Grand Final win rates

General Rugby League
1

I have been running an eye over the history books again, looking at the success rates each team has had in Grand Finals (of Finals in earlier years). For the sake of this list, I have not included drawn games, or seasons decided by default (first past post, forfeited finals, drawn finals with premiership awarded to higher team). I have kept Melbourne’s stripped premierships as part of these figures, as they are more about win rates in the game, than actual premierships.

Newcastle 100% (2/2)
Wests Tigers 100% (1/1)
Brisbane 75% (6/8)
Penrith 75% (6/8)
Souths 63% (17/27)
Melbourne 55% (6/11)
St George 55% (15/27)
Canberra 50% (3/6)
Norths 50% (1/2)
St George Illawarra 50% (1/2)
Easts/Sydney Roosters 48% (12/25)
Balmain 47% (7/15)
Canterbury 44% (8/18)
Manly 42% (8/19)
Parramatta 40% (4/10)
Wests 40% (4/10)
North Queensland 33% (1/3)
Newtown 29% (2/7)
Cronulla 25% (1/4)
New Zealand 0% (0/2)
Glebe 0% (0/1)
University 0% (0/1)

2

Looking at just the time the Panthers have been in the competition, the win rates look like this:

Newcastle 100% (2/2)
Wests Tigers 100% (1/1)
Brisbane 75% (6/8)
Penrith 75% (6/8)
Souths 71% (5/7)
Melbourne 55% (6/11)
Manly 50% (8/16)
Easts/Sydney Roosters 50% (6/12)
Canberra 50% (3/6)
St George Illawarra 50% (1/2)
Canterbury 43% (6/14)
Parramatta 40% (4/10)
Balmain 33% (1/3)
North Queensland 33% (1/3)
St George 25% (2/8)
Cronulla 25% (1/4)
New Zealand 0% (0/2)
Newtown 0% (0/1)

3

Looking at just the NRL era:

Newcastle 100% (1/1)
Wests Tigers 100% (1/1)
Cronulla 100% (1/1)
Penrith 83% (5/6)
Brisbane 60% (3/5)
Melbourne 55% (6/11)
Easts/Sydney Roosters 50% (4/8)
Manly 50% (2/4)
Souths 50% (1/2)
St George Illawarra 50% (1/2)
North Queensland 33% (1/3)
Canterbury 25% (1/4)
Canberra 0% (0/1)
New Zealand 0% (0/2)
Parramatta 0% (0/3)

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4

Following on from this…

It occurred to me earlier that we are one of the most successful teams since we entered the competition in 1967:

8 Premierships:
Manly (1972-3, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1995, 2008, 2011)

6 Premierships:
Penrith (1991, 2003, 2021-4)
Easts/Sydney Roosters (1974-5, 2002, 2013, 2018-9)
Canterbury (1980, 1984-5, 1988, 1995, 2004)
Brisbane (1992-3, 1997*, 1998, 2000, 2006)
Melbourne (1999, 2007**, 2009**, 2012, 2017, 2020)

5 Premierships:
Souths (1967-8, 1970-1, 2014)

4 Premierships:
Parramatta (1981-3, 1986)

3 Premierships:
Canberra (1989-90, 1994)

2 Premierships
St George (1977, 1979)
Newcastle (1997*, 2001)

1 Premiership:
Balmain (1969)
Wests Tigers (2004)
St George Illawarra (2010)
North Queensland (2015)
Cronulla (2016)

*Split competition
**Premierships later withdrawn

Hopefully we move into outright second this year

5

NRL era only:

6 Premierships:
Melbourne (1999, 2007*, 2009*, 2012, 2017, 2020)

5 Premierships:
Penrith (2003, 2021-4)

4 Premierships:
Sydney Roosters (2002, 2013, 2018-9)

3 Premierships:
Brisbane (1998, 2000, 2006)

2 Premierships:
Manly (2008, 2011)

1 Premiership:
Newcastle (2001)
Canterbury (2004)
Wests Tigers (2005)
St George Illawarra (2010)
Souths (2014)
North Queensland (2015)
Cronulla (2016)

*Premiership later withdrawals

Technically we are the most successful in the NRL era, due to Melbourne’s stripped premierships. Another win and we are equal regardless.

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6

All time premierships:

21 Premierships:
Souths (1908-9, 1914, 1918, 1925-9, 1931-2, 1950-1, 1952-5, 1967-8, 1970-1, 2014)

15 Premierships:
St George (1941, 1949, 1956-66, 1977, 1979)
Easts/Sydney Roosters (1911-3, 1923, 1935-7, 1940, 1945, 1974-5, 2002, 2013, 2018-9)

11 Premierships:
Balmain (1915-7, 1919-20, 1924, 1939, 1944, 1946-7, 1969)

8 Premierships:
Canterbury (1938, 1942, 1980, 1984-5, 1988, 1995, 2004)
Manly (1972-3, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1995, 2008, 2011)

6 Premierships:
Penrith (1991, 2003, 2021-4)
Brisbane (1992-3, 1997*, 1998, 2000, 2006)
Melbourne (1999, 2007**, 2009**, 2012, 2017, 2020)

4 Premierships:
Wests (1930, 1934, 1948, 1952)
Parramatta (1981-3, 1986)

3 Premierships:
Newtown (1910, 1933, 1943)
Canberra (1989-90, 1994)

2 Premierships:
Norths (1921-22)
Newcastle (1997*, 2001)

1 Premiership:
Wests Tigers (2005)
St George Illawarra (2010)
North Queensland (2015)
Cronulla (2016)

*Split competition
**Premiership late withdrawn