[League Main]

Notes


Disclaimers
-----------
I am not the NRL, nor have any connection to the NRL, clubs or players. No data on this site should be deemed as official
I also make no claim of complete accuracy of said data, in particular team lists prior to 1986
 (which definitely have omissions or other issues), and scoring details in the formative years of the competition
Any corrections gratefully accepted


Home, Away, Neutral and Semi  
-----------------------------
(The new system)
Each game has been assigned a home team, however a home & away draw is a relatively recent practice.

From the early 1970s (when the Match of the Day was no longer played) to the present, it largely resembles the present
sytem. 
From the 1930s til the 1970s, some teams played few games at their traditional home grounds, and
odd scheduling occasionally occurred e.g. two teams would play both games at one of the
club's home ground.
Prior to the 1930s, home & away is only loose approximation, on many occasions a completely arbitrary choice.  
In short, prior to the 1970s, no factual basis to these designations should be inferred.
At this time, there is no differentiation between home finals and away finals, both come under the umbrella of finals
 
 
(The old system)
* Neutral is defined as a game at neither team's home ground. Bear in mind that this means 
  that, for instance, Canberra v Canterbury at the W.A.C.A was neutral, but so was 
  Melbourne v St George-Illawarra at the M.C.G.
* When a semi-final is played at a participating team's home ground it is classed as a semi.
* When teams share a ground, in games between them one team will given a home game and the
  other an away game. 
  NB: At this time, any such occurence prior to 1980, the official home team I have not yet 
  determined - thus the allocation of the home team in these cases is simply a choice I have 
  made until I ascertain otherwise. It may be, though, that this information is unavailable for 
  the early seasons. 
* In the early part of the competition, set home & away schedules were not the norm. Some teams
  played without a home ground for several seasons.  
* For many years, the best game of the round was transferred to the SCG, thus depriving the
  top sides of a number of home games. This results in large numbers of 'Neutral' games
  for some teams.

Finals systems
---------------
From 1908 to 1994, teams could not be excluded from the finals by points difference,
and a mid week playoff (or playoffs) were held to decide the semi-finalists. 
With the expansion of the finals in 1995, playoffs were discontinued, and points
difference (points scored minus points conceded) became the tie breaker. 


1908-09 / Top 4
 - Top 4 played an extra round, the most competiton points played the decider.
1910-11 / Top 2
 - Top 2 played the decider (ROC) 1912-25,1937 / Top 1
 - Most competition points - in the event of a tie, a playoff for the title. 

1926-36,1938-53 / Top 4 (ROC)
 - Week 1 - 1 v 3 (A)
            2 v 4 (B)
   Loser(B) eliminated. 

 - Week 2 - 1 v Winner(B) or 
            3 v Winner(B) (C) 
   If 1 wins in Game(A), it plays Winner(B) in the Final. A win here for 1 secures the title, a loss requires
    a Grand Final between the same sides to decide the Premiers. 
   If 1 loses in Game(A), 3 plays Winner(B) for the right to play 1 in the Grand Final

 - Week 3 - 1 v Winner(C)
   Only played If 1 loses in Week 1 or 2 
   (Known as the Right Of Challenge [ROC], it ensured the minor premier had to appear in the deciding game.
   In 1928, 1934, 1941 and 1943, top spot was shared by two or more teams. In 1928 and 1941, no minor
   premiership was awarded, thus ROC was not applied. In 1934 and 1943 a playoff was used to determine
   the minor premier and hence the ROC

1954-1972 / Top 4
 - Week 1 - 1 v 2 (A)
          - 3 v 4 (B)
   Loser(B) eliminiated.

 - Week 2 - Loser(A) v Winner(B) (C)
   Loser(C) eliminiated.

 - Week 3 - Winner(A) v Winner(C)

1973-1994 / Top 5
 - Week 1 - 2 v 3 (A)
          - 4 v 5 (B)
   Loser(B) eliminated.

 - Week 2 - Loser(A) v Winner(B) (C)
          - 1 v Winner(B) (D)
   Loser(C) eliminated

 - Week 3 - Loser(D) v Winner(C) (E)
   Loser(E) elimnated 

 - Week 4 - Winner(D) v Winner(E)

1995-1996 / Top 8
 - Two groups of four (1,4,5,8) and (2,3,6,7)
    each contested a series in the manner of 1954-1972.
    (In 1996, teams crossed over to the other group in Week 2)
    The two 'winners':played the Grand Final.

1997 (ARL) / Top 7
 - Week 1 - 2 v 3 (A)
          - 4 v 5 (B)
          - 6 v 7 (C)
   Loser(C) eliminated.

