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2020 NRL season

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2020 National Rugby League
Duration12 – 23 March 2020
(Suspended 24 March – 27 May 2020)
28 May – 25 October 2020
Teams16
Premiers Melbourne Storm (4th title)
Minor premiers Penrith Panthers (3rd title)
Matches played169
Points scored7,092
Average attendance5,245[a]
Attendance671,412[b]
Top points scorer(s) Adam Reynolds (221)
Dally M Medal Jack Wighton
Top try-scorer(s) Alex Johnston (23)
← 2019
2021 →

The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League.

Teams

[edit]

The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year.

Colours Club Season Home ground(s) Head coach Captain(s)
Brisbane Broncos 33rd season Suncorp Stadium Anthony SeiboldPeter Gentle (interim)[1] Alex Glenn[2]
Canberra Raiders 39th season GIO Stadium Canberra, Campbelltown Stadium1 Ricky Stuart Jarrod Croker & Josh Hodgson
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 86th season ANZ Stadium & Bankwest Stadium[3] Dean PaySteve Georgallis (interim)[4] Josh Jackson
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 54th season Netstrata Jubilee Stadium,[5] Bankwest Stadium1 John Morris Wade Graham
Gold Coast Titans 14th season Cbus Super Stadium, Suncorp Stadium1 Justin Holbrook[6] Kevin Proctor
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 71st season Lottoland, Central Coast Stadium1 Des Hasler Daly Cherry-Evans
Melbourne Storm 23rd season AAMI Park, Sunshine Coast Stadium2 Craig Bellamy Cameron Smith
Newcastle Knights 33rd season McDonald Jones Stadium, Central Coast Stadium1 Adam O'Brien[7] Mitchell Pearce
New Zealand Warriors 26th season Central Coast Stadium3 Stephen KearneyTodd Payten (interim)[8] Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
North Queensland Cowboys 26th season Queensland Country Bank Stadium[9] Paul GreenJosh Hannay (interim)[10] Michael Morgan
Parramatta Eels 74th season Bankwest Stadium Brad Arthur Clint Gutherson
Penrith Panthers 54th season Panthers Stadium, Campbelltown Stadium1 Ivan Cleary James Tamou
South Sydney Rabbitohs 111th season ANZ Stadium & Bankwest Stadium[11] Wayne Bennett Adam Reynolds[12]
St. George Illawarra Dragons 22nd season Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, WIN Stadium, Campbelltown Stadium1 Paul McGregorDean Young (interim)[13] Cameron McInnes[14]
Sydney Roosters 113th season Sydney Cricket Ground, Bankwest Stadium1 Trent Robinson Jake Friend & Boyd Cordner
Wests Tigers 21st season Leichhardt Oval, Campbelltown Stadium, Bankwest Stadium Michael Maguire Moses Mbye & Benji Marshall[15]
Notes
1 Used as a home ground between Rounds 3–7 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2 Used as a home ground between Rounds 10–19 due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria.
3 Used as a home ground for the 2020 season due to travel restrictions between Australia and New Zealand.

Pre-season

[edit]

The pre-season featured a returning Nines competition held at HBF Park in Perth on 14 & 15 February, replacing the competition previously held in Auckland.[16] The All Stars match was played on 22 February at Cbus Super Stadium, returning to the contest's original venue.[17] The 2020 World Club Challenge saw the NRL premiers Sydney Roosters defeat the Super League champions St. Helens, making them the first club to win consecutive World Club Challenges.

Regular season

[edit]

The NRL had announced that the Grand Final would be hosted at the Sydney Cricket Ground while the main venue for the decider, ANZ Stadium, underwent an $810m redevelopment.[18] This would have been the first Grand Final to be played at the SCG since 1987. The redevelopment was however scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[19] meaning that the Grand Final would be again played at ANZ Stadium.[20]

State of Origin was played in Adelaide for the first time, with Game 1 of the 2020 series played at Adelaide Oval.[21]

The 2020 season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was formally declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020, one day prior to the scheduled start of the premiership season. Restrictions imposed by the different state governments related to social distancing, lockdowns of non-essential services which lasted for three months across the country, and border controls for interstate and international travel, all had significant effects on the completion of the 2020 season.

Fixture

[edit]

Prior to the recommencement of the season, the NRL announced the fixture would be shortened from 24 matches per team to 20 (including the two rounds already played prior to the season suspension), which each team playing each other once, and an additional five teams for a second time. The season had commenced on 12 March as originally scheduled; but as restrictions, followed for periods of formal quarantine, were introduced on interstate travel, the season was suspended after round two.

