1998 NRL Season — Final Regular-Season Ladder

20 clubs — the first season of the reunified National Rugby League after the Super League War split (which applied only to the separate 1997 ARL and Super League competitions). Melbourne Storm joined as an expansion club; Hunter Mariners, the Western Reds/Perth Reds and South Queensland Crushers had already closed after 1997. A 24-round regular season. Canterbury-Bankstown reached the Grand Final from 9th on the ladder — at the time, the lowest-placed team ever to do so.

NRL 1998 ▾

Sourcing caveat: Brisbane and Newcastle finished level on 37 competition points; Brisbane took the minor premiership on superior points differential (+378 vs +181). Western Suburbs and Gold Coast also finished level on 8 points and an identical 4-0-20 record; Western Suburbs finished last (20th) on inferior points differential (-431 vs -365).

Ladder

PosClubPWDLPFPADiffPts
1Brisbane Broncos241815688310+37837
2Newcastle Knights241815562381+18137
3Melbourne Storm241716546372+17435
4Parramatta Eels241716468349+11935
5North Sydney Bears241707663367+29634
6Sydney Roosters241608680383+29732
7Canberra Raiders241509564429+13530
8St. George2413110486490-427
9Canterbury-Bankstown2413011489411+7826
10Manly-Warringah2413011503473+3026
11Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks2412111438387+5125
12Illawarra Steelers2411112476539-6323
13Balmain Tigers249114381463-8219
14Penrith Panthers248214525580-5518
15Auckland Warriors249015417518-10118
16North Queensland Cowboys249015361556-19518
17Adelaide Rams247017393615-22214
18South Sydney Rabbitohs245019339560-22110
19Gold Coast Chargers244020289654-3658
20Western Suburbs Magpies244020371802-4318

Qualified for the finals series — top 10 (reunified-competition finals) that season.

Finals series

Minor Preliminary Semi-Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
28 Aug 1998Canberra Raiders 17–4 Manly-WarringahBruce Stadium, Bruce, ACT15,953
29 Aug 1998St George Dragons 12–20 Canterbury-BankstownJubilee Oval, Kogarah, Sydney, NSW16,833

Major Preliminary Semi-Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
29 Aug 1998Parramatta Eels 25–12 North Sydney BearsParramatta Stadium, Parramatta, NSW16,033
30 Aug 1998Melbourne Storm 12–26 Sydney RoostersAAMI Park, Melbourne, VIC18,274

Minor Semi-Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
4 Sep 1998North Sydney Bears 2–23 Canterbury-BankstownNorth Sydney Oval, Sydney, NSW18,718
5 Sep 1998Melbourne Storm 24–10 Canberra RaidersAAMI Park, Melbourne, VIC12,592

Major Semi-Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
5 Sep 1998Newcastle Knights 15–26 Sydney RoostersMarathon Stadium, Newcastle, NSW26,482
6 Sep 1998Brisbane Broncos 10–15 Parramatta EelsSuncorp Stadium, Brisbane, QLD21,172

Elimination Preliminary Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
12 Sep 1998Canterbury-Bankstown 28–16 Newcastle KnightsSydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW24,449
13 Sep 1998Brisbane Broncos 30–6 Melbourne StormSydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW20,354

Preliminary Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
19 Sep 1998Brisbane Broncos 46–18 Sydney RoostersSuncorp Stadium, Brisbane, QLD28,374
20 Sep 1998Canterbury-Bankstown 32–20 Parramatta EelsSydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW36,841

Grand Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
27 Sep 1998Brisbane Broncos 38–12 Canterbury-BankstownSydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW40,857

Full Grand Final page (Clive Churchill Medal, match context, sources) →

Sources

Sources

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