2007 NRL season

2007 National Rugby League
Teams 16
Premiers Melbourne Storm[1]
Minor premiers Melbourne Storm
Matches played 201
Points scored 8539 (total)
42.483 (per match)
Attendance 3,332,114 (total)
16,578 (per match)
Top point scorer(s) Hazem El Masri (210)
Top try scorer(s) Matthew Bowen (22)

The 2007 NRL season was the one hundredth season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the tenth run by the National Rugby League. Sixteen teams contested the NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, and with the inclusion of a new team, the Gold Coast Titans, the competition was the largest run since the 1999 NRL season.

The Melbourne Storm were the Minor Premiers in 2007, six points clear of second-placed Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. The Storm eventually ran out 34-8 winners in the 2007 NRL Grand Final to claim the premiership. However, they were subsequently stripped of both their Minor Premiership and Premiership titles on 22 April 2010, after they were found to be guilty of breaching the league's salary cap.[2][3]

Season summary

Pre-season, 2006 Premiers the Brisbane Broncos travelled to England to play the Super League champions in the 2007 World Club Challenge.

The 2007 NRL Season kicked off on Friday 16 March 2007 with eight games to be played in each round. The 2007 season saw the return of Monday Night Football, which helped the NRL to set new first round aggregate attendance record of 174,475.[4] The opening round also saw two matches at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, one featured reigning champions Brisbane playing fellow Queensland side the Cowboys, while the second match introduced the newest club to be admitted to the competition, the Gold Coast Titans.

The North Queensland Cowboys' Jason Smith was the NRL's oldest player in 2007 at 35 years and 186 days.[5]

Teams had fewer byes in 2007 than in the 2006 competition. With an odd number of teams contesting between 2002 and 2006, the draw meant that at least one team would have to have a bye each weekend. With the inclusion of the 16th team for the 2007 season, the National Rugby League had the option of reverting to the system used between 2000 and 2001 in which every team played in each round. However, this option was not chosen. In 2007, teams had just a single bye during the year, grouped in periods that will assist clubs around representative fixtures.

The top eight was not settled until the final round as the Brisbane Broncos and Wests Tigers were both on 24 points in 8th and 9th position respectively, with the Broncos ahead on points differential. Both teams lost their final regular season match and as a result of this, the South Sydney Rabbitohs made the top eight for the first time since 1989. The New Zealand Warriors secured a home final: the second match in the history of the National Rugby League Finals played outside of Australia. The first was the Warriors' victory over the Canberra Raiders at Mt Smart Stadium while on their way to the 2002 Grand Final.

On the other end of the ladder, the Newcastle Knights and Penrith Panthers were both in contention for the Wooden Spoon - the traditional label for last place. The Knights performed well in their last match and denied the Wests Tigers a spot in the top eight, winning by two points, whereas the Panthers were defeated by the New Zealand Warriors, seeing them finish last.

2007 saw a total of over 3 million spectators attend regular season matches for only the second time in history.[6]

Records set

Advertising

The National Rugby League kept use of the Hoodoo Gurus' "That's My Team" for a fifth consecutive season, with their advertising agency MJW Hakuhodo reworking the track "What's My Scene" and the "That's My Dream" slogan. With a design change for the Telstra Premiership logo (after months of off-season deliberation on whether Telstra would sponsor the code again), the commercial was a fast-paced action clip, with key players from all teams superimposed to appear as if they are playing in front the famous landmarks of their team's area. They are as follows:

As with previous seasons, all team captains featured prominently in the ads, holding aloft the premiership trophy as the advertisement closes, replicating the 2006 equivalent. Ironically only weeks after it was put to air, Newcastle Knights captain Andrew Johns' career was ended by a neck injury.

Sponsorship

Telecommunications giant Telstra once again hold the naming rights to the premiership season and for the seventh season the competition will be known as the "Telstra Premiership". For the second time, however, a change has been made to the Telstra Premiership Logo, to coincide with the tel-co's own new logo. The logo is now much more similar to the original NRL logo in style.