The round two match between the Sydney Roosters and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, which was originally meant to be played at Central Coast Stadium, was shifted to Leichhardt Oval.[22]

The new draw was released on 21 May, with just six venues used between Rounds 3 to 7.[23] The Warriors moved to Gosford to play at Central Coast Stadium, the Titans played home games at Suncorp Stadium with the Broncos, and the NSW teams and Canberra were divided between Bankwest Stadium, Campbelltown Stadium, and Central Coast Stadium in a way that no stadium hosts more than one match in a day. The Cowboys and Storm continued to host games at their normal home grounds, Queensland Country Bank Stadium and AAMI Park respectively. From round eight, all teams bar the Storm and Warriors were permitted to return to their home grounds;[24] in the Storm's case, a second wave of COVID-19 cases in Victoria forced the team to evacuate the state and set up camp on the Sunshine Coast, the home of their netball sister side the Sunshine Coast Lightning, for an indefinite period.[25]

Opening round

[edit]

The first round of play continued almost unimpeded, although crowd numbers were impacted by fears surrounding the virus.[26]

International restrictions on travel made in New Zealand, whereby all arrivals would be required to self-isolate for two weeks, resulted in the New Zealand Warriors temporarily setting up base in Kingscliff, New South Wales, having already come to Australia to play their Round 1 match. Their Round 2 game against Canberra was played at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, instead of at the Warriors' home ground in Auckland.[27]

Crowds

[edit]

Government restrictions on gatherings meant that, starting in Round 2, crowds were locked out of senior NRL matches for the first time in the code's history.[28] State governments gradually allowed crowds, often small and restricted in size, into games, starting immediately from Round 5 in New South Wales, and from Round 6 in Queensland.[29][24]

Season suspension

[edit]

During Round 2, speculation that the season would be suspended, if not cancelled, grew. Circumstances surrounding the virus were evolving at a rapid rate, and the future beyond Round 2 was unknown. Many ideas to ensure the season could continue, including moving all players and matches to a single location in Central Queensland where they could continue to play in self-isolation.[30]

On 23 March, the NRL suspended the season indefinitely for the first time in the competition's history, in response to tightening government restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19.[31] In the following weeks, matches that were scheduled to be played at regional venues were cancelled, as was the Magic Round.[32][33][34][35]

Season resumption

[edit]

On 9 April, the NRL announced its intentions to restart the competition on 28 May, with most details still to be determined.[36] The decision was one of three recommendations to come out of Project Apollo, which was created by the NRL's innovations committee to analyse potential solutions to restart the season. The other recommendations included ensuring that a full State of Origin series be played, and keeping with a one-match grand final. However, the NRL required Federal and State governments, as well as broadcasters Fox and Nine, on board with the plan. The structure of the restarted season would also largely depend on what government restrictions were in place by the end of May.[37]

By 22 April, the NRL had obtained government approval to restart the season on 28 May.[38] On 28 April 2020, the NRL announced that the competition would be a 20-round competition, which would allow each team to play each other once with 5 extra fixtures. Points earned in the first two rounds were still counted. State of Origin was played in November after the season's conclusion, while the Grand Final was played on 25 October at ANZ Stadium.[39]

During late April and early May, general government restrictions began to ease in Australia due to successful efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. The Queensland State Government allowed the three Queensland-based sides to train and play at home; this meant they did not have to base themselves in New South Wales.[40] The Melbourne Storm were forced to move to Albury in NSW to begin their training, with Victoria's government waiting longer to begin easing restrictions, but were able to return to AAMI Park the following week.[41] On 2 May, the New Zealand Warriors were permitted by both Federal governments to enter Australia the following day. They entered two weeks of self-isolation in the regional city of Tamworth, where they were permitted to train to avoid any unfair disadvantage.[42] International travel restrictions meant the side had to remain in Australia for an indefinite period of time, however talks of a Trans-Tasman 'bubble', in which travel between Australia and New Zealand would be exclusively permitted, left the possibility open for the Warriors to return to New Zealand and play home matches there later in the season;[43] however, this did not eventuate.

Despite the border between New South Wales and Queensland remaining closed to the public for most of the season, all NRL teams were exempt from the travel ban for the purpose of playing matches, with the New South Wales-based teams plus the Canberra Raiders and New Zealand Warriors travelling to and from Queensland on game day instead of staying overnight, and the three Queensland-based clubs plus the Melbourne Storm making the same trip in reverse (that is, travelling to and from Sydney or Canberra on game day).[44]

In late June, the Melbourne Storm were forced to relocate away from Victoria after a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in the state.[45] Their round seven match against the New Zealand Warriors was played at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Sydney; the match was notable as following the game Cameron Smith, Craig Bellamy and Ryan Hoffman all went into the Warriors' rooms to thank and acknowledge the sacrifices they made by moving to Australia during the COVID pandemic.[46] Following that, the Storm relocated to the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, where they played their remaining home games out of Suncorp Stadium and Sunshine Coast Stadium, as well as finals at the former venue.[47] By the time the Storm won the Premiership, they had been away from their home in Victoria for four months.

Club medical restrictions

[edit]

During the pandemic, the NRL brought in strict new biosecurity measures to protect those in the game, including a code-wide request that players be vaccinated against the common flu, as "any player that has any respiratory illness... potentially will take the whole team out."[48][49] The NSW Government did not enforce the compulsory vaccination agreement,[49] whereas the Queensland Government stood by the vaccination measures previously agreed to by the NRL that 100% of players would be flu-vaccinated prior to the competition restarting.[50] Only players who had been vaccinated, or had genuine medical grounds exempting them, were permitted to play or train in Queensland.[51]

Rule changes

[edit]

It was announced that the remainder of the games would be played with just one referee.[52] The referees threatened to strike as a result of this.[53] However, an agreement was reached on 22 May for the one-ref system to be used.[54]

Results

[edit]
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 F1 F2 F3 GF
Brisbane Broncos NQL
7
SOU
4
PAR
28
SYD
59
MAN
2
NEW
21
GCT
18
NZL
10
CBY
18
WTI
48
MEL
38
CRO
10
SOU
18
CAN
28
SGI
4
SYD
46
PEN
13
GCT
12
PAR
14
NQL
16
Canberra Raiders GCT
18
NZL
14
MEL
16
NEW
16
WTI
8
MAN
8
PAR
1*
SGI
6
MEL
6
SYD
4
SOU
6
NQL
2
PEN
16
BRI
28
GCT
20
CBY
14
SYD
12
SGI
29
NZL
12
CRO
10
CRO
12
SYD
4
MEL
20
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs PAR
6
NQL
8
MAN
26
SGI
20
SYD
36
CRO
2
WTI
28
SOU
16
BRI
18
SGI
6
NEW
6
PAR
2
MEL
31
WTI
1
NZL
6
CAN
14
GCT
4
MAN
12
SOU
10
PEN
42
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks SOU
4
MEL
2
WTI
12
NQL
10
SGI
14
CBY
2
MAN
18
GCT
30
PEN
32
NZL
36
SGI
4
BRI
10
PAR
2
GCT
12
PEN
26
NQL
16
NEW
28
NZL
8
SYD
16
CAN
10
CAN
12
Gold Coast Titans CAN
18
PAR
40
NQL
30
WTI
5
SOU
20
SGI
12
BRI
18
CRO
30
NZL
4
MEL
36
PEN
8
SYD
6
NQL
20
CRO
12
CAN
20
SGI
4
CBY
4
BRI
12
MAN
18
NEW
30
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles MEL
14
SYD
1
CBY
26
PAR
3
BRI
2
CAN
8
CRO
18
NEW
2
SGI
30
PAR
4
NQL
12
PEN
30
NZL
4
NEW
2
SOU
40
MEL
24
WTI
2
CBY
12
GCT
18
NZL
12
Melbourne Storm MAN
14
CRO
2
CAN
16
SOU
14
NEW
14
PEN
7
NZL
44
SYD
2*
CAN
6
GCT
36
BRI
38
NEW
10
CBY
31
SYD
18
PAR
14
MAN
24
SOU
6
NQL
16
WTI
28
SGI
8
PAR
12
X CAN
20
PEN
6
Newcastle Knights NZL
20
WTI
18
PEN
0*
CAN
16
MEL
14
BRI
21
NQL
12
MAN
2
PAR
6
SOU
2
CBY
6
MEL
10
WTI
40
MAN
2
NQL
12
NZL
30
CRO
28
SYD
30
SGI
24
GCT
30
SOU
26
New Zealand Warriors NEW
20
CAN
14
SGI
18
PEN
26
NQL
11
SOU
28
MEL
44
BRI
10
GCT
4
CRO
36
SYD
8
WTI
6
MAN
4
PEN
6
CBY
6
NEW
30
PAR
6
CRO
8
CAN
12
MAN
12
North Queensland Cowboys BRI
7
CBY
8
GCT
30
CRO
10
NZL
11
WTI
16
NEW
12
PAR
38
SYD
26
PEN
12
MAN
12
CAN
2
GCT
20
SOU
1
NEW
12
CRO
16
SGI
1*
MEL
16
PEN
20
BRI
16
Parramatta Eels CBY
6
GCT
40
BRI
28
MAN
3
PEN
6
SYD
14
CAN
1*
NQL
38
NEW
6
MAN
4
WTI
10
CBY
2
CRO
2
SGI
2
MEL
14
SOU
38
NZL
6
PEN
18
BRI
14
WTI
4
MEL
12
SOU
14
Penrith Panthers SYD
6
SGI
4
NEW
0*
NZL
26
PAR
6
MEL
7
SOU
8
WTI
7
CRO
32
NQL
12
GCT
8
MAN
30
CAN
16
NZL
6
CRO
26
WTI
24
BRI
13
PAR
18
NQL
20
CBY
42
SYD
1
X SOU
4
MEL
6
South Sydney Rabbitohs CRO
4
BRI
4
SYD
16
MEL
14
GCT
20
NZL
28
PEN
8
CBY
16
WTI
8
NEW
2
CAN
6
SGI
8
BRI
18
NQL
1
MAN
40
PAR
38
MEL
6
WTI
2
CBY
10
SYD
52
NEW
26
PAR
14
PEN
4
St. George Illawarra Dragons WTI
10
PEN
4
NZL
18
CBY
20
CRO
14
GCT
12
SYD
14
CAN
6
MAN
30
CBY
6
CRO
4
SOU
8
SYD
8
PAR
2
BRI
4
GCT
4
NQL
1*
CAN
29
NEW
24
MEL
8
Sydney Roosters PEN
6
MAN
1
SOU
16
BRI
59
CBY
36
PAR
14
SGI
14
MEL
2*
NQL
26
CAN
4
NZL
8
GCT
6
SGI
8
MEL
18
WTI
22
BRI
46
CAN
12
NEW
30
CRO
16
SOU
52
PEN
1
CAN
4
Wests Tigers SGI
10
NEW
18
CRO
12
GCT
5
CAN
8
NQL
16
CBY
28
PEN
7
SOU
8
BRI
48
PAR
10
NZL
6
NEW
40
CBY
1
SYD
22
PEN
24
MAN
2
SOU
2
MEL
28
PAR
4
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 F1 F2 F3 GF

