Premiers
Between 1912 and 1925 there was no semi-final system and a final was only played if two clubs finished level at the conclusion of the Minor Premiership. Souths won the 1909 premiership when Balmain forfeited in protest against the final being played as a preliminary match before a promotional game between the national Rugby League and Rugby Union sides. The 1937 season also featured no finals as the year was disrupted by the Kangaroos tour. Between 1926 and 1953 first played third and second played fourth and winners played off. If the minor premiers were defeated they had a right of challenge, but if they were not defeated there was no true "grand final."
From 1954 a mandatory grand final was introduced in which there was a knockout minor semi-final between third and fourth and a second-chance major semi between first and second. The winner of the major semi went to the grand final and a preliminary final was played between the winner of the minor semi and the loser of the major semi to decide who would meet the winner of the major semi.
In 1973 a final five was devised with the top team going straight into the major semi, the second and third teams playing a major preliminary semi, and the fourth and fifth playing a sudden-death minor preliminary semi. The top team played the winner of the major preliminary semi-final, whilst the winner of the minor preliminary semi played the loser of the major preliminary semi in the minor semi-final (which was played as before under the final four system.
| Past winners of the NSWRL Premiership |
| Season | Grand Final Information | Minor Premiers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiers | Score | Second | ||
| 1908 | South Sydney | 14-12 | Eastern Suburbs | South Sydney |
| 1909 | South Sydney | forfeit | Balmain | South Sydney |
| 1910 | Newtown | 4-4 | South Sydney | Newtown |
| 1911 | Eastern Suburbs | 11-8 | Glebe | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1912 | Eastern Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs | ||
| 1913 | Eastern Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs | ||
| 1914 | South Sydney | South Sydney | ||
| 1915 | Balmain | Balmain | ||
| 1916 | Balmain | 5-3 | South Sydney | Balmain |
| 1917 | Balmain | Balmain | ||
| 1918 | South Sydney | South Sydney | ||
| 1919 | Balmain | Balmain | ||
| 1920 | Balmain | Balmain | ||
| 1921 | North Sydney | North Sydney | ||
| 1922 | North Sydney | 35-3 | Glebe | North Sydney |
| 1923 | Eastern Suburbs | 15-12 | South Sydney | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1924 | Balmain | 3-0 | South Sydney | Balmain |
| 1925 | South Sydney | South Sydney | ||
| 1926 | South Sydney | 11-5 | University | South Sydney |
| 1927 | South Sydney | 20-11 | St. George | South Sydney |
| 1928 | South Sydney | 26-5 | Eastern Suburbs | St. George |
| 1929 | South Sydney | 30-10 | Newtown | South Sydney |
| 1930 | Western Suburbs | 27-2 | St. George | Western Suburbs |
| 1931 | South Sydney | 12-7 | Eastern Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1932 | South Sydney | 19-12 | Western Suburbs | South Sydney |
| 1933 | Newtown | 18-5 | St. George | Newtown |
| 1934 | Western Suburbs | 15-2 | Eastern Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1935 | Eastern Suburbs | 19-3 | South Sydney | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1936 | Eastern Suburbs | 32-12 | Balmain | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1937 | Eastern Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs | ||
| 1938 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 19-6 | Eastern Suburbs | Canterbury-Bankstown |
| 1939 | Balmain | 33-4 | South Sydney | Balmain |
| 1940 | Eastern Suburbs | 24-14 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1941 | St. George | 31-14 | Eastern Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1942 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 11-9 | St. George | Canterbury-Bankstown |
| 1943 | Newtown | 34-7 | North Sydney | Newtown |
| 1944 | Balmain | 12-8 | Newtown | Newtown |
| 1945 | Eastern Suburbs | 22-18 | Balmain | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1946 | Balmain | 13-12 | St. George | St. George |
