2025 National Rugby League Premiership Quiz

Answer: Penrith Panthers

The season proper kicked off with two games in Round 1 being played in Las Vegas, where the Penrith Panthers defeated Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 28-22. The Canberra Raiders won the other match, 30-8 over the New Zealand Warriors. After winning their opening match, Penrith lost their next five matches, and near the midway point of the season, at Rounds 8 and 12, Penrith were last (17th) on the table. No team had ever made the playoffs from that position.

The club then won their next nine matches before losing two of their last three matches in golden point.

Answer: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, one of the powerhouse teams of the competition (esp. in the 1980s), had been floundering near the bottom of the table between 2018-23, 'winning' the wooden spoon in 2022. In 2024, they had a late-season revival and finished 6th on the table, before being eliminated in the first week of the final series.

However, no one expected them to be the head of the table with a 9-1 record after 11 rounds in 2025. They headed the table from weeks 4-16 before finishing the regular season in third place with a 16-8 record.

Answer: Brisbane Broncos

Grand finalists in 2023, the Brisbane Broncos were expected to finish just as highly in 2024 but dropped to 12th overall, resulting in their coach, Kevin Walters, being controversially fired. Michael Maguire, an old school coach, was appointed, and after some impressive wins early in the season, they lost six from seven games mid-season before turning their season around, losing only two more matches in the regular season to finish in the top four after the last round of regular fixtures.

Answer: Canberra Raiders

The Canberra Raiders were a competitive team in the previous eight seasons, usually finishing mid-table. In 2025, a team with few elite players, after a couple of early losses, reached the top position in Round 17 and never relinquished it. They only lost two more matches in the regular season until the final round, when they rested players for the finals, as they were four points clear at the top of the table.

Answer: Dolphins

The Dolphins joined the competition in 2023 to become the fourth Queensland team. Ostensibly, the second Brisbane team (they evolved out of the Redcliffe Dolphins) but did not add a geographical location to their team name to hopefully attract a more national fan base. By mid-season, they were in the top eight and headed for their first finals series, but they lost three in a row late in the season to drop out of the top eight in round 23, eventually finishing ninth on 30 points, two points behind the Sydney Rooster on 32 points.

Other teams that did not make the final eight were the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Parramatta Eels, North Queensland Cowboys, Wests Tigers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, St. George Illawarra Dragons, Gold Coast Titans, and the Newcastle Knights. These teams came 10th-17th, respectively.

Answer: New Zealand Warriors

New Zealand Warriors played consistently all season, reaching the top four in week four and staying there until the very end when they lost their final two regular season matches. They finished sixth, losing their chance to be able to wear a loss in the first finals week (only available to teams in the top four).

This meant they played the seventh team in the first finals week, which was Penrith. They lost this match 24-8 and were eliminated from the competition.

Answer: Canberra Raiders

In the first week of the finals, team 1 played team 4. Minor Premiers Canberra were leading Brisbane 28-12 after 56 minutes, but Brisbane fought back and, at the end of 80 minutes, it was 28-26 when Brisbane attempted a two-point field goal but missed.

However, the Brisbane kicker had his kicking leg knocked in the process of kicking, resulting in Brisbane gaining a penalty. They elected to kick for goal, making the score 28-28 after regulation time. In the ten-minute overtime period, Canberra thought they had it won when they scored a try, but it was disallowed as there was a knock on, resulting in the scores still being tied at 28-28.

The match went into golden point, where the first to score won. Brisbane kicked a field goal in the 94th minute to win the match 29-28.

This was regarded as the most exciting game of the season.

Answer: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

The Canterbury Bulldogs finished third in the regular season, which meant they could afford to lose their Week 1 finals match and have a second chance in Week 2. In Week 1, it was second versus third, so the Bulldogs played Melbourne Storm. It was a close-fought game, but the Storm won 26-18.

In Week 2, their second chance was against Penrith Panthers, who had won their Elimination Final the week before. The Panthers scored six first-half converted tries to lead the Bulldogs 36-8. In the second half, the Bulldogs outscored the Panthers 18-10, but it was nowhere near enough: The Panthers won 46-26, eliminating the Bulldogs from the competition.

