NRL Rugby Betting Tips, Previews & Predictions
The NRL (National Rugby League) is a league of professional rugby league teams in Australia and New Zealand. The NRL is run by the Australian Rugby League Commission and the main competition is currently known as the Telstra Premiership.
The NRL Telstra Premiership is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen which are based in Australia and one based in New Zealand. In terms of television viewers and match day attendances, the NRL is the most popular rugby league club competition in the world.
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When does the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership start?
The 2019 NRL Premiership beings on March 14, 2019.
When is the 2019 NRL Grand Final?
The 2019 NRL Grand Final will be held on Sunday 6 October, 2019.
Where is the 2019 NRL Grand Final?
The 2019 NRL Grand Final will be held at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia.
NRL History
The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) ran the major rugby league competition in NSW from 1908 to 1994. The State of Origin series in the 1980s initiated an expansion of the NSWRL premiership with the addition of Canberra and Illawarra in 1982.
Further expansion occurred in 1988 with three more teams based outside Sydney; the Newcastle Knights, Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast-Tweed Giants.
In 1995 control of the competition passed from the NSWRFL to the Australian Rugby League (ARL). What followed was a bitter battle for control of the game which culminated in the Super League war.
News Limited formed their own Super League and the ARL announced it was forming a new company to organise the competition. In 1998 the disputes were finally settled with the formation of the National Rugby League which was jointly owned by the ARL and News Limited.
The inaugural National Rugby League (NRL) season in 1998 consisted of 20 teams. Clubs that didn’t survive the merger were the Hunter Mariners, Perth Reds, South Queensland Crushers, Adelaide Rams and the Gold Coast Chargers.
The competition was reduced to 14 teams in 2000 which resulted in mergers. The St. George Dragons and the Illawarra Steelers were the first clubs to merge and became the St. George Illawarra Dragons at the end of the 1998 season.
Balmain and Western Suburbs formed the Wests Tigers at the end of 1999, with North Sydney and Manly Warringah joining forces as the Northern Eagles. South Sydney Rabbitohs were controversially dumped from the competition at the end of 1999 for failing to meet the criteria which created another division in the game.
On 12 November 2000 almost 80,000 people marched in protest and South Sydney challenged the decision in the Federal Court. Souths were eventually re-admitted into the competition in 2002.
The Auckland Warriors collapsed as an organisation before being reborn as the New Zealand Warriors in 2001. The Warriors made the 2002 and 2011 Grand Finals where they lost on both occasions.
In 2001, telecommunications company Telstra bought the naming rights with the competition becoming the NRL Telstra Premiership. In 2003 the Manly Warringah Rugby League Football Club took over the NRL licence from the doomed Northern Eagles franchise after the financial bankruptcy of North Sydney.
The NRL competition experienced significant growth with crowd average records broken in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The 2006 NRL Grand Final was a milestone with two interstate teams contesting the grand final for the first time where the Brisbane Broncos defeated the Melbourne Storm 15-8.
In 2007 the Gold Coast Titans were admitted into the competition. Throughout 2008 the NRL celebrated 100 years since the introduction of rugby league into Australia and on 17 April 2008 the Team of the Century was announced, consisting of:
- Full-back: Clive Churchill
- Wingers: Ken Irvine, Brian Bevan
- Centres: Reg Gasnier, Mal Meninga
- Five-eighth: Wally Lewis
- Half-back: Andrew Johns
- Lock: John Raper
- Second Row: Norm Provan, Ron Coote
- Props: Arthur Beetson, Duncan Hall
- Hooker: Noel Kelly
- Reserves: Graeme Langlands, Dally Messenger, Bob Fulton, Frank Burge
- Coach: Jack Gibson
In 2010 the Inaugural All Stars Match was held in conjunction with the Sorry Day reconciliation anniversary. It features an Aboriginal team called the Indigenous All Stars who compete against the NRL All Stars. It has been a tremendous success and is now a permanent fixture on the rugby league calendar.
In 2010 the NRL set a record total season average attendance of 17,367 per game and a record total season aggregate attendance of 3,490,778.
In 2012 the Australian Rugby League Commission assumed full control of all levels of the game.
The 2014 season started with the introduction of the Auckland Nines tournament. The 2014 Grand Final saw the South Sydney Rabbitohs break their 43-year premiership drought with a 30-6 victory over the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. The 2016 saw the Cronulla Sharks defeat the Melbourne Storm 14-12 in the Grand Final to claim their first premiership in history, ending a 49-year drought.
A national women's league was established in 2017 after the successful 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup. The first season started in September 2018 comprising four clubs aligned to existing NRL clubs.
Who are the NRL Clubs?
The 16 teams contesting the 2019 NRL Premiership remains unchanged for the 13th consecutive season:
| Club | Home Ground/s |
|---|---|
| Brisbane Broncos | Suncorp Stadium |
| Canberra Raiders | GIO Stadium |
| Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | ANZ Stadium & Belmore Sports Ground |
| Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | Southern Cross Group Stadium |
| Gold Coast Titans | Cbus Super Stadium |
| Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | Lottoland |
| Melbourne Storm | AAMI Park |
| Newcastle Knights | McDonald Jones Stadium |
| New Zealand Warriors | Mt. Smart Stadium |
| North Queensland Cowboys | 1300SMILES Stadium |
| Parramatta Eels | Bankwest Stadium |
| Penrith Panthers | Panthers Stadium |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | ANZ Stadium |
| St. George Illawarra Dragons | Jubilee Stadium & WIN Stadium |
| Sydney Roosters | Sydney Cricket Ground |
| Wests Tigers | Leichhardt Oval, Campbelltown Stadium & Bankwest Stadium |
Who are the NRL Premiers and runners-up?
South Sydney defeated Eastern Suburbs 14-12 to become the first Premiers in the New South Wales Rugby League, The Sydney Roosters won the 2018 NRL Premiership, becoming the fifth different club in five years to lift the trophy.
| Season | Winners | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 2018 | Sydney Roosters | Melbourne | 21-6 |
| 2017 | Melbourne | North Queensland | 34-6 |
| 2016 | Cronulla-Sutherland | Melbourne | 14-12 |
| 2015 | North Queensland | Brisbane | 17-16 (aet) |
| 2014 | South Sydney | Canterbury-Bankstown | 30-6 |
| 2013 | Sydney Roosters | Manly | 26-18 |
| 2012 | Melbourne | Canterbury-Bankstown | 14-4 |
| 2011 | Manly | New Zealand | 24-10 |
| 2010 | St. George-Illawarra | Sydney Roosters | 32-8 |
| 2009 | Melbourne | Parramatta | 23-16 |
| 2008 | Manly | Melbourne | 40-0 |
| 2007 | Melbourne | Manly | 34-8 |
| 2006 | Brisbane | Melbourne | 15-8 |
| 2005 | Wests Tigers | North Queensland | 30-16 |
| 2004 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Sydney Roosters | 16-13 |
| 2003 | Penrith | Sydney Roosters | 18-6 |
| 2002 | Sydney Roosters | New Zealand | 30-8 |
| 2001 | Newcastle | Parramatta | 30-24 |
| 2000 | Brisbane | Sydney Roosters | 14-6 |
| 1999 | Melbourne | St. George-Illawarra | 20-18 |
| 1998 | Brisbane | Canterbury-Bankstown | 38-12 |
| 1997 | Newcastle | Manly | 22-16 |
| 1997 (SL) | Brisbane | Cronulla-Sutherland | 26-8 |
| 1996 | Manly Sea Eagles | St. George | 20-8 |
| 1995 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Manly | 17-4 |
| 1994 | Canberra | Canterbury-Bankstown | 36-12 |
| 1993 | Brisbane | St. George | 14-6 |
| 1992 | Brisbane | St. George | 28-8 |
| 1991 | Penrith | Canberra | 19-12 |
| 1990 | Canberra | Penrith | 18-14 |
| 1989 | Canberra | Balmain | 19-14 (aet) |
| 1988 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Balmain | 24-12 |
| 1987 | Manly | Canberra | 18-8 |
| 1986 | Parramatta | Canterbury-Bankstown | 4-2 |
| 1985 | Canterbury-Bankstown | St. George | 7-6 |
| 1984 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Parramatta | 6-4 |
| 1983 | Parramatta | Manly | 18-6 |
| 1982 | Parramatta | Manly | 21-8 |
| 1981 | Parramatta | Newtown | 20-11 |
| 1980 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Eastern Suburbs | 18-4 |
| 1979 | St. George | Canterbury-Bankstown | 17-13 |
| 1978 | Manly | Cronulla-Sutherland | 16-0 |
| 1977 | St. George | Parramatta | 22-0 |
| 1976 | Manly | Parramatta | 13-10 |
| 1975 | Eastern Suburbs | St. George | 38-0 |
| 1974 | Eastern Suburbs | Canterbury-Bankstown | 19-4 |
| 1973 | Manly | Cronulla-Sutherland | 10-7 |
| 1972 | Manly | Eastern Suburbs | 19-14 |
| 1971 | South Sydney | St. George | 16-10 |
| 1970 | South Sydney | Manly | 23-12 |
| 1969 | Balmain | South Sydney | 11-2 |
| 1968 | South Sydney | Manly | 13-9 |
| 1967 | South Sydney | Canterbury-Bankstown | 12-10 |
| 1966 | St. George | Balmain | 23-4 |
| 1965 | St. George | South Sydney | 12-8 |
| 1964 | St. George | Balmain | 11-6 |
| 1963 | St. George | Western Suburbs | 8-3 |
| 1962 | St. George | Western Suburbs | 9-6 |
| 1961 | St. George | Western Suburbs | 22-0 |
| 1960 | St. George | Eastern Suburbs | 31-6 |
| 1959 | St. George | Manly | 20-0 |
| 1958 | St. George | Western Suburbs | 20-9 |
| 1957 | St. George | Manly | 31-9 |
| 1956 | St. George | Balmain | 18-12 |
| 1955 | South Sydney | Newtown | 12-11 |
| 1954 | South Sydney | Newtown | 23-15 |
| 1953 | South Sydney | St. George | 31-12 |
| 1952 | Western Suburbs | South Sydney | 22-12 |
| 1951 | South Sydney | Manly | 42-14 |
| 1950 | South Sydney | Western Suburbs | 21-15 |
| 1949 | St. George | South Sydney | 19-12 |
| 1948 | Western Suburbs | Balmain | 8-5 |
| 1947 | Balmain | Canterbury-Bankstown | 13-9 |
| 1946 | Balmain | St. George | 13-12 |
| 1945 | Eastern Suburbs | Balmain | 22-18 |
| 1944 | Balmain | Newtown | 12-8 |
| 1943 | Newtown | North Sydney | 34-7 |
| 1942 | Canterbury-Bankstown | St. George | 11-9 |
| 1941 | St. George | Eastern Suburbs | 31-14 |
| 1940 | Eastern Suburbs | Canterbury-Bankstown | 24-14 |
| 1939 | Balmain | South Sydney | 33-4 |
| 1938 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Eastern Suburbs | 19-6 |
| 1937 | Eastern Suburbs | South Sydney | N/A |
| 1936 | Eastern Suburbs | Balmain | 32-12 |
| 1935 | Eastern Suburbs | South Sydney | 19-3 |
| 1934 | Western Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs | 15-12 |
| 1933 | Newtown | St. George | 18-5 |
| 1932 | South Sydney | Western Suburbs | 19-12 |
| 1931 | South Sydney | Eastern Suburbs | 12-7 |
| 1930 | Western Suburbs | St. George | 27-2 |
| 1929 | South Sydney | Newtown | 30-10 |
| 1928 | South Sydney | Eastern Suburbs | 26-5 |
| 1927 | South Sydney | St. George | 20-11 |
| 1926 | South Sydney | Cumberland | 11-5 |
| 1925 | South Sydney | Western Suburbs | N/A |
| 1924 | Balmain | South Sydney | 3-0 |
| 1923 | Eastern Suburbs | South Sydney | 15-12 |
| 1922 | North Sydney | Glebe | 35-3 |
| 1921 | North Sydney | Eastern Suburbs | N/A |
| 1920 | Balmain | South Sydney | N/A |
| 1919 | Balmain | Eastern Suburbs | N/A |
| 1918 | South Sydney | Western Suburbs | N/A |
| 1917 | Balmain | South Sydney | N/A |
| 1916 | Balmain | South Sydney | 5-3 |
| 1915 | Balmain | Glebe | N/A |
| 1914 | South Sydney | Newtown | N/A |
| 1913 | Eastern Suburbs | Newtown | N/A |
| 1912 | Eastern Suburbs | Glebe | N/A |
| 1911 | Eastern Suburbs | Glebe | 11-8 |
| 1910 | Newtown | South Sydney | 4-4 |
| 1909 | South Sydney | Balmain | Forfeit |
| 1908 | South Sydney | Eastern Suburbs | 14-12 |
What club has won the most NRL Premierships?
