The 1991 NSWRL season was the eighty-fourth season of professional rugby league football in Australia. This year the New South Wales Rugby League experimented with a draft system for the first time. Sixteen clubs competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup premiership during the season, which culminated in a replay of the previous year's grand final between the Canberra Raiders and the Penrith Panthers.

Season summary The 1991 New South Wales Rugby League season started with controversy. For the first time a draft system which had been developed was put into operation. The draft allowed teams to recruit players on a roster system based on where the club finished the previous year. It ran in reverse order with the wooden spooners getting first choice and the premiers last. The draft lasted just the one season before being defeated in the courts by players and coaches opposed to its limitations. The controversy started after Terry Hill, who had agreed to join the Warren Ryan coached Western Suburbs, was drafted to play for Eastern Suburbs. Hill appealed his drafting, though his appeal was initially overturned and he eventually agreed to a three-year contract with the Roosters. However, by the end of 1991 the High Court had overturned the draft system and in 1992 Hill was given a release and he was able to move on to Wests.

In 22 rounds of regular season football which lasted from March till August, eventual premiers Penrith won 17 games, drew one and lost only four. The Panthers finished on 35 premiership points and took their first minor premiership ahead of Manly and Norths (both 29 points), Canberra on 28 with Wests sneaking in on 27 points after beating Canterbury 19–14 in a play off.

On 24 July it was revealed that the Canberra Raiders had substantially breached their $1.5 million salary cap for 1991.

The record for attendance at a match at Campbelltown Stadium was set this season with a crowd figure of 21,527 for a game between Western Suburbs and St. George. Also this season the NSWRL took a match between St. George and Balmain to the Adelaide Oval and it was met with success as 28,884 spectators (the highest non-finals attendance of the season) turned out for the game on a cold and wet Friday night in June. The game was taken to Adelaide not only for the NSWRL to expand into traditional Australian Rules Football strongholds, but also as the Dragons long time major sponsor Penfolds is an Adelaide-based company.

The 1991 season's Rothmans Medal was awarded to Canterbury-Bankstown's Ewan McGrady, who was also named as Rugby League Week's player of the year. The Dally M Award was won by St. George's Michael Potter, the first to do so.

Teams

The number of teams competing remained unchanged for the third consecutive year, with sixteen clubs contesting the premiership, including five inner Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from greater Sydney, two from greater New South Wales, two from Queensland, and one from the Australian Capital Territory.

BalmainTigers 84th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Alan JonesCaptain: Ben EliasBrisbaneBroncos 4th seasonGround: Lang Park Coach: Wayne BennettCaptain: Gene MilesCanberraRaiders 10th seasonGround: Bruce Stadium Coach: Tim SheensCaptain: Mal MeningaCanterbury-BankstownBulldogs 57th seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: Chris AndersonCaptain: Terry LambCronulla-SutherlandSharks 25th seasonGround: Endeavour Park Coach: Allan FitzgibbonCaptain: Gavin MillerEastern SuburbsRoosters 84th seasonGround: Sydney Football Stadium Coach: Mark MurrayCaptain: Hugh McGahanGold CoastSeagulls 4th seasonGround: Seagulls Stadium Coach: Malcolm CliftCaptain: Wally LewisIllawarraSteelers 10th seasonGround: Wollongong Stadium Coach: Graham MurrayCaptain: Chris Walsh & Dean SchifillitiManly-WarringahSea Eagles 45th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Graham LoweCaptain: Michael O'ConnorNewcastleKnights 4th seasonGround: Marathon Stadium Coach: Allan McMahon → David WaiteCaptain: Sam StewartNorth SydneyBears 84th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Steve MartinCaptain: Tony ReaParramattaEels 45th seasonGround: Parramatta Stadium Coach: Mick CroninCaptain: Brett KennyPenrithPanthers 25th seasonGround: Penrith Stadium Coach: Phil GouldCaptain: Greg AlexanderSouth SydneyRabbitohs 84th seasonGround: Sydney Football Stadium Coach: Frank CurryCaptain: Michael AndrewsSt. GeorgeDragons 71st seasonGround: Kogarah Oval Coach: Brian SmithCaptain: Michael BeattieWestern SuburbsMagpies 84th seasonGround: Campbelltown Sports Ground Coach: Warren RyanCaptain: Paul Langmack

Advertising 1991 again saw the NSWRL use Tina Turner's 1989 version of "The Best" in their advertising. The league's ad agency Hertz Walpole had sufficient extra footage from her 1990 visit to Sydney to add fresh images of Tina to other recent shots of the 1990 finals series and 1991 pre-season training images.

The finished 1991 ad in its full length version shows Tina performing the song in the glamorous surroundings of Boomerang, a palatial harbour-side Sydney mansion. She climbs the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a spectacular final helicopter pull-back shot shows her belting out the anthem from the apex of the bridge. In those days before public access via the commercial BridgeClimb operation this image was as fantastic notionally as it was visually.

Regular season

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 F1 F2 F3 F4 GF Balmain TigersCBY−10CRO−40NEW0EAS−9ILA−3PEN−14SOU−5PAR−1BRI+10NOR−10GCS+8WES+13MAN+16STG−14CAN−20CBY−2CRO+14NEW+9EAS+18ILA+10PEN−29SOU−2 Brisbane BroncosMAN+10STG−8CAN+14PAR+13NOR−5GCS+26WES−1EAS−8BAL−10CRO+38CBY−2SOU+16PEN+8ILA−17NEW+10MAN−26STG−2CAN+10PAR+24NOR+38GCS+2WES+14 Canberra RaidersNOR−5PAR+38BRI−14GCS+2WES−12MAN−34STG+16CRO+16CBY+2SOU−8PEN+20ILA−7NEW+12EAS−8BAL+20NOR+16PAR+14BRI−10GCS+6WES+28MAN+1STG+32XWES+14MAN+8NOR+16PEN−7 Canterbury-Bankstown BulldogsBAL+10EAS+10ILA−40PEN−20SOU−7NEW+28CRO0STG+10CAN−2PAR+18BRI+2NOR+9GCS+4WES−9MAN−10BAL+2EAS−20ILA+7PEN−4SOU+38NEW+14CRO+10WES−5 Cronulla-Sutherland SharksNEW−20BAL+40EAS−4ILA0PEN−7SOU+14CBY0CAN−16PAR−10BRI−38NOR−9GCS+4WES−2MAN0STG+2NEW+8BAL−14EAS+34ILA−38PEN+2SOU+7CBY−10 Eastern Suburbs RoostersSOU−6CBY−10CRO+4BAL+9NEW0ILA−21PEN−26BRI+8NOR+2GCS+26WES+8MAN−8STG−14CAN+8PAR−22SOU+2CBY+20CRO−34BAL−18NEW−10ILA−34PEN−34 Gold Coast SeagullsWES−6MAN−18STG0CAN−2PAR+8BRI−26NOR−10ILA−42NEW+4EAS−26BAL−8CRO−4CBY−4SOU−16PEN−26WES−14MAN−4STG−8CAN−6PAR−20BRI−2NOR−22 Illawarra SteelersPEN−22SOU+18CBY+40CRO0BAL+3EAS+21NEW−14GCