2009 National Rugby League | |
---|---|
Teams | 16 |
Premiers | ![]() |
Minor premiers | ![]() |
Matches played | 201 |
Points scored | 8315 |
Average attendance | 16,980 |
Attendance | 3,412,872 |
Top points scorer(s) | ![]() |
Wooden spoon | Sydney Roosters (5th spoon) |
Dally M Medal | ![]() |
Top try-scorer(s) | ![]() |
← 2008 2010 → |
The2009 NRL season was the 102nd season of professionalrugby league football club competition in Australia, and the twelfth run by theNational Rugby League. For the third consecutive year,sixteen teams competed for the2009 Telstra Premiership title. The season commenced with the first match played on 13 March and ended with thegrand final, played on 4 October. The Grand Final was won by theMelbourne Storm in their fourth consecutive grand final appearance. However, they were stripped of their Premiership on 22 April 2010 after they were found to be guilty of breaching the league's salary cap.[2][3]
The second season of theNational Youth Competition also commenced in line with the Telstra Premiership.
This season the NRL introduced a second on-field referee.[4] Previously when the ball changed possession the lone on-field referee would have to change his position to stay with the defending team. He also could only observe the ruck from one direction. The two-referee system saves the referees some running back and forth to get into position as possession changes and also improves watchfulness over the ruck.
TheManly Warringah Sea Eagles began their premiership title defense in horrific fashion, losing their first four games, before a stunning revival led to them losing only four of their final 16 regular season games. TheSt. George Illawarra Dragons, under new coachWayne Bennett finished the regular season with their firstminor premiership title as a joint venture club. However, the Dragons then became the first minor premiers since theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 1993 to be eliminated from the final series in consecutive losses.
For the first time since theMcIntyre final eight system was introduced, a game was played twice in a row in the same stadium. This happened when St. George Illawarra andParramatta Eels played each other in round 26 (the final regular season round) and again in the first week of finals, both atWIN Jubilee Oval atKogarah. The first game saw St. George Illawarra come away with a 37-0 win in front of 17,974, while the next weeks Qualifying final saw Parramatta reverse the result with a 25-12 win in front of 18,174.
Parramatta went on to become the first side since the McIntyre final eight system was introduced (in 1999) to make the grand final from eighth position. Along the way, they defeated the top three teams – the St. George Illawarra Dragons,Gold Coast Titans andCanterbury – in their three finals series matches, to make it to their first Grand Final since 2001. Their Grand Final opponents, theMelbourne Storm, were playing in their fourth straightGrand Final and were looking for their third premiership having previously won in1999 and2007.
In 2009, NRL games on New Zealand's Sky network drew average audiences of 46,221.[5]
Keen to speak to its grass roots following in light of the AFL's aggressive expansion in rugby league's suburban heartland the NRL and its agency MJW Hakuhodo created a TVC which tells the story of junior rugby league players enjoying the game and perhaps becoming stars of the future. The commercial featured two young boys playing league in a suburban park. As they contest the game, they morph into stars of the League as a packed stadium emerges around them. Seven-year-old Penrith junior Cameron Lloyd and 14-year-old La Perouse juniorAlex Johnston play the main roles in the campaign with Johnson morphing into Melbourne'sGreg Inglis scoring a try in corner in a big match.Announcing the 2009 launch TVC
The ad's strapline was "Feel It" and the soundtrack a re-worked version of 2008Australian Idol winnerWes Carr's "Feels Like Whoa."