The most successful club in Australian Rugby League history is the South Sydney Rabbitohs who have won 21 titles. The St. George Dragons won 15 titles and hold the record for the most consecutive titles; 11 from 1956 to 1966.
Eastern Suburbs / Sydney Roosters are next best with 14 with the Balmain Tigers winning on 11 occasions. The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are tied on eight each with the Brisbane Broncos winning six NRL premierships since 1992.
Gold Coast Titans and New Zealand Warriors are the only current competing clubs never to have won an NRL Premiership.
| Titles | Club | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 2014 |
| 15 | St. George Dragons | 1941, 1949, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1977, 1979 |
| 14 | Eastern Suburbs / Sydney Roosters | 1911, 1912, 1913, 1923, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1945, 1974, 1975, 2002, 2013, 2018 |
| 11 | Balmain Tigers | 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1924, 1939, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1969 |
| 8 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 1938, 1942, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1995, 2004 |
| 8 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2008, 2011 |
| 6 | Brisbane Broncos | 1992, 1993, 1997 (SL), 1998, 2000, 2006 |
| 4 | Western Suburbs Magpies | 1930, 1934, 1948, 1952 |
| 4 | Parramatta Eels | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986 |
| 3 | Newtown Jets | 1910, 1933, 1943 |
| 3 | Canberra Raiders | 1989, 1990, 1994 |
| 3 | Melbourne Storm | 1999, 2012, 2017 |
| 2 | North Sydney Bears | 1921, 1922 |
| 2 | Newcastle Knights | 1997 (ARL), 2001 |
| 2 | Penrith Panthers | 1991, 2003 |
| 1 | Wests Tigers | 2005 |
| 1 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 2010 |
| 1 | North Queensland Cowboys | 2015 |
| 1 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 2016 |
Who won the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership?
NRL premiers Melbourne Storm defeated the Super League champions Leeds Rhinos in the 2018 World Club Challenge. The competition was shortened to 25 rounds with each team receiving one 1 bye due to the second 2018 State of Origin series match played as a stand-alone fixture on a Sunday.
The top 8 were separated by just two points after the regular season with the Sydney Roosters awared the minor premiership due to a superior for and against. The Roosters finished on 34 points alongside the Melbourne Storm, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. The four teams that finished on 32 points to round up the top 8 were the Penrith Panthers, Brisbane Broncos, St. George Illawarra Dragons and New Zealand Warriors.
The New Zealand Warriors and Brisbane Broncos were eliminated the Elimination finals with the Penrith Panthers and St. George Illawarra Dragons falling in the Semi-finals. In the Preliminary finals Sydney Roosters defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 12-4 and Melbourne Storm beat Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 22-6 to advance to the Grand final.
The 2018 NRL Grand Final was held on Sunday, 30 September in front of 82,688 spectators at ANZ Stadium. Tries to Daniel Tupou, Latrell Mitchell and Joseph Manu gave the Sydney Roosters a commanding 18-0 half-time lead as they defeated the Melbourne Storm 21-6. Rossters five-eighth Luke Keary was awared the Clive Churchill Medal for the man of the match.
There were three major player records broken in 2018:
- Jamayne Isaako scored the most points (239) in a rookie season, overtaking Mick Cronin who scored 225 points in 1977.
- Gavin Cooper became the first forward in the 111 year history of the NRL to score a try in nine consecutive games, beating the previous record of eight set by Frank Burge in 1918.
- Cameron Smith became the first hooker in NRL history to score 200 points in a single season.
