National Rugby League season 2003
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| 2003 National Rugby League season | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the NRL |
|
| Teams | 15 |
| Premiers |  Penrith (2nd title) |
| Minor Premiers | Penrith (2nd title) |
| Matches played | 189 |
| Points scored | 8993 (average 47.582 per match) |
| Attendance | 2,895,740 (average 15,321 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Hazem El Masri (294 points) |
15 clubs contested in the 6th NRL season, with the Penrith Panthers defeating reigning champions Sydney Roosters in the grand final and claiming their first premiership since 1991. Manly rejoined the competition for the first time since 1999, with the license of the former Northern Eagles reverting back to the Sea Eagles.
Contents |
[edit] Season Summary
The major story this season was the resurgence of the Penrith Panthers, who defied the critics and naysayers to win just their second premiership since joining the competition in 1967. Coached by John Lang and captained by Craig Gower, the Panthers were the surprise minor premiers and would continue their outstanding form in the finals, beating the Broncos, Warriors and finally the Roosters in the grand final.
The Dally M Medal ceremony was cancelled by the NRL after negotiations with the players' union, the Rugby League Professionals Association, stalled. All votes for the award were destroyed.
Nathan Brown became the youngest non-playing coach in recent years of the NRL at the age of 29. Brown had retired in 2001 after a neck injury in a trial game.
[edit] Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penrith |
24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 659 | 527 | +132 | 40 |
| 2 |  Sydney |
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 680 | 445 | +235 | 38 |
| 3 | Bulldogs |
24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 702 | 419 | +283 | 36 |
| 4 |  Canberra |
24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 620 | 463 | +157 | 36 |
| 5 |  Melbourne |
24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 564 | 486 | +78 | 34 |
| 6 |  New Zealand |
24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 545 | 510 | +35 | 34 |
| 7 |  Newcastle |
24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 632 | 635 | -3 | 32 |
| 8 |  Brisbane |
24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 497 | 464 | +33 | 28 |
| 9 |  Parramatta |
24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 570 | 582 | -12 | 26 |
| 10 |  St George Illawarra |
24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 548 | 593 | -45 | 26 |
| 11 |  North Queensland |
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 606 | 629 | -23 | 24 |
| 12 |  Cronulla |
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 497 | 704 | -207 | 20 |
| 13 |  Wests Tigers |
24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 470 | 598 | -128 | 18 |
| 14 |  Manly |
24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 470 | 791 | -234 | 18 |
| 15 |  South Sydney |
24 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 457 | 758 | -301 | 10 |
[edit] 2003 Finals Series
| Home¹ | Away¹ | Referee | Venue | Crowd | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QF | Canberra | 18 | Melbourne | 30 | T.Mander | Canberra Stadium | 14 094 |
| QF | Bulldogs | 22 | New Zealand | 48 | B.Harrigan | Showgrounds | 18 312 |
| QF | Sydney | 36 | Newcastle | 8 | S.Hampstead | Aussie Stadium | 23 853 |
| QF | Penrith | 28 | Brisbane | 18 | S.Clark | Penrith Stadium | 18 534 |
| SF | Canberra | 16 | New Zealand | 17 | T.Mander | Aussie Stadium | 31 616 |
| SF | Bulldogs | 30 | Melbourne | 0 | B.Harrigan | Aussie Stadium | 19 367 |
| PF | Sydney | 28 | Bulldogs | 18 | B.Harrigan | Aussie Stadium | 41 123 |
| PF | Penrith | 28 | New Zealand | 20 | T.Mander | Telstra Stadium | 43 174 |
| GF | Penrith | 18 | Sydney | 6 | B.Harrigan | Telstra Stadium | 81 166 |
¹ 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.
[edit] See also
- National Rugby League
- 2003 NRL Finals Series
[edit] External links
- NRL official website
- [http://www.nrl.has.it Rugby League Tables and Statistics