The clubs in the League for 2009 remained unchanged for the third consecutive year, with sixteen participating in the regular season: ten fromNew South Wales, three from Queensland and one from each ofVictoria, theAustralian Capital Territory and New Zealand. Of the ten from New South Wales, eight were from Sydney's metropolitan area (with St. George Illawarra being a Sydney andWollongong joint venture). Just two foundation clubs from the1908 New South Wales Rugby Football League season played in this competition: theRoosters and theRabbitohs.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 548 | 329 | +219 | 38 |
2 | ![]() | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 575 | 428 | +147 | 381 |
3 | ![]() | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 514 | 467 | +47 | 36 |
4 | ![]() | 24 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 505 | 348 | +157 | 33 |
5 | ![]() | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 549 | 459 | +90 | 32 |
6 | ![]() | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 511 | 566 | −55 | 32 |
7 | ![]() | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 508 | 491 | +17 | 30 |
8 | ![]() | 24 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 476 | 473 | +3 | 29 |
9 | ![]() | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 558 | 483 | +75 | 28 |
10 | ![]() | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 566 | 549 | +17 | 27 |
11 | ![]() | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 515 | 589 | −74 | 27 |
12 | ![]() | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 558 | 474 | +84 | 26 |
13 | ![]() | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 489 | 520 | −31 | 22 |
14 | ![]() | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 377 | 565 | −188 | 20 |
15 | ![]() | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 359 | 568 | −209 | 14 |
16 | ![]() | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 382 | 681 | −299 | 14 |
1The Bulldogs were deducted 2 competition points after an interchange breach in Round 2.
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 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 38 |
2 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 38 |
3 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 36 |
4 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 33 |
5 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
6 | ![]() | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
7 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 30 |
8 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 29 |
9 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 |
10 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 27 |
11 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
12 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 |
13 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 |
14 | ![]() | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
15 | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
16 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
The NRL finals series adopted theMcIntyre final eight system. Four teams made a return to the 2009 finals from2008, grand finalistsMelbourne Storm,Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles along with theBrisbane Broncos andSt George Illawarra Dragons. Both theBulldogs andParramatta Eels made a return after being absent in 2008. TheNewcastle Knights made the finals for the first time since2006 and their first since the departure of club legendAndrew Johns. TheGold Coast Titans entered their maiden finals series. It was also the first finals series since 2002 that no team was held scoreless.
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date and Time | Venue | Referees | Crowd | |||||
QUALIFYING FINALS | ||||||||
![]() | 40 – 12 | ![]() | 11 September, 7:45pm | Etihad Stadium | Gavin Badger Shayne Hayne | 21,155 | ||
![]() | 32 – 40 | ![]() | 12 September, 6:30pm | Skilled Park | Ben Cummins Ashley Klein | 27,227 | ||
![]() | 26 – 12 | ![]() | 12 September, 8:30pm | ANZ Stadium | Tony Archer Jason Robinson | 21,369 | ||
![]() | 12 – 25 | ![]() | 13 September, 4:00pm | WIN Jubilee Oval | Jarred Maxwell Matt Cecchin | 18,174 | ||
SEMI FINALS | ||||||||
![]() | 27 – 2 | ![]() | 18 September, 7:45pm | Sydney Football Stadium | Shayne Hayne Jared Maxwell | 28,524 | ||
![]() | 24 – 10 | ![]() | 19 September, 7:45pm | Suncorp Stadium | Tony Archer Ben Cummins | 50,225 | ||
PRELIMINARY FINALS | ||||||||
![]() | 12 – 22 | ![]() | 25 September, 7:45pm | ANZ Stadium | Tony Archer Ben Cummins | 74,549 | ||
![]() | 40 – 10 | ![]() | 26 September, 7:45pm | Etihad Stadium | Shayne Hayne Jared Maxwell | 27,687 |
Sunday, 4 October 17:00 |
Melbourne Storm | 23 – 16 | Parramatta Eels |
---|---|---|
Tries: Adam Blair Ryan Hoffman Greg Inglis Billy Slater Goals: Cameron Smith (3/4) Field goals: Greg Inglis (1/1) | Report | Tries: Eric Grothe, Jr. Fuifui Moimoi Joel Reddy Goals: Luke Burt (2/3) |
ANZ Stadium,Sydney Attendance: 82,538 Referee:Tony Archer &Shayne Hayne Player of the Match:Billy Slater |
The following figures were collected from the completion of round 26 of the regular season and therefore do not represent any figures associated with the finals series or any representative matches for this year.