Bold – Home game
X – Bye
* – Golden point game
Opponent for round listed above margin

Ladder

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Penrith Panthers 20 18 1 1 0 537 238 +299 37
2 Melbourne Storm (P) 20 16 0 4 0 534 276 +258 32
3 Parramatta Eels 20 15 0 5 0 392 288 +104 30
4 Sydney Roosters 20 14 0 6 0 552 322 +230 28
5 Canberra Raiders 20 14 0 6 0 445 317 +128 28
6 South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 12 0 8 0 521 352 +169 24
7 Newcastle Knights 20 11 1 8 0 421 374 +47 23
8 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 20 10 0 10 0 480 480 0 20
9 Gold Coast Titans 20 9 0 11 0 346 463 −117 18
10 New Zealand Warriors 20 8 0 12 0 343 458 −115 16
11 Wests Tigers 20 7 0 13 0 440 505 −65 14
12 St. George Illawarra Dragons 20 7 0 13 0 378 452 −74 14
13 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 20 7 0 13 0 375 509 −134 14
14 North Queensland Cowboys 20 5 0 15 0 368 520 −152 10
15 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 20 3 0 17 0 282 504 −222 6
16 Brisbane Broncos 20 3 0 17 0 268 624 −356 6

Ladder progression

[edit]
  • 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
1 Penrith Panthers 2 4 5 7 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37
2 Melbourne Storm (P) 2 4 4 6 8 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 26 28 30 32 32
3 Parramatta Eels 2 4 6 8 10 10 12 14 16 16 18 20 22 22 24 24 26 26 28 30
4 Sydney Roosters 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 10 12 12 14 16 18 18 20 22 24 26 28 28
5 Canberra Raiders 2 4 6 6 8 8 8 10 10 12 14 16 16 18 20 22 22 24 26 28
6 South Sydney Rabbitohs 2 2 2 2 4 6 6 8 10 10 10 12 14 16 18 20 20 22 22 24
7 Newcastle Knights 2 4 5 7 7 9 9 11 11 13 13 13 15 17 19 19 21 21 23 23
8 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 0 0 0 2 2 4 6 8 8 10 12 14 14 16 16 18 18 20 20 20
9 Gold Coast Titans 0 0 0 2 2 2 4 4 6 6 6 6 8 8 8 10 12 14 16 18
10 New Zealand Warriors 0 0 2 2 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 8 10 10 12 14 14 14 14 16
11 Wests Tigers 2 2 4 4 4 6 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 12 12 12 14 14 14 14
12 St. George Illawarra Dragons 0 0 0 0 2 4 4 4 6 8 8 8 8 10 12 12 12 12 12 14
13 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 0 2 4 4 6 8 8 8 8 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 14 14 14
14 North Queensland Cowboys 0 2 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 8 10
15 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6
16 Brisbane Broncos 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Finals series

