117-664: The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team is based 55 km (34 mi) west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains . Penrith are the current reigning NRL Premiers , having won the title six times, including the last four times consecutively. Penrith were admitted to
234-408: A 15-game unbeaten run to claim the 2020 Minor Premiership , only the third time in the club's history they had achieved this feat. Penrith would go on to reach the 2020 NRL grand final after going 17 games unbeaten throughout the year and in the finals. The opponents in the grand final were Melbourne who raced out to a 22–0 lead at half-time. Penrith came back in the second half of the game but lost
351-530: A 64–6 thrashing of the New Zealand Warriors . However, after a year with mixed results, Penrith finished in tenth position, one win out of the top eight. At the end of the season, the likes of Luke Walsh , Lachlan Coote , Mose Masoe and Brad Tighe departed. A playing roster overhaul saw the arrival of big name players such as Jamie Soward , Peter Wallace , Jamal Idris , Tyrone Peachey and Elijah Taylor at Penrith, while Matt Moylan took
468-617: A breakaway faction of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU). Both organisations played the game under the same rules at first, although the Northern Union began to modify rules almost immediately, thus creating a new simpler game that was intended to be a faster-paced form of rugby football. Similar breakaway factions split from RFU-affiliated unions in Australia and New Zealand in 1907 and 1908, renaming themselves "rugby football league s" and introducing Northern Union rules. In 1922,
585-580: A decree by the RFU banning the playing of rugby at grounds where entrance fees were charged led to twenty-two clubs (including Stockport, who negotiated by telephone) meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield , on 29 August 1895 and forming the "Northern Rugby Football Union". Within fifteen years of that first meeting in Huddersfield, more than 200 RFU clubs had left to join the rugby league. In 1897,
702-504: A feud with Melbourne Storm winger Steve Turner over contractual obligations. "We flew him up, showed him around for two or three days and he agreed to me that he would come here, we shook hands. He looked me in the eye. The deal was done. He even started looking for accommodation. I only coached him in a couple of games at Penrith and my reaction has been the same as it would be for any player in this situation. But to do what he has done . . . I'm not happy. I'm extremely disappointed, to say
819-401: A finals match. In a tight game, Cronulla defeated Penrith 21–20 ending their season. Before the commencement of the 2019 NRL season , Penrith were predicted by many to challenge for the premiership and reach the finals. Penrith got off to a bad start with the club winning only 2 of their first 10 matches leaving the team bottom of the table. Penrith would then go on to win their next 7 games in
936-405: A four-yearly cycle in the 2010s; as of 2023 , the holders are Australia . A short-sided version of the sport, rugby league nines , using modified rugby league rules also exists, and is comparable to rugby sevens . Wheelchair rugby league is a mixed-gender sport using heavily modified rugby league rules for disabled and able-bodied players. Unlike wheelchair rugby which adopted its name after
1053-465: A heavyweight, aggressive forward pack of which Cartwright and second row partner Mark Geyer were the cornerstones. Cartwright had a sudden rise through representative ranks in 1989. Initially not chosen for the City Origin team, he took his place in the firsts team after a spate of injuries. John was the named on the bench for New South Wales for the first State of Origin match. Unfortunately,
1170-404: A late injury to Ian Roberts forced him to play in the front row, to which Cartwright was ill-suited, and he was dropped after one match. At the end of the year, Cartwright was sent off against Balmain and suspended for four matches. Penrith were thrashed 33-6 and could not win either of their two finals without Cartwright. On returning from suspension, Cartwright found form very quickly and at
1287-516: A lot better for the team, beating rivals the Eels at Parramatta Stadium 20–6, the year was marked by inconsistency as they finished 12th on the ladder. In 2011, following another terrible start to the season, the Penrith board decided to sever ties with coach Matthew Elliot at season's end. On 20 June 2011 he stepped down as coach and that same day Steve Georgallis was appointed caretaker coach for
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#17327732718701404-437: A mix of the two sports' rules. Much more so than rugby union, rugby league shares significant similarities with North American gridiron codes. Although described as evolving from both rugby and association football , the basic structures of American and Canadian football are remarkably similar to rugby league through a process of parallel evolution: a try-and-goal based scoring system, a set number of plays before handover of
1521-545: A place in the 2021 NRL grand final against South Sydney . Penrith met South Sydney in the 2021 NRL grand final and looked to redeem their loss in the previous years' Grand Final. The Penrith club finished the game in a thrilling 14–12 victory to claim their third premiership in the club's history with Co-Captain Nathan Cleary securing the Clive Churchill Medal for his outstanding performance in
1638-633: A professional level. 45 national teams are ranked by the RLIF and a further 32 are officially recognized and unranked. The strongest rugby league nations are Australia , England , New Zealand , Samoa and Tonga . The Rugby League World Cup is the highest form of representative rugby league. Countries that have contested are Australia , Cook Islands , England , Fiji , France , Ireland , Italy , Jamaica , Lebanon , New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , Russia , Samoa , Scotland , South Africa , Tonga , US and Wales . The 2021 Rugby League World Cup, which
1755-453: A result play stops much less frequently in rugby league, with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes compared to around 35 minutes for professional rugby union. Other differences include that there are fewer players in rugby league (13 compared to 15) and different rules for tackling . Rugby union has more detailed rules than rugby league and has changed less since the 1895 schism. Since rugby union turned professional in
1872-537: A row leaving them just outside the finals places. In a must win game against the Sydney Roosters in round 24, Penrith lost the match 22-6 at the Sydney Cricket Ground which meant that the club would miss out on the finals series for the first time since 2015. Penrith started the 2020 NRL season with three wins and a draw before suffering a 16–10 loss to Parramatta . The club then went on
1989-563: A season since 1997 when they won their opening four games in that year. It extended Penrith's longest away winning streak to 10 which is tied in 1st all time in the NRL . In round 5 of 2021 NRL season , Penrith defeated Canberra 30–10 at Penrith Stadium . It was Penrith's best start to a season in their history. Penrith also became the first team to win 20 straight regular season games. In round 6 of 2021 NRL season , Penrith defeated Brisbane 20–12 at Lang Park . It continued Penrith's best start to
2106-441: A season, And also became the first team to win 21 straight regular season games. This win also made Penrith hold the record for most consecutive away wins (11). The club would finish the 2021 regular season in second place, equal on points with Minor Premiers Melbourne but missed out on first place due to points differential. Penrith would then lose their opening match of the 2021 finals series losing to South Sydney 16–10. In
2223-594: A team boasting notable players Greg Alexander , John Cartwright , Brad Fittler and Mark Geyer only to be beaten by the Canberra Raiders 18–14. The next year Penrith met Canberra again in the Grand Final, this time winning 19–12, including two tries by Royce Simmons the former team captain in his last game. They went on to play Wigan in England for the 1991 World Club Challenge but were beaten by
2340-415: A team's creative unit or 'playmakers'. During the interactions between a team's 'key' players (five-eighth, half-back, fullback, lock forward, and hooker), the five-eighth and half-back will usually be involved in most passing moves. These two positions are commonly called the "halves". The forwards' two responsibilities can be broken into "normal play" and "scrum play". For information on a forward's role in
2457-401: A value of 2 points when kicked from beyond the 40 metre line. Field position is crucial in rugby league, achieved by running with or kicking the ball. Passing in rugby league may only be in a backward or sideways direction. Teammates, therefore, have to remain on-side by not moving ahead of the player with the ball. The ball may be kicked ahead, but if teammates are in front of the kicker when
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#17327732718702574-557: Is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 m (74 yd) wide and 112–122 m (122–133 yd) long with H-shaped posts at both ends. It is one of the two major codes of rugby football , the other being rugby union . It originated in 1895 in Huddersfield , Yorkshire , England, as the result of a split from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) over
2691-474: Is conducted under the direction of the Federation of International Touch (FIT). Though it shares similarities and history with rugby league , it is recognised as a sport in its own right due to its differences which have been developed over the sport's lifetime. Touch is a variation of rugby league with the tackling of opposing players replaced by a touch. As touches must be made with minimal force, touch
2808-432: Is the dominant winter sport in the eastern Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland . The game is also among the predominant sports of Tonga and is played in other Pacific nations such as Samoa and Fiji . Researchers have found that rugby league has been able to help with improving development in the islands. In Australia, and indeed the rest of the region, the annual State of Origin series ranks among
2925-555: Is therefore considered a limited-contact sport. The original basic rules of touch were established in the 1960s by members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club in Sydney, Australia . OzTag is a non-contact form of rugby league, and can be seen as a variation of British tag rugby. Cronulla Sharks and St George Dragons halfback Perry Haddock introduced the sport in Australia while coaching
3042-413: Is worth. One of the main differences is the rules of possession. When the ball goes into touch , possession in rugby union is contested through a line-out , while in rugby league a scrum restarts play. The lesser focus on contesting possession means that play focuses more on powerful running, hard tackling, forward progression and the contest for field position (commonly compared to an "arm wrestle"); as
3159-602: The 1953–54 Challenge Cup Final replay at Odsal Stadium , Bradford , England, setting a new record for attendance at a rugby football match of either code. Also in 1954, the Rugby League World Cup, the first for either code of rugby, was formed at the instigation of the French. In 1966, the International Board introduced a rule that a team in possession was allowed three play-the-balls and on
3276-527: The 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand , Cartwright helped Australia retain The Ashes . Cartwright played in all three games for New South Wales (scoring a rare try in the third) and took over the Penrith captaincy when Greg Alexander was injured. At the end of 1996, Cartwright left Penrith to play in England. After he finally retired as a player, Cartwright became an assistant coach at
3393-567: The 1999 NRL season . Figure shown is the total attendance which is officially counted for both games. ** The official attendance of the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay was 102,569. Unofficial estimates put the attendance as high as 150,000, Bradford Police confirming 120,000. John Cartwright (rugby league) John Cartwright (born 9 August 1965) is the head coach of Hull FC in the Super League and an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and former head coach. He
3510-456: The 2022 NRL grand final . In the final, Penrith took an 18–0 lead at half-time against Parramatta before running out winners 28–12 to secure their second consecutive title and becoming only the second team after the Sydney Roosters to win back to back titles in the NRL era. Following the grand final victory, the Penrith club came under scrutiny from sections of the media for their behaviour after
3627-584: The 2024 NRL season , Penrith travelled to England for their 2024 World Club Challenge final against Wigan . Penrith would lose the match 16–12. On 6 October 2024, Penrith captured their fourth successive NRL premiership by defeating the Melbourne Storm in the Grand Final to the 2024 NRL season . This win exorcised the demons from their heartbreaking defeat to the Storm four years prior in what
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3744-454: The ARL and NZRL . Since rugby league was introduced to Australia in 1908, it has become the largest television sport and 3rd most attended sport in Australia. Neighbouring Papua New Guinea is one of two countries to have rugby league as its national sport (with Cook Islands ). Australia's elite club competition also features a team from Auckland , New Zealand's biggest city. Rugby league
3861-784: The Brisbane Broncos . In the weeks following the Grand Final win, Cartwright quit the North Queensland club and returned to Sydney as an assistant coach of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles . Following the 2020 NRL season, Cartwright was announced as an assistant coach for the Brisbane Broncos, working under their new head coach Kevin Walters . On 22 May 2024, Cartwright was named as the new head coach of English side Hull F.C. ahead of
3978-634: The International Rugby League . Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands and is a popular sport in countries such as England , Australia , New Zealand , France , Tonga , Fiji , Samoa , Lebanon , Jamaica , and Malta . The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954, the first World Cup of either rugby code, and has been held sporadically ever since, settling into
4095-592: The Melbourne Storm by 14–6 in the Grand Final . After losing the 2020 grand final to the Melbourne Storm , Penrith became the second club to retain the premiership in the NRL-era as well as the first to win three and subsequently four consecutive Premierships, winning the 2021 , 2022 , 2023 and 2024 Grand Finals. Ivan Cleary was appointed head coach in October 2018, having previously served in
4212-510: The NRL in 2016. Penrith started the season with 7 wins and 9 losses, they then finished the season winning 7 from 8 games to finish in 6th. In week 1 of the finals they defeated Canterbury 28-12, the next week Penrith were knocked out by Canberra losing 12–22. In 2017, Penrith finished 7th on the NRL Premiership table and qualified for the finals. Penrith defeated Manly in week one of the finals 22–10 and then were defeated by Brisbane
4329-649: The New South Wales Rugby Football League was founded at Bateman's Hotel in George Street. Unlike in England, where both codes maintained their own geographic areas of dominance, in Australia rugby league went on to displace rugby union entirely as the primary football code in New South Wales and Queensland , while Australian rules football dominated the rest of Australia. On 5 May 1954, 102,569 spectators watched
4446-586: The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition in 1967. Penrith struggled for almost twenty years before finally reaching their first finals series. The club achieved its first grand final appearance in 1990 but were beaten by the Canberra Raiders 18–14. The following year, Penrith met Canberra again in the 1991 Grand Final , this time winning the game 19–12. Penrith won their second NRL premiership in 2003. Their most recent premiership achievement came in 2024 , where they defeated
4563-749: The Ottawa Aces were scheduled to join the English league pyramid, becoming the only Canadian team in the system after the Wolfpack were denied re-entry. The club subsequently relocated to Penryn, Cornwall , and are now known as Cornwall R.L.F.C. In 2021, the North American Rugby League announced an attempt to be North America's professional championship, with Canadian club Toronto Wolfpack joining several USA Rugby League clubs, New York Freedom and Cleveland Rugby League to form
4680-598: The Rugby League European Federation and Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation expanding the game to new areas such as Chile , Canada , Ghana , Philippines , Czech Republic , Germany , The Netherlands , Sweden , Norway , Spain , Sri Lanka , Hungary , Turkey , Thailand and Brazil to name a few. The two most prominent full-time professional leagues are the Australian National Rugby League and
4797-556: The line-out was abolished and in 1898 professionalism introduced. In 1906, the Northern Union changed its rules, reducing teams from 15 to 13 a side and replacing the ruck formed after tackles with the play-the-ball . By this point, rule changes meant the game organised by the RFL was distinct as a sport from its union cousin. A similar schism to that which occurred in England took place in Sydney , Australia. There, on 8 August 1907
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4914-466: The 1990s, when News Corporation paid for worldwide broadcasting rights. The media giant's "Super League" movement created changes for the traditional administrators of the game. In Europe, it resulted in a move from Rugby League being a winter sport to a summer one, as the new Super League competition tried to expand its market. In Australasia, the Super League war resulted in long and costly legal battles and changing loyalties, causing significant damage to
5031-518: The 1992 St George Jersey Flegg side. Together with Chris Parkes, the two took the sport to fields across Australia. Today, it is played by over 200,000 players in organised leagues across the country. League Tag replaces tackling with the removal of one of two tags carried on an opponent's hips, attached directly to specific League Tag shorts with Velcro patches, but otherwise retains almost all other rules of traditional rugby league (such as kicking). A number of additional rules are also added relating to
5148-516: The 1994 season. Penrith were coached by former player and club captain Royce Simmons starting with the last six games in 1994 until the end of 2001. They made the finals during the 1997 Super League season . The Panthers began the 1998 NRL Season with 2 wins from 5, to sit in the top 10, however, they would go on to win only 6 of their remaining 19 games to sit in 14th place out of 20, in doing so, setting an unwanted record for conceding
