National Rugby League season 2002
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| 2002 National Rugby League season | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the NRL |
|
| Teams | 15 |
| Premiers |  Sydney (12th title) |
| Minor Premiers |  New Zealand (1st title) |
| Matches played | 189 |
| Points scored | 9083 (average 48.058 per match) |
| Attendance | 2,656,198 (average 14,054 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Hazem El Masri (254 points) |
15 clubs contested in the 5th NRL season, with foundation club the Sydney Roosters collecting their first premiership in 27 years.
Contents |
[edit] The Return of South Sydney
Following the club's departure from the National Rugby League after the 1999 season, there was a continuing push from both fans and the wider rugby league community to reinstate the Rabbitohs back into the NRL competition. After 2 unsuccessful years of lobbying, South Sydney finally got a court ruling in their favour in 2001. On March 15, 2002, the Rabbitohs opened the NRL season with a home match against long-time rivals, the Sydney Roosters.
It turned out to be a tough year for the Rabbitohs, winning only 5 matches from 24 played, but didn't collect the wooden spoon following the stripping of 37 competition points from premiership frontrunners the Bulldogs. This also enabled Canberra to make the finals with a points differential of -170, the poorest such record of any finalist in the competition's history.
[edit] The Salary Cap Breach
Main article: Bulldogs - 2002 Salary Cap Scandal
In mid-2002, the Canterbury Bulldogs were found guilty of serious and systemic breaches of the salary cap. NRL Chief Executive David Gallop described the breaches as "exceptional in both its size and its deliberate and ongoing nature". The club received a $500,000 fine, and was stripped of all 37 competition points. The latter action was particularly harmful, as the club were poised to take the Minor Premiership and had won 17 consecutive matches. The salary cap has always been an exploited flaw in the game but the Bulldogs were the only team to be publicly caught in such an excessive nature.
[edit] Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand |
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 688 | 454 | +234 | 38 |
| 2 |  Newcastle |
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 724 | 498 | +226 | 38 |
| 3 |  Brisbane |
24 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 672 | 425 | +247 | 37 |
| 4 | Sydney |
24 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 621 | 405 | +216 | 35 |
| 5 |  Cronulla |
24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 653 | 597 | +56 | 34 |
| 6 |  Parramatta |
24 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 531 | 440 | +91 | 26 |
| 7 |  St George Illawarra |
24 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 632 | 546 | +86 | 25 |
| 8 |  Canberra |
24 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 471 | 641 | -170 | 25 |
| 9 |  Northern Eagles |
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 503 | 740 | -237 | 25 |
| 10 |  Melbourne |
24 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 556 | 586 | -30 | 23 |
| 11 |  North Queensland |
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 496 | 803 | -307 | 20 |
| 12 |  Penrith |
24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 546 | 654 | -108 | 18 |
| 13 |  Wests Tigers |
24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 498 | 642 | -144 | 18 |
| 14 |  South Sydney |
24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 385 | 817 | -432 | 14 |
| 15 | Bulldogs |
24 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 707 | 435 | +272 | 8 |
- Bulldogs stripped of 37 premiership points due to salary cap breach.
[edit] 2002 Finals Series
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Crowd | |||||
| Qualifying Finals | ||||||||
 Sydney City Roosters |
32 - 20 |  Cronulla Sharks |
13 September 2002 | Aussie Stadium | P. Simpkins | 25,366 | ||
 St George Illawarra Dragons |
26 - 22 |  Newcastle Knights |
14 September 2002 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | B. Harrigan | 21,051 | ||
 Brisbane Broncos |
24 - 14 |  Parramatta Eels |
14 September 2002 | ANZ Stadium | S. Hampstead | 19,115 | ||
 New Zealand Warriors |
36 - 20 |  Canberra Raiders |
15 September 2002 | Ericsson Stadium | T. Mander | 25,800 | ||
| Semi Finals | ||||||||
| St George Illawarra Dragons |
24 - 40 | Cronulla Sharks |
21 September 2002 | Aussie Stadium | B. Harrigan | 31,783 | ||
| Sydney Roosters |
38 - 12 | Newcastle Knights |
22 September 2002 | Aussie Stadium | S. Hampstead | 23,816 | ||
| Preliminary Finals | ||||||||
| Brisbane Broncos |
12 - 16 | Sydney Roosters |
28 September 2002 | Aussie Stadium | B. Harrigan | 28,251 | ||
| New Zealand Warriors |
16 - 10 | Cronulla Sharks |
29 September 2002 | Stadium Australia | T. Mander | 45,782 | ||
| Grand Final | ||||||||
| New Zealand Warriors |
8 - 30 | Sydney Roosters |
6 October 2002 | Stadium Australia | B. Harrigan | 80,130 | ||
ยน Home field advantage applies only for quarter-finals, with remaining games played at neutral venues, unless otherwise notified. The home team in each instance is the higher ranked team on the competition table.