[edit]
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time (Local) Venue Referees Crowd
QUALIFYING & ELIMINATION FINALS
Penrith Panthers 29 – 28 Sydney Roosters 2 October 2020, 7:50 pm Panthers Stadium Gerard Sutton 7,209
Canberra Raiders 32 – 20 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 3 October 2020, 5:40 pm GIO Stadium Canberra Grant Atkins 9,602
Melbourne Storm 36 – 24 Parramatta Eels 3 October 2020, 7:50 pm Suncorp Stadium Ashley Klein 16,238
South Sydney Rabbitohs 46 – 20 Newcastle Knights 4 October 2020, 4:05 pm ANZ Stadium Ben Cummins 17,212
SEMI FINALS
Sydney Roosters 18 – 22 Canberra Raiders 9 October 2020, 7:55 pm Sydney Cricket Ground Ashley Klein 18,110
Parramatta Eels 24 – 38 South Sydney Rabbitohs 10 October 2020, 7:50 pm Bankwest Stadium Gerard Sutton 14,510
PRELIMINARY FINALS
Melbourne Storm 30 – 10 Canberra Raiders 16 October 2020, 7:50 pm Suncorp Stadium Ashley Klein 37,112
Penrith Panthers 20 – 16 South Sydney Rabbitohs 17 October 2020, 7:50 pm ANZ Stadium Gerard Sutton 30,116

Chart

[edit]


Grand Final

[edit]
2020 NRL Grand Final
Sunday, 25 October
19:40 AEDT (UTC+11)
Penrith Panthers 20 – 26 Melbourne Storm
Tries: 4
To'o rugby ball 52'
Crichton rugby ball 68'
Mansour rugby ball 71'
Cleary rugby ball 79'
Goals: 2
Cleary rugby goalposts icon 53', 69' (2/3)
1st: 0–22
2nd: 20–4
Report
Tries: 4
Olam rugby ball (penalty) 3'
Vunivalu rugby ball 30'
C. Smith rugby ball 39'
Papenhuzen rugby ball 45'
Goals: 5
C. Smith rugby goalposts icon 4', pen 22', pen 26', 31', 40' (5/6)
Sin Bins: 2
Hughes 70'
B. Smith 79'
ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 37,303[55]
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Touch judges: Chris Butler, Todd Smith
Clive Churchill Medal: Ryan Papenhuyzen (Melbourne)

Player statistics and records

[edit]

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 20.

2020 Transfers

[edit]

Players

[edit]

Source:[56]

