2003 National Rugby League | |
---|---|
Teams | 15 |
Premiers | ![]() |
Minor premiers | ![]() |
Matches played | 189 |
Points scored | 8993 |
Average attendance | 15,689 |
Attendance | 2,965,141 |
Top points scorer(s) | ![]() |
Top try-scorer(s) | ![]() |
← 2002 2004 → |
The2003 NRL premiership was the 96th season of professionalrugby league football inAustralia and the sixth run by theNational Rugby League. Fifteen teams competed, with theManly-Warringah Sea Eagles returning in place of their failed joint-venture club, theNorthern Eagles. Ultimately, thePenrith Panthers defeated reigning champions, theSydney Roosters in the2003 NRL grand final, claiming their first premiership since1991.
Season 2003 brought in the new "golden point" extra time rule, where after 80 minutes, if the game was drawn, then 10 minutes of extra time was played until one team scored the winning point(s). Thesalary cap for the 2003 season wasA$3.25 million per club for their 25 highest-paid players.[1]
The first round of the Premiership improved on the previous year's in terms of attendance and television ratings.[2] The major story this season was the resurgence of thePenrith Panthers, who defied the critics and naysayers to win their second premiership in their illustrious history since joining the competition in1967. Coached byJohn Lang and captained byCraig Gower, the Panthers were the surprise minor premiers, dominating the competition despite consistent disparagement from many sources, and would continue their outstanding form in the finals, beating theBroncos,Warriors and finally theRoosters in the grand final.
TheDally M Medal ceremony was cancelled by theNRL after negotiations with the players' union, the Rugby League Professionals Association, stalled. All votes for the award were destroyed. It was later revealed that with one round of the regular season to play,Craig Gower was leading bothBrad Fittler andClinton Schifcofske by one point in the overall points tally. However, with the ceremony officially cancelled more than a week out from the awards, no points were allocated in the final round of the season.[3]
At the end of the season,Chris Anderson would lose his job atCronulla-Sutherland, whilePeter Sharp was dismissed asthe Sea Eagles coach. Trainer and former Manly star,Des Hasler would replace Sharp as head coach in 2004.
Also at the end of the season, a squad of players from the NRL premiership went on the2003 Kangaroo tour.
A major flaw of the fixture was that the previous season's Grand Finalists, theNew Zealand Warriors andSydney Roosters, did not meet until the penultimate round of the regular season.[4]
The lineup of fifteen teams for the 2003 premiership remained unchanged from the previous season, except that theManly-Warringah Sea Eagles name and colours rejoined the competition since their merger withNorth Sydney Bears in1999, taking the place of the failedNorthern Eagles, Manly Warringah returned as a stand alone in 2002, but played under the Northern Eagles name and colours[5]
In 2003 the NRL sacked their advertising agency of the previous two years,Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney, and took the unusual step of coming up with their own in-house creative concept. FormerCronulla-Sutherland Sharks player and then currentParramatta Eels assistant coach Alan Wilson hit upon the idea of using theHoodoo Gurus' 1987 hit "What's My Scene?" with reworked lyrics as "That's My Team".
"and another thing, I'm discovering lately, I'm a bit crazy, for my rugby league team "
Wilson is a friend of Hoodoo Gurus singerDave Faulkner and made the necessary arrangements which included re-uniting the band to re-record the track. Faulkner is a long-time supporter of the Sharks and the original film clip of "What's My Scene?" had included shots of band members inWests andCronulla-Sutherland jumpers.
The ad focuses on the grass roots supporters at all levels of the game and in its finished version includes shots of fans from the Cessnock Goannas, a proudBulldogs supporter and a Penrith teenager with a broken leg signed by her heroes. These images are included with the usual fare of pre-season team training images, big-hits, clever passes and post-try celebrations.[8]
To produce the ad the League returned to the agency who created and produced theTina Turner campaigns from 1989 to 1995 - Hertz Walpole Advertising by now renamed MJW Hakuhodo.