| 1947 | Balmain | 13-9 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Canterbury-Bankstown |
| 1948 | Western Suburbs | 8-5 | Balmain | Western Suburbs |
| 1949 | St. George | 19-12 | South Sydney | South Sydney |
| 1950 | South Sydney | 21-15 | Western Suburbs | South Sydney |
| 1951 | South Sydney | 42-14 | Manly-Warringah | South Sydney |
| 1952 | Western Suburbs | 22-12 | South Sydney | Western Suburbs |
| 1953 | South Sydney | 31-12 | St. George | South Sydney |
| 1954 | South Sydney | 23-15 | Newtown | Newtown |
| 1955 | South Sydney | 12-11 | Newtown | Newtown |
| 1956 | St. George | 18-12 | Balmain | St. George |
| 1957 | St. George | 31-9 | Manly-Warringah | St. George |
| 1958 | St. George | 20-9 | Western Suburbs | St. George |
| 1959 | St. George | 20-0 | Manly-Warringah | St. George |
| 1960 | St. George | 31-6 | Eastern Suburbs | St. George |
| 1961 | St. George | 22-0 | Western Suburbs | Western Suburbs |
| 1962 | St. George | 9-6 | Western Suburbs | St. George |
| 1963 | St. George | 8-3 | Western Suburbs | St. George |
| 1964 | St. George | 11-6 | Balmain | St. George |
| 1965 | St. George | 12-8 | South Sydney | St. George |
| 1966 | St. George | 23-4 | Balmain | St. George |
| 1967 | South Sydney | 12-10 | Canterbury-Bankstown | St. George |
| 1968 | South Sydney | 13-9 | Manly-Warringah | South Sydney |
| 1969 | Balmain | 11-2 | South Sydney | South Sydney |
| 1970 | South Sydney | 23-12 | Manly-Warringah | South Sydney |
| 1971 | South Sydney | 16-10 | St. George | Manly-Warringah |
| 1972 | Manly-Warringah | 19-14 | Eastern Suburbs | Manly-Warringah |
| 1973 | Manly-Warringah | 10-7 | Cronulla-Sutherland | Manly-Warringah |
| 1974 | Eastern Suburbs | 19-4 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1975 | Eastern Suburbs | 38-0 | St. George | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1976 | Manly-Warringah | 13-10 | Parramatta | Manly-Warringah |
| 1977 | St. George | 9-9 22-0 |
Parramatta | Parramatta |
| 1978 | Manly-Warringah | 11-11 16-0 |
Cronulla-Sutherland | Western Suburbs |
| 1979 | St. George | 17-13 | Canterbury-Bankstown | St. George |
| 1980 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 18-4 | Eastern Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1981 | Parramatta | 20-11 | Newtown | Eastern Suburbs |
| 1982 | Parramatta | 21-8 | Manly-Warringah | Parramatta |
| 1983 | Parramatta | 18-6 | Manly-Warringah | Manly-Warringah |
| 1984 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 6-4 | Parramatta | Canterbury-Bankstown |
| 1985 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 7-6 | St. George | St. George |
| 1986 | Parramatta | 4-2 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Parramatta |
| 1987 | Manly-Warringah | 18-8 | Canberra | Manly-Warringah |
| 1988 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 24-12 | Balmain | Cronulla-Sutherland |
| 1989 | Canberra | 19-14 | Balmain | South Sydney |
| 1990 | Canberra | 18-14 | Penrith | Canberra |
| 1991 | Penrith | 19-12 | Canberra | Penrith |
| 1992 | Brisbane | 28-8 | St. George | Brisbane |
| 1993 | Brisbane | 14-6 | St. George | Canterbury-Bankstown |
| 1994 | Canberra | 36-12 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Canterbury-Bankstown |
- 1909: Balmain refused to play the final in protest to the game being held as a curtain-raiser to a Kangaroos v Wallabies match. Souths played, kicked off, scored & were declared premiers. Many contend though that a 'gentlemans agreement' was reached to postpone the game to the following weekend - and the action undertaken by Souths in starting the match sparked a fierce and bitter rivalry between the clubs that continued for many decades.
- 1910: Top two played off for the title. In the event of a drawn match, the superior record during the season secured the title, Newtown had compiled 23 competition points, Souths 22.
- 1977-78: Drawn games requiring a replay.
- 1989: The score was tied 14 all at normal full time - extra time was played to decide the winner.
Read more about this topic: New South Wales Rugby League Premiership