The 2005 NRL season was the 98th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the eighth run by the National Rugby League. The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen teams contesting the 2005 Telstra Premiership, which culminated in a grand final between the Wests Tigers and the North Queensland Cowboys.
Season summary In 2005 the NRL's salary cap was $3.25 million for the 25 highest-paid players in a club.
The season was statistically the closest season ever, with just sixteen points separating the Parramatta Eels (1st) and Newcastle Knights (15th). It was also notable in that the previous four premiers failed to qualify for the finals (Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights).
In the middle of 2005 the NRL reached a broadcasting rights agreement with Foxsports and Channel 9 worth $500 million over six years, representing a 65% increase in direct television income.
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. The Knights also defeated five of the top eight teams during the season, four of which were at home. 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. Minor premiers the Parramatta Eels lost to each of the bottom four teams (Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Raiders and Knights in rounds 8, 2, 19 and 20 respectively) during the course of the season.
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.
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 18th seasonGround: Suncorp StadiumCoach: Wayne BennettCaptain: Darren LockyerCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 71st seasonGround: Sydney Showground & Telstra StadiumCoach: Steve FolkesCaptain: Andrew RyanCanberra Raiders 24th seasonGround: Canberra StadiumCoach: Matthew ElliottCaptain: Simon WoolfordCronulla-Sutherland Sharks 39th seasonGround: Toyota StadiumCoach: Stuart RaperCaptain: Brett KimmorleyManly Warringah Sea Eagles 56th seasonGround: Brookvale OvalCoach: Des HaslerCaptain: Michael MonaghanMelbourne Storm 8th seasonGround Olympic ParkCoach: Craig BellamyCaptain: Robbie KearnsNew Zealand Warriors 11th seasonGround: Ericsson StadiumCoach: Tony KempCaptain: Steve PriceNewcastle Knights 18th seasonGround: EnergyAustralia StadiumCoach: Michael HaganCaptain: Andrew JohnsNorth Queensland Cowboys 11th seasonGround: Dairy Farmers StadiumCoach: Graham MurrayCaptain: Travis NortonParramatta Eels 59th seasonGround: Parramatta StadiumCoach: Brian SmithCaptain: Nathan CaylessPenrith Panthers 39th seasonGround: Penrith Football StadiumCoach: John LangCaptain: Craig GowerSouth Sydney Rabbitohs 96th seasonGround: Aussie StadiumCoach: Shaun McRaeCaptain: Bryan Fletcher→Peter CusackSt. George Illawarra Dragons 7th seasonGround: OKI Jubilee Stadium & WIN StadiumCoach: Nathan BrownCaptain: Trent BarrettSydney Roosters 98th seasonGround: Aussie StadiumCoach: Ricky StuartCaptain: Luke RicketsonWests Tigers 6th seasonGround: Campbelltown Stadium & Leichhardt OvalCoach: Tim SheensCaptain: Mark O'Neill→Scott Prince
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 characteristic 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.B&T magazine article 2005
Regular season
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 F1 F2 F3 GF Brisbane BroncosNQL+13NZL−12SYD+18MEL−46PAR+40SGI+10CRO+4MAN+26CBY+7NQL+17XSOU+24NEW+18CAN+8WTI+18NZL−12CRO+12XMEL+13CBY−7CAN+6MAN−1SGI−20PEN−2SYD−7PAR−14MEL−6WTI−28 Canberra RaidersXNEW+25SOU+7SGI+20SYD+8MAN−22MEL−36NEW+4PEN+8CRO−6WTI−12SYD−14XBRI−8CBY−18NQL+1PEN+8MEL−20PAR+8NZL−8BRI−6WTI−8SOU−13NQL−3PAR−38MAN−18 Canterbury-Bankstown BulldogsSGI+18NQL−12WTI−1CRO−14XSYD−13NEW+4PAR+14BRI−7MAN−8MEL+10NQL−36SOU0*XCAN+18MAN+19MEL−27NZL+2PEN+2BRI+7SOU−13NEW−15PAR−52WTI−52PEN−22SYD−20 Cronulla-Sutherland SharksPEN+6MAN−26PAR+8CBY+14NQL+32XBRI−4MEL+20NZL+4CAN+6PEN+8PAR−8NQL−42WTI−16SYD+6XBRI−12SOU−10NEW+4*SGI−10WTI−40MEL+24SYD−6MAN+62NEW−30SOU−4SGI−6 Manly Warringah Sea EaglesNZL+6CRO+26MEL+7XSGI−26CAN+22SOU+34BRI−26WTI+8CBY+8PAR−6PEN+10SYD+4SOU−38NEW+22CBY−19WTI−25PEN−4SGI−26XNQL−2BRI+1NEW−8CRO−62NZL−2CAN+18PAR−24 Melbourne StormNEW+38SGI+34MAN−7BRI+46PEN−20PAR−12CAN+36CRO−20XSOU+26CBY−10SGI+8WTI+16NZL−8PEN−14SOU+42CBY+27CAN+20BRI−13SYD+14NEW−19CRO−24NZL+12XWTI+12NQL−6BRI+6NQL−8 Newcastle KnightsMEL−38CAN−25XNQL−34SOU−25NZL−4CBY−4CAN−4SYD−30WTI−16SGI−2XBRI−18PAR−50MAN−22PEN+4SYD−14NQL+4CRO−4*PAR+6MEL+19CBY+15MAN+8NZL+12CRO+30SGI−8 New Zealand WarriorsMAN−6BRI+12NQL−10SOU+32WTI−18NEW+4XPEN−2CRO−4SYD−4SOU+18WTI+17SGI−14MEL+8PAR−10BRI+12NQL−8CBY−2SYD+2CAN+8PEN−8PAR−18MEL−12NEW−12MAN+2X North Queensland CowboysBRI−13CBY+12NZL+10NEW+34CRO−32WTI+24PEN+14SYD+20PAR−38BRI−17XCBY+36CRO+42SGI−30XCAN−1NZL+8NEW−4SOU−2PEN+20MAN+2SGI−20WTI−12CAN+3SOU+14MEL+6WTI−44MEL+8PAR+29WTI−14 Parramatta EelsWTI+16SOU−23CRO−8PEN+10BRI−40MEL+12WTI+10CBY−14NQL+38XMAN+6CRO+8PEN+10NEW+50NZL+10SYD−4SOU+36SGI+26CAN−8NEW−6XNZL+18CBY+52SGI−3CAN+38BRI+14MAN+24XNQL−29 Penrith PanthersCRO−6SYD−8SGI+10PAR−10MEL+20SOU+30NQL−14NZL+2CAN−8SGI−22CRO−8MAN−10PAR−10XMEL+14NEW−4CAN−8MAN+4CBY−2NQL−20NZL+8SYD+2XBRI+2CBY+22WTI+16 South Sydney RabbitohsSYD−12PAR+23CAN−7NZL−32NEW+25PEN−30MAN−34XSGI−32MEL−26NZL−18BRI−24CBY0*MAN+38SGI−18MEL−42PAR−36CRO+10NQL+2WTI−22CBY+13XCAN+13SYD+1NQL−14CRO+4 St. George Illawarra DragonsCBY−18MEL−34PEN−10CAN−20MAN+26BRI−10SYD+2WTI+8SOU+32PEN+22NEW+2MEL−8NZL+14NQL+30SOU+18WTI−8XPAR−26MAN+26CRO+10SYD+38NQL+20BRI+20PAR+3XNEW+8CRO+6XWTI−8 Sydney RoostersSOU+12PEN+8BRI−18WTI−6CAN−8CBY+13SGI−2NQL−20NEW+30NZL+4XCAN+14MAN−4XCRO−6PAR+4NEW+14WTI−10NZL−2MEL−14SGI−38PEN−2CRO+6SOU−1BRI+7CBY+20 Wests TigersPAR−16XCBY+1SYD+6NZL+18NQL−24PAR−10SGI−8MAN−8NEW+16CAN+12NZL−17MEL−16CRO+16BRI−18SGI+8MAN+25SYD+10XSOU+22CRO+40CAN+8NQL+12CBY+52MEL−12PEN−16NQL+44BRI+28SGI+8NQL+14 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 F1 F2 F3 GF
Bold – Home game X – Bye * – Golden point game Opponent for round listed above margin
Ladder
Finals series To decide the grand finalists from the top eight finishing teams, the NRL adopts the McIntyre final eight system. HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeCrowd Qualifying Finals Wests Tigers50 – 6 North Queensland Cowboys9 September 2005Telstra StadiumPaul Simpkins26,463 Brisbane Broncos18 – 24 Melbourne Storm10 September 2005Suncorp StadiumSteve Clark25,193 St. George Illawarra Dragons28 – 22 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks10 September 2005WIN StadiumTony Archer19,608 Parramatta Eels46 – 22 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles11 September 2005Parramatta StadiumTim Mander19,710 Semi-finals Melbourne Storm16 – 24 North Queensland Cowboys17 September 2005Aussie StadiumPaul Simpkins16,810 Wests Tigers34 – 6 Brisbane Broncos18 September 2005Aussie StadiumTim Mander36,563 Preliminary Finals St. George Illawarra Dragons12 – 20 Wests Tigers24 September 2005Aussie StadiumTim Mander41,260 Parramatta Eels0 – 29 North Queensland Cowboys25 September 2005Telstra StadiumSteve Clark44,327
Finals Chart
Grand Final
Statistics and records The Broncos' Darren Smith was the NRL's oldest player in 2005 at 36 years and 284 days. The Brisbane Broncos set a new club record for highest score conceded (50 points) and greatest losing margin (46 points), when they lost 50-4 against the Melbourne Storm at Olympic Park in Round 4. These records were broken in 2019 when they lost 58-0 to the Parramatta Eels in the elimination finals, then again in 2020 when they lost 59-0 to the Sydney Roosters in round 4, which was the first (of two) time Brisbane have failed to score a point at their home of Suncorp Stadium. The Newcastle Knights lost a club record 13 straight matches from 13 March - 19 June, and went on to win the wooden spoon for the first time. In Rounds 23 and 24, the Canterbury Bulldogs suffered their worst defeats since 1935, when they lost 56-4 against the Parramatta Eels in Round 23, then lost 54-2 against Wests Tigers in Round 24. Wests Tigers' club record for their longest winning streak with 8 wins from round 16 to round 24.
Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26.
Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField Goals250 Brett Hodgson111030196 Luke Burt10780190 Preston Campbell11730180 Luke Covell9720180 Hazem El Masri11680 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer19 Shaun Berrigan19 Billy Slater18 Colin Best18 Pat Richards18 Matt Bowen
Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer103 Brett Hodgson78 Luke Burt73 Preston Campbell72 Luke Covell68 Hazem El Masri
2005 Transfers
Players