The 2023 NRL grand final was played in Sydney on Sunday, October 1. Penrith claimed a third straight premiership with a famous comeback, winning 26-24 after falling 8-24 behind; Nathan Cleary was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for the second time in three seasons.
A deal was struck between the NRL and the NSW government to continue Stadium Australia’s hosting rights of the marquee match in mid-2023, but it only lasts for one year, with the league set to re-negotiate for 2024.
The grand final is normally held each year at Homebush and has been ever since it was constructed in 1999 ahead of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. However, it was played at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing NSW into lockdown.
Year | Winner | Runners-up | Scoreline |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Penrith | Brisbane | 26 – 24 |
2022 | Penrith | Parramatta | 28 – 12 |
2021 | Penrith | South Sydney | 14 – 12 |
2020 | Melbourne Storm | Penrith | 26 – 20 |
2019 | Sydney Roosters | Canberra Raiders | 14 – 8 |
2018 | Sydney Roosters | Melbourne Storm | 21 – 6 |
2017 | Melbourne Storm | North Queensland Cowboys | 34 – 6 |
2016 | Cronulla-Sutherland | Melbourne Storm | 14 – 12 |
2015 | North Queensland Cowboys | Brisbane Broncos | 17 – 16 |
2014 | South Sydney | Canterbury-Bankstown | 30 – 6 |
2013 | Sydney Roosters | Manly-Warringah | 26 – 18 |
2012 | Melbourne Storm | Canterbury-Bankstown | 14 – 4 |
2011 | Manly-Warringah | Warriors | 24 – 10 |
2010 | St George Illawarra | Sydney Roosters | 32 – 8 |
2009 | Melbourne Storm | Parramatta | 23 – 16 |
2008 | Manly-Warringah | Melbourne Storm | 40 – 0 |
2007 | Melbourne Storm | Manly-Warringah | 34 – 8 |
2006 | Brisbane Broncos | Melbourne Storm | 15 – 8 |
2005 | Wests Tigers | North Queensland Cowboys | 30 – 16 |
2004 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Sydney Roosters | 16 – 13 |
2003 | Penrith | Sydney Roosters | 18 – 6 |
2002 | Sydney Roosters | Warriors | 30 – 8 |
2001 | Newcastle Knights | Parramatta | 30 – 24 |
2000 | Brisbane Broncos | Sydney Roosters | 14 – 6 |
1999 | Melbourne Storm | St George-Illawarra | 20 – 18 |
1998 | Brisbane Broncos | Canterbury-Bankstown | 38 – 12 |
1997 SL | Brisbane Broncos | Cronulla-Sutherland | 26 – 8 |
1997 ARL | Newcastle Knights | Manly-Warringah | 22 – 16 |
1996 | Manly-Warringah | St George | 20 – 8 |
1995 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Manly-Warringah | 17 – 4 |
1994 | Canberra Raiders | Canterbury-Bankstown | 36 – 12 |
1993 | Brisbane Broncos | St George | 14 – 6 |
1992 | Brisbane Broncos | St George | 28 – 8 |
1991 | Penrith | Canberra Raiders | 19 – 12 |
1990 | Canberra Raiders | Penrith | 18 – 14 |
1989 | Canberra Raiders | Balmain | 19 – 14 |
1988 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Balmain | 24 – 12 |
1987 | Manly-Warringah | Canberra Raiders | 18 – 8 |
1986 | Parramatta | Canterbury-Bankstown | 4 – 2 |
1985 | Canterbury-Bankstown | St George | 7 – 6 |
1984 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Parramatta | 6 – 4 |
1983 | Parramatta | Manly-Warringah | 18 – 6 |
1982 | Parramatta | Manly-Warringah | 21 – 8 |
1981 | Parramatta | Newtown | 20 – 11 |
