premiership points to the Storm before their salary cap scandal was revealed. In fact, St. George Illawarra had been placed first right throughout the Storm's punishment (the Dragons had led the competition from round five right through to the final round).

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Brisbane Broncos

St George and Brisbane Broncos contested the 1992 and 1993 Grand Finals, creating a fierce rivalry (see New South Wales Rugby League season 1993). It is also noted that the Dragons had the longest winning streak against the Brisbane Broncos than any other club (eight, from round 23, 2005 to round 4, 2009 inclusive, including one final in 2006), across five years. With former Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett at the helm of St George Illawarra, and Wendell Sailor, a popular face in the NRL and a former Bronco, the rivalry only increased. In 2009, the Dragons defeated the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium early, and were then beaten in Wollongong by the Broncos later on in the season. One game a piece, the two sides met up in Brisbane in the finals, where they lost to the Broncos 24–10, thus ending the Dragons season and also that of Wendell Sailor's career. Ironically, his first (and last) game for the Dragons were both against the Broncos.

Some memorable matches between the Dragons and the Broncos have included:

• Round 11, 2002: Brisbane were at the top of the ladder undefeated at the time until they ran into the Dragons at Aussie Stadium on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The Dragons won 28-20 to inflict Brisbane's first defeat of the season, but in round 17 the Broncos got them back with a 34-22 victory at ANZ Stadium.
• Round 26, 2003: The Dragons were out of finals contention and the Broncos the previous week had lost a then club-record breaking sixth straight loss when the two teams came together at Suncorp Stadium in the final round of the 2003 season. The second-string Dragons side, without more than half of its' first grade side stunned the Broncos 26-25 with hooker Mark Riddell kicking an improbable penalty goal with just over 90 seconds remaining. This condemned the Broncos to their seventh loss in succession and gave Dragons fans some hope for the 2004 season.
• Round 12, 2004: Not even an early try from Mark Gasnier (who was dropped from the New South Wales State of Origin team for disciplinary issues) could inspire the Dragons as they lost by just two points, 24-22.
• Round 23, 2005: In a potential Grand Final preview, scores were locked at 0-0 for the majority of the first half before the Dragons broke away in the second half to record a 24-4 win and instigate Brisbane's then-traditional late-season poor form.
• Round 15, 2006: With the Dragons trailing 16-12 with two minutes remaining, Dragons winger Brett Morris scored his first-ever first grade try in the corner in the dying minutes after catching a Mathew Head bomb. The try was allowed, leaving Dragons hooker Aaron Gorrell (in a twist of irony, he later went on to play for the Broncos) with the sideline conversion to win the game. Gorrell nailed it and the Dragons won the match 18-16.
• 2nd Qualifying Final, 2006: The Dragons upset the Broncos 20-4, the third time the Dragons defeated Brisbane in that year. The Broncos ultimately went on to win the premiership.
• Round 13, 2008: Wendell Sailor played his first game for the Dragons against the Broncos, but was rested just before halftime following a jaw injury suffered in the first half. The Dragons won 34-16.
• Round 23, 2008: Sailor marked his return to Suncorp Stadium with his first try since coming back to rugby league in a win to the Dragons, 24-20.
• Round 4, 2009: Wayne Bennett, Darius Boyd and a host of others opposed the Broncos for the first time in their lives. Despite conceding an early try to Israel Folau, the Dragons won 25-12 with Wendell Sailor appropriately scoring the match winning try.
• 2nd Semi-Final, 2009: The Broncos ended the Dragons season with a 24-10 win, and the Dragons became the first minor premiers in 16 years to be eliminated in just the 2nd round of the Finals.

The honours were divided in 2010 with the Dragons winning 34-16 in round 5 in Darius Boyd's 100th game (73 for the Broncos and 27 for the Dragons) but the Broncos got them back 10-6 at Suncorp Stadium in round 21 with the Dragons not scoring until just before full-time.

Players currently playing for the Dragons who have won premierships with Brisbane include Darius Boyd and Luke Priddis, who also won a premiership with Penrith in 2003. Others of note include Nick Emmett who was brought to the club by Wayne Bennett, and Neville Costigan, who was sacked just before the Broncos' 2006 success.

Sydney Roosters v New Zealand Warriors

These two teams met in the 2002 NRL Grand Final which was notable for the Warriors becoming the first non-Australian team in the Australasian competition to win a minor premiership or appear in a grand final. The Warriors only won the minor premiership in the final round of the regular season, and after the Bulldogs' salary cap breach of 2002.

The Grand Final was well known for its toughness from both teams. The Warriors, through Stacey Jones built an 8-6 lead halfway through the second half, only for Roosters captain Brad Fittler to turn his side's fortunes his way with a crucial 40/20 kick which turned the match the Roosters' way. The Roosters won 30-8 to win their first premiership since 1975.

Little has emerged from the two teams since, but in recent times the Warriors appointed Ivan Cleary (who played in the Warriors' 2002 Grand Final squad, and also a former Roosters player) as its head coach, partially breaching the salary cap in doing so. The two teams had a 31-all draw in 2007 (Brad Fittler's fourth game as Roosters coach) and the Warriors claimed a golden point 17-16 victory in 2009 at Mount Smart Stadium. There was drama in 2010 when Kevin Locke scored the match winning try for the Warriors in their 20-18 win, appearing to injure himself by colliding with the goal post in scoring the try.

Penrith Panthers v Sydney Roosters

The rivalry between these two sides arise from the Roosters recruiting Brad Fittler and Phil Gould from the Panthers in an attempt to turn the Roosters' fortunes around after almost a decade out of the finals. The pair had both won a premiership with the Panthers in 1991 and were looking to do the same at the Roosters. In fact, the Roosters failed to make the Grand Final with both Fittler (who was appointed captain during his arrival at the Roosters) and Gould, only for the Roosters to get there the year after Gould quit coaching the Roosters.

The two teams met in the 2003 NRL Grand Final, where the Roosters were the defending premiers and Penrith had finished last two seasons ago. Against all odds, the Panthers upset the more experienced Roosters 18-6; a memorable moment coming midway through the second half with Panthers lock Scott Sattler tackling Roosters flyer Todd Byrne into the touchline which saved the game for the Panthers. This was Penrith's second premiership; their first coming in 1991. Both teams have struggled ever since.

References