109th season of professional rugby league in Australia
Rugby league season
The 2016 NRL season was the 109th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 19th season run by the National Rugby League . The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines , and was followed by the All Stars Match , which was played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane,[ 1] and the World Club Series . The season concluded on October 2 with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks winning their first ever premiership after 50 seasons, having entered the competition in 1967.[ 2] The season was also noteworthy as it was the first time that all three Queensland based teams made the finals.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 10th consecutive year. The NRL's salary cap for the clubs' top 25 players was $A6.3M for 2016.[ 3]
Pre-season
The 2016 pre-season featured the third edition of the Auckland Nines competition, held over a weekend at Auckland's Eden Park in which the Parramatta Eels defeated the New Zealand Warriors in the final. The All Stars match was held on February 13 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The 2016 World Club Series took place in England with the NRL premiers North Queensland Cowboys defeating the Super League champions Leeds Rhinos in the World Club Challenge match.
Parramatta Eels salary cap breach
The Parramatta Eels were faced with starting the season on -4 points due to salary cap indiscretions in 2015, however the NRL was satisfied with governance changes at the Eels and no points were deducted.[ 13]
However, on 3 May 2016, after further salary cap breaches were exposed by the NRL, CEO Todd Greenberg announced the preliminary penalties of the club being fined $1 million, deducted twelve competition points, stripped of its 2016 Auckland Nines title[ 14] and they were barred from receiving any further competition points until they fell under the salary cap, which they were reported to have exceeded by $570,000. Five officials (chairman Steve Sharp , deputy chairman Tom Issa, director Peter Serrao, chief executive John Boulous and football manager Daniel Anderson ) were also suspended indefinitely. On 12 May the NRL reported that Parramatta had fallen back under the salary cap for 2016 and were able to play for competition points again for their next scheduled game.[ 15]
On 9 July, after over 2 months of club officials contesting the preliminary penalties, Parramatta were handed their punishment with the addition of their for/against points tally accumulated from rounds 1-9 being deducted.[ 16]
Regular season
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
F1
F2
F3
GF
Brisbane Broncos
PAR 13
NZL 15
PEN 1
NQL 1*
GCT 8
SGI 26
NEW 53
SOU 22
CRO 2
MAN 24
NQL 1
WTI 1
NZL 18
CAN 8
X
CBY 26
MEL 42
X
SOU 20
PEN 19
SYD 16
SGI 4
PAR 22
CBY 10
MEL 10
SYD 10
GCT 16
NQL 6*
Canberra Raiders
PEN 8
SYD 1
NEW 0*
GCT 4
CBY 14
PAR 30
CRO 24
WTI 54
PEN 1
SGI 4*
NZL 26
CBY 12
MAN 12
BRI 8
X
GCT 8
NEW 4*
NQL 14
X
NZL 4*
SOU 50
CRO 16
MEL 14
PAR 10
MAN 14
WTI 42
CRO 2
PEN 10
MEL 2
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
MAN 22
PEN 2
PAR 14
SOU 30
CAN 14
