2000 NRL season
The 2000 NRL season was the 93rd season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the third to be run by the National Rugby League. Fourteen teams competed from February till August for the NRL Premiership, culminating in the 2000 NRL Grand final between the Brisbane Broncos and the Sydney Roosters.
| 2000 National Rugby League | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 February – 27 August 2000 |
| Teams | 14 |
| Premiers |  Brisbane (5th title) |
| Minor premiers | Brisbane (5th title) |
| Matches played | 191 |
| Points scored | 8050 |
| Average attendance | 15,494 |
| Attendance | 2,959,390 |
| Top points scorer(s) |  Joel Caine (224) |
| Player of the year |  Trent Barrett (Dally M Medal) |
| Top try-scorer(s) | Nathan Blacklock (25) |
Season summary
The 2000 National Rugby League season started with a new CEO in rugby union's David Moffett who replaced Neil Whittaker in late 1999.[1]
The season began in early February to accommodate the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games which were to be held during September and required the use of Stadium Australia, the grand final venue. The grand final was scheduled for late August, the first grand final in that month since 1963. The capacity of Stadium Australia for the grand final was limited due to preparations for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, which would take place just nineteen days later.
Throughout the month of February, mandatory breaks in play at the 20th and 60th minute of the game were implemented to allow players to rehydrate themselves. Due to concerns over the summer heat, the Brisbane and North Queensland clubs played their first four games away from home.
The Cowboys were stripped of two competition points after it was later revealed that they unwittingly used a fourteenth player for three minutes in their 26–18 win against the Parramatta Eels, due to an error in interchanging players.
Melbourne Storm players Stephen Kearney and Marcus Bai ended the career of Wests Tigers captain Jarrod McCracken with a spear tackle. Kearney was suspended for 8 matches and Bai for 2 matches. The two men were also sued by McCraken, who won a six-figure damages bill.
The Canberra Raiders and the Wests Tigers became the first teams to play a premiership game in the snow. It occurred at Bruce Stadium on 28 May and it is the only premiership game played in these conditions.
Teams
The season saw the debut of the Wests Tigers (formed by the merging of the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies) and Northern Eagles (formed by the merging of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and North Sydney Bears) in the National Rugby League. In addition, the South Sydney Rabbitohs were excluded from the competition, thereby completing the NRL's rationalisation process from 20 teams in 1998 to 14 in 2000.
For the 2000 season, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs changed their name again, this time to the geographically indistinct "Bulldogs" and the Auckland Warriors were re-branded the New Zealand Warriors at the end of the season.
Advertising
For the first time since farewelling Tina Turner in 1995 the NRL used a major recording star in its promotional campaign and accessed a media budget that saw the launch ad shown regularly throughout the season. Sydney advertising agency VCD in the last of their four-year tenure on the NRL account shot an ad with Tom Jones performing on stage alongside hi-kicking female dancers,[2] the 1993 Salt-N-Pepa hit Whatta Man with lyrics re-worked as "What A Game".
Records and statistics
- Martin Lang ran 4,571 metres with the ball in 2000, more than any other player in the competition.[3]
- Melbourne Storm club record for their biggest ever win and most points in a game : 70–10 over St. George Illawarra Dragons in round 5.
- Melbourne Storm club record for their biggest ever loss : 50–4 loss to St. George Illawarra Dragons in round 18.
- St. George Illawarra Dragons club record for their biggest ever win : 50–4 over Melbourne Storm in round 18.
- North Queensland Cowboys scored their first ever 50 points in a game: 50–10 over Northern Eagles in round 8.
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Broncos (P) |
26 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 696 | 388 | +308 | 38 | |
| 2 |  Sydney Roosters |
26 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 601 | 520 | +81 | 32 | |
| 3 |  Newcastle Knights |
26 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 686 | 532 | +154 | 31 | |
| 4 |  Canberra Raiders |
26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 506 | 479 | +27 | 30 | |
| 5 |  Penrith Panthers |
26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 573 | 562 | +11 | 30 | |
| 6 |  Melbourne Storm |
26 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 672 | 529 | +143 | 29 | |
| 7 |  Parramatta Eels |
26 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 476 | 456 | +20 | 29 | |
| 8 |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
26 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 570 | 463 | +107 | 26 | |
| 9 | St George Illawarra Dragons |
26 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 576 | 656 | -80 | 24 | |
| 10 | Wests Tigers |
26 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 519 | 642 | -123 | 24 | |
| 11 |  Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 469 | 553 | -84 | 21 | |
| 12 |  Northern Eagles |
26 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 476 | 628 | -152 | 18 | |
| 13 |  Auckland Warriors |
26 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 426 | 662 | -236 | 18 | |
| 14 |  North Queensland Cowboys |
26 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 436 | 612 | -176 | 121 | |
1 North Queensland were stripped of 2 competition points due to a breach of the interchange rule in Round 4.
Ladder progression
- Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 8.
- Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
- Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished in 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 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane |
1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 38 |
| 2 | Sydney |
2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
| 3 | Newcastle |
0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 |
| 4 | Canberra |
2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 |
| 5 | Penrith |
2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 |
| 6 | Melbourne |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 29 |
| 7 | Parramatta |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 29 |
| 8 | Cronulla |
2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 |
| 9 | St George Illawarra |
0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 |
| 10 | Wests |
1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| 11 | Bulldogs |
0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| 12 | Northern Eagles |
2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| 13 | Auckland |
2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 |
| 14 | North Queensland |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Finals series
The biggest upset of the 2000 Finals series was in the 3rd Qualifying Final when 7th placed Parramatta Eels beat 2nd placed Sydney Roosters 32-8 at the SFS. It was nearly a similar story for Minor Premiers' the Brisbane Broncos when they came from 20-6 down at halftime to win 34-20 against 8th placed Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the 4th Qualifying Final at QSAC. The Sydney Roosters also made a famous comeback when they came from 16-2 down at halftime to win 26-20 against the Newcastle Knights in the 1st Preliminary Final at the SFS to earn a spot in the Grand final against Brisbane.
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Venue | Referee | Crowd | |||||
| Qualifying Finals | ||||||||
| Canberra Raiders |
34–16 | Penrith Panthers |
4 August 2000 | Bruce Stadium | Steve Clark | 18,479 | ||
| Newcastle Knights |
30–16 | Melbourne Storm |
5 August 2000 | Marathon Stadium | Tim Mander | 20,597 | ||
| Sydney Roosters |
8–32 | Parramatta Eels |
5 August 2000 | Sydney Football Stadium | Bill Harrigan | 21,377 | ||
| Brisbane Broncos |
34–20 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
6 August 2000 | ANZ Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 25,831 | ||
| Semi-finals | ||||||||
| Parramatta Eels |
28–10 | Penrith Panthers |
12 August 2000 | Sydney Football Stadium | Bill Harrigan | 25,746 | ||
| Canberra Raiders |
10–38 | Sydney Roosters |
13 August 2000 | Sydney Football Stadium | Tim Mander | 16,441 | ||
| Preliminary Finals | ||||||||
| Newcastle Knights |
20–26 | Sydney Roosters |
19 August 2000 | Sydney Football Stadium | Bill Harrigan | 33,727 | ||
| Brisbane Broncos |
16–10 | Parramatta Eels |
20 August 2000 | Stadium Australia | Tim Mander | 31,087 | ||
Chart
| Qualifying finals | Semifinals | Preliminary finals | Final | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Brisbane | 34 | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Cronulla | 20 | 1W | Brisbane | 16 | |||||||||||||
| 4W | Parramatta | 28 | Parramatta | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | Sydney | 8 | 2L | Penrith | 10 | |||||||||||||
| Brisbane | 14 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Parramatta | 32 | ||||||||||||||||
| Sydney | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Newcastle | 30 | 2W | Newcastle | 20 | |||||||||||||
| 6 | Melbourne | 16 | 3W | Canberra | 10 | Sydney | 26 | |||||||||||
| 1L | Sydney | 38 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Canberra | 34 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Penrith | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
Grand final
| Brisbane Broncos |
14 – 6 | Sydney Roosters |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: 2 Tuqiri  16'Sailor 54'Goals: 3 De Vere  pen 11', 17', pen 26' (3/5) |
1st: 10–2 2nd: 4–4 Report[4] |
Tries: 1 Fitzgibbon 69'Goals: 1 Phillips pen 33' (1/1)Fitzgibbon (0/1) |
Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 94,277[5] Referee: Bill Harrigan Touch judges: Steve Lyons, Phil Cooley Clive Churchill Medal: Darren Lockyer (Brisbane) |
Player statistics
The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26.
|
Top 5 point scorers
Top 5 try scorers
|
Top 5 goal scorers
|
2000 Transfers
Players
Coaches
| Coach | 1999 Club | 2000 Club |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne Pearce |  Balmain Tigers |
Wests Tigers |
| Peter Sharp |  Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles |
Northern Eagles |
| Graham Murray |  Super League: Leeds Rhinos |
Sydney Roosters |
References
- Hadfield, Dave (30 November 1999). "Moffett insists conversion is no miracle". The Independent. UK: Independent News and Media Limited. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- Mealey, Rachel (29 January 2000). "Tom Jones the new voice of NRL". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
- Proszenko, Adrian (6 May 2012). "Gallen set to smash record". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- Middleton, David. Rugby League 2001. Sydney: Harper Sports. pp. 181–182. ISBN 0732269261.
- "2000 NRL Grand Final". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 8 March 2023.