5265-515: The 2017 Kingstone Press League 1 in their inaugural season and earned promotion to the 2018 Rugby League Championship. In 2019 The Wolfpack won promotion to the Super League, lasting only a few months before having to withdraw due to the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic . New ownership is currently trying to revive the club with matches against amateur clubs in the US and Canada. Beginning in 2022,
5382-674: The British Super League (with teams from New Zealand and France respectively). Other professional and semi professional leagues include Australia's Queensland Cup (which includes a team from Papua New Guinea ) and NSW Cup , the British RFL Championship and RFL League 1 , the French Super XIII and Elite 2 . The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League operates as a semi-professional competition and enjoys nationwide media coverage, being
5499-530: The British champions 21–4. Their reign was short-lived as in 1992 tragedy struck the club when the younger brother of Captain Greg Alexander , Ben , died in a car accident on June 21, 1992. Greg and close family friends Mark Geyer and Brad Fittler left the club soon after (Fittler left after the 1995 season as Penrith had signed with Super League) as well as coach Phil Gould who left midway through
5616-602: The Gold Coast, with immediate effect. He would coach the club one last time against the Sydney Roosters in Round 22 before Neil Henry taking over on an interim basis. In February 2015, Cartwright joined the North Queensland Cowboys as an assistant to head coach Paul Green . On 4 October 2015, Cartwright was a member of North Queensland's coaching staff in the side's 17-16 Grand Final victory over
5733-419: The NRL competition with 10 wins, one draw and 13 losses. In 2009 they finished the season in 11th spot out of 16 teams in the NRL competition with 11 wins, one draw and 12 losses. In 2009, Penrith finished 11th. In round 21 of the 2009 NRL season , Penrith drew with the New Zealand Warriors 32–32 the 2nd highest drawn NRL game of all time. In 2010, Penrith had an excellent season, finishing in 2nd place in
5850-449: The NRL semi-final series by finishing fourth and defeating St. George in the first week of the semi-finals before being knocked out by Canterbury-Bankstown in the grand final qualifier two weeks later. Penrith then just failed to qualify for the Top 8 in 2005 finishing two points out and in 10th spot on percentages. They endured another below-par season in 2006 this time falling well short of
5967-631: The NRL to ensure Tyrone receives access to any support services he needs moving forward." Penrith started the 2022 NRL season in strong fashion winning their opening eight matches in a row. In round 9, the club was defeated 22–20 by Parramatta at Penrith Stadium which ended their 21-game winning streak at the ground that stretched all the way back to the 2019 NRL season . In round 23 against South Sydney , Penrith secured their fourth minor premiership by winning 26–22 at Stadium Australia . Penrith would then go on to win both their finals matches against Parramatta and South Sydney respectively to reach
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#17327732718706084-601: The NSWRL in 1962. By this time a single top level rugby league team had emerged in the Penrith area and in 1964 they became known as the Penrith Panthers. The Panther had been chosen as the Penrith emblem after a public competition won by a graphic artist from Emu Plains named Deidre Copeland. In 1966 word was out that the New South Wales Rugby League in 1967 would introduce two new teams to
6201-534: The National Rugby League, this was reduced to ten prior to the 2008 season and further reduced to eight prior to the 2016 season. If a team has to interchange a player due to the blood bin rule or due to injury, and this was the result of misconduct from the opposing team, the compromised team does not have to use one of its allocated interchanges to take the player in question off the field. The backs are generally smaller, faster and more agile than
6318-630: The Northern Union also changed its name to the Rugby Football League and thus over time the sport itself became known as "rugby league" football. In 1895, a schism in Rugby football resulted in the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU). The success of working class northern teams led to some compensating players who otherwise would be on their job and earning income on Saturdays. This led to
6435-622: The Penrith club and the Sydney Roosters . Cartwright began coaching at Penrith as the reserve coach in 2001. After a period as assistant to Ricky Stuart at the Sydney Roosters , as well as coaching the United States national rugby league team against the Kangaroos in 2004, Cartwright was appointed the inaugural coach of the Gold Coast Titans after their admission to the National Rugby League . He became involved in
6552-481: The Penrith; after a first up win against the Canberra Raiders , they went on to lose their next five games. However, a more inspired performance against the Parramatta Eels in round 7, where they won 44–12, was a trigger for a strong run; four wins from five games to see Penrith move into the top eight of the competition. The four wins included a 12–10 victory over the reigning premiers, Melbourne Storm , and
6669-411: The RFU reacting to enforce the amateur principle of the sport, preventing "broken time payments" to players who had taken time off work to play rugby. Northern teams typically had more working class players (coal miners, mill workers etc.) who could not afford to play without this compensation, in contrast to affluent southern teams who had other sources of income to sustain the amateur principle. In 1895,
6786-583: The Sydney premiership. There were three teams vying for the two proposed slots, Penrith, Cronulla-Sutherland , and the Wentworthville Magpies . Cronulla-Sutherland had been assured of one place, leaving Penrith and Wentworthville to fight it out for the other place. The NSWRL eventually settled on Penrith due to their location and a win in the 1966 Second Division title. After admission to the competition in 1967 , they came second last (11th) on
6903-447: The ball comes into contact with the ground. An attacking team gets a maximum of six tackles to progress up the field before possession is changed over. Once the tackle is completed, the ball-carrier must be allowed to get to his feet to ' play-the-ball '. Ball control is also important in rugby league, as a fumble of the ball on the ground forces a handover, unless the ball is fumbled backwards. The ball can also be turned over by going over
7020-421: The ball is kicked, they are deemed off-side. Tackling is a key component of rugby league play. Only the player holding the ball may be tackled. A tackle is complete, for example, when the player is held by one or more opposing players in such a manner that he can make no further progress and cannot part with the ball, or when the player is held by one or more opposing players and the ball or the hand or arm holding
7137-616: The best interests of the game for posting and being part of social media posts which do not align with the values of the game. On the 3 November 2021, Tyrone May was terminated with immediate effect following the grand final antics, as well as to previous breaches dating back to 2019. “As a club we understand our responsibilities to the game, our corporate partners, our members and fans, and the wider Rugby League community," Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher said. "The Board observed due process in this matter and considered all relevant factors before reaching its final decision. "Panthers will coordinate with
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#17327732718707254-469: The code in an extremely competitive sporting market. In 1997 two competitions were run alongside each other in Australia, after which a peace deal in the form of the National Rugby League was formed. The NRL has since become recognised as the sport's flagship competition and since that time has set record TV ratings and crowd figures. The objective in rugby league is to score more points through tries , goals and field goals (also known as drop goals) than
7371-429: The competition ladder finishing only ahead of fellow 1967 newcomers Cronulla-Sutherland . Hopes were raised in 1968 under new Captain-Coach Bob Boland when they won the pre-season competition and finished 8th, but this improvement proved to be short-lived. Penrith had trouble attracting the sort of experienced players they knew they needed, and although they always had good junior talent coming through, they did not get
7488-421: The conclusion of the 2023 regular season, Penrith claimed their second Minor Premiership in a row and their fifth overall as they defeated North Queensland 44–12 to finish ahead of Brisbane on for and against. Penrith won their third straight premiership, and fifth overall, by beating the Brisbane Broncos 26–24 in the 2023 Grand Final after coming back from being 16 points down in the final 20 minutes. Ahead of
7605-475: The end of the 1990 NSWRL season , Cartwright went on the 1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France but was dropped after one Test. Injury affected Cartwright in 1991, and Cartwright was used as a reserve in two of the three Tests against New Zealand. Following the 1991 grand final victory, Cartwright travelled with the Penrith club to England for the 1991 World Club Challenge which was lost to Wigan. Cartwright had his finest season of all in 1992. During
7722-404: The end of the final game of the regular season, game 24, round 26, he had also set a new club record for the most points scored in one season at 270. After a 2010 season where the club went above and beyond expectations, they were looking to starting the new season on a high. It wasn't to be, however, when they were thumped by Newcastle at the newly named Centrebet Stadium, 42–8. While round 2 went
7839-591: The equal biggest choke in NRL history, against the Cowboys in Round 12, where they led 26-0, before losing 28-36 in Bluebet Stadium In 2000, the Panthers finished in 5th place where they were defeated 28–10 by the Parramatta Eels in the elimination semi-final. In the 2001 NRL season , Penrith came last on the competition ladder. The same year was Royce Simmons' last season as coach for Penrith, and he
7956-401: The field which stopped play as he attended to hooker Mitch Kenny in the 76th minute. The NRL rules state that trainers must not signal to the referee to stop play until an initial assessment has been performed, which was not done, and only then it should be stopped for serious injury. In the 2021 preliminary final, Penrith gained revenge against Melbourne by winning the match 10–6 and booking
8073-416: The finals finishing the year in 12th position. The 2007 season turned out to be a poor one for the Panthers, they won only eight games, finished last and "won" the wooden-spoon for the second time in six years after losing to the New Zealand Warriors in the last round of the regular season competition. In 2008, Penrith improved four spots on their 2007 performance by finishing in 12th spot out of 16 teams in
8190-681: The five years prior to the Second World War , the sport's popularity increased as Frenchmen became disenchanted with the state of French rugby union in the 1930s. However, after the Allied Forces were defeated by Germany in June 1940, the Vichy regime in the south seized assets belonging to rugby league authorities and clubs and banned the sport for its association with the left-wing Popular Front government that had governed France before
8307-637: The following week 13–6 at Suncorp Stadium thus eliminating them from the competition. The Penrith reserve grade side fared much better, firstly winning the Intrust Super Premiership by defeating Wyong 20-12 and then defeating the PNG Hunters the following week in the NRL State Championship final 42-18. In 2018, Penrith finished 5th on the table at the end of the regular season during which coach Anthony Griffin
8424-547: The football, each play restarting from a set piece position and ended by a tackle. Although the Canadian Football League in particular maintained the word 'rugby' in its name for many years, alluding to that shared past, the introduction of the forward pass and unlimited substitution in North American games created a fundamentally different species of game from either original rugby code. Although
8541-407: The forwards. They are often the most creative and evasive players on the field, relying on running, kicking and handling skills, as well as tactics and set plays, to break the defensive line, instead of brute force. Generally forwards play a more collision oriented game, making ground by pure strength, and tackling near the play-the-ball. Usually, the stand-off/five-eighth and scrum-half/half-back are