Player 2019 Club 2020 Club
Shaun Fensom Brisbane Broncos Retirement
Matt Gillett Brisbane Broncos Retirement
Andrew McCullough Brisbane Broncos Newcastle Knights
Kodi Nikorima Brisbane Broncos New Zealand Warriors
James Roberts Brisbane Broncos South Sydney Rabbitohs
James Segeyaro Brisbane Broncos Suspension[57]
Jaydn Su'A Brisbane Broncos South Sydney Rabbitohs
Luke Bateman Canberra Raiders Hiatus
Ata Hingano Canberra Raiders Mackay Cutters (Intrust Super Cup)
Joseph Leilua Canberra Raiders Wests Tigers
Aidan Sezer Canberra Raiders Super League: Huddersfield Giants
Fa'amanu Brown Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs N/A
Danny Fualalo Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Retirement
Corey Harawira-Naera Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Canberra Raiders
Michael Lichaa Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Retirement
Rhyse Martin Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Super League: Leeds Rhinos
Jayden Brailey Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Newcastle Knights
Jayson Bukuya Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Retirement
Kurt Capewell Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Penrith Panthers
Sosaia Feki Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Super League: Castleford Tigers
Paul Gallen Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Retirement
Josh Morris Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Sydney Roosters
Matt Prior Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Super League: Leeds Rhinos
Michael Gordon Gold Coast Titans Retirement
Ryley Jacks Gold Coast Titans Melbourne Storm
Max King Gold Coast Titans Melbourne Storm
Leilani Latu Gold Coast Titans Super League: Warrington Wolves
Brenko Lee Gold Coast Titans Melbourne Storm
Will Matthews Gold Coast Titans Retirement
Jack Stockwell Gold Coast Titans Burleigh Bears (Intrust Super Cup)
Kallum Watkins Gold Coast Titans Super League: Salford Red Devils
Kane Elgey Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Retirement
Trent Hodkinson Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Retirement
Apisai Koroisau Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Penrith Panthers
Lloyd Perrett Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Wynnum Manly Seagulls (Intrust Super Cup)
Kelepi Tanginoa Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Super League: Wakefield Trinity
Will Chambers Melbourne Storm Suntory Sungoliath (Japanese rugby union)
Brodie Croft Melbourne Storm Brisbane Broncos
Curtis Scott Melbourne Storm Canberra Raiders
Joe Stimson Melbourne Storm Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Jamie Buhrer Newcastle Knights Retirement
James Gavet Newcastle Knights Super League: Huddersfield Giants
Shaun Kenny-Dowall Newcastle Knights Super League: Hull Kingston Rovers
Danny Levi Newcastle Knights Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Jesse Ramien Newcastle Knights Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Blake Ayshford New Zealand Warriors Retirement
Solomone Kata New Zealand Warriors ACT Brumbies (Super Rugby)
Sam Lisone New Zealand Warriors Gold Coast Titans
Issac Luke New Zealand Warriors St. George Illawarra Dragons
Ligi Sao New Zealand Warriors Super League: Hull F.C.
Kurt Baptiste North Queensland Cowboys Eastern Suburbs Tigers (Intrust Super Cup)
Scott Bolton North Queensland Cowboys Retirement
Javid Bowen North Queensland Cowboys Northern Pride (Intrust Super Cup)
Jordan Kahu North Queensland Cowboys Brisbane Broncos
Nene Macdonald North Queensland Cowboys Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Te Maire Martin North Queensland Cowboys N/A
Matt Scott North Queensland Cowboys Retirement
Josh Hoffman Parramatta Eels Townsville Blackhawks (Intrust Super Cup)
Tim Mannah Parramatta Eels Retirement
Manu Ma'u Parramatta Eels Super League: Hull F.C.
Tepai Moeroa Parramatta Eels New South Wales Waratahs (Super Rugby)
Waqa Blake Penrith Panthers Parramatta Eels
Reagan Campbell-Gillard Penrith Panthers Parramatta Eels
Wayde Egan Penrith Panthers New Zealand Warriors
Tyrell Fuimaono Penrith Panthers St. George Illawarra Dragons
Tim Grant Penrith Panthers Retirement
Sione Katoa Penrith Panthers Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
James Maloney Penrith Panthers Super League: Catalans Dragons
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak Penrith Panthers Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Frank Winterstein Penrith Panthers Toulouse Olympique
George Burgess South Sydney Rabbitohs Super League: Wigan Warriors
Sam Burgess South Sydney Rabbitohs Retirement
Adam Doueihi South Sydney Rabbitohs Wests Tigers
Greg Inglis South Sydney Rabbitohs N/A
John Sutton South Sydney Rabbitohs Retirement
Kyle Turner South Sydney Rabbitohs Retirement
Mitchell Allgood St. George Illawarra Dragons London Broncos (Championship)
James Graham St. George Illawarra Dragons Super League: St. Helens
Patrick Kaufusi St. George Illawarra Dragons Townsville Blackhawks (Intrust Super Cup)
Tim Lafai St. George Illawarra Dragons Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Jeremy Latimore St. George Illawarra Dragons Retirement
Luciano Leilua St. George Illawarra Dragons Wests Tigers
Lachlan Maranta St. George Illawarra Dragons Wynnum Manly Seagulls (Intrust Super Cup)
Gareth Widdop St. George Illawarra Dragons Super League: Warrington Wolves
Cooper Cronk Sydney Roosters Retirement
Latrell Mitchell Sydney Roosters South Sydney Rabbitohs
Zane Tetevano Sydney Roosters Penrith Panthers
Robbie Farah Wests Tigers Retirement
Mahe Fonua Wests Tigers Super League: Hull F.C.
Esan Marsters Wests Tigers North Queensland Cowboys
Ryan Matterson Wests Tigers Parramatta Eels
Ben Matulino Wests Tigers Retirement
Corey Thompson Wests Tigers Gold Coast Titans
Brayden Wiliame Super League: Catalans Dragons St. George Illawarra Dragons
Matt Frawley Super League: Huddersfield Giants Canberra Raiders
Trent Merrin Super League: Leeds Rhinos St. George Illawarra Dragons
Bryson Goodwin Super League: Warrington Wolves Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
George Williams Super League: Wigan Warriors Canberra Raiders
Ben Te'o Sunwolves (Super Rugby) Brisbane Broncos
Valentine Holmes New York Jets (NFL) North Queensland Cowboys
Young Tonumaipea Hiatus Gold Coast Titans
Zane Musgrove N/A Wests Tigers