MEL 6
NZL 4
GCT 1*
PAR 8
WTI 32
SYD 12
CAN 12
CRO 2
SGI 18
X
BRI 26
SYD 4
WTI 10
X
NQL 36
SGI 3
NEW 14
MAN 4*
BRI 10
NQL 8
SOU 18
PEN 16
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
NQL 6
SGI 28
MAN 10
MEL 8
WTI 8
GCT 5
CAN 24
PEN 2
BRI 2
NEW 62
MAN 8
X
CBY 2
NQL 3
X
NZL 1*
PAR 10
PEN 16
SYD 12
NEW 32
GCT 0*
CAN 16
SGI 14
SOU 6
SYD 25
MEL 20
CAN 2
X
NQL 12
MEL 2
Gold Coast Titans
NEW 18
MEL 18
WTI 12
CAN 4
BRI 8
CRO 5
SGI 5
CBY 1*
MEL 38
SYD 20
PEN 4
X
SOU 1*
PAR 10
MAN 20
CAN 8
NZL 9
X
SGI 20
PAR 20
CRO 0*
NZL 10
WTI 1
NEW 20
PEN 1
NQL 16
BRI 16
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
CBY 22
WTI 14
CRO 10
SYD 2
SOU 4
NZL 16
PAR 12
NEW 16
NQL 16
BRI 24
CRO 8
X
CAN 12
PEN 7
GCT 20
NQL 4
SGI 30
X
NZL 1*
SOU 8
NEW 20
PAR 1
CBY 4*
MEL 20
CAN 14
PEN 30
Melbourne Storm
SGI 2
GCT 18
NZL 7
CRO 8
NEW 4
CBY 6
WTI 1*
NZL 42
GCT 38
NQL 1
PAR 12
X
PEN 18
SYD 46
SGI 10
WTI 9
BRI 42
X
NEW 4
SYD 16
NQL 8
SOU 1*
CAN 14
MAN 20
BRI 10
CRO 20
NQL 6
X
CAN 2
CRO 2
Newcastle Knights
GCT 18
SOU 42
CAN 0*
NZL 22
MEL 4
WTI 2
BRI 53
MAN 16
SYD 38
CRO 62
WTI 8
PAR 2
NQL 30
NZL 36
X
SGI 12
CAN 4*
X
MEL 4
CRO 32
MAN 20
CBY 14
PEN 36
GCT 20
SOU 22
SGI 2
New Zealand Warriors
WTI 8
BRI 15
MEL 7
NEW 22
SYD 4*
MAN 16
CBY 4
MEL 42
SGI 16
PEN 12
CAN 26
X
BRI 18
NEW 36
SYD 2
CRO 1*
GCT 9
X
MAN 1*
CAN 4*
PEN 4*
GCT 10
SOU 19
NQL 28
WTI 12
PAR 22
North Queensland Cowboys
CRO 6
PAR 4
SYD 40
BRI 1*
SGI 36
PEN 5
SOU 26
PAR 16
MAN 16
MEL 1
BRI 1
SGI 4
NEW 30
CRO 3
X
MAN 4
SOU 20
CAN 14
X
CBY 36
MEL 8
WTI 12
SYD 12
NZL 28
CBY 8
GCT 16
MEL 6
BRI 6*
CRO 12
Parramatta Eels
BRI 13
NQL 4
CBY 14
WTI 8
PEN 2
CAN 30
MAN 12
NQL 16
CBY 8
SOU 2
MEL 12
NEW 2
X
GCT 10
SOU 18
X
CRO 10
SYD 4
PEN 4
GCT 20
WTI 15
MAN 1
BRI 22
CAN 10
SGI 12
NZL 22
Penrith Panthers
CAN 8
CBY 2
BRI 1
SGI 2
PAR 2
NQL 5
SYD 4
CRO 2
CAN 1
NZL 12
GCT 4
X
MEL 18
MAN 7
X
SOU 2
WTI 8
CRO 16
PAR 4
BRI 19
NZL 4*
SYD 20
NEW 36
WTI 30
GCT 1
MAN 30
CBY 16
CAN 10
South Sydney Rabbitohs
SYD 32
NEW 42
SGI 2
CBY 30
MAN 4
SYD 7
NQL 26
BRI 22
WTI 8
PAR 2
SGI 10
X
GCT 1*
WTI 16
PAR 18
PEN 2
NQL 20
X
BRI 20
MAN 8
CAN 50
MEL 1*
NZL 19
CRO 6
NEW 22
CBY 18
St. George Illawarra Dragons
MEL 2
CRO 28
SOU 2
PEN 2
NQL 36
BRI 26
GCT 5
SYD 2
NZL 16
CAN 4*
SOU 10
NQL 4
X
CBY 18
MEL 10
NEW 12
MAN 30
X
GCT 20
WTI 13
CBY 3
BRI 4
CRO 14
SYD 36
PAR 12
NEW 2
Sydney Roosters
SOU 32
CAN 1
NQL 40
MAN 2
NZL 4*
SOU 7
PEN 4
SGI 2
NEW 38
GCT 20
CBY 12
X
WTI 14
MEL 46
NZL 2
X
CBY 4
PAR 4
CRO 12
MEL 16
BRI 16
PEN 20
NQL 12
SGI 36
CRO 25
BRI 10
Wests Tigers
NZL 8
MAN 14
GCT 12
PAR 8
CRO 8
NEW 2
MEL 1*
CAN 54
SOU 8
CBY 32
NEW 8
BRI 1
SYD 14
SOU 16
X
MEL 9
PEN 8
CBY 10
X
SGI 13
PAR 15
NQL 12
GCT 1
PEN 30
NZL 12
CAN 42
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
F1
F2
F3
GF
Bold – Opposition's Home game
X – Bye
* – Golden point game
Opponent for round listed above margin
Ladder
1 Parramatta were deducted 12 competition points and their for/against tally accumulated between rounds 1-9 for gross long-term salary cap breaches .
Ladder progression
Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 8.
Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.
Underlined numbers indicate that the team had a bye during that round.