Spirit producers Bundaberg Rum are sponsoring Monday night football - to be known as Bundaberg Monday Night Football. Electronics wholesaler Harvey Norman is expected to continue their support of the State of Origin Series, as is AAMI and their association with City vs Country Origin.

Teams

For the first time since 2001, the number of teams in the NRL competition changed, increasing to sixteen teams. 2007 was the first season for the new Gold Coast Titans club, the NRL's first expansion team since the Melbourne Storm who entered the League in 1998.

The sixteen teams participated in the competition over the regular season, making it the largest it had been since 1999 when there were seventeen. Of the sixteen clubs, ten were from New South Wales (nine from Sydney's metropolitan area), three from Queensland and one from each of Victoria, the ACT and New Zealand.

Just two foundation clubs from New South Wales Rugby League season 1908 played in this, the 100th season of the competition: the Sydney Roosters (formerly known as Eastern Suburbs) and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Of these two clubs, only the Sydney Roosters played their 100th full season, as the South Sydney Rabbitohs were in recess during 2000 and 2001. It should also be noted that two foundation clubs, the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs Magpies, had played in every year since 1908, but the two sides merged to create the Wests Tigers who competed every year since the merger in 2000.

Brisbane Broncos
20th season
Ground: Suncorp Stadium
Coach: Wayne Bennett
Captain: Darren Lockyer
Bulldogs RLFC
73rd season
Ground: Telstra Stadium
Coach: Steve Folkes
Captain: Andrew Ryan		 Canberra Raiders
26th season
Ground: Canberra Stadium
Coach: Neil Henry
Captain: Alan Tongue		 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
41st season
Ground: Toyota Stadium
Coach: Ricky Stuart
Captain: Brett Kimmorley
Gold Coast Titans
1st season
Ground: Carrara Stadium
Coach: John Cartwright
Captain: Scott Prince & Luke Bailey		 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
58th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Des Hasler
Captain: Matt Orford		 Melbourne Storm
10th season
Ground Olympic Park Stadium
Coach: Craig Bellamy
Captain: Cameron Smith
Newcastle Knights
20th season
Ground: EnergyAustralia Stadium
Coach: Brian Smith
Captain: Andrew Johns → Danny Buderus
New Zealand Warriors
13th season
Ground: Mt Smart Stadium
Coach: Ivan Cleary
Captain: Steve Price		 North Queensland Cowboys
13th season
Ground: Dairy Farmers Stadium
Coach: Graham Murray
Captain: Johnathan Thurston		 Parramatta Eels
61st season
Ground: Parramatta Stadium
Coach: Michael Hagan
Captain: Nathan Cayless
Penrith Panthers
41st season
Ground: CUA Stadium
Coach: Matthew Elliott
Captain: Tony Puletua
South Sydney Rabbitohs
98th season
Ground: Telstra Stadium
Coach: Jason Taylor
Captain: David Kidwell & Roy Asotasi		 Sydney Roosters
100th season
Ground: Sydney Football Stadium
Coach: Chris Anderson → Brad Fittler
Captain: Craig Fitzgibbon
St. George Illawarra Dragons
9th season
Ground: OKI Jubilee Stadium & WIN Stadium
Coach: Nathan Brown
Captain: Mark Gasnier		 Wests Tigers
8th season
Ground: Campbelltown Stadium & Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Tim Sheens
Captain: Brett Hodgson

Ladder

Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Melbourne Storm (P) *stripped 2421031627277+35044
2 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 2418061597377+22038
3 North Queensland Cowboys 2415091547618-7132
4 New Zealand Warriors 24131101593434+15929
5 Parramatta Eels 24130111573481+9228
6 Bulldogs 24120121575528+4726
7 South Sydney Rabbitohs 24120121408399+926
8 Brisbane Broncos 24110131511476+3524
9 Wests Tigers 24110131541561-2024
10 Sydney Roosters 24101131445610-16523
11 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24100141463403+6022
12 Gold Coast Titans 24100141409559-15022
13 St. George Illawarra Dragons 2490151431509-7820
14 Canberra Raiders 2490151522650-12820
15 Newcastle Knights 2490151418708-29020
16 Penrith Panthers 2480161539607-6818

Ladder progression

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
1 Melbourne 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 14 16 18 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 34 36 38 40 42 44
2 Manly-Warringah 2 4 6 8 10 12 12 14 16 18 20 20 22 24 24 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 36 36 38
3 North Queensland 2 4 6 8 8 8 10 12 12 12 14 16 16 16 18 20 22 22 22 22 24 26 28 30 32
4 New Zealand 2 4 4 4 6 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 14 16 16 18 20 22 23 25 25 27 29
5 Parramatta 0 0 2 4 6 6 6 8 8 10 12 14 14 16 18 20 20 22 24 24 26 26 26 26 28
6 Bulldogs 0 0 2 4 4 6 6 8 8 8 8 10 12 12 14 16 18 18 20 22 22 24 26 26 28
7 South Sydney 2 4 6 6 6 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 12 12 14 16 16 16 18 20 20 22 24 26 26
8 Brisbane 0 0 0 2 2 4 4 6 6 6 8 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 20 22 22 22 22 24 24
9 Wests Tigers 0 0 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 14 16 16 16 18 20 20 20 22 22 22 24 24 24
10 Sydney Roosters 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 4 6 6 8 8 10 12 12 12 12 14 16 18 19 21 21 21 23
11 Cronulla-Sutherland 2 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 10 12 12 12 14 14 14 16 16 16 16 16 16 18 18 20 22
12 Gold Coast 0 2 2 4 6 6 8 8 8 8 10 12 14 16 18 18 18 18 18 18 20 20 22 22 22
13 St. George Illawarra 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8 10 10 10 10 12 14 14 16 16 18 18 18 20 20
14 Canberra 0 0 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 10 12 12 14 14 14 14 14 16 16 18 18 18 20 20 20
15 Newcastle 2 4 4 4 6 6 8 8 10 12 12 14 14 16 16 16 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 20
16 Penrith 0 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 12 12 14 14 16 18 18

Finals series

For more details on this topic, see 2007 NRL season results § Finals series.

To decide the grand finalists from the top eight finishing teams, the NRL adopts the McIntyre Final Eight System. The finals series was contested over a period of four weeks, culminating with the NRL Grand Final being held on Sunday 30 September 2007. For the first time, the week 2 and week 3 final matches were played in the cities of previous week winners rather than Sydney only.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Qualifying Finals
New Zealand Warriors 10 – 12 Parramatta Eels 7 September 2007 8:30pm Mt Smart Stadium Tony Archer 28,745
North Queensland Cowboys 20 – 18 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 8 September 2007 6:30pm Dairy Farmers Stadium Paul Simpkins 24,004
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 30 – 6 South Sydney Rabbitohs 8 September 2007 8:30pm Brookvale Oval Shayne Hayne 19,875
Melbourne Storm 40 – 0 Brisbane Broncos 9 September 2007 4:00pm Olympic Park Stadium Steve Clark 15,522
Semi Finals
Parramatta Eels 25 – 6 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 15 September 2007 7:45pm Telstra Stadium Shayne Hayne 50,621
North Queensland Cowboys 49 – 12 New Zealand Warriors 16 September 2007 4:00pm Dairy Farmers Stadium Tony Archer 21,847
Preliminary Finals
Manly Sea Eagles 28 – 6 North Queensland Cowboys 22 September 2007 7:45pm Sydney Football Stadium Paul Simpkins 32,611
Melbourne Storm 26 – 10 Parramatta Eels 23 September 2007 4:00pm Telstra Dome Tony Archer 33,427

Finals Chart

  Qualifying Finals Semi Finals Preliminary Finals Grand Final
                                     
1   Melbourne 40
8   Brisbane 0
  1W   Melbourne 26  
2   Manly 30   4W   Parramatta 25         Parramatta 10    
7   South Sydney 6   2L   Canterbury 6             Melbourne 34
          Manly 8
3   North Queensland 20         2W   Manly 28    
6   Canterbury 18   3W   North Queensland 49         North Queensland 6  
  1L   New Zealand 12  
4   New Zealand 10
5   Parramatta 12

Grand final

Main article: 2007 NRL grand final
Sunday, 30 September
19:15
Melbourne Storm 34-8 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Tries:
Greg Inglis (2), Anthony Quinn (2), Michael Crocker, Matt King, Clint Newton
Goals:
Cameron Smith (3/8)		 Report Tries:
Chris Hicks, Steve Matai
Goals:
Matt Orford (0/2)
Stadium Australia, Sydney
Attendance: 81,392[8]
Referee/s: Tony Archer
Man of the Match: Greg Inglis

Dally M Awards

Main article: 2007 Dally M Awards

The Dally M Awards were introduced in 1980 by News Limited. The most prestigious of these awards is the Dally M Medal which is awarded to the Player Of The Year and many other awards. The other prestigious award is the Provans Summons Medal which is the season's best player as voted by the public. As well as honouring the player of the year the awards night also recognises the premier player in each position, the best coach, the best captain, representative player of the year and the most outstanding rookie of the season. The awards night and Player of the Year medal are named in honour of former Australian rugby league great Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger. The top try-scorer and top point-scorer tallies are made at the end of the last round of the regular season and hence may be different to the overall top-scorers by the end of the finals.

Award Player Club
Dally M MedalJohnathan ThurstonNorth Queensland Cowboys
Provan-Summons MedalNathan HindmarshParramatta Eels
Rookie of the YearIsrael FolauMelbourne Storm
Captain of the YearSteve PriceNew Zealand Warriors
Rep Player of the YearCameron SmithMelbourne Storm
Coach of the YearCraig BellamyMelbourne Storm
Top Tryscorer of the YearIsrael Folau
Matt Bowen		Melbourne Storm
North Queensland Cowboys
Top Pointscorer of the YearHazem El MasriBulldogs

Team of the Year

Award Player Club
Best FullbackMatthew BowenNorth Queensland Cowboys
Best WingerJarryd HayneParramatta Eels
Best CentreJustin HodgesBrisbane Broncos
Best Five-EighthDarren LockyerBrisbane Broncos
Best HalfbackJohnathan ThurstonNorth Queensland Cowboys
Best LockDallas JohnsonMelbourne Storm
Best Second-RowerAnthony WatmoughManly Warringah Sea Eagles
Best PropSteve PriceNew Zealand Warriors
Best HookerRobbie FarahWests Tigers

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Stuart Honeysett and Brent Read (23 April 2010) Shocking end to the Melbourne Storm era The Australian
  2. ↑ "Melbourne Storm breach NRL Salary Cap". National Rugby League. 22 April 2010. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  3. ↑ McDonald, Margie (22 April 2010). "Melbourne Storm stripped of two rugby league titles over salary cap fraud". The Australian. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  4. ↑ Paul, Crawley (15 March 2011). "Record-breaking week for NRL". The Daily Telegraph (Australia: Herald and Weekly Times). Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Toohey, Barry (2 February 2011). "Still some bite in old Mad Dog". The Daily Telegraph (Australia: News Limited). Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  6. ↑ Gallop, David (2007). "Australian Rugby Football League Annual Report 2007" (pdf). Australian Rugby League Limited. p. 5. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  7. ↑ Proszenko, Adrian (6 May 2012). "Gallen set to smash record". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  8. ↑ D'Souza, Miguel. "Grand Final History". wwos.ninemsn.com.au. AAP. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

See also

External links

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