2008 NRL Season Results
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The 2008 National Rugby League season consisted of 26 weekly regular season rounds, starting on 14 March, followed by four weeks of play-offs, culminating in a
Grand Final Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. Sy ...
on 5 October.


Regular season

Times for Rounds 1–3 are Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time. Times for Round 4 and the remainder of the season are Australian Eastern Standard Time.


Round 1

*This round marked the first premiership round of the centenary season of
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
in Australia. *
Skilled Park A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of wo ...
on the Gold Coast becomes the 70th first-grade venue used and is filled to capacity for its first NRL match with the
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
against the
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
. *The Titans'
Jordan Atkins Jordan Atkins (born 22 January 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the London Broncos in the Super League. His positions of choice are at or . Background Atkins was born in Stanthorpe, Que ...
equalled the competition record of four tries on debut, emulating
Johnno Stuntz John "Johnno" Stuntz (1884–1917) was an Australian pioneer rugby league footballer and soldier who served in World War I and died on the Western Front. A national and state representative winger, his club career was played with Eastern Subur ...
(1908),
Viv Farnsworth Viv Farnsworth (1889–1953) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played for Newtown Jets, Newtown, Western Suburbs Magpies, Wests, New South Wales state rugby league team, New South Wales a ...
(1910), and Tony Nash (1942). *The
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
20–0 at halftime to lose 28–20 at
ANZ Stadium ANZ may refer to: People * Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician Banks * ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia ** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand ...
, while that comeback was Parramatta's second largest. *
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
's Corey Parker surpassed
Darren Lockyer Darren James Lockyer (born 24 March 1977) is an Australian television commentator and former professional rugby league footballer. Lockyer was an Australian international and Queensland State representative captain, who played his entire profes ...
's and Michael De Vere's club record of most goals kicked in a match, scoring 10 goals out of 10.


Round 2

*
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
and
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
played out the first
golden point The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn football matches. The term is borrowed from soccer's now-defunct golden goal. Rugby league Australia The golden point is used to determine a winner (where applicable, see ...
game of the season. *The
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
lost their 100th ever game and their first game at
Olympic Park An Olympic Park is a sports campus for hosting the Olympic Games. Typically it contains the Olympic Stadium and the International Broadcast Centre. It may also contain the Olympic Village or some of the other sports venues, such as the aquatics c ...
since round 24, 2006. *Both of
National Rugby League season 2007 The 2007 NRL season was the one hundredth season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the tenth run by the National Rugby League. Sixteen teams contested the NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, and with the inclusio ...
's grand finalists, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Melbourne Storm, were beaten this round both by one point by Newcastle and Cronulla.


Round 3

*All matches this round were won by home teams. *A new Suncorp Stadium attendance record for premiership games is set with 50,612. *
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
made it three wins from their first three matches of the season for the first time since
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
. *
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
played their second consecutive golden point game but lost to the
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...
. *
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
suffered their first back-to-back loss since rounds 3 and 4,
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
. *
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
got their biggest ever win over the
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
.


Round 4

* A new
ANZ Stadium ANZ may refer to: People * Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician Banks * ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia ** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand ...
regular season attendance record (excluding double headers) was set when 36,526 came to the match between the
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
. *
Golden point The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn football matches. The term is borrowed from soccer's now-defunct golden goal. Rugby league Australia The golden point is used to determine a winner (where applicable, see ...
is invoked for the third time in 2008, the Cronulla v St. George Illawarra match going to extra time. * The
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
are the remaining team to yet win a game after falling for their fourth consecutive game against the
Manly Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
who managed to keep them tryless by 20 points to 2. * The
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
' and the
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Willie Mason Viliami William Marshall Mason (born 15 April 1980), also nicknamed "Big Willie", is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australia and Tonga international and New South Wales State of Origin rep ...
left the Bulldogs for the Roosters. However the match was one-sided as the Roosters scored a 28-point victory.
Braith Anasta Braith Anastasakis (born 14 January 1982), better known as Braith Anasta, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian and Greek international, Anasta played in the NRL ...
, a former Bulldog, was named man of the match while Mason scored two tries.


Round 5

*For the fifth time in their ten-year history,
St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
started the season with one win and four losses. *The
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
won their first match against the
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
won the inaugural
1989 League Legends Cup The 1989 League Legends Cup is an annual rugby league match between NRL clubs the Canberra Raiders and the Wests Tigers. The match is played to commemorate the 1989 Grand Final, which has been called the greatest Grand Final ever. The grand fi ...
against the
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
. *The
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
won their fourth straight match over the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
.


Round 6: Heritage round

This premiership round was set down to celebrate the anniversary of the first round of the 1908 premiership. Teams wore jerseys reflecting their club or region's first season in the competition. * Corey Parker played his 150th career game for the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
. *Cronulla play their first home game of the season after five rounds on the road when waiting for their home venue (Toyota Stadium) to be upgraded. It results in a golden point loss to Penrith. *The
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
put their season back into the positive after defeating the
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
, bouncing back from a 20-12 half time deficit by scoring four tries within the remaining ten minutes. *Melbourne win their twelfth straight match against Canberra after coming from 16-4 down at halftime. *This round saw a change in the lead on the competition ladder, with the Gold coast Titans edging ahead of the Brisbane Broncos.


Round 7

*
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
lose their ninth consecutive match (from round 24,
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
), this time to the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
. It was also
Tonie Carroll Tonie Carroll (born 17 February 1976) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian and New Zealand international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played for the Brisbane Bron ...
's 200th game for the Broncos. * The
Dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
bounce back from their four-game slump causing the Sydney Roosters' first back-to-back losses for this season. *
Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...
recorded their fifth successive win, becoming the first of any
Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...
team in the top grade ever to do so. *Wests Tigers extend their winning streak against Cronulla to nine.


Round 8

*The
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
get their first win over the
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
with a thrilling 13-12 match. *Referee Ben Cummins was hit by a foam football thrown by angry Penrith fans after the
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...
26-18 win over the Panthers. *The
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
got their first win of the season. *This round was followed by the
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
ANZAC Test in what was the first test match played at the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
since 1986.


Round 9

* The 0-0 halftime scoreline during the Melbourne and Newcastle match was the fourth time in three years that the first half of an NRL match has been scoreless. * Melbourne's win over Newcastle places the 2007 minor premiership winning Storm to the top of the table for the first time in 2008. Meanwhile, last year's second finishing team, the Sea Eagles, entered the top four.


Round 10

* The 34 players selected for
State of Origin A State of Origin competition is a type of sporting event between players representing their state or territory. State of Origin began in Australian rules football on 8 October 1977 between Western Australia (WA) and Victoria, at Subiaco Oval ...
are required to stand down for this round's club matches. * The
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
finally defeated the
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Giants, Seagulls, Chargers or Titans - to do so. * The
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
recorded their first back-to-back losses of the season. * The St. George Illawarra Dragons defeated Melbourne for the first time since 2004. Up to eight players from the usual Melbourne squad were omitted from the match due to State of Origin duties. * The Penrith Panthers made the top eight for the first time in 2008 by beating the Warriors.


Round 11

* The Warriors' loss to the Roosters was the first home game they lost in 2008.


Round 12

*Manly's
Adam Cuthbertson Adam Cuthbertson (born 24 February 1985) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a and forward for the Featherstone Rovers in the Betfred Championship. He has previously played for the York City Knights ...
is
sent off In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...
during Manly's win over Canberra. *
Denan Kemp Denan Kemp is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s in the National Rugby League (NRL). Kemp's position of choice was on the . He played in the NRL for the Brisbane Broncos, the New Zealand ...
equalled the club record for most tries in a match for the Brisbane Broncos with 4 tries, one of which was the match-winner scored after the final siren. *The Bulldogs became the first team for 2008 to be held scoreless in a match. *North Queensland's
Luke O'Donnell Luke O'Donnell (born 22 October 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he previously ...
is also sent off in the Cowboys loss to Penrith in
golden point The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn football matches. The term is borrowed from soccer's now-defunct golden goal. Rugby league Australia The golden point is used to determine a winner (where applicable, see ...
extra time. *
Brett Finch Brett John Finch (born 20 August 1981) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative half back, he played in the National Rugby League for Austra ...
played his 200th NRL game. He became only the 5th player to reach this milestone before reaching the age of 27.


Round 13

* Players selected for State of Origin were again absent from this round's fixtures. * South Sydney's rare win over the Warriors was their first win against them since 1999. *
Wendell Sailor Wendell Jermaine Sailor (born 16 July 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby league and rugby union – a dual code international. In rugby league Sailor was a member of the succes ...
makes his return to the NRL with St. George Illawarra after a seven-year absence. * The Sydney Roosters fail to score against Manly for the second time in a row, losing 0-56 in Round 17, 2007. * For the first time, the
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
held their opposition scoreless with an 18-0 win over the
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
at
Skilled Park A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of wo ...
, in the process maintaining their undefeated home record in 2008.


Round 14

* For the first time since 2005, the
Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
have managed to win three consecutive games. * The Cowboys lost their seventh consecutive match for the first time since
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
.


Round 15

*Both Friday night games were won by the home teams by one point which both avoided heading into extra time. *The Bulldogs suffered their second thrashing in five weeks, this time 18-58 by
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
and is the most points the
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Cowboys A cowboy is a professional pastoralist or mounted livestock herder, usually from the Americas or Australia. Cowboy(s) or The Cowboy(s) may also refer to: Film and television * ''Cowboy'' (1958 film), starring Glenn Ford * ''Cowboy'' (1966 film), ...
suffered their 8th loss in a row, this time going down 48-20 to the
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and are now in grave danger along with South Sydney for wooden spoon contenders. *The Roosters maintained their seven-year undefeated streak in Newcastle, grittingly winning 16-14. *The Sharks have ended Parramatta's clean run with their Toyota Park Stadium however, it resulted with Cronulla losing their key man and
Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
five-eighth Greg Bird, injured in Cronulla's 16-14 win over Parramatta. * South Sydney earn their third win of the season in a tough affair with
Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...
24-23 with only a penalty goal from
Isaac Luke Issac Luke (born 29 May 1987) is a former New Zealand professional rugby league footballer He previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, New Zealand Warriors, St. George Illawarra Dragons, and the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby ...
putting them in front into full-time. Their win sees the Rabbitohs move out of last place for the first time this season after 15 rounds, slipping
North Queensland North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its tropical northern part has been ...
to their long-held position. This said, the Titans have never won at ANZ Stadium.


Round 16

* Once again, players selected for State of Origin duties were unable to play in this round. * The
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...
and the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
played out the first draw of the season, and the sixth
golden point The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn football matches. The term is borrowed from soccer's now-defunct golden goal. Rugby league Australia The golden point is used to determine a winner (where applicable, see ...
game. * The
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
finally lost at home, going down to the
St George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint- ...
. * The
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
equalled the second-biggest ever comeback in Rugby League History coming from 24 points down to win by a point against
wooden spoon Wooden Spoon may refer to: * Wooden spoon, implement * Wooden spoon (award) A wooden spoon is an award that is given to an individual or team that has come last in a competition. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous e ...
contenders the
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
at
Dairy Farmers Stadium The Willows Sports Complex, currently known as 1300SMILES Stadium through sponsorship, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has been a predominantly rugby league ground as the home ground of the North Q ...
. * The
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
defeated the
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
at
Leichhardt Oval Leichhardt Oval is a rugby league and soccer stadium in Lilyfield, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently one of three home grounds for the Wests Tigers National Rugby League (NRL) team, along with Campbelltown Stadium and Western Sydney S ...
for the first time in the Warriors' history. * The
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...
' win over the
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
was their first since 2005, and first at home since 2001. * The
Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
maintained their four-year unbeaten streak against the
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
at
Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium (GIO Stadium for commercial reasons) is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sports v ...
.


Round 17

*The Dragons protected their five-year unbeaten streak in Newcastle with a 24–16 victory over the Knights, which was also St George Illawarra's seventh consecutive victory. *The
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
won their 13th straight match against the
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
, ensuring their coach
Craig Bellamy Craig Douglas Bellamy (born 13 July 1979) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward and is current assistant manager at EFL Championship side Burnley. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy began his senior playing career with Norw ...
is unbeaten as coach against his old club. * Penrith's win over Parramatta was somewhat soured when Penrith captain
Petero Civoniceva Petero Civoniceva ( (Thee-vo-nee-thee-vah); born 21 April 1976), is a Fijian-Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representa ...
was racially taunted by Eels fans at Parramatta Stadium. *For the second week in a row, the
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
came back to win, this time coming from 18 points down early in the second half against the
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
beat the
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
at the
Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...
, in doing so becoming the first Gold Coast team of any era to do so. *The
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
condemned the
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
to their record 10th loss in succession. *South Sydney won their fifth match in succession for the first time since 1994. *The
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
took outright top spot on the NRL Ladder after beating the
Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
at Toyota Stadium. *The
St George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint- ...
were, for the second time in three years, denied a record-equalling 8th-straight victory when they succumbed to the
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
, who won their first match at
WIN Stadium Wollongong Showground, known as WIN Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Wollongong, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawa ...
since 1995. *
Darren Lockyer Darren James Lockyer (born 24 March 1977) is an Australian television commentator and former professional rugby league footballer. Lockyer was an Australian international and Queensland State representative captain, who played his entire profes ...
made a successful comeback for the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
, who suffered a defeat to the Bulldogs. *
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
captain
Brett Hodgson Brett Hodgson (born 12 February 1978) is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional player during the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative goal-kicking , he played his club football in the NRL ...
, the only remaining player to have played for the now merged
Western Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies (legal name: Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club Ltd) are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly r ...
club, played his last ever match at
Campbelltown Stadium Campbelltown Stadium, formerly Orana Park and Campbelltown Sports Ground, is a multi-use stadium in Leumeah, New South Wales, Australia, owned by Campbelltown City Council. It is the home ground of the Western Suburbs Magpies and the Wests Ti ...
. The team wore the iconic black-and-white Magpies uniform to celebrate this occasion. * During the Monday night match with the Tigers,
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
veteran
Matt Geyer Matt Geyer (born 5 September 1975) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. A New South Wales State of Origin representative , he played his club football primarily with the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League comp ...
became the first Storm player to play 250 games for the club.


Round 19

* North Queensland's now eleventh consecutive loss is the worst such streak in the club's history. * The
Manly Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
beat the
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...
despite losing captain/halfback
Matt Orford Matthew Orford (born 22 April 1978), also known by the nickname of "The Ox", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for the Erina Eagles as a junior. A City New South Wales rep ...
, five-eighth
Jamie Lyon Jamie Lyon (born 24 January 1982), also known by the nickname of "Killer", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin represen ...
and forwards Jason King and
Luke Williamson Luke Williamson (born 2 June 1978) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is now coach of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles' NSW Cup team after previously coaching the team in 2011 and be ...
. Lyon and King injured themselves early in the first half (Orford and Williamson had been ruled unfit to play before the game). * The
Warriors A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...
posted just their third away win of 2008 by thumping the Bulldogs by 40 points to 22 to achieve their first win over the Bulldogs at
ANZ Stadium ANZ may refer to: People * Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician Banks * ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia ** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand ...
. *Dragons prop
Jason Ryles Jason Ryles (born 17 January 1979 in Wollongong, New South Wales) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australia national representative forward, ...
became the fourth player to be sent off this season for intentionally kicking Storm prop
Jeff Lima Jeff Lima (born 4 July 1982) is a former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Canberra Raiders in the NRL. A New Zealand international representative , he previously played for the Wests Tigers, Melbourne Storm, South S ...
. Melbourne's
Billy Slater William Slater (born 18 June 1983), is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and one-time captain of the Queensland State of Origin team, he played his entire ...
and
Adam Blair Adam Ngawati Blair (born 20 March 1986) is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former professional rugby league footballer who played as a forward and in the National Rugby League (NRL), and the New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori inter ...
and Dragons'
Jamie Soward Jamie Soward (born 13 November 1984) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. A New South Wales State of Origin and Indigenous All-Stars representative , he previously played for the Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers and ...
were also sin-binned for fighting. St. George Illawarra failed to score for the first time since Round 3, 2000 – a scoring streak of 219 matches. * Gavin Badger was dropped from refereeing for the following week as a result of several bad decisions in the Melbourne Storm – St. George Illawarra game.


Round 20

* All matches on this round were won by the home teams. * Top two sides Melbourne and Manly were beaten by 2 and 22 points respectively. * The
St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
defeated the
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Terry Campese Terry Campese (born 4 August 1984) is a former professional rugby league footballer. A former Australia, Italy and New South Wales State of Origin representative , he is also the nephew of rugby union player David Campese. He previously played ...
scores 36 points (four tries and 10 goals), a feat bettered only three times in history. *The Eels and Roosters contested the inaugural Jack Gibson Cup this round, with Parramatta claiming the trophy.


Round 23

*The St George Illawarra Dragons recorded their seventh-straight victory over the Brisbane Broncos, with ex-Bronco
Wendell Sailor Wendell Jermaine Sailor (born 16 July 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby league and rugby union – a dual code international. In rugby league Sailor was a member of the succes ...
scoring his first NRL try since he switched to rugby union against his former club. *The Gold Coast Titans got one step closer to completing a clean sweep over the fellow Queensland teams in the competition this season, beating the North Queensland Cowboys. *Manly-Warringah conceded more than 40 points in a match for the first time since 2005. This was also South Sydney's highest score achieved under coach Jason Taylor. *Parramatta's win over the Wests Tigers brought them to eight consecutive wins against their opposing club. * After the completion of round 23, the Melbourne Storm reclaimed the top spot on the competition ladder, taking advantage of Manly's loss to Souths. * Panthers Vs Bulldogs became the longest match without extra time due to referee Gavin Badger's referrals to video referee Russell Smith.


Round 24

*For the second time this season, the Sydney Roosters were held scoreless, against a top four team. *For the second consecutive time at Suncorp Stadium, the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans were brought into
golden point The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn football matches. The term is borrowed from soccer's now-defunct golden goal. Rugby league Australia The golden point is used to determine a winner (where applicable, see ...
, with the Broncos taking out both games. This denied the Titans a complete clean sweep over their fellow Queensland teams. *The
NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
schedule staged its first double-header since Round 1 of the 2004 season. ANZ Stadium featured both the Wests Tigers vs Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles match and the Bulldogs vs Parramatta Eels game in sequence with one another during Saturday night of 23 August 2008. *After trailing 19–6 at halftime, the Canberra Raiders tallied 34 points in the second half to stun the South Sydney Rabbitohs 25–40. *The New Zealand Warriors' poor record at Wollongong's WIN Stadium continued as they had not won at that ground since 1996. *Melbourne won their first match at CUA Stadium since 2003.


Round 25

* After nine previous meetings, the
Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
defeated the
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
for the first time since 2003. * The Canterbury Bulldogs suffered their 7th straight loss in a game to farewell long time Bulldogs hooker Corey Hughes. *
Wendell Sailor Wendell Jermaine Sailor (born 16 July 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby league and rugby union – a dual code international. In rugby league Sailor was a member of the succes ...
scored his first NRL hat-trick since 2001. * The Cowboys broke the Raiders top 4 hopes. * Steve Menzies played his last Premiership match at Brookvale Oval. * The
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
won their fifth match in a row at
ANZ Stadium ANZ may refer to: People * Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician Banks * ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia ** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand ...
.


Round 26

*Wayne Bennett (rugby league), Wayne Bennett celebrated his last regular season game as the Broncos coach after 21 years of coaching the Brisbane Broncos since their opening season in 1988. Along with Bennett, the defender
Tonie Carroll Tonie Carroll (born 17 February 1976) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian and New Zealand international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played for the Brisbane Bron ...
also celebrated playing his last regular season game for the Broncos after serving for twelve seasons and playing over 200 games for the maroon-and-golds. The Broncos also recorded their fifth straight win over the Knights, knocking them out of finals contention. * The
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
' physical 10–0 win over
St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
saw them make the finals for the first time since 2004 when they finished off runners-up to the Bulldogs. It was also the first time the Roosters had held an opposing team scoreless since 2004. * The
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
finals-earning win over the Eels at Parramatta Stadium was their first win at Parramatta since the club's first season in 1995. * The Wests Tigers, Tigers levelled their all-time record against the
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
by beating them 28–12, having already beaten them 20–18 in round 11. * The
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
racked up their record third consecutive minor premiership for the first time in the NRL competition, taking hold of pole position in seasons 2006, 2007 and now 2008, a feat which hasn't been known since Manly did so in 1995, 96, and 97. The game was also to commemorate Melbourne's longest serving player,
Matt Geyer Matt Geyer (born 5 September 1975) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. A New South Wales State of Origin representative , he played his club football primarily with the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League comp ...
, who played his last regular season game to defeat the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Olympic Park Stadium (Melbourne), Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne 42–4. * The Canberra Raiders scored 52 against the Bulldogs, the 2nd time in the season the Raiders had put 50 or more on the Bulldogs (following the 58-18 demolition job in Round 15), they became the 6th team in history to achieve this feat and the first team since Parramatta did it to Newtown in 1983. It was the 2nd time the Bulldogs had been on the receiving end of this feat, the other being in their debut season, 1935. * The Parramatta and Warriors games got 5,102 people, the lowest crowd of the season


Finals

The NRL employs the McIntyre Final Eight System. * In the qualifying finals, matches were played at the higher placed team's home ground. 1st and 2nd highest placed winning teams then proceeded to the preliminary finals. * In the semi finals, matches were played at the 3rd and 4th highest winning team's home ground, provided it had a capacity of 25,000. Eligible venues were: Stadium Australia,
Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...
, Suncorp Stadium,
Dairy Farmers Stadium The Willows Sports Complex, currently known as 1300SMILES Stadium through sponsorship, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has been a predominantly rugby league ground as the home ground of the North Q ...
, EnergyAustralia Stadium,
Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium (GIO Stadium for commercial reasons) is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sports v ...
, Telstra Dome, Melbourne Cricket Ground and Mount Smart Stadium. * In the preliminary finals, matches were played at the highest placed winning teams from the qualifying finals "home region" ground. For Sydney teams, Newcastle, St. George Illawarra and Canberra, this was the Sydney Football Stadium or Stadium Australia. For Brisbane and the Gold Coast - Suncorp Stadium, North Queensland - Dairy Farmers Stadium, Melbourne - the Telstra Dome or the MCG, and for New Zealand, Mt Smart Stadium. *Both
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
and
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
finished first and second for the second year running.
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
and
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
were the only other teams which had visited the finals series in the previous year. *The Broncos played in their 17th successive finals campaign, second only to St. George Dragons, St. George's streak of 23 seasons from 1951 to 1973.


Qualifying Finals

*The
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
make a return to the finals after a three-year absence, their last being in 2004 when they were runners-up to the now wooden-spooned Bulldogs. *The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks make a revisit to the finals series since National Rugby League season 2005, 2005 and host a home final for the first time since National Rugby League season 2001, 2001, in which they comfortably defeated the
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
. *Both Melbourne and Manly faced sides that have defeated them during the season and hold some records against the top two teams this year. Manly took on the 7th ranked
St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
who defeated Manly at Brookvale Oval 20-18 in round 11 and have currently won four of their past six games at Brookvale Oval, while Melbourne faced the New Zealand Warriors, Warriors, who were recently outdone against the New Zealand club in Auckland by a mere 8-6 and are one of the two teams in the past three years that have defeated the Storm at Melbourne. *Cronulla Sharks, Cronulla's defeat over the
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
gave them their seventh consecutive finals defeat, last achieving a finals victory in 2000. *The
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
' striking last-minute win over Melbourne made them the first 8th-placed team to defeat the season's minor premiers at their home ground in NRL history since the McIntyre System was introduced in 1999. This landmark win deserved them a home final against the
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
.


Semi finals

*For the second year running Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Manly had the week off whilst for the first time since
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
Cronulla Sharks, Cronulla hosted a home preliminary final. *Both matches this weekend were NRL grand final rematches; the
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
faced the
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
whom they lost to in the 2002 decider, whilst Melbourne travelled to Brisbane to take on their 2006 Grand Final nemesis the Broncos. *New Zealand become the first team to get to a preliminary final from 8th position, beating the Roosters 30-13. *After trailing for all but the last 46 seconds of the match, Melbourne Storm, Melbourne got out of jail in a controversial match against the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
with a Greg Inglis try and subsequently ended their season, and that of the Broncos' coaching career of Wayne Bennett, and went on to play Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Cronulla in the preliminary final.


Preliminary finals

*The
Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...
was allocated for both Preliminary Finals, due to both sides from the Sydney region the home stadium could have been allocated to either the Sydney Football Stadium, or the larger
ANZ Stadium ANZ may refer to: People * Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician Banks * ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia ** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand ...
. It was stated that due to both clubs ranking in the lower half of average attendances for home games in 2008. *Melbourne, under stand-in captain Cooper Cronk defeated the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 28-0, keeping them scoreless for the first time since 2003. The Storm thus made it to their third consecutive
Grand Final Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. Sy ...
, joining the likes of the
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
,
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
, Balmain Tigers, St. George Dragons,
Western Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies (legal name: Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club Ltd) are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly r ...
,
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...
, Canterbury Bulldogs,
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
and the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
to qualify for at least 3 rugby league Grand Finals in a ro
Preliminary Finals at SFS


Grand Final

*Manly's 40 to nil victory against Melbourne Storm, Melbourne win in the 2008 Grand Final is the largest on record, surpassing the Eastern Suburbs' 38-0 win over St. George in 1975 NSWRFL season, 1975. *On the other hand, the runners-up
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
became the first team since 1978 to be held scoreless in a Grand Final (when Cronulla suffered so 16-0 against Manly.)


References


External links


2008 trial games
{{2008 in rugby league 2008 NRL season, Results National Rugby League season results