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
1
Melbourne
2
4
6
6
8
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
38
40
40
42
2
Canberra
2
4
5
5
7
7
7
9
9
9
11
13
15
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
35
37
39
3
Cronulla-Sutherland (P)
0
2
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
37
37
37
37
39
39
4
North Queensland
2
2
4
4
6
8
10
12
14
14
16
16
18
18
20
22
24
24
26
28
28
28
28
30
32
34
5
Brisbane
2
4
4
6
8
10
12
14
14
16
16
16
16
18
20
20
20
22
24
24
24
26
28
30
32
34
6
Penrith
0
0
2
2
4
4
6
6
8
10
10
12
12
14
16
18
18
18
20
22
22
24
26
28
30
32
7
Canterbury-Bankstown
2
4
4
6
6
8
8
10
10
12
14
14
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
26
28
30
32
32
32
32
8
Gold Coast
2
2
4
6
6
6
6
6
6
8
10
12
14
14
16
16
16
18
20
22
23
23
25
27
27
27
9
Wests
2
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
6
6
8
10
10
12
14
14
16
16
18
20
22
24
24
24
26
26
10
New Zealand
0
0
0
2
4
4
6
6
8
8
8
10
12
14
16
16
18
20
20
20
22
24
24
24
24
24
11
St. George Illawarra
0
0
2
4
4
4
6
8
8
10
10
12
14
14
16
18
18
20
20
20
20
20
22
22
22
24
12
South Sydney
2
4
4
4
6
6
6
6
6
8
10
12
12
12
12
12
12
14
14
14
14
14
16
18
20
22
13
Manly-Warringah
0
0
2
4
4
6
6
8
8
8
8
10
10
10
10
10
12
14
16
18
20
20
20
20
20
20
14
Parramatta *
0
2
4
6
6
8
10
10
12
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
10
12
12
12
12
14
14
14
16
18
15
Sydney
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
4
4
4
6
8
8
8
10
10
10
10
10
12
12
14
16
16
16
16
Newcastle
0
0
1
1
1
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
5
5
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
Finals series
A new format of extra time was introduced for the finals series where two additional 5-minute periods are played and if the scores are still tied afterwards, the next team to score wins.
The 2016 Finals series is notable as the first time three Queensland teams have all made the finals in one season.
Canberra also broke a long preliminary final drought reaching their first grand final qualifier in 19 years.[ 17]
Home
Score
Away
Match Information
Date and Time (Local)
Venue
Referees
Crowd
QUALIFYING & ELIMINATION FINALS
Brisbane Broncos
44 – 28
Gold Coast Titans
9 September 2016, 8:00 pm
Suncorp Stadium
Gerard Sutton Gavin Badger
43,170
Canberra Raiders
14 – 16
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
10 September 2016, 5:45 pm
GIO Stadium Canberra
Matt Cecchin Alan Shortall
25,592
Melbourne Storm
16 – 10
North Queensland Cowboys
10 September 2016, 8:00 pm
AAMI Park
Ben Cummins Grant Atkins
21,233
Penrith Panthers
28 – 12
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
11 September 2016, 4:15 pm
Allianz Stadium
Jared Maxwell Chris James
22,631
SEMI FINALS
North Queensland Cowboys †
26 – 20
Brisbane Broncos
16 September 2016, 8:05 pm
1300SMILES Stadium
Matt Cecchin Alan Shortall
23,804
Canberra Raiders
22 – 12
Penrith Panthers
17 September 2016, 7:50 pm
GIO Stadium Canberra
Ben Cummins Gerard Sutton
21,498
PRELIMINARY FINALS
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
32 – 20
North Queensland Cowboys
23 September 2016, 8:05 pm
Allianz Stadium
Ben Cummins Gerard Sutton
36,717
Melbourne Storm
14 – 12
Canberra Raiders
24 September 2016, 7:55 pm
AAMI Park
Matt Cecchin Alan Shortall
28,161
† Match decided in extra time.
Chart
Grand final
Sunday, 2 October 7:35pm AEDT
Regular season player statistics
The following statistics are at the conclusion of Round 26.
Top 5 point scorers
Top 5 try scorers
Top 5 goal scorers
Top 5 tacklers
Transfers
Players
Source:[ 18]
Coaches
Attendances
Total and average home attendances:[ 19]
Team
Games
Total
Average
Brisbane
12
404,306
33,692
Melbourne
12
216,944
18,079
North Queensland
12
200,582
16,715
Wests Tigers
12
184,674
15,390
Canterbury
12
182,419
15,202
Cronulla
12
174,941
14,578
Newcastle
12
173,484
14,457
Manly
12
173,171
14,431
Souths
12
171,973
14,331
New Zealand
12
171,620
14,302
Parramatta
12
167,144
13,929
Gold Coast Titans
12
165,671
13,806
St George Illawarra
12
163,588
13,632
Penrith
12
153,820
12,818
Canberra
12
146,195
12,183
Sydney Roosters
12
122,820
10,235
References
External links
The club Home ground Culture League Premierships (1) Seasons (58) Other competitions Affiliations
Teams
Annual events History Awards and honours Media Administration Related articles
National Rugby League seasons
NSWRL era ARL / SL war NRL era