2005 NRL season results
The 2005 National Rugby League season consisted of 25 weekly regular season rounds starting in March, followed by four weeks of play-offs that culminated in a grand final on 2 October.
Regular season
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Finals series
The National Rugby League's 2005 finals series ran from 9 September to 2 October 2005, as eight teams vied to win the NRL Premiership in the Grand Final after the 2005 season. The final placings and first-week match-ups were decided only after all the matches in the final week were completed. The Grand Final, played on 2 October, was won by the Wests Tigers who claimed their first-ever NRL premiership. The runners up were the North Queensland Cowboys.
The Finals System
The system used for the NRL is the McIntyre final eight system, which is designed by Ken McIntyre in addition to the McIntyre Four, Five and Six systems to determine which two teams will play for the Premiership. In each of the three weeks of the competition, two teams are eliminated until only two teams are left. The better a team finishes in the home-and-away season ladder, the easier their route through to the grand final. In the first week, twos are paired off as such by rank (games are played at the home ground of the higher seed):
- Team 4 vs. Team 5 (4th qualifying final)
- Team 3 vs. Team 6 (3rd qualifying final)
- Team 2 vs. Team 7 (2nd qualifying final)
- Team 1 vs. Team 8 (1st qualifying final)
Once all four games ave been played, teams are grouped into winners and losers, and then ranked based on their home-and-away season standings, for example:
| Rank | Winners | Losers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team 1 | Team 2 |
| 2 | Team 3 | Team 5 |
| 3 | Team 4 | Team 6 |
| 4 | Team 7 | Team 8 |
...Losers #3 and #4 are immediately eliminated, while Winners #3 and #4 will face Losers #1 and #2 (in other words, a "double chance" for the two highest-ranked losers). Winners #1 and #2 receive a bye to week three, to await the winners of the two semi-finals. The winners of the two preliminary finals will then face off for the premiership in the grand final.
Week One
Fourth Qualifying Final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (4) Wests Tigers | 14 | 36 | 50 |
| (5) Nth QLD | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Date | Friday, 9 September 2005 8 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Wests) | 3: B Hodgson 1: D Fitzhenry, L Fulton, P Richards, P Whatuira, S Elford |
| Tries (NQLD) | 1: M Sing |
| Goals (Wests) | 9: B Hodgson |
| Goals (NQLD) | 1: J Hannay |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Telstra Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 26,463 |
| Referee | Paul Simpkins |
Third Qualifying Final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (3) Brisbane | 4 | 14 | 18 |
| (6) Melbourne | 18 | 6 | 24 |
| Date | Saturday, 10 September 2005 6:30 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Bris) | 1: D Smith, S Minto, B Seymour |
| Tries (Melb) | 1: B Slater, G Inglis, J Webster, M King |
| Goals (Bris) | 3: B Seymour |
| Goals (Melb) | 2: M Orford, C Smith |
| Injuries | Melb: Kearns (dislocated shoulder), Slater (ankle) |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Attendance | 25,193 |
| Referee | Steve Clark |
This was the second successive year the Broncos and the Storm have met at this stage, with Melbourne winning 31–14 in 2004. In what looked to be a case of déjà vu, the Storm won this match 24–18. In 2006, they would meet again in a final, but this time in a Grand Final, the Broncos winning 15–8. | |
Second Qualifying Final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (2) St George Illawarra | 4 | 24 | 28 |
| (7) Cronulla | 12 | 10 | 22 |
| Date | Saturday, 10 September 2005 8:30 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (StGI) | 2: C Best 1: D Young, T Barrett, W Naiqama |
| Tries (Cro) | 1: B Scott, D Simmons, N Vagana, P Gallen |
| Goals (StGI) | 4: M Ennis |
| Goals (Cro) | 3: L Covell |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | WIN Stadium, Wollongong |
| Attendance | 19,608 |
| Referee | Tony Archer |
First Qualifying Final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Parramatta | 28 | 18 | 46 |
| (8) Manly | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| Date | Sunday, 11 September 2005 4 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Par) | 2: T Tahu 1: C Robinson, M Riddell, E Grothe, L Burt, D Wagon, A Peek |
| Tries (Man) | 2: B Kennedy 1: A Watmough, M Witt |
| Goals (Par) | 7: L Burt |
| Goals (Man) | 2: L Williamson 1: M Monaghan |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Parramatta Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 19,710 |
| Referee | Tim Mander |
Week Two
First Semi-final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (6) Melbourne | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| (5) Nth QLD | 16 | 8 | 24 |
| Date | Saturday, 17 September 2005 7:45 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Melb) | 1: S Bell, M King, M Orford |
| Tries (NQLD) | 2: T Williams 1: M Bowen, D Faiumu |
| Goals (Melb) | 1: C Smith, M Orford |
| Goals (NQLD) | 2: J Thurston, J Hannay |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 16,810 |
| Referee | Paul Simpkins |
Second Semi-final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (4) Wests Tigers | 10 | 24 | 34 |
| (3) Brisbane | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Date | Sunday, 18 September 2005 4 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Wests) | 2: D Fitzhenry 1: B Hodgson, M. O'Neill, B Marshall, S Prince |
| Tries (Bris) | 1: D Lockyer |
| Goals (Wests) | 5: B Hodgson |
| Goals (Bris) | 1: B Seymour |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 36,563 |
| Referee | Tim Mander |
Week Three
First Preliminary Final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (2) St George Illawarra | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| (4) Wests Tigers | 16 | 4 | 20 |
| Date | Saturday, 24 September 2005 7;45pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (StG) | 1: W Naiqama, T Barrett |
| Tries (WES) | 2: D Halatau 1: C Heighington, B Marshall |
| Goals (StG) | 2: M Ennis |
| Goals (WES) | 2: B Hodgson |
| F.Goals (StG) | None |
| F.Goals (WES) | None |
| Injuries | Pat Richards (Ankle) |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 41,260 |
| Referee | Tim Mander |
Second Preliminary Final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Parramatta | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (5) Nth QLD | 18 | 11 | 29 |
| Date | Sunday, 25 September 2005 4 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Par) | None |
| Tries (NQLD) | 1: M Bowen, R Jensen, B Firman, T Williams, J Hannay |
| Goals (Par) | None |
| Goals (NQLD) | 4: J Hannay |
| F.Goals (Par) | None |
| F.Goals (NQLD) | 1: J Thurston |
| Injuries | Par: T Smith (head) NQLD: Norton (back) |
| Reports | NQLD: O'Donnell for high shot on T Smith |
| Venue | Telstra Stadium, Sydney, NSW |
| Attendance | 44,327 |
| Referee | Steve Clark |
Brett Firman scores in the 2005 Preliminary Final | |
2005 NRL Grand Final
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (4) Wests Tigers | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| (5) North Queensland Cowboys | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| Date | Sunday, 2 October 2005 7 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Wests Tigers) | 1: Bryce Gibbs, Pat Richards, Anthony Laffranchi, Daniel Fitzhenry, Todd Payten |
| Tries (North Queensland Cowboys) | 1: Matt Bowen, Travis Norton, Matt Sing |
| Goals (Wests Tigers) | 5/6: Brett Hodgson |
| Goals (North Queensland Cowboys) | 2/3: Josh Hannay |
| Field Goals (Wests Tigers) | None |
| Field Goals (North Queensland Cowboys) | None |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Churchill Medal | Scott Prince (Wests Tigers) |
| Venue | Telstra Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Attendance | 82,453 |
| Referee | Tim Mander |