National Rugby League season 2003
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| 2003 National Rugby League season | |
|---|---|
| Image:NRLlogo.gif Logo of the NRL | |
| Teams | 15 |
| Premiers | Image:Penrith colours.png Penrith (2nd title) |
| Minor Premiers | Image:Penrith colours.png Penrith (2nd title) |
| Matches played | 189 |
| Points scored | 8993 (average 47.582 per match) |
| Attendance | 2,895,740 (average 15,321 per match) |
| Top points scorer(s) | Image:Canterbury colours.png Hazem El Masri (294 points) |
| Top try scorer(s) | Image:Penrith colours.png Rhys Wesser (25 tries) |
Fifteen clubs contested in the 6th National Rugby League premiership, the 96th season of professional rugby league football in Australia. The Penrith Panthers defeated reigning champions, the Sydney Roosters in the grand final, claiming their first premiership since 1991. Manly rejoined the competition since their merger with North Sydney in 1999, with the license of the former Northern Eagles reverting back to the Sea Eagles.
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[edit] Season summary
The major story this season was the resurgence of the Penrith Panthers, who defied the critics and naysayers to win just their second premiership since joining the competition in 1967. Coached by John Lang and captained by Craig Gower, the Panthers were the surprise minor premiers and would continue their outstanding form in the finals, beating the Broncos, Warriors and finally the Roosters in the grand final.
The Dally M Medal ceremony was cancelled by the NRL after negotiations with the players' union, the Rugby League Professionals Association, stalled. All votes for the award were destroyed. It was later revealed that with one round of the regular season to play, Craig Gower was leading both Brad Fittler and Clinton Schifcofske by one point in the overall points tally. However, with the ceremony officially cancelled more than a week out from the awards, no points were allocated in the final round of the season.[1]
At the end of the season, Chris Anderson would lose his job at Cronulla, while Peter Sharp was dismissed as Manly coach.
[edit] Records set in 2003
Nathan Brown became the youngest coach in recent years of the NRL at the age of 29. Brown had retired from playing in 2001 after a neck injury in a trial game.
Referee Bill Harrigan's tenth grand final in 2003 stands as the record for the most grand finals officiated by a referee. This was also his last ever game before retirement.
Hazem El Masri's tally of 294 points was, at the time, an individual record for most points scored in a season in Australian club rugby league history. El Masri would beat his own record the following year.
On August 23rd the Parramatta Eels beat the Cronulla Sharks 74 to 4, at the time the third highest winning margin for a club game in Australian rugby league history.
The Brisbane Broncos set a record for their longest losing streak, from round 20 to the 4th qualifying final. This record was equalled in 2005, from round 22 of that year to round one the following year.
The Penrith Panthers became the first team to win the minor premiership and hold bottom spot on the ladder in the same season.
[edit] Season advertising
In 2003 the NRL sacked their advertising agency of the previous two years Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney and took the unusual step of coming up with their own in-house creative concept. Former Cronulla Sharks player and then current Parramatta Eels assistant coach Alan Wilson hit upon the idea of using the Hoodoo Gurus' 1987 hit "What's My Scene?" with reworked lyrics as "That's My Team".
"and another thing, I'm discovering lately, I'm a bit crazy, for my rugby league team "
Wilson is a friend of Hoodoo Gurus singer Dave Faulkner and made the necessary arrangements which included re-uniting the band to re-record the track. Faulkner is a long-time supporter of the Sharks and the original film clip of "What's My Scene?" had included shots of band members in Wests and Cronulla jumpers.
The ad focusses on the grass roots supporters at all levels of the game and in its finished version includes shots of fans from the Cessnock Goannas, a proud Bulldogs supporter and a Penrith teenager with a broken leg signed by her heroes. These images are included with the usual fare of pre-season team training images, big-hits, clever passes and post-try celebrations.[2].
To produce the ad the League returned to the agency who created and produced the Tina Turner campaigns from 1989 to 1995 - Hertz Walpole Advertising by now renamed MJW Hakuhodo.
[edit] Ladder
[edit] Finals series
[edit] Grand final
| Penrith Panthers | Position | Sydney Roosters |
|---|---|---|
| Rhys Wesser | FB | Anthony Minichiello |
| Luke Lewis | WG | Todd Byrne |
| Ryan Girdler | CE | Ryan Cross |
| Paul Whatuira | CE | Shannon Hegarty |
| Luke Rooney | WG | Chris Walker |
| Preston Campbell | FE | Brad Fittler |
| Craig Gower (c) | HB | Brett Finch |
| Joel Clinton | PR | Jason Cayless |
| Luke Priddis | HK | Craig Wing |
| Martin Lang | PR | Ned Catic |
| Joe Galuvao | SR | Adrian Morley |
| Tony Puletua | SR | Craig Fitzgibbon |
| Scott Sattler | LK | Luke Ricketson |
| Ben Ross | Interchange | Michael Crocker |
| Trent Waterhouse | Interchange | Andrew Lomu |
| Shane Rodney | Interchange | Chad Robinson |
| Luke Swain | Interchange | Chris Flannery |
| John Lang | Coach | Ricky Stuart |
The Panthers defied the odds and the critics to take out their second premiership with a superb 18-6 win over the Roosters. In a game of incredible quality that belied the slippery conditions, Penrith matched the Roosters tackle for tackle then laid on three superb tries to emerge victorious.
Luke Priddis scored one try and set up the other two to win the Clive Churchill Medal, while lock Scott Sattler pulled of one of the great grand final plays when he cut down runaway Roosters winger Todd Byrne to save a certain try.
Penrith Panthers 18 (Tries: Rooney 2, Priddis. Goals: Girdler 1/1, Campbell 2/2.)
Sydney Roosters 6 (Tries: Hegarty. Goals: Fitzgibbon 1/1.)
Clive Churchill Medallist: Luke Priddis
[edit] Sources and footnotes
- ^ Pace, Daniel. "Freddie sympathises with Gower but backs players' stance", Australian Associated Press, 2003-09-07. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
- ^ B&T magazine article 2003
