2013 NRL season

The 2013 NRL season was the 106th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia. The National Rugby League's main competition, named the 2013 Telstra Premiership after major sponsors Telstra, was contested by sixteen teams during the regular season, which lasted from March to September, and resulted in the top eight finishing teams, who went on to contest the finals. The season culminated in the Grand Final, in which the Sydney Roosters defeated the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 26-18 to win their first NRL premiership since 2002.

The NRL season started with the 2013 NRL All Stars match, which was played in February. The 2013 Holden Cup, the NRL's Under-20s competition, also took place alongside the Premiership, with most matches held before the first grade competition. The Parramatta Eels picked up the wooden spoon for the second consecutive season after winning only five matches for the season.

Season summary

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks supplements saga

The 2013 NRL season was marred by a major investigation involving the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks' supplements program, which was alleged to have taken place during the 2011 season. Following an almost year-long investigation by ASADA and the NRL, a series of penalties were applied on the club, including, among others, the 12-month suspension of Shane Flanagan as the club's head coach, as well as a $1,000,000 fine (with $400,000 suspended) and the deregistration of Trent Elkin as the club's trainer.Sharks fined $1m, Flanagan suspended , NRL.com official website, 17 December 2013

Despite the off-field controversy, the Sharks were still able to reach the NRL finals for the second consecutive year, losing to eventual grand finalists Manly in the second week.

Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 7th consecutive year. A report conducted by Brand Finance valued the Penrith Panthers club at $46.2m, the highest of any Australian sporting brand, while the Brisbane Broncos had the highest brand equity. Colours Club Season Stadium Head coach Captain(s) Brisbane Broncos 26th season Suncorp Stadium Anthony Griffin Sam Thaiday Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 79th season ANZ Stadium Des Hasler Michael Ennis Canberra Raiders 32nd season Canberra Stadium David Furner→Andrew Dunemann Terry Campese Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 47th season Remondis Stadium Peter Sharp (interim) Paul Gallen Gold Coast Titans 7th season Skilled Park John Cartwright Nate Myles & Greg Bird Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 64th season Brookvale Oval Geoff Toovey Jamie Lyon & Jason King Melbourne Storm 16th season AAMI Park Craig Bellamy Cameron Smith Newcastle Knights 26th season Hunter Stadium Wayne Bennett Kurt Gidley→Jarrod Mullen New Zealand Warriors 19th season Mt Smart Stadium Matthew Elliott Simon Mannering North Queensland Cowboys 19th season Dairy Farmers Stadium Neil Henry Johnathan Thurston & Matt Scott Parramatta Eels 67th season Parramatta Stadium Ricky Stuart Reni Maitua & Jarryd Hayne Penrith Panthers 47th season Centrebet Stadium Ivan Cleary Kevin Kingston St. George Illawarra Dragons 15th season WIN Jubilee OvalWIN Stadium Steve Price Ben Creagh South Sydney Rabbitohs 104th season ANZ Stadium Michael Maguire John Sutton Sydney Roosters 106th season Allianz Stadium Trent Robinson Anthony Minichiello Wests Tigers 14th season Campbelltown StadiumLeichhardt Oval Mick Potter Robbie Farah

