Due to its success (this event has established itself as a regular part of the rugby league calendar), with Queensland receiving hosting rights for the upcoming three years. The finals series of 2007 marked the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ return to playoff games after decades away.

To ensure fairness among teams in the Winfield Cup — the NSWRL implemented a salary cap in 1990. Many prominent Indigenous athletes, such as Arthur Beetson—who became the first Aboriginal captain of an Australian national team in any sport—as well as former Test players Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis, have participated in the competition since then. Among the most renowned athletes in Australasia are National Rugby League players, who often secure playing contracts and sponsorships worth millions. The prestigious Clive Churchill Medal is given to the player recognized as the man-of-the-match by the Australian national selectors, and it is usually the Prime Minister of Australia who presents the trophy to the victorious captain. After the grand final, a ceremony takes place where the winning team is presented with the Provan-Summons Trophy, along with premiership rings for each player and their head coach. Between 1998 and 2011 (the NRL employed the McIntyre final eight format; however), the ARLC’s introduction led to a switch to the current system, which is viewed as more equitable for the top four finishing teams.

The game itself is usually preceded by an opening ceremony featuring entertainment and the singing of the national anthem by well-known Australasian and international musical acts. These two teams then contest the grand final, which is usually played on the first Sunday of October. However, following the boycott of the game by seven Manly players who refused to wear the specially designed jersey and ensuing poor publicity, it was decided not to have a Pride Round in 2023, but to stick with the other four rounds.

• In 1995 (an attempt was made to shift control of the premiership from the NSWRFL to the Australian Rugby League (ARL)), which subsequently invited four additional teams from outside New South Wales to join that year.
• The Gold Coast Titans became the first professional sports team to return to the Gold Coast since the Gold Coast Chargers were disbanded in 1998 during the NRL’s rationalization efforts following the Super League war and prior to the 2000 season.
• The finals series features competition among the eight teams that rank highest at the conclusion of the regular season.
• To level the competitiveness of teams in the Winfield Cup, a salary cap was introduced to the NSWRL in 1990.

The ARLC was established in 2019.

On December 12, 2024, a team from Papua New Guinea was announced to join the NRL in the 2028 season by ARLC chairman Peter V’landys along with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape. Plans to expand the NRL by adding three teams by 2030 were confirmed by ARLC CEO Andrew Abdo and chairman Peter V’landys, with up to two teams potentially located outside of Australia. For the first time since 2008, the grand final featured a contest between the teams that finished first and second. The second qualifying match of the 2010 finals series (held between the Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters), became the inaugural McIntyre system final to go into extra time, with media dubbing the One Hundred Minute Epic as one of the greatest matches of the modern era. In 2010 (the NRL achieved a record average attendance of 17,367 per game over the season), culminating in an overall total attendance of 3,490,778.

The Panthers secured the brother of a star from the Melbourne Storm.

The following day after Queensland closed its borders, the NRL announced https://carrollforcolorado.com that the season would have to be suspended indefinitely. The decision prompted a wave of condemnation online, including from Australian personalities and sportspeople. Following the imposition of the first COVID-19 restrictions, the NRL initially announced it would be moving forward with the season. The 2016 season saw the Melbourne Storm return to the minor premiership position while the Canberra Raiders returned to the top four for the first time since 2003. The 2015 Grand Final is considered by many to be the greatest grand final of all time, as a high-intensity match ended in dramatic circumstances when North Queensland scored as the full-time siren sounded. The 2013 Grand Final was played between the Sydney Roosters and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles with the Roosters recording a 26–18 victory.

The Auckland Warriors experienced much financial hardship in the early part of the decade, ultimately collapsing before being resurrected as the New Zealand Warriors for the 2001 season. Balmain and Western Suburbs formed the joint-venture club (the Wests Tigers at the end of 1999), while North Sydney and Manly Warringah created the ill-fated Northern Eagles. It was also announced that clubs that merged would receive a large sum of money, as well as a guaranteed position in the 2000 NRL Competition. The 20 clubs that played in 1998 would be assessed on various items such as sponsorship, crowds, on-field success and the like. This was attempted in 1995 with control of the premiership passing from the NSWRFL to the Australian Rugby League (ARL), who invited four more teams from outside NSW to participate in 1995. Although this move brought more interest in the competition statewide in New South Wales (it would spell the beginning of the demise of some of the traditional Sydney-based clubs), as well as having a negative effect on the Brisbane Rugby League premiership.

Teams

It was announced that the inaugural National Rugby League (NRL) season of 1998 would have 20 teams competing — 19 remaining Super League and ARL teams plus the Melbourne Storm, who were created by Super League for their 1998 season. Further expansion of the league followed in 1988 (with another three teams based outside Sydney introduced to the competition; the Newcastle Knights and the first two Queensland teams), the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast-Tweed Giants. Put your NRL knowledge to the test by identifying all 17 club logos. The young gun has had no luck with injuries during his early career.

The team will be based in the capital city of Port Moresby and play home matches at the National Football Stadium. By November (talks had resumed and the Western Bears were largely expected to be announced as the NRL’s 18th team), entering in the 2027 season. Following the introduction of the Dolphins in 2023, NRL executives spoke openly about the desire to further expand the competition. On 9 April 2020, ARL Commissioner Wayne Pearce announced the NRL would return on 28 May. It was feared that some teams would not survive this period without income, as it was foreseen as a financial catastrophe.

Throughout 2008 (the NRL celebrated 100 years since rugby league was introduced into Australia), with several initiatives to recognise the important milestone, including an extensive marketing campaign called the ‘Centenary of Rugby League’. The opening round saw two matches at Brisbane’s Lang Park (the first featuring reigning champions Brisbane against fellow Queensland side North Queensland), while the second match featured the new club, the Gold Coast, playing St. George Illawarra. That system was not used (however), as teams were given a single bye during the year—grouped in periods—that assisted clubs manage representative fixtures. With an odd number of teams contesting between 2002 and 2006, the draw meant that at least one team would have to have a bye each weekend.

National Rugby League was a supporter of the failed Voice to Parliament referendum. Other notable sponsorships include Kia (Thursday Night Football), KFC (Friday Night Football), Bundaberg Rum (Super Saturday), Chemist Warehouse (Sunday Football). The new brand, highlighting the shield and the chevron – which have both been synonymous with Rugby League since the game’s inception.

Teams on the ladder are ranked by competition points in descending order, then match points differential , for and against, in descending order, and points percentage, are used to separate teams with equal competition points and equal points differential. Each invited team represented their league in a single game, played in the days leading up to the usual Challenge match. The first match of its kind was the 1976 World Club Challenge (and it was then played sporadically throughout the late 80s and 90s), including a one-off Super League tournament in 1997, before becoming a regular annual pre-season fixture since 2000. The teams are chosen via public voting, and the two sides play for the Arthur Beetson Trophy. 2023 saw the introduction of the NRL Pre-season Challenge to create a more structured pre-season for each club. Having selected a Papua New Guinea NRL team as its eighteenth team, in April 2025, the NRL originally put negotiations on hold after deciding to postpone the introduction of a 19th team.

The scientific team of the NRL ranks among the largest in the nation, comprising internationally accredited and board-certified experts.