1994 NSWRL season

Rugby league competition

1994 New South Wales Rugby League

Teams| 16
Premiers|  Canberra (3rd title)
Minor premiers|  Canterbury-Bankstown (6th title)
Matches played| 182
Points scored| 7416
Average attendance| 15,013
Attendance| 2,732,389
Top points scorer(s)|  Daryl Halligan (270)
Player of the year|  David Fairleigh (Rothmans Medal)
Top try-scorer(s)|  Steve Renouf (23)

← 1993

1995 (ARL) →

The 1994 NSWRL season (known as the 1994 Winfield Cup Premiership due to sponsorship from Winfield) was the eighty-seventh season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen clubs, including 14 from within the borders of New South Wales plus two from Queensland, competed for the J J Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final match for the Winfield Cup trophy between the Canberra Raiders and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.[1]

## Season summary[edit]

On the first of June, the previous season's premiers, the Broncos played in the 1994 World Club Challenge match in Brisbane against British champions Wigan. Wigan defeated the Broncos 20 to 14 at ANZ Stadium in front of 54,220 spectators. On 14 July the North Sydney Bears were fined $87,000 for breaching the salary cap.[2] In total, twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March till August, resulting in a top five of Canterbury-Bankstown, North Sydney, Canberra, Manly-Warringah and Brisbane who went on to battle it out in the finals. The 1994 season's Rothmans Medallist was North Sydney forward David Fairleigh. The Dally M Award went to Manly-Warringah's five-eighth, Cliff Lyons who was also named as Rugby League Week's player of the year. 1994 was the last premiership season to be administered by the New South Wales Rugby League. At the end of the season control of the Winfield Cup would be passed on to the Australian Rugby League and re-branded as such, as part of the move to become a more national competition. This season was also the last in the Premiership for future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee and coach, Mal Meninga. At the end of the 1994 season a squad of players from the NSWRL Premiership went on the 1994 Kangaroo tour.

The grand finals:

* Canberra Raiders vs  Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (Seniors Grade)
* Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs  Newcastle Knights (Reserve Grade)
* Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs  Eastern Suburbs Roosters (Under-21s Grade)

The winners in all grades were:

* Canberra Raiders (Seniors Grade)
* Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Reserve Grade)
* Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Under-21s Grade)

The test match

* Australia vs  France

The State of Origin Series

* Queensland vs  New South Wales

### Teams[edit]

The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous season, with sixteen clubs contesting the premiership, including five inner Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from greater Sydney, two from greater New South Wales, two from Queensland, and one from the Australian Capital Territory.

|  |  |

|
|
|

Balmain
Tigers

87th season
Ground: Leichhardt Oval
Coach: Wayne Pearce
Captain: Ben Elias

| Brisbane
Broncos

7th season
Ground: ANZ Stadium
Coach: Wayne Bennett
Captain: Allan Langer

| Canberra
Raiders

13th season
Ground: Bruce Stadium
Coach: Tim Sheens
Captain: Mal Meninga

| Canterbury-Bankstown
Bulldogs

60th season
Ground: Belmore Oval
Coach: Chris Anderson
Captain: Terry Lamb

Cronulla-Sutherland
Sharks

28th season
Ground: Endeavour Park
Coach: John Lang
Captain: Dan Stains

| Eastern Suburbs
Roosters

87th season
Ground: Sydney Football Stadium
Coach: Mark Murray → Arthur Beetson
Captain: Craig Salvatori

| Gold Coast
Seagulls

7th season
Ground: Seagulls Stadium
Coach: John Harvey
Captain: Craig Coleman

| Illawarra
Steelers

13th season
Ground: Wollongong Stadium
Coach: Graham Murray
Captain: John Cross

Manly-Warringah
Sea Eagles

48th season
Ground: Brookvale Oval
Coach: Bob Fulton
Captain: Geoff Toovey

| Newcastle
Knights

7th season
Ground: Marathon Stadium
Coach: David Waite
Captain: Mark Sargent

| North Sydney
Bears

87th season
Ground: North Sydney Oval
Coach: Peter Louis
Captain: Jason Taylor

| Parramatta
Eels

48th season
Ground: Parramatta Stadium
Coach: Ron Hilditch
Captain: Paul Dunn

Penrith
Panthers

28th season
Ground: Penrith Stadium
Coach: Phil Gould → Royce Simmons
Captain: John Cartwright

| South Sydney
Rabbitohs

87th season
Ground: Sydney Football Stadium
Coach: Ken Shine
Captain: Dean Schifilliti

| St. George
Dragons

74th season
Ground: Kogarah Oval
Coach: Brian Smith
Captain: Mark Coyne

| Western Suburbs
Magpies

87th season
Ground: Campbelltown Stadium
Coach: Wayne Ellis
Captain: Paul Langmack → Jim Serdaris

### Advertising[edit]

In 1994 the League and its advertising agency Hertz Walpole returned to the original 1989 recording of "The Best" by Tina Turner to underscore the season launch ad. Footage had been shot of Turner's performance at the 1993 grand final and a studio bluescreen shoot also took place during that visit ensuring a store of images that could be used in flexible adaptations for the final two years of Turner's association with the competition and the Winfield Cup.