Ladder

Ladder progression

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; line-height: 90%; font-size:90%;" width=100% |- ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Position"| !width=175 |Team ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 1"|1 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 2"|2 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 3"|3 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 4"|4 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 5"|5 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 6"|6 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 7"|7 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 8"|8 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 9"|9 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 10"|10 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 11"|11 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 12"|12 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 13"|13 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 14"|14 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 15"|15 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 16"|16 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 17"|17 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 18"|18 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 19"|19 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 20"|20 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 21"|21 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 22"|22 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 23"|23 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 24"|24 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 25"|25 ! style="width:20px;" abbr="Round 26"|26 |- |1|| style="text-align:left;"| Sydney || 0 || 2 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || style="background:#cfc;"|14 || style="background:#cfc;"|16 || style="background:#cfc;"|16 || style="background:#cfc;"|18|| style="background:#cfc;"|20 || style="background:#cfc;"|20 || style="background:#cfc;"|22 || style="background:#cfc;"|24 || style="background:#cfc;"|26 || style="background:#cfc;"|28 || style="background:#cfc;"|30 || style="background:#cfc;"|32 || style="background:#9cf;"|34 || style="background:#9cf;"|36 || style="background:#9cf;"|38 || style="background:#9cf;"|38 || style="background:#cfc;"|38 || style="background:#9cf;"|40 |- |2|| style="text-align:left;"| South Sydney || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || style="background:#cfc;"|14 || style="background:#9cf;"|16 || style="background:#9cf;"|18 || style="background:#9cf;"|18 || style="background:#9cf;"|20 || style="background:#9cf;"|22 || style="background:#9cf;"|24 || style="background:#9cf;"|26 || style="background:#9cf;"|28 || style="background:#9cf;"|30 || style="background:#9cf;"|32 || style="background:#9cf;"|32 || style="background:#9cf;"|34|| style="background:#cfc;"|34 || style="background:#cfc;"|34 || style="background:#cfc;"|36 || style="background:#cfc;"|38 || style="background:#9cf;"|40 || style="background:#cfc;"|40 |- |3|| style="text-align:left;"| Melbourne || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || style="background:#9cf;"|4 || style="background:#9cf;"|6 || style="background:#9cf;"|8 || style="background:#9cf;"|10 || style="background:#9cf;"|12 || style="background:#9cf;"|14 || style="background:#9cf;"|14 || style="background:#cfc;"|14 || style="background:#cfc;"|15 || style="background:#cfc;"|17 || style="background:#cfc;"|19 || style="background:#cfc;"|21 || style="background:#cfc;"|23 || style="background:#cfc;"|23 || style="background:#cfc;"|23 || style="background:#cfc;"|25 || style="background:#cfc;"|25 || style="background:#cfc;"|27|| style="background:#cfc;"|27 || style="background:#cfc;"|29 || style="background:#cfc;"|31 || style="background:#cfc;"|33 || style="background:#cfc;"|35 || style="background:#cfc;"|35 || style="background:#cfc;"|37 |- |4|| style="text-align:left;"| Manly-Warringah || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || style="background:#cfc;"|13 || style="background:#cfc;"|15 || style="background:#cfc;"|17 || style="background:#cfc;"|17 || style="background:#cfc;"|17 || style="background:#cfc;"|19|| style="background:#cfc;"|19 || style="background:#cfc;"|21 || style="background:#cfc;"|23 || style="background:#cfc;"|25|| style="background:#cfc;"|27 || style="background:#cfc;"|29 || style="background:#cfc;"|31 || style="background:#cfc;"|31 || style="background:#cfc;"|33 || style="background:#cfc;"|35 || style="background:#cfc;"|35 |- |5|| style="text-align:left;"| Cronulla-Sutherland || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || 4 || 4 || 6 || 8 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || style="background:#cfc;"|14 || style="background:#cfc;"|14 || style="background:#cfc;"|16 || style="background:#cfc;"|18 || style="background:#cfc;"|18 || style="background:#cfc;"|20 || style="background:#cfc;"|22 || style="background:#cfc;"|22|| style="background:#cfc;"|24 || style="background:#cfc;"|26 || style="background:#cfc;"|26 || style="background:#cfc;"|28 || style="background:#cfc;"|30 || style="background:#cfc;"|30 || style="background:#cfc;"|32 |- |6|| style="text-align:left;"| Canterbury-Bankstown || 0 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || style="background:#fcc;"|2 || 4 || 6 || 8 || 8 || 10 || 12 || style="background:#cfc;"|14 || style="background:#cfc;"|16 || style="background:#cfc;"|16 || style="background:#cfc;"|18 || 18 || style="background:#cfc;"|20 || style="background:#cfc;"|22|| style="background:#cfc;"|24 || style="background:#cfc;"|26 || style="background:#cfc;"|26 || style="background:#cfc;"|28 || style="background:#cfc;"|28 || style="background:#cfc;"|30 || style="background:#cfc;"|30 |- |7|| style="text-align:left;"| Newcastle || style="background:#9cf;"|2 || 2 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || 12 || 12 || 14 || style="background:#cfc;"|16 || style="background:#cfc;"|18 || style="background:#cfc;"|20 || style="background:#cfc;"|22 || style="background:#cfc;"|22 || style="background:#cfc;"|23 || style="background:#cfc;"|25 || style="background:#cfc;"|25 || style="background:#cfc;"|25 || style="background:#cfc;"|27 || style="background:#cfc;"|29 |- |8|| style="text-align:left;"| North Queensland || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 4 || 4 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 10 || 12 || 14 || 14 || 14 || 16 || 16 || 18 || 20 || 22 || style="background:#cfc;"|24 || style="background:#cfc;"|26 || style="background:#cfc;"|28 |- |9|| style="text-align:left;"| Gold Coast || 0 || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || style="background:#cfc;"|14 || style="background:#cfc;"|16 || style="background:#cfc;"|16|| style="background:#cfc;"|18 || style="background:#cfc;"|18 || style="background:#cfc;"|18 || 20 || 20 || 20 || 22 || style="background:#cfc;"|24 || style="background:#cfc;"|24 || 24 || 26 || 26 |- |10|| style="text-align:left;"| Penrith || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 4 || 4 || 6 || 8 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || style="background:#cfc;"|12 || 12 || 12 || 14 || 16 || style="background:#cfc;"|18 || style="background:#cfc;"|20 || 20 || 20 || 20 || 20 || 22 || 24 || 24 || 26 |- |11|| style="text-align:left;"| New Zealand || 0 || 0 || style="background:#fcc;"|0 || 2 || style="background:#fcc;"|2 || 2 || style="background:#fcc;"|2 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 6 || 8 || 10 || 12 || 14 || 16 || 16 || 18 || 20 || 22 || 22 || 22 || 22 || 24 || 26 || 26 |- |12|| style="text-align:left;"| Brisbane || 0 || style="background:#cfc;"|2 || 2 || 2 || style="background:#cfc;"|4 || style="background:#cfc;"|6 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|8 || style="background:#cfc;"|10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 12 || 14 || 14 || 14 || 14 ||16|| 18 || 19 || 21 || 23 || 23 || 23 || 25 |-