National Rugby League season 2005

Infobox rugby league season
year = 2005
competition = National Rugby League


imagesize = 100px
caption =
teams = 15
premiers =
count = 1st
minor premiers =
mpcount = 5th
matches = 189
points = 8861
attendance = 3276675
top points scorer = (308)
top try scorer = (21)The year 2005's National Rugby League (NRL) premiership was the 98th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the eighth run by the NRL. The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen clubs contesting the 2005 Telstra Premiership. The Wests Tigers won their first premiership, beating the North Queensland Cowboys in the grand final.

Season summary

The 2005 NRL season was statistically the closest season ever, with just sixteen points separating the Parramatta Eels (first) and Newcastle Knights (fifteenth). It was also notable in that the previous four premiers failed to qualify for the finals (Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights). During the season, the National Rugby League announced a six-year $500 million television deal with Channel Nine and Fox Sports, to take effect in 2007.

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. 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.

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. Johns had previously won the award in 1998, 1999 and 2002.

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

Grand Final

ources and footnotes

See also

* National Rugby League
* 2005 NRL Finals Series
* Brisbane Broncos 2005
*2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations

External links

* [http://www.nrl.com NRL official website]
* [http://www.leagueunlimited.com LeagueUnlimited]
* [http://stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/2005.html Rugby League Tables and Statistics 2005]
* [http://sportsaustralia.com/league/ Sports Australia League]