Top 5 point scorers
Pts | Player | Try | Gls | FG |
---|---|---|---|---|
234 | ![]() | 14 | 89 | 0 |
228 | ![]() | 12 | 87 | 6 |
202 | ![]() | 11 | 79 | 0 |
180 | ![]() | 13 | 63 | 2 |
172 | ![]() | 7 | 72 | 0 |
Top 5 try scorers
Try | Player |
---|---|
22 | ![]() |
21 | ![]() |
20 | ![]() |
19 | ![]() |
19 | ![]() |
Most points in a match by an individual
Pts | Player | Try | Gls | FG | Opponent | Score | Venue | Round |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 | ![]() | 2 | 8/8 | 0 | Newcastle Knights | 40–8 | Parramatta Stadium | Round 22 |
24 | ![]() | 2 | 8/8 | 0 | Penrith Panthers | 48–6 | Parramatta Stadium | Round 25 |
24 | ![]() | 2 | 8/10 | 0 | Cronulla Sharks | 56–10 | Toyota Stadium | Round 23 |
24 | ![]() | 3 | 6/9 | 0 | Brisbane Broncos | 48–4 | Olympic Park Stadium | Round 13 |
Most tries in a match by an individual
Tries | Player | Opponent | Score | Venue | Round |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | ![]() | Gold Coast Titans | 32–18 | Suncorp Stadium | Round 10 |
4 | ![]() | Brisbane Broncos | 56–0 | Canberra Stadium | Round 21 |
4 | ![]() | Penrith Panthers | 32–32 | CUA Stadium | Round 21 |
4 | ![]() | North Queensland | 20–24 | Dairy Farmers Stadium | Round 9 |
4 | ![]() | Manly Sea Eagles | 40–12 | Etihad Stadium | Qualifying Final |
Largest winning margin
Score | Victor | Opponent | Venue | Round |
---|---|---|---|---|
56 – 0 (56 pts) | ![]() | Brisbane Broncos | Canberra Stadium | Round 21 |
56 – 10 (46 pts) | ![]() | Cronulla Sharks | Toyota Stadium | Round 23 |
48 – 4 (44 pts) | ![]() | Brisbane Broncos | Olympic Park | Round 13 |
Most points in a match
Points | Victor | Opponent | Score | Venue | Round |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
82 | ![]() | Penrith Panthers | 58–24 | Suncorp Stadium | Round 23 |
74 | ![]() | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 54–20 | ANZ Stadium | Round 17 |
72 | ![]() | Parramatta Eels | 38–34 | CUA Stadium | Round 17 |
Fewest points in a match
Points | Victor | Opponent | Score | Venue | Round |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 | ![]() | Newcastle Knights | 13–0 | Mt Smart Stadium | Round 14 |
14 | ![]() | Wests Tigers | 14–0 | Mt Smart Stadium | Round 12 |
14 | ![]() | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 12–2 | WIN Stadium | Round 24 |
16 | ![]() | Cronulla Sharks | 10–6 | WIN Jubilee Oval | Round 3 |
Most points scored in a match by an individual team
Pts | Team | Opponent | Score | Venue | Round |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
58 | ![]() | Penrith Panthers | 58–24 | Suncorp Stadium | Round 23 |
56 | ![]() | Cronulla Sharks | 56–10 | Toyota Stadium | Round 23 |
56 | ![]() | Brisbane Broncos | 56–0 | Canberra Stadium | Round 21 |
54 | ![]() | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 54–20 | ANZ Stadium | Round 17 |
52 | ![]() | Sydney Roosters | 52–12 | Sydney Football Stadium | Round 1 |
Jarryd Hayne ran 4,429 metres with the ball in 2009, more than any other player in the competition.[7]
2009's regular season attendance figures were the highest recorded in Australian rugby league history, with a total of 3,081,849. This figure bettered the previous record set by the1995 Winfield Cup's regular season (3,061,338 in a 20 team competition) and also beat the Telstra Premiership's previous best of 3,024,149 set in2007.[8]
The 2009 season also saw the second highest average crowd figure of a regular season, with a crowd average of 16,051, behind the best of 16,466 set in the2005 NRL season.
The 20 highest regular season match attendances: