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The 2005 National Rugby League season consisted of 25 weekly regular season rounds starting in March, followed by four weeks of play-offs that culminated in a grand final on 2 October.
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The 2005 National Rugby League season consisted of 25 weekly regular season rounds starting in March, followed by four weeks of play-offs that culminated in a grand final on 2 October.
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time (Local) | Venue | Referees | Attendance | |||||
 Canterbury Bulldogs | 46–28 |  St. George Illawarra Dragons | 11 March 2005, 7:30pm | Telstra Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 33,105 | ||
 Wests Tigers | 12–28 |  Parramatta Eels | 12 March 2005, 5:30pm | Telstra Stadium | Russell Smith | 17,107 | ||
 Cronulla Sharks | 20–14 |  Penrith Panthers | 12 March 2005, 7:30pm | Toyota Stadium | Shayne Hayne Jason Robinson | 19,562 | ||
 Sydney Roosters | 24–12 |  South Sydney Rabbitohs | 12 March 2005, 7:30pm | Sydney Football Stadium | Tony Archer | 22,186 | ||
 New Zealand Warriors | 20–26 |  Manly Sea Eagles | 13 March 2005, 2:00pm | Ericsson Stadium | Sean Hampstead | 13,682 | ||
 Melbourne Storm | 48–10 |  Newcastle Knights | 13 March 2005, 2:30pm | Olympic Park Stadium | Steve Clark | 10,484 | ||
 Brisbane Broncos | 29–16 |  North Queensland Cowboys | 13 March 2005, 3:00pm | Suncorp Stadium | Tim Mander | 43,488 | ||
Bye:  Canberra Raiders | ||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time (Local) | Venue | Referees | Attendance | |||||
| North Queensland Cowboys | 24–12 | Canterbury Bulldogs | 18 March 2005, 7:30pm | Dairy Farmers Stadium | Steve Clark | 21,138 | ||
 Canberra Raiders | 39–14 | Newcastle Knights | 19 March 2005, 5:30pm | Canberra Stadium | Jason Robinson | 11,835 | ||
| Brisbane Broncos | 12–24 | New Zealand Warriors | 19 March 2005, 7:30pm | Suncorp Stadium | Russell Smith | 24,719 | ||
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 12–46 | Melbourne Storm | 19 March 2005, 7:30pm | WIN Stadium | Tony Archer Gavin Badger | 9,032 | ||
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 49–26 | Parramatta Eels | 20 March 2005, 2:30pm | Sydney Football Stadium | Sean Hampstead | 11,445 | ||
| Manly Sea Eagles | 46–20 | Cronulla Sharks | 20 March 2005, 3:00pm | Brookvale Oval | Paul Simpkins | 14,031 | ||
| Penrith Panthers | 20–28 | Sydney Roosters | 20 March 2005, 3:00pm | Penrith Park | Tim Mander | 18,228 | ||
Bye:  Wests Tigers | ||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time (Local) | Venue | Referees | Attendance | |||||
| Sydney Roosters | 22–40 | Brisbane Broncos | 25 March 2005, 7:30pm | Sydney Football Stadium | Tim Mander | 23,157 | ||
| Penrith Panthers | 18–8 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 26 March 2005, 5:30pm | Penrith Park | Russell Smith | 17,187 | ||
| Parramatta Eels | 10–18 | Cronulla Sharks | 26 March 2005, 7:30pm | Parramatta Stadium | Sean Hampstead | 12,103 | ||
| New Zealand Warriors | 22–32 | North Queensland Cowboys | 27 March 2005, 2:00pm | Ericsson Stadium | Tony Archer | 13,888 | ||
| Manly Sea Eagles | 25–18 | Melbourne Storm | 27 March 2005, 2:30pm | Brookvale Oval | Steve Clark | 15,470 | ||
| Canterbury Bulldogs | 36–37 | Wests Tigers | 27 March 2005, 3:00pm | Telstra Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 19,984 | ||
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 18–25 | Canberra Raiders | 28 March 2005, 3:00pm | Sydney Football Stadium | Jason Robinson | 14,455 | ||
Bye:  Newcastle Knights | ||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time (Local) | Venue | Referees | Attendance | |||||
| Parramatta Eels | 26–16 | Penrith Panthers | 1 April 2005, 7:30pm | Parramatta Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 15,119 | ||
| Melbourne Storm | 50–4 | Brisbane Broncos | 2 April 2005, 5:30pm | Olympic Park Stadium | Sean Hampstead | 12,194 | ||
| Canberra Raiders | 42–22 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 2 April 2005, 7:30pm | Canberra Stadium | Tim Mander | 15,614 | ||
| North Queensland Cowboys | 52–18 | Newcastle Knights | 2 April 2005, 7:30pm | Dairy Farmers Stadium | Jason Robinson | 22,347 | ||
| New Zealand Warriors | 46–14 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 3 April 2005, 2:00 pm | Ericsson Stadium | Russell Smith | 9,751 | ||
| Cronulla Sharks | 26–12 | Canterbury Bulldogs | 3 April 2005, 2:30 pm | Toyota Stadium | Tony Archer | 17,053 | ||
| Sydney Roosters | 26–32 | Wests Tigers | 3 April 2005, 3:00 pm | Sydney Football Stadium | Steve Clark | 13,946 | ||
Bye:  Manly Sea Eagles | ||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time (Local) | Venue | Referees | Attendance | |||||
| Penrith Panthers | 36–16 | Melbourne Storm | 8 April 2005, 7:30 pm | Penrith Park | Steve Clark | 14,844 | ||
| Wests Tigers | 24–6 | New Zealand Warriors | 9 April 2005, 5:30 pm | Jade Stadium | Jason Robinson | 18,421 | ||
| Cronulla Sharks | 38–6 | North Queensland Cowboys | 9 April 2005, 7:30 pm | Toyota Park | Tim Mander | 17,323 | ||
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 32–6 | Manly Sea Eagles | 9 April 2005, 7:30 pm | Win Stadium | Sean Hampstead | 16,117 | ||
| Brisbane Broncos | 54–14 | Parramatta Eels | 10 April 2005, 2:30 pm | Suncorp Stadium | Tony Archer Shayne Hayne | 25,843 | ||
| Canberra Raiders | 24–16 | Sydney Roosters | 10 April 2005, 3:00 pm | Canberra Stadium | Russell Smith | 19,130 | ||
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 37–12 | Newcastle Knights | 10 April 2005, 3:00 pm | Central Coast Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 16,162 | ||
Bye:  Canterbury Bulldogs | ||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time (Local) | Venue | Referees | Attendance | |||||
| Canterbury Bulldogs | 16–29 | Sydney Roosters | 15 April 2005, 7:30 pm | Telstra Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 27,111 | ||
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 6–36 | Penrith Panthers | 16 April 2005, 5:30 pm | Sydney Football Stadium | Tony Archer | 11,108 | ||
| Melbourne Storm | 14–26 | Parramatta Eels | 16 April 2005, 7:30 pm | Olympic Park | Tim Mander | 9,649 | ||
| North Queensland Cowboys | 44–20 | Wests Tigers | 16 April 2005, 7:30 pm | Dairy Farmers Stadium | Sean Hampstead | 20,361 | ||
| Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 36–14 | Canberra Raiders | 17 April 2005, 2:30 pm | Brookvale Oval | Jason Robinson | 17,061 | ||
| Newcastle Knights | 26–30 | New Zealand Warriors | 17 April 2005, 2:30 pm | Energy Australia Stadium | Russell Smith | 18,173 | ||
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 24–34 | Brisbane Broncos | 17 April 2005, 3:00 pm | WIN Stadium | Steve Clark | 17,287 | ||
Bye:  Cronulla Sharks | ||||||||
The National Rugby League's 2005 finals series ran from 9 September to 2 October 2005, as eight teams vied to win the NRL Premiership in the Grand Final after the 2005 season. The final placings and first-week match-ups were decided only after all the matches in the final week were completed. The Grand Final, played on 2 October, was won by the Wests Tigers who claimed their first-ever NRL premiership. The runners up were the North Queensland Cowboys.
The system used for the NRL is the McIntyre final eight system, which is designed by Ken McIntyre in addition to the McIntyre Four, Five and Six systems to determine which two teams will play for the Premiership. In each of the three weeks of the competition, two teams are eliminated until only two teams are left. The better a team finishes in the home-and-away season ladder, the easier their route through to the grand final.
In the first week, twos are paired off as such by rank (games are played at the home ground of the higher seed):
Once all four games ave been played, teams are grouped into winners and losers, and then ranked based on their home-and-away season standings, for example:
| Rank | Winners | Losers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team 1 | Team 2 |
| 2 | Team 3 | Team 5 |
| 3 | Team 4 | Team 6 |
| 4 | Team 7 | Team 8 |
...Losers #3 and #4 are immediately eliminated, while Winners #3 and #4 will face Losers #1 and #2 (in other words, a "double chance" for the two highest-ranked losers). Winners #1 and #2 receive a bye to week three, to await the winners of the two semi-finals.
The winners of the two preliminary finals will then face off for the premiership in the grand final.
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (4) Wests Tigers | 14 | 36 | 50 |
| (5) Nth QLD | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Date | Friday, 9 September 2005 8 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Wests) | 3: B Hodgson 1: D Fitzhenry, L Fulton, P Richards, P Whatuira, S Elford |
| Tries (NQLD) | 1: M Sing |
| Goals (Wests) | 9: B Hodgson |
| Goals (NQLD) | 1: J Hannay |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Telstra Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 26,463 |
| Referee | Paul Simpkins |
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (3) Brisbane | 4 | 14 | 18 |
| (6) Melbourne | 18 | 6 | 24 |
| Date | Saturday, 10 September 2005 6:30 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Bris) | 1: D Smith, S Minto, B Seymour |
| Tries (Melb) | 1: B Slater, G Inglis, J Webster, M King |
| Goals (Bris) | 3: B Seymour |
| Goals (Melb) | 2: M Orford, C Smith |
| Injuries | Melb: Kearns (dislocated shoulder), Slater (ankle) |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Attendance | 25,193 |
| Referee | Steve Clark |
This was the second successive year the Broncos and the Storm have met at this stage, with Melbourne winning 31–14 in 2004. In what looked to be a case of déjà vu, the Storm won this match 24–18. In 2006, they would meet again in a final, but this time in a Grand Final, the Broncos winning 15–8. | |
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (2) St George Illawarra | 4 | 24 | 28 |
| (7) Cronulla | 12 | 10 | 22 |
| Date | Saturday, 10 September 2005 8:30 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (StGI) | 2: C Best 1: D Young, T Barrett, W Naiqama |
| Tries (Cro) | 1: B Scott, D Simmons, N Vagana, P Gallen |
| Goals (StGI) | 4: M Ennis |
| Goals (Cro) | 3: L Covell |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | WIN Stadium, Wollongong |
| Attendance | 19,608 |
| Referee | Tony Archer |
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Parramatta | 28 | 18 | 46 |
| (8) Manly | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| Date | Sunday, 11 September 2005 4 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Par) | 2: T Tahu 1: C Robinson, M Riddell, E Grothe, L Burt, D Wagon, A Peek |
| Tries (Man) | 2: B Kennedy 1: A Watmough, M Witt |
| Goals (Par) | 7: L Burt |
| Goals (Man) | 2: L Williamson 1: M Monaghan |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Parramatta Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 19,710 |
| Referee | Tim Mander |
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (6) Melbourne | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| (5) Nth QLD | 16 | 8 | 24 |
| Date | Saturday, 17 September 2005 7:45 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Melb) | 1: S Bell, M King, M Orford |
| Tries (NQLD) | 2: T Williams 1: M Bowen, D Faiumu |
| Goals (Melb) | 1: C Smith, M Orford |
| Goals (NQLD) | 2: J Thurston, J Hannay |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 16,810 |
| Referee | Paul Simpkins |
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (4) Wests Tigers | 10 | 24 | 34 |
| (3) Brisbane | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Date | Sunday, 18 September 2005 4 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Wests) | 2: D Fitzhenry 1: B Hodgson, M. O'Neill, B Marshall, S Prince |
| Tries (Bris) | 1: D Lockyer |
| Goals (Wests) | 5: B Hodgson |
| Goals (Bris) | 1: B Seymour |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 36,563 |
| Referee | Tim Mander |
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (2) St George Illawarra | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| (4) Wests Tigers | 16 | 4 | 20 |
| Date | Saturday, 24 September 2005 7;45pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (StG) | 1: W Naiqama, T Barrett |
| Tries (WES) | 2: D Halatau 1: C Heighington, B Marshall |
| Goals (StG) | 2: M Ennis |
| Goals (WES) | 2: B Hodgson |
| F.Goals (StG) | None |
| F.Goals (WES) | None |
| Injuries | Pat Richards (Ankle) |
| Reports | None |
| Venue | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Attendance | 41,260 |
| Referee | Tim Mander |
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Parramatta | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (5) Nth QLD | 18 | 11 | 29 |
| Date | Sunday, 25 September 2005 4 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Par) | None |
| Tries (NQLD) | 1: M Bowen, R Jensen, B Firman, T Williams, J Hannay |
| Goals (Par) | None |
| Goals (NQLD) | 4: J Hannay |
| F.Goals (Par) | None |
| F.Goals (NQLD) | 1: J Thurston |
| Injuries | Par: T Smith (head) NQLD: Norton (back) |
| Reports | NQLD: O'Donnell for high shot on T Smith |
| Venue | Telstra Stadium, Sydney, NSW |
| Attendance | 44,327 |
| Referee | Steve Clark |
Brett Firman scores in the 2005 Preliminary Final | |
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (4) Wests Tigers | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| (5) North Queensland Cowboys | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| Date | Sunday, 2 October 2005 7 pm AEST |
|---|---|
| Tries (Wests Tigers) | 1: Bryce Gibbs, Pat Richards, Anthony Laffranchi, Daniel Fitzhenry, Todd Payten |
| Tries (North Queensland Cowboys) | 1: Matt Bowen, Travis Norton, Matt Sing |
| Goals (Wests Tigers) | 5/6: Brett Hodgson |
| Goals (North Queensland Cowboys) | 2/3: Josh Hannay |
| Field Goals (Wests Tigers) | None |
| Field Goals (North Queensland Cowboys) | None |
| Injuries | None |
| Reports | None |
| Churchill Medal | Scott Prince (Wests Tigers) |
| Venue | Telstra Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Attendance | 82,453 |
| Referee | Tim Mander |
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