Loan moves

[edit]
Player Home club → Loan club Dates Pld Ref
Harry Grant Melbourne Storm Wests Tigers 21 March – 26 October
(Round 3 – end of season)
15 [58]
Paul Momirovski Wests Tigers Melbourne Storm 21 March – 26 October
(Round 3 – end of season)
6 [58]
Poasa Faamausili Sydney Roosters New Zealand Warriors 31 May – 27 June
(Rounds 4 – 8)
4 [59]
Jack Hetherington Penrith Panthers New Zealand Warriors 28 June – 7 August
(Rounds 8 – 13)
6 [60]
George Jennings Parramatta Eels New Zealand Warriors 24 July – 13 August
(Rounds 12 – 18)
6 [61][62]
Daniel Alvaro Parramatta Eels New Zealand Warriors 24 July – 13 August
(Rounds 12 – 18)
6 [61][62]
Albert Hopoate Manly Warringah Sea Eagles New Zealand Warriors 14 August – 24 August 0[c] [63][64]

Coaches

[edit]
Coach 2019 Club 2020 Club
Justin Holbrook Super League: St. Helens Gold Coast Titans

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Not all attendances were tallied up for the 2020 season, as such the figure is the total from known and provided crowd numbers.
  2. ^ Not all attendances were tallied up for the 2020 season, as such the figure is the total from known and provided crowd numbers.
  3. ^ Hopoate's month-long loan spell ended prematurely after he was recalled by Manly before making his Warriors debut.