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 Broncos | PEN +4 | SOU +2 | CRO +26 | NQL +8 | NZL −20 | SYD −7 | PAR +6 | WTI +32 | NQL +26 | MEL +20 | CBY +24 | NEW −10 | X | CAN +4 | X | SYD +2 | SGI −16 | CBY −36 | MEL +4* | MAN −6 | CRO −10 | PEN −7 | WTI −2 | NZL −8 | PAR −2 | SGI −1 | PEN −10 | |||
Canberra Raiders | NQL +32 | WTI +7 | SGI +4 | PEN +12 | PAR +14 | X | CBY +4 | SOU +22 | MEL −20 | PEN −8 | NZL +8 | CRO +6 | PAR +36 | BRI −4 | NZL −8 | X | MEL −10 | SGI +1 | WTI +2 | CRO +28 | SYD −4 | MAN +35 | NQL −6 | NEW +8 | CBY +5 | SYD −7 | MEL −12 | NZL −1 | ||
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | SOU +8 | NZL −4 | WTI +32 | PAR +20 | NEW −6 | SGI −10 | CAN −4 | NZL +6 | SYD +6 | SGI +2 | BRI −24 | WTI −6 | SYD +10 | MAN +14 | MEL +14 | PEN −2 | NEW +34 | BRI +36 | X | NQL +20 | SOU +50 | MEL +46 | MAN +32 | X | CAN −5 | CRO +14 | NZL −26 | MEL +30 | SYD −10 | |
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | MEL −4 | X | BRI −26 | SYD −20 | MEL −6 | NEW −8 | X | SGI −16 | MAN +24 | SOU +16 | NEW +6 | CAN −6 | NZL −17 | WTI +2 | MAN −18 | NQL +6 | PEN −20 | WTI −32 | NZL −7 | CAN −28 | BRI +10 | SYD −8 | SGI +9 | PAR −70 | SOU +20 | CBY −14 | ||||
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | X | NQL −10 | NZL −4 | WTI −26 | SGI +26 | MEL +6 | SOU +8 | PEN −1 | CRO −24 | PAR +2* | NQL −11 | X | WTI +8 | CBY −14 | CRO +18 | SGI −14 | PAR −11 | NZL −8 | SYD −24 | BRI +6 | NEW −8 | CAN −35 | CBY −32 | SYD −30 | PEN −26 | MEL −30 | ||||
Melbourne Storm | CRO +4 | PEN +26 | X | NEW −16 | CRO +6 | MAN −6 | NQL −20 | NEW +40 | CAN +20 | BRI −20 | PAR +2 | SYD −7 | SOU −27 | PEN +20 | CBY −14 | WTI +8 | CAN +10 | NQL +6 | BRI −4* | SOU +18 | NZL +2 | CBY −46 | PAR +38 | SGI +8 | X | MAN +30 | CAN +12 | CBY −30 | ||
Newcastle Knights | NZL +10 | SYD −4 | PAR −18 | MEL +16 | CBY +6 | CRO +8 | WTI +28 | MEL −40 | SOU +14 | SYD −22 | CRO −6 | BRI +10 | X | SGI +2 | PEN −28 | PAR +14 | CBY −34 | X | PEN −13 | WTI −40 | MAN +8 | NQL +36 | NZL +16 | CAN −8 | SGI +34 | NQL +8 | SYD −28 | |||
New Zealand Warriors | NEW −10 | CBY +4 | MAN +4 | SOU +22 | BRI +20 | NQL +6 | PEN −14 | CBY −6 | PAR +2 | X | CAN −8 | PEN −22 | CRO +17 | PAR −2 | CAN +8 | SOU +1* | NQL −20 | MAN +8 | CRO +7 | X | MEL −2 | SGI +10 | NEW −16 | BRI +8 | SYD +2 | WTI +16 | CBY +26 | CAN +1 | PEN −8 | |
North Queensland Cowboys | CAN −32 | MAN +10 | SOU +7 | BRI −8 | SYD −32 | NZL −6 | MEL +20 | X | BRI −26 | WTI +18 | MAN +11 | SGI +20 | PEN −4* | SYD −1 | PAR −2 | CRO −6 | NZL +20 | MEL −6 | SGI −20 | CBY −20 | X | NEW −36 | CAN +6 | SOU +52 | WTI +20 | NEW −8 | ||||
Parramatta Eels | SYD −18 | SGI −2 | NEW +18 | CBY −20 | CAN −14 | WTI +20 | BRI −6 | SYD −32 | NZL −2 | MAN −2* | MEL −2 | SOU +24 | CAN −36 | NZL +2 | NQL +2 | NEW −14 | MAN +11 | X | SOU +14 | SGI +26 | WTI +3 | X | MEL −38 | CRO +70 | BRI +2 | PEN −18 | ||||
Penrith Panthers | BRI −4 | MEL −26 | SYD +1 | CAN −12 | X | SOU +2 | NZL +14 | MAN +1 | SGI +4 | CAN +8 | WTI +22 | NZL +22 | NQL +4* | MEL −20 | NEW +28 | CBY +2 | CRO +20 | SOU +6 | NEW +13 | SYD −14 | SGI −6 | BRI +7 | X | WTI +16 | MAN +26 | PAR +18 | BRI +10 | X | NZL +8 | SYD +12 |
South Sydney Rabbitohs | CBY −8 | BRI −2 | NQL −7 | NZL −22 | WTI +10 | PEN −2 | MAN −8 | CAN −22 | NEW −14 | CRO −16 | SGI −2 | PAR −24 | MEL +27 | X | SGI −14 | NZL −1* | SYD −28 | PEN −6 | PAR −14 | MEL −18 | CBY −50 | WTI +2 | SYD −10 | NQL −52 | CRO −20 | X | ||||
St. George Illawarra Dragons | WTI −4 | PAR +2 | CAN −4 | X | MAN −26 | CBY +10 | SYD +4 | CRO +16 | PEN −4 | CBY −2 | SOU +2 | NQL −20 | X | NEW −2 | SOU +14 | MAN +14 | BRI +16 | CAN −1 | NQL +20 | PAR −26 | PEN +6 | NZL −10 | CRO −9 | MEL −8 | NEW −34 | BRI +1 | ||||
Sydney Roosters | PAR +18 | NEW +4 | PEN −1 | CRO +20 | NQL +32 | BRI +7 | SGI −4 | PAR +32 | CBY −6 | NEW +22 | X | MEL +7 | CBY −10 | NQL +1 | WTI −8 | BRI −2 | SOU +28 | X | MAN +24 | PEN +14 | CAN +4 | CRO +8 | SOU +10 | MAN +30 | NZL −2 | CAN +7 | NEW +28 | X | CBY +10 | PEN −12 |
Wests Tigers | SGI +4 | CAN −7 | CBY −32 | MAN +26 | SOU −10 | PAR −20 | NEW −28 | BRI −32 | X | NQL −18 | PEN −22 | CBY +6 | MAN −8 | CRO −2 | SYD +8 | MEL −8 | X | CRO +32 | CAN −2 | NEW +40 | PAR −3 | SOU −2 | BRI +2 | PEN −16 | NQL −20 | NZL −16 | ||||
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
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 659 | 527 | +132 | 40 |
2 | ![]() | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 680 | 445 | +235 | 38 |
3 | ![]() | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 702 | 419 | +283 | 36 |
4 | ![]() | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 620 | 463 | +157 | 36 |
5 | ![]() | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 564 | 486 | +78 | 34 |
6 | ![]() | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 545 | 510 | +35 | 34 |
7 | ![]() | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 632 | 635 | -3 | 32 |
8 | ![]() | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 497 | 464 | +33 | 28 |
9 | ![]() | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 570 | 582 | -12 | 26 |
10 | ![]() | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 548 | 593 | -45 | 26 |
11 | ![]() | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 606 | 629 | -23 | 24 |
12 | ![]() | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 497 | 704 | -207 | 20 |
13 | ![]() | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 470 | 598 | -128 | 18 |
14 | ![]() | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 557 | 791 | -234 | 18 |
15 | ![]() | 24 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 457 | 758 | -301 | 10 |
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 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 |
2 | ![]() | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 38 |
3 | ![]() | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 36 |
4 | ![]() | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 36 |
5 | ![]() | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 |
6 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 |
7 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
8 | ![]() | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
9 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 |
10 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 |
11 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 |
12 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 |
13 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
14 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
15 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Crowd | |||||
Qualifying Finals | ||||||||
![]() | 18 – 30 | ![]() | 12 September 2003 | Canberra Stadium | Tim Mander | 14,094 | ||
![]() | 22 – 48 | ![]() | 13 September 2003 | Sydney Showground | Bill Harrigan | 18,312 | ||
![]() | 36 – 8 | ![]() | 13 September 2003 | Aussie Stadium | Sean Hampstead | 23,853 | ||
![]() | 28 – 18 | ![]() | 14 September 2003 | Penrith Football Stadium | Steve Clark | 18,534 | ||
Semi-finals | ||||||||
![]() | 17 – 16 | ![]() | 20 September 2003 | Aussie Stadium | Tim Mander | 31,616 | ||
![]() | 30 – 0 | ![]() | 21 September 2003 | Aussie Stadium | Bill Harrigan | 19,367 | ||
Preliminary Finals | ||||||||
![]() | 28 – 18 | ![]() | 27 September 2003 | Aussie Stadium | Bill Harrigan | 41,123 | ||
![]() | 28 – 20 | ![]() | 28 September 2003 | Telstra Stadium | Tim Mander | 43,174 |
Penrith Panthers![]() | 18 – 6 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Tries:3 Rooney ![]() Priddis ![]() Goals:3 Campbell ![]() Girdler ![]() Field goals: Gower(0/1) | 1st: 6–0 2nd: 12–6 Report[9] | Tries:1 Hegarty ![]() Goals:1 Fitzgibbon ![]() |
Telstra Stadium,Sydney Attendance: 81,166[10] Referee:Bill Harrigan Touch judges: Steve Carrall, Glyn Henderson Clive Churchill Medal:Luke Priddis (Penrith) |
The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26.
Top 5 point scorers
Top 5 try scorers
| Top 5 goal scorers
|