The 1994 advertisement used the performance and superimposed studio footage of Turner into crowd and stadium scenes that replicated the Sydney Football Stadium. The closing scenes of the commercial made it appear that Turner was singing the song high up in the Sydney Football Stadium's stands in front of its identifiable stretched-sail roofing.

### Ladder[edit]

| Team  | Pld  | W  | D  | L  | PF  | PA  | PD  | Pts

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1 |  Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 537 | 340 | +197 | 36
2 |  North Sydney Bears | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 517 | 291 | +226 | 35
3 |  Canberra Raiders (P) | 22 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 677 | 298 | +379 | 34
4 |  Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 22 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 605 | 311 | +294 | 33
5 |  Brisbane Broncos | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 544 | 316 | +228 | 27
6 |  Illawarra Steelers | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 484 | 387 | +97 | 25
7 |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 432 | 401 | +31 | 24
8 |  Penrith Panthers | 22 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 404 | 448 | -44 | 22
9 |  South Sydney Rabbitohs | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 401 | 569 | -168 | 19
10 |  Newcastle Knights | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 427 | 458 | -31 | 18
11 |  St. George Dragons | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 386 | 497 | -111 | 18
12 |  Parramatta Eels | 22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 350 | 474 | -124 | 15
13 |  Western Suburbs Magpies | 22 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 439 | 650 | -211 | 14
14 |  Eastern Suburbs Roosters | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 344 | 513 | -169 | 13
15 |  Gold Coast Seagulls | 22 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 363 | 618 | -255 | 11
16 |  Balmain Tigers | 22 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 303 | 642 | -339 | 8

### Ladder progression[edit]

* Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 5.
* 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.

| Team  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10  | 11  | 12  | 13  | 14  | 15  | 16  | 17  | 18  | 19  | 20  | 21  | 22

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1 |  Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36
2 |  North Sydney Bears | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 35
3 |  Canberra Raiders | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34
4 |  Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 33
5 |  Brisbane Broncos | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 27
6 |  Illawarra Steelers | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 25
7 |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24
8 |  Penrith Panthers | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22
9 |  South Sydney Rabbitohs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19
10 |  Newcastle Knights | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18
11 |  St. George Dragons | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18
12 |  Parramatta Eels | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15
13 |  Western Suburbs Magpies | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14
14 |  Eastern Suburbs Roosters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13
15 |  Gold Coast Seagulls | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11
16 |  Balmain Tigers | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8

## Finals[edit]

Home  | Score  | Away  | Match Information

|
|
|

Date and Time  | Venue  | Referee  | Crowd
Qualifying Finals
North Sydney Bears | 12-26  |  Canberra Raiders | 3 September 1994  | Sydney Football Stadium | Bill Harrigan  | 33,641
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 4-16  |  Brisbane Broncos | 4 September 1994  | Sydney Football Stadium | Greg McCallum  | 34,891
Semi-finals
North Sydney Bears | 15-14  |  Brisbane Broncos | 10 September 1994  | Sydney Football Stadium | Bill Harrigan  | 36,011
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 19-18  |  Canberra Raiders | 11 September 1994  | Sydney Football Stadium | Greg McCallum  | 41,865
Preliminary final
Canberra Raiders | 22-9  |  North Sydney Bears | 18 September 1994  | Sydney Football Stadium | Greg McCallum  | 41,941
Grand final
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 12-36  |  Canberra Raiders | 25 September 1994  | Sydney Football Stadium | Greg McCallum  | 42,234

### Chart[edit]

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Qualifying final| | | Major semi-final| | | Preliminary final| | | Grand final
| | | |
| 1|  Canterbury| 19| |  Canterbury| 12
| | | | |
| | | |  Canberra| 18| | | | | |  Canberra| 36
| | | | |
| 2|  North Sydney| 12| |  Canberra| 22|
| | | | | |
| 3|  Canberra| 26| | | Minor semi-final| | |  North Sydney| 9| |
| | | | | |
| | |
| |  North Sydney| 15
| | | |
| 4|  Manly| 4| | |  Brisbane| 14| |
| | | |
| 5|  Brisbane| 16| | |
| | | | | |