8658-406: The fourth tackle a scrum was to be formed. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover. 1967 saw the first professional Sunday matches of rugby league played. The first sponsors, Joshua Tetley and John Player , entered the game for the 1971–72 Northern Rugby Football League season . Television had an enormous impact on the sport of rugby league in
8775-535: The grand final 26–20 at Stadium Australia . At the start of the 2021 NRL season , Penrith became the first team in Rugby League History to win their opening two games without conceding a point as they beat North Queensland 24–0 and then defeated Canterbury 28-0. In round 4 of the 2021 NRL season , Penrith defeated Manly-Warringah 46–6 at Brookvale Oval inflicting Manly's worst ever home defeat. The win also meant that Penrith had their best start to
8892-513: The ground, with the ball usually set in a kicking tee , and the opposing team not allowed to directly challenge the kicker. The Super League in Europe and the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australasia are the world's premier club competitions. Globally, rugby league is played internationally , predominantly by European , Australasian , and Pacific Island countries, and is governed by
9009-411: The historic link between the codes continues to be acknowledged, neither Canadian or American football is commonly considered a rugby code today except in the broadest sense, and are more commonly referred to collectively as gridiron codes, or simply as 'football' within their respective countries. Players on the pitch are divided into forwards and backs , although the game's rules apply to all players
9126-440: The invention of the sport previously called murderball and is not directly linked to rugby union, wheelchair rugby league has grown out of the parent sport, and retains key aspects of that sport such as an egg shaped ball, the forward-pass rule and conversions. While not a Paralympic sport, the sport has its own Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup . A further variation for ambulatory disabled players, physical disability rugby league ,
9243-412: The issue of payments to players. The rules of the game governed by the new Northern Rugby Football Union progressively changed from those of the RFU with the specific aim of producing a faster and more entertaining game to appeal to spectators, on whose income the new organisation and its members depended. In rugby league, points are scored by carrying an oval ball and touching it to the ground beyond
9360-573: The ladder out of the 16 teams, with 16 wins and 9 losses. However, in the first round of the Finals series, they lost 24–22 at home to the Canberra Raiders and were knocked out in the second round when they lost 34–12 to the Sydney Roosters . Michael Gordon played very well in that year, setting two new club records. In round 24, against the South Sydney Rabbitohs , he set a new club record for most points scored in one game: 30. By
9477-511: The league's inaugural season. Several brand new clubs from Western USA were scheduled to join in 2022 but never played. The new competition is sanctioned by Canada Rugby League , but not yet by the United States governing body. Unfortunately, while some exhibition matches were played in 2021 and 2022, NARL was defunct by 2023 The early 21st century has seen other countries take up the game and compete in international rugby league with
9594-543: The least." In 2009, he was selected to coach the NSW Country Origin side. He later guided to the Gold Coast to consecutive finals appearances in the 2009 NRL season and the 2010 NRL season , the latter of which saw the Gold Coast reach the preliminary final. In 2011, the Gold Coast claimed their first Wooden Spoon under Cartwright's coaching. After four years without making the finals, on 5 August 2014 he announced that he would stand down as head coach of
9711-497: The match. On 8 October, the Penrith club were placed under investigation by the NRL after photos emerged which showed that the Provan-Summons Trophy had been damaged. The photos showed that the trophy had been separated from the base and surrounding wreath. Another image on social media also showed the trophy being treated as a baby with the bronzed artwork being carried around in a stroller. The following week, it
9828-453: The mid-1990s, it has increasingly borrowed techniques, tactics and even laws from rugby league, while high-profile players and coaches from the league game have increasingly gone on to success in the union code in those countries where both codes are popular (e.g. Andy Farrell , Jason Robinson and Henry Paul ). The inherent similarities between rugby league and rugby union have at times led to experimental hybrid games being played that use
9945-537: The most popular sporting events. The Rugby League European Federation are responsible for developing rugby league in Europe . In England, rugby league has traditionally been associated with the historic northern counties of Yorkshire , Lancashire , and Cumberland , where the game originated, especially in towns and cities along the M62 corridor . Its popularity has also increased elsewhere. As of 2024 , only two of
10062-413: The national sport of the country. Five main variant sports of rugby league exist worldwide; Touch , OzTag , League tag , Nines , and Sevens . Touch, OzTag, and League Tag are all non-contact versions of the sport, where as Nines and Sevens are both reduced form (shorter match times and smaller teams) of the sport. Touch (also known as touch football or touch rugby) is a variant of rugby league that
10179-561: The new Super League, although the club was dissolved in 1997. In 2006, the Super League admitted the Catalans Dragons, a team from Perpignan in the southern Languedoc-Roussillon region. They have subsequently reached the 2007 Challenge Cup Final and made the playoffs of the 2008 Super League XIII season. The success of the Dragons in Super League has initiated a renaissance in French rugby league, with new-found enthusiasm for
10296-405: The north of England there have been complaints about its lack of profile in the British media. On the eve of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup final where England would face Australia, English amateur rugby league coach Ben Dawson stated, "we're in the final of a World Cup. First time in more than 30 years and there's no coverage anywhere". France first played rugby league as late as 1934, where in