Answer: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

Cronulla-Sutherland played well in 2025 and finished with 36 points, the same as fourth-placed Brisbane, but their points difference was much less, meaning they finished the regular season in fifth place. This meant that they faced the eighth-placed Sydney Roosters in an elimination final.

They won this match 20-10, eliminating the Roosters, with the Sharks through to week two of the finals. In Week 2, the Sharks faced Canberra, who had lost against Brisbane the week before. Cronulla won this game comfortably, 30-12, sending them into a preliminary final. Canberra, title favourites and Minor Premiers, had been eliminated.

Answer: Melbourne Storm

As Melbourne finished second in the regular season, this gave them the luxury of being able to lose in Week 1 and not be eliminated. They didn't need it. Their Week 1 win over the Bulldogs earned them a week off in Week 2, so they could go straight to the Preliminary Finals in Week 3.

They played Cronulla in this match, and scored three first-half tries to lead 16-8 at the break. The Storm then hung on to grind out a 22-14 win. Melbourne Storm was the first team through to the Grand Final.

Answer: Penrith Panthers

The Brisbane Broncos, by winning in Week 1, had a week off in Week 2 and went straight to the Preliminary Final, where they drew the fast-finishing Penrith Panthers. This was a rematch of the 2023 Grand Final, where Penrith came from 22-8 down to win 26-22. Penrith also won the 2024 Grand Final against Melbourne, to win their fourth consecutive premiership.

With Penrith leading 14-0 at halftime, no one but the most ardent Broncos fan gave Brisbane any hope of winning, but the Broncos scored 16 points to none in the second half to win 16-14. A special moment was when Mariner went over to level the scores 14-14 in the 75th minute; it was Captain Adam Reynolds, not Reece Walsh, the appointed kicker, who took the conversion attempt from near the sideline. When he kicked the goal, giving Brisbane the lead, according to the reports, the Brisbane home stadium, Lang Park, shook with a capacity crowd of 52,491, realising what was about to happen. Brisbane found some retribution for the 2023 Grand Final loss by eliminating the Panthers, but more importantly, qualifying for the 2025 Grand Final.

Answer: Brisbane Broncos

There was a lot of background to the 2025 NRL Grand Final between Melbourne and Brisbane. Both were the last two beaten grand finalists. Melbourne was Brisbane's bogey side. They were the only NRL team Brisbane did not have a winning record against - Melbourne had won 15 of the last 17 matches the two team had played. Melbourne was the most successful club of the 21st century ar that time - contesting 12 grand finals, winning six since their first in 1999. Brisbane won six premierships in their first 18 years (The last in 2006 against Melbourne) but had not won one in the last 18 (beaten grand finalists on two occasions).
Melbourne were heavy favourites. Many commentators thought that the cost of two two-second-half comebacks by Brisbane in their previous two finals would cost them. One noted commentator, a former Australian international player, said if Melbourne were in front by ten at halftime, Brisbane could not win.

The match was played in Sydney (the fourth Grand Final with no NSW side represented). Melbourne was caught off guard when Brisbane scored a converted try within three minutes, but the Storm machine clicked into gear, scoring four tries (three converted) with only a brilliant Reece Walsh individual try stopping a Storm shellacking. The halftime score was Melbourne in front by ten - 22-12.

The Melbourne onslaught continued in the second half when Tui Kamikamica apparently scored a try to put Melbourne 14 points in front, but the replay showed that he had dropped the ball as Reece Walsh tackled him. This proved to be the turning point in the match as Brisbane scored three unanswered tries with two conversions to lead 26-22 at the 60th minute mark. The last twenty minutes were a nail-biter as Melbourne threw everything at Brisbane, but the Broncos' resolute defence kept on turning up, frustrating Melbourne's attack and rhythm. The Broncos' two most experienced players, Reynolds and Hunt (664 games between them), finished the game injured on the sidelines, leaving Brisbane with a makeshift halves combination. However, Brisbane were not to be denied. They kept the Storm scoreless for the second half and held on to win 26-22. It was their seventh premiership and first in 19 years. Reece Walsh was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for player of the match.