1980 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Eastern Suburbs | 18 – 4 |
1979 | St George | Canterbury-Bankstown | 17 – 13 |
1978 | Manly-Warringah | Cronulla-Sutherland | 11 – 11 16 – 0 |
1977 | St George | Parramatta | 9 – 9 22 – 0 |
1976 | Manly-Warringah | Parramatta | 13 – 10 |
1975 | Eastern Suburbs | St George | 38 – 0 |
1974 | Eastern Suburbs | Canterbury-Bankstown | 19 – 4 |
1973 | Manly-Warringah | Cronulla-Sutherland | 10 – 7 |
1972 | Manly-Warringah | Eastern Suburbs | 19 – 14 |
1971 | South Sydney | St George | 16 – 10 |
1970 | South Sydney | Manly-Warringah | 23 – 12 |
1969 | Balmain | South Sydney | 11 – 2 |
1968 | South Sydney | Manly-Warringah | 13 – 9 |
1967 | South Sydney | Canterbury-Bankstown | 12 – 10 |
1966 | St George | Balmain | 23 – 4 |
1965 | St George | South Sydney | 12 – 8 |
1964 | St George | Balmain | 11 – 6 |
1963 | St George | Western Suburbs | 8 – 3 |
1962 | St George | Western Suburbs | 9 – 6 |
1961 | St George | Western Suburbs | 22 – 0 |
1960 | St George | Eastern Suburbs | 31 – 6 |
1959 | St George | Manly-Warringah | 20 – 0 |
1958 | St George | Western Suburbs | 20 – 9 |
1957 | St George | Manly-Warringah | 31 – 9 |
1956 | St George | Balmain | 18 – 12 |
1955 | South Sydney | Newtown | 12 – 11 |
1954 | South Sydney | Newtown | 23 – 15 |
1953 | South Sydney | St George | 31 – 12 |
1952 | Western Suburbs | South Sydney | 22 – 12 |
1951 | South Sydney | Manly-Warringah | 42 – 14 |
1950 | South Sydney | Western Suburbs | 21 – 15 |
1949 | St George | South Sydney | 19 – 12 |
1948 | Western Suburbs | Balmain | 8 – 5 |
1947 | Balmain | Canterbury-Bankstown | 13 – 9 |
1946 | Balmain | St George | 13 – 12 |
1945 | Eastern Suburbs | Balmain | 22 – 18 |
1944 | Balmain | Newtown | 12 – 8 |
1943 | Newtown Jets | North Sydney | 34 – 7 |
1942 | Canterbury-Bankstown | St George | 11 – 9 |
1941 | St George | Eastern Suburbs | 31 – 14 |
1940 | Eastern Suburbs | Canterbury-Bankstown | 24 – 14 |
1939 | Balmain | South Sydney | 33 – 4 |
1938 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Eastern Suburbs | 19 – 6 |
1937 | Eastern Suburbs | No grand final due to Kangaroos tour | |
1936 | Eastern Suburbs | Balmain | 32 – 12 |
1935 | Eastern Suburbs | South Sydney | 19 – 3 |
1934 | Western Suburbs | Eastern Suburbs | 15 – 12 |
1933 | Newtown Jets | St George | 18 – 5 |
1932 | South Sydney | Western Suburbs | 19 – 12 |
1931 | South Sydney | Eastern Suburbs | 12 – 7 |
1930 | Western Suburbs | St George | 27 – 2 |
1929 | South Sydney | Newtown | 30 – 10 |
1928 | South Sydney | Eastern Suburbs | 26 – 5 |
1927 | South Sydney | St George | 20 – 11 |
1926 | South Sydney | University | 11 – 5 |
Between 1912 and 1925, the league used a ‘first past the post’ system to determine the premiers. Grand finals were only played in the event of a tie atop the ladder. | |||
1924 | Balmain | South Sydney | 3 – 0 |
1923 | Eastern Suburbs | South Sydney | 15 – 12 |
1922 | North Sydney | Glebe | 35 – 3 |
1916 | Balmain | South Sydney | 5 – 3 |
1911 | Eastern Suburbs | Glebe | 11 – 8 |
1910 | Newtown Jets | South Sydney | 4 – 4 |
1909 | South Sydney | Balmain | Forfeit |
1908 | South Sydney | Eastern Suburbs | 14 – 12 |