### Grand final[edit]

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs  | Position  | Canberra Raiders

|
|

1. Scott Wilson

| FB |

1. Brett Mullins

2\. Jason Williams | WG | 2\. Ken Nagas
3\. Steven Hughes | CE | 3\. Mal Meninga (c)
4\. Jarrod McCracken | CE | 4\. Ruben Wiki
5\. Daryl Halligan | WG | 5\. Noa Nadruku
6\. Terry Lamb (c) | FE | 6\. Laurie Daley
7\. Craig Polla-Mounter | HB | 7\. Ricky Stuart
8\. Darren Britt | PR | 8\. Quentin Pongia
9\. Jason Hetherington | HK | 9\. Steve Walters
10\. Martin Bella | PR | 46\. Paul Osborne
11\. Dean Pay | SR | 11\. Jason Croker
12\. Jason Smith | SR | 12\. David Furner
13\. Jim Dymock | LK | 13\. Bradley Clyde
17\. Matthew Ryan | Reserve | 42\. Brett Hetherington
21\. Steve Price | Reserve | 43\. David Westley
40\. Simon Gillies | Reserve |
41\. Mark Brokenshire | Reserve |
Chris Anderson | Coach | Tim Sheens

The Canberra Raiders were confident in the lead up, despite their one-point loss to the Bulldogs in the major semi-final, and everything played into their hands from the whistle. Canterbury veteran prop Martin Bella dropped the ball from the kick-off and before too long Canberra had posted two tries.

Canberra legend Mal Meninga was given a champion's farewell as his "Green Machine" swamped the Bulldogs.[3] Canberra's Paul Osborne also enjoyed a fairytale day. On the outer for most of the year, Osborne won a reprieve, playing at Prop after team-mate John Lomax was suspended for a high tackle in the preliminary final against North Sydney. Osborne, playing in his 135th and last career game before retirement, rose to the occasion by setting up the first two Raiders tries in the opening sixteen minutes.

Meninga's 166th and final match for the Raiders ended perfectly when he scored the last try of the day after intercepting a pass from Jason Smith. Meninga then outlasted the cover defence, running almost 40 metres and palming off his opposite Centre Jarrod McCracken to score the try beside the posts, sending the 42,234 strong crowd at the Sydney Football Stadium into raptures. Despite being a goal kicker for most of his career, Meninga declined to take what would have been an easy conversion of his own try, instead leaving the kick to regular team kicker, Clive Churchill Medallist David Furner.

The Canberra Raiders had claimed their third premiership, amassing the highest score in a grand final since Eastern Suburbs defeated St. George 38-0 in 1975. It was the highest-scoring grand final since 1951 when South Sydney defeated Manly 42-14 (though tries then were worth only three points).

Canberra Raiders 36
Tries: Nagas 2, Furner, Daley, Nadruku, Croker, Meninga
Goals: Furner 4/7

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 12
Tries: Williams, Hetherington
Goals: Halligan 2/2

* Clive Churchill Medallist: David Furner
* Referee: Greg McCallum
* Attendance: 42,234 at the Sydney Football Stadium[4]

## Player statistics[edit]

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 22.

Top 5 point scorers

| Points  | Player  | Tries  | Goals  | Field goals

|
|
|
|

259  |  Daryl Halligan | 12  | 105  | 1
234  |  Matthew Ridge | 5  | 106  | 2
205  |  Jason Taylor | 6  | 88  | 5
170  |  David Furner | 5  | 75  | 0
162  |  Andrew Johns | 7  | 65  | 4

Top 5 try scorers

Tries  | Player

|

22  |  Steve Renouf
20  |  Brett Mullins
19  |  Jason Croker
18  |  Andrew Ettingshausen
18  |  Paul Smith

Top 5 goal scorers

| Goals  | Player

|

106  |  Matthew Ridge
105  |  Daryl Halligan
88  |  Jason Taylor
75  |  David Furner
65  |  Andrew Johns

## See also[edit]

* 1994 State of Origin series

## References[edit]

1. ^ 1994 J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup Archived May 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at rleague.com
2. ^ AAP (22 April 2010). "Melbourne Storm salary cap quotes". The Roar. Australia: The Roar Sports Opinion. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
3. ^ "NRL Finals in the 1990s". sportal.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
4. ^ D'Souza, Miguel. "Grand Final History". wwos.ninemsn.com.au. AAP. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

## External links[edit]

* Rugby League Tables - Season 1994 The World of Rugby League
* NSWRL season 1994 at rugbyleagueproject.com
* Results: 1991-2000 at rabbitohs.com.au

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Canberra Raiders

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