NRL Betting Odds
All reputable bookmakers will have odds for NRL matches and NRL outright betting markets such as NRL Grand Final Winner, To Reach NRL Final, Top 8 Finish, Top 4 Finish, Finishing Position Excluding Finals and Team(s) to miss the Top 8.
NRL Free Bets
Leading bookmakers will feature free bets and promotions for NRL matches including money back, multibet specials and sign up bonuses. Australian bookmakers will usually have the best offers, for all the information you need to choose a bookmaker in your country of residence read our bookmaker reviews.
NRL Bet of the Day
Our NRL bet of the day features our best bet and could come from a number of betting markets including match winner, total points, handicap, winning margin, first tryscorer and win/score combos.
NRL Ladder
Regularly check the NRL ladder to get a handle on in form teams and those that are on a downward spiral. The NRL ladder displays wins, losses and for and against which can be used to decide who advances to the finals if teams are tied on the same points.
2019 NRL Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne Storm | 23 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 607 | 284 | 323 | 40 |
| 2 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 627 | 363 | 264 | 36 |
| 3 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 521 | 417 | 104 | 34 |
| 4 | Canberra Raiders | 23 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 504 | 350 | 154 | 32 |
| 5 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 23 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 480 | 414 | 66 | 30 |
| 6 | Parramatta Eels | 23 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 501 | 457 | 44 | 28 |
| 7 | Brisbane Broncos | 23 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 418 | 459 | -41 | 25 |
| 8 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 489 | 456 | 33 | 24 |
| 9 | Wests Tigers | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 467 | 461 | 6 | 24 |
| 10 | Newcastle Knights | 23 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 475 | 468 | 7 | 22 |
| 11 | Penrith Panthers | 23 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 359 | 464 | -105 | 22 |
| 12 | North Queensland Cowboys | 23 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 362 | 476 | -114 | 20 |
| 13 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 23 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 296 | 463 | -167 | 20 |
| 14 | New Zealand Warriors | 23 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 409 | 554 | -145 | 19 |
| 15 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 23 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 403 | 559 | -156 | 16 |
| 16 | Gold Coast Titans | 23 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 354 | 627 | -273 | 10 |
NRL Draw &Fixtures
Get all the latest NRL draw and fixtures from the official NRL website to plan ahead and get the best odds before bookmakers change the odds.
NRL Results
Study all the NRL results including team and player statistics to gauge what teams could be under performing or over performing. Some teams were simply unlucky in defeat which means there will be value backing them in their next match.
NRL Live Streaming
Watch all the NRL matches no matter where you are with NRL TV. The NRL Digital Pass allows you to watch every game live. Channel Nine also streams three matches a week on their online TV platform 9Now.
If you are outside Australia you can watch NRL live streams with Watch NRL. A Kayo Sports or Foxtel Now digital subscription is another way to watch every game of the NRL season with the exceptions of State of Origin and the Grand Final.
One of the best ways to live stream sport is the bet365 live streaming service. 18+ and geo-restrictions apply, be sure to read the terms and conditions at bet365 and check out the FAQs.
Bet365 have made it easy to switch between betting markets and live sport. Bet and watch sports including football, tennis, basketball and cricket on your phone, iPad, tablet or computer where ever you can get a suitable internet connection.
NRL Highlights
Watch all the NRL highlights with at the NRL official website. This is great way to see how teams are playing and what players are in form if you can't find the time to watch every game. Fox Sports and Channel Nine also have highlights, interviews, press conferences and special features.
NRL Replays
The NRL Digital Pass allows you to watch every NRL game on-demand without knowing the score so you can catch up on any games you might have missed.
NRL Rumours
NRL rumours often lead t player and coach moves that can have a big impact on the NRL. Jarryd Hayne and Valentine Holmes moved from the NRL to try their luck in the NFL which meant their respective NRL clubs were without their best player.
NRL News
Get all the latest NRL news including suspended players, injuries, results and stats so you are in the best position to win the majority of your NRL bets and turn a profit using the NRL betting markets:
NRL Social Media
Follow the NRL on all the main social media platforms to make sure you get all the latest news and information relating to the NRL:
- NRL Twitter - twitter.com/NRL
- NRL Facebook - facebook.com/nrl/
- NRL Instagram - instagram.com/nrl/