References

[edit]
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  2. ^ "Brisbane makes history with Glenn captaincy appointment". NRL.com. 24 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Bulldogs to move games to Bankwest Stadium and Perth". NRL.com. 23 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Dean Pay to step down as Bulldogs Head Coach". Bulldogs.com.au. 14 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Sharks moving to Kogarah for 2020 home games". NRL.com. 18 September 2019.
  6. ^ "Justin Holbrook Appointed As Gold Coast Titans Head Coach". Titans.com.au. 31 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Adam O'Brien appointed Head Coach of Newcastle Knights". NewcastleKnights.com.au. 2 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Warriors end Kearney's tenure after heavy defeat". NRL.com. 20 June 2020.
  9. ^ "North Queensland Stadium Secures Naming Rights In New Six-Year Deal". MinistryOfSport.com.au. 13 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Paul Green finishes as Cowboys head coach". Cowboys.com.au. 20 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Blake Solly's open letter about the redevelopment of ANZ Stadium". Rabbitohs.com.au. 12 June 2019.
  12. ^ "Rabbitohs announce Adam Reynolds as captain for Season 2020". Rabbitohs.com.au. 25 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Paul McGregor to part ways with Dragons". Dragons.com.au. 13 August 2020.
  14. ^ "McInnes officially named Dragons captain". Dragons.com.au. 20 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Wests Tigers confirm captains for 2020 season". WestsTigers.com.au. 6 February 2020.
  16. ^ "NRL Nines confirmed for 2020 return in Perth". NRL.com. 22 October 2019.
  17. ^ "All Stars returns to where it all began on Gold Coast". NRL.com. 29 August 2019.
  18. ^ "SCG to host NRL grand final after ANZ refurbishment". NRL.com. 12 June 2019.
  19. ^ Witoslawski, Jodie Stephens and Ashlea (31 May 2020). "NSW government scraps ANZ stadium project". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  20. ^ "More fans can attend grand final as NRL switches to ANZ from SCG". National Rugby League. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Adelaide to host Holden State of Origin game in 2020". NRL.com. 19 August 2019.
  22. ^ "Live updates: NRL says Round 2 still going ahead as Phil Gould puts heat on 'vulnerable' administration". Fox Sports Australia. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  23. ^ "NRL draw for 2020: Rescheduled season full of rivalries". NRL. 21 May 2020.
  24. ^ a b Walsh, Dan (20 June 2020). "Clubs to return to home grounds as restrictions eased". NRL.com. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  25. ^ "Storm heading for Queensland". 27 June 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  26. ^ Robertson, Josh (13 March 2020). "Broncos upset capacity crowd in Townsville Stadium opener". League Unlimited. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  27. ^ NRL.com (15 March 2020). "Warriors to stay in Australia after NZ announces travel restrictions". National Rugby League. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  28. ^ Brad Walter (13 March 2020). "NRL looking at bigger picture with move to closed stadiums". National Rugby League. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  29. ^ Walsh, Dan (12 June 2020). "PM opens door for large crowds to return in July". NRL.com. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  30. ^ "Inside the 1392-room rural QLD village which could host ALL 16 NRL clubs – and save the season". Fox Sports Australia. 18 March 2020.
  31. ^ "NRL suspends season". National Rugby League. 23 March 2020.
  32. ^ "Wagga Wagga match to be moved back to Canberra". Raiders.com.au. 17 March 2020.
  33. ^ "Wests Tigers confirm cancellation of Tamworth fixture". WestsTigers.com.au. 15 April 2020.
  34. ^ "Panthers game in Bathurst cancelled". PenrithPanthers.com.au. 17 April 2020.
  35. ^ "NRL cancels Magic Round Brisbane 2020". NRL.com. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  36. ^ Newton, Alicia; Suttor, Paul (9 April 2020). "May 28: ARL Commission announces date for NRL to restart". National Rugby League. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  37. ^ "Telstra Premiership to resume". National Rugby League. 9 April 2020.
  38. ^ NRL says it has government approval for 28 May restart of coronavirus-hit competition ABC News 22 April 2020
  39. ^ Newton, Alicia (28 April 2020). "NRL announces 20 round competition for 2020". NRL.com. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  40. ^ "Queensland approves NRL return". National Rugby League. 1 May 2020.
  41. ^ Cotton, Ben (11 May 2020). "Melbourne Storm allowed to train at AAMI Park". Zero Tackle.
  42. ^ "Warriors granted permission for Australian arrival". National Rugby League. 2 May 2020.
  43. ^ Long, David (29 April 2020). "Warriors could play NRL games in New Zealand inside trans-Tasman bubble". Stuff.co.nz.
  44. ^ "NRL's travel exemptions to remain despite Queensland declaring Sydney a coronavirus hotspot". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 29 July 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  45. ^ "Melbourne Storm forced to relocate for indefinite period following Victoria's COVID-19 spike". Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  46. ^ "Emotional scenes as Storm captain, coach address Warriors post match". 26 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  47. ^ "Storm heading for Queensland". 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  48. ^ Walshaw, Nick (5 May 2020). "Titans star Bryce Cartwright opposes NRL flu shot policy". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020.
  49. ^ a b Omnisport (11 May 2020). "Coronavirus: Flu vaccine NRL's decision in New South Wales". Yahoo Sports. Yahoo News Network. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  50. ^ Craddock, Robert (12 May 2020). "The government, not the NRL merchants who make rules on the run, is in charge of Queensland". The Courier Mail. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 12 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  51. ^ Walsh, Matt (11 May 2020). "No anti-vax exemption for Qld NRL players". ESPN. Archived from the original on 16 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  52. ^ "NRL to revert to one referee, agrees to rule changes for the rest of the 2020 season". ABC. 13 May 2020.
  53. ^ "'Outrageous': One-referee plan for NRL sparks strike threat". SMH. 13 May 2020.
  54. ^ "Single referee system to proceed". National Rugby League. 22 May 2020.
  55. ^ "Master and commander: Smith shines as Storm hold off Panthers comeback". NRL.com. 25 October 2020.
  56. ^ "2020 Signings Tracker". NRL.com.
  57. ^ "Segeyaro drugs ban reduced by NRL Anti-Doping Tribunal". NRL.com. 18 February 2021.
  58. ^ a b Talintyre, Dan (23 March 2020). "Wests Tigers sign Harry Grant in loan deal from Storm". Wests Tigers. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  59. ^ Becht, Richard (28 May 2020). "Terms agreed for Faamausili loan deal". New Zealand Warriors. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  60. ^ Becht, Richard (28 June 2020). "Panther secured on loan". New Zealand Warriors. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  61. ^ a b Williamson, Nathan (25 July 2020). "NRL 2020: Parramatta Eels duo George Jennings and Daniel Alvaro join New Zealand Warriors on short-term loan deal". Sporting News. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  62. ^ a b Becht, Richard (24 August 2020). "Loan stay extended for Alvaro and Jennings". New Zealand Warriors. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  63. ^ Becht, Richard (15 August 2020). "Hopoate secured on loan from Sea Eagles". New Zealand Warriors. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  64. ^ Keating, Mitch (24 August 2020). "Warriors loan deal backflips as Manly recall youngster". Zero Tackle. Retrieved 29 September 2021.