 - Week 2 - 1 v Winner(A) (D) 
          - Loser(A) v Loser(B) (E)
          - Winner(C) v Winner(B) (F)
   Loser(F) eliminated.

 - Week 3 - Winner(D) v Winner(F) (G)
          - Winner(E) v Loser(D) (H)
   Loser(G) & Loser(H) eliminated.

 - Week 4 - Winner(G) v Winner(H)

1997 (SL) / Top 5
 - Same as 1973-1994

1998 / Top 10
 - Two groups of five (1,3,6,7,10) and (2,4,5,8,9)
    each contested a series in the manner of 1973-1994,
    (In Week 3, teams crossed over to the other group)
    The two 'winners':played the Grand Final.

1999-2011 / Top 8
 - Week 1 - 1 v 8
          - 2 v 7
          - 3 v 6
          - 4 v 5

   This leaves 4 winners and 4 losers, ranked by their finishing positions. 
   The two lowest ranked losers are eliminated.

 - Week 2 - 4th ranked winner v 2nd ranked loser (A)
          - 3rd ranked winner v 1st ranked loser (B)
   Loser(A) & Loser(B) eliminated.

 - Week 3 - 1st ranked winner v Winner(A) (C)
          - 2nd ranked winner v Winner(B) (D)
   Loser(C) & Loser(D) eliminated.

 - Week 4 - Winner(C) v Winner(D)

2012 / Top 8
 - Same as 1996, teams cross over in Week 3

General
-------
* 1997 Superleague season included as regular games.

* 1909 forfeit: Balmain to Souths, not included.

* 1996 forfeits: Brisbane to Auckland, Canberra to South Queensland, Cronulla to Newcastle,
                Penrith to Parramatta, and Western Reds to St George, are not included.

* Competition point penalties: 
   1917, 2pts, Glebe v Annandale (Ineligible player)
   1975, 2pts, Wests v Canterbury (Illegal replacement) 
   1988, 2pts, Souths v Manly (Illegal replacement)
   1992, 2pts, Gold Coast v Illawarra (Illegal replacement)  
   1993, 2pts, Balmain v Penrith (Illegal replacement)
   1995, 2pts, Auckland v Wests (Illegal replacement)
   2000, 2pts, North Queensland v Parramatta (Playing 14 men)
   2002, 37pts, Bulldogs (Salary cap breaches) 
   2006, 4pts, New Zealand (Salary cap breaches)
   2009, 2pts, Bulldogs v Penrith (Playing 14 men)
   2010, all pts, Melbourne (Salary cap breaches)
   2016, 12 pts, Parramatta (Salary cap breaches)
 - The original scores are used

 * Melbourne 2010 salary cap breaches
    As part of penalties for salary cap breaches, applied in 2010, Melbourne's premierships
    in 2007 and 2009, and minor premierships in 2006, 2007, and 2008 have been annulled.
    In the case of the latter, as no competition point penalties have been applied, ladders and standings remain as is

 * Parramatta 2016 salary cap breaches
    As part of penalties for salary cap breaches, match scores in Parramatta's first nine games (164 points for, 119 against)
    were deducted from their for and against, but not their opponents. This is reflected in the 2016 ladder
    but ignored in all other cases

* Playoffs for 5th etc. are regarded as semi-finals, but losers have not 'made the semis'

* Rankings in Season Summaries are 'revisionist'. My rankings and ladders are determined
  from the actual scores, using current methods.

* Rounds are designated by chronological order, rather than the draw at the time. So ,say for 
  example, Round 1 was postponed until after Round 10. This scenario would see Round 1 
  become Round 10, Round 2 would move up to Round 1 (as it was the first actual round played) 
  and so on.  


* Field goals.2 pt field goals weren't usually differentiated from other goals, prior to 1967.
  I have included them, though, when they were indentified. 

* The (n-n-n) notation after a score denotes (tries,goals,field goals)
  From 1908 to 1982 tries were worth 3 pts, from 1983 on worth 4 pts.
  From 1908 to 1970 field goals were worth 2pts, from 1971 on worth 1 pt.


Players
-------
Prior to 1986, replacement details are incomplete. Some players may be credited with a run on appearance
when they were a replacement, and many replacements are unknown. 





Sources
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* Sydney Morning Herald
* Daily Telegraph

* Official Yearbook of the ARL, 1995-2009
* The History Of The NSWRL Finals
* The Encyclopedia Of Rugby League Players
* Rugby League Week
* The Rugby League News
* Big League
* Rugby League Gazette

Thanks to
----------
James Stewart and World Of Rugby League For hosting my site
Julien for scorers 1971-1975.