10413-439: The on-field leadership they needed. Penrith needed to wait until they could develop their own 'stars'. They consequently struggled for almost 20 years before finally reaching their first finals series in 1985 with a team boasting new local star Greg Alexander and captained by Royce Simmons . Penrith developed a strong team in the late 80s and started to build momentum. They made their first Grand Final appearance in 1990 with
10530-404: The opposing team's goal line; this is called a try , and is the primary method of scoring, worth four points. The opposing team attempts to stop the attacking side scoring points by tackling the player carrying the ball and denying forward progress. On occasion, where a clear try scoring opportunity has been thwarted by foul play, a penalty try may be awarded without the ball being grounded over
10647-475: The opposition within the 80 minutes of play. If after two-halves of play, each consisting of forty minutes, the two teams are drawing , a draw may be declared, or the game may enter extra time under the golden point rule, depending on the relevant competition's format. The try is the most common form of scoring, and a team will usually attempt to score one by running and kicking the ball further upfield or passing from player-to-player in order to manoeuvre around
10764-400: The opposition's defence. A try involves touching the ball to the ground on or beyond the defending team's goal-line and is worth four points. A goal is worth two points and may be gained from a conversion or a penalty . A field goal, or drop goal, is only worth one point and is gained by dropping and then kicking the ball on the half volley between the uprights in open play. A field goal has
10881-567: The other try-scorer for the Panthers, received the Clive Churchill Medal . The game is also remembered for a spectacular tackle by Scott Sattler in the 2nd Half, where he ran down and tackled Roosters winger Todd Byrne, who was sprinting down the left wing for an almost certain try. Penrith lost the 2004 World Club Challenge in the following pre-season, with the Bradford Bulls defeating them 22–4 in sub-zero temperatures. Penrith did however rally after that loss and once again qualified for
10998-542: The position they play, similarly to association football . Substitutes (generally referred to as "the bench") are allowed in the sport, and are typically used when a player gets tired or injured , although they can also be used tactically. Each team is currently allowed four substitutes, and in Australia and New Zealand, these players occupy shirt numbers 14 to 22. There are no limitations on which players must occupy these interchangeable slots. Generally, twelve interchanges are allowed in any game from each team, although in
11115-410: The premiership win with James Fisher-Harris and Jarome Luai coming under the most criticism for their comments directed towards Parramatta. Before the start of the 2023 NRL season , Penrith played against the Super League champions St Helens R.F.C. in the 2023 World Club Challenge . Penrith went into the game as heavy favourites but suffered a shock 13–12 defeat in golden point extra-time. At
11232-532: The remainder of the season. On 29 June Ivan Cleary was announced as coach for the next 3 seasons, with Georgallis staying as assistant coach for the remainder of the season. 2012 was again a disappointing year for Penrith, finishing second last with an 8–16 record. However, the club discovered some new talent in the form of winger Josh Mansour , a candidate for Rookie of the Year, as well as fullback Lachlan Coote's successful move to five-eighth. 2013 began poorly for
11349-537: The rest of the competition with the local hero, Rhys Wesser scoring a new club record 25 tries. Penrith finished as Minor Premiers after convincingly accounting for the Parramatta Eels in the last round of competition. In the Finals series Penrith beat the Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors to reach the 2003 NRL grand final . Entering the match as underdogs, Penrith defeated the Roosters 18–6, with winger Luke Rooney scoring two tries. Hooker Luke Priddis ,
11466-648: The same role between 2012–15. Former Penrith premiership winning head coach Phil Gould was the club's general manager but departed in 2019. Varied Penrith teams had played for many years between 1912 and 1966 in the Western Districts League under the control of the Western Suburbs RLFC . In the Parramatta competition after Parramatta was admitted to the NSWRL in 1947, and also in a second-tier Sydney competition introduced by
11583-501: The same way. Each position has a designated number to identify himself from other players. These numbers help to identify which position a person is playing. The system of numbering players is different depending on which country the match is played in. In Australia and New Zealand, each player is usually given a number corresponding to their playing position on the field. However, since 1996 European teams have been able to grant players specific squad numbers, which they keep without regard to
11700-496: The scrum see rugby league scrummage . Forward positions are traditionally named after the player's position in the scrum yet are equal with respect to "normal play" with the exception of the hooker. Forward positions are traditionally assigned as follows: Rugby league is played in over 70 nations throughout the world. Papua New Guinea is the only country to have rugby league as its national sport . Four countries – Australia, England, France, and New Zealand – have teams that play at
11817-524: The sideline. Rugby league and rugby union are distinct sports with many similarities and a shared origin. Both have the same fundamental rules, are played for 80 minutes and feature an oval-shaped ball and H-shaped goalposts. Both have rules that the ball cannot be passed forward, and dropping it forwards leads to a scrum. Both use tries as the central scoring method and conversion kicks , penalty goals and drop goals as additional scoring methods. However, there are differences in how many points each method
11934-526: The specific issues associated with a tag based game. Rugby League played with nine players per team with nine minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. Rugby League played with seven players per team with seven minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. The top five attendances for rugby league test matches (International) are: The top five attendances for domestic based rugby league matches are: * NRL double header played to open Round 1 of
12051-663: The sport in the south of the country where most of the Super XIII teams are based. In other parts of Europe, the game is played at semi-professional and amateur level. As of 2023, there is no professional rugby league in North America. From 2017 to 2020, the Toronto Wolfpack were North America 's only active professional Rugby League team, competing in the English Rugby League system. They won
12168-482: The try line. In addition to tries, points can be scored by kicking goals. Drop goals (or field goals) can be attempted from the hand at any time for a single point. Following a successful try, the scoring team gains a free kick to try at goal with a conversion worth a further two points. Penalty kicks at goal, known simply as penalties, may also be awarded for general foul play, and are also worth two points. Unlike drop goals, penalty kicks and conversions are taken from
12285-571: The twelve Super League teams are based outside of these traditional counties: Catalans Dragons and London Broncos . One other team from outside the United Kingdom, Toulouse Olympique , competes in the British rugby league system , although not at the highest tier Super League level, but rather in the second tier Championship . Super League average attendances are in the 8,000 to 9,500 range. The average Super League match attendance in 2014
12402-524: The vacant fullback role left by the departed Lachlan Coote . The 2014 NRL season was a good year for Penrith as they qualified for the finals and made it to the preliminary final before losing to the Bulldogs 18–12. In the 2015 NRL season , Penrith endured a horror year on the field finishing second last. Penrith defeated bottom placed Newcastle in the final game of the season to avoid the wooden spoon. The Penrith Panthers celebrated their 50th year in
12519-580: The war. The sport was unbanned after the Liberation of Paris in August 1944 and the collapse of the Vichy regime, although it was still actively marginalised by the French authorities until the 1990s. Despite this, the national side appeared in the finals of the 1954 and 1968 World Cups, and the country hosted the 1954 event. In 1996, a French team, Paris Saint-Germain was one of eleven teams which formed
12636-418: The week two elimination final, Penrith played against Parramatta for the first time in the finals since 2000. In the lowest scoring game of the year, Penrith won the match 8–6. In the aftermath, the club was fined $ 25,000 by the NRL after allegedly breaching the rules of the game in their victory over Parramatta. In a crucial part of the match with Parramatta on the attack, Penrith trainer Pete Green ran onto
12753-472: Was 8,365. In 2018 average Super League match attendance was 8,547. Ranked the eighth most popular sport in the UK overall, rugby league is the 27th most popular participation sport in England according to figures released by Sport England ; the total number of rugby league participants in England aged 16 and over was 44,900 in 2017. This is a 39% drop from 10 years ago. While the sport is largely concentrated in
12870-411: Was announced that the Penrith players had been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the broken trophy. It was revealed that the trophy had been broken by a fan who had accidentally knocked it off the table which caused the trophy to break off at the base. On 19 October 2021, Nathan Cleary and Stephen Crichton were handed proposed fines of $ 7000 and $ 4000 by the NRL along with breach notices. This
12987-552: Was created and had its first world cup in 2022 to coincide with the rescheduled 2021 Rugby League World Cup competitions. Rugby league football takes its name from the bodies that split to create a new form of rugby, distinct from that run by the Rugby Football Unions, in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand between 1895 and 1908. The first of these, the Northern Rugby Football Union , was established in 1895 as
13104-479: Was hosted by England during October and November 2022, staged the Men's , Women's and Wheelchair competitions together for the first time. The competition formerly featured 16 teams, but has been cut down to 10 for the upcoming 2026 Rugby League World Cup . The Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation 's purpose is to spread the sport of rugby league throughout their region along with other governing bodies such as
13221-552: Was in relation to both players caught on social media acting in a disrespectful manner toward the NRL Telstra Premiership Trophy. The NRL alleged Cleary and Crichton showed disrespect towards the individuals depicted in the iconic moment on the Trophy. On the same day, Tyrone May was stood down by the club and handed a breach notice along with a proposed fine of $ 7500. The NRL alleged May acted contrary to
13338-486: Was replaced by John Lang from Cronulla in 2002, where they finished 12th. Their last game of 2002 showed hope as they proceeded to thrash the Northern Eagles , knocking them out of the final eight. 2002 showed the promise that was to come the next year. With the signing of Preston Campbell and Joe Galuvao , the side fired in 2003. Coming off 3 early season losses, they proceeded to lose only 3 other games for
13455-405: Was sacked four weeks before the finals series after falling out with Phil Gould . Griffin was then replaced by Cameron Ciraldo for the remainder of the season. In week one of the finals, Penrith easily accounted for the New Zealand Warriors to set up a clash with Cronulla. Although both clubs were admitted into the competition in 1967 this would provide the first meeting between the two clubs in
13572-509: Was the head coach for the Gold Coast Titans . A "strong running and skilful passing" Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative second-row forward, Cartwright played his club football with the Penrith Panthers , winning the 1991 premiership with them. Cartwright began with Penrith in 1985 and was a regular first-grade player by 1987. In 1988, under the guidance of Ron Willey , Penrith developed
13689-583: Was to be the first of five consecutive Grand Finals which they would contest during this remarkable dynastic run of successive championships, the likes of which is unprecedented in the history of top-tier salary-capped sports leagues worldwide. Rugby league Rugby league football , commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby XIII in non- Anglophone Europe and South America, and referred to colloquially as football , footy , rugby , or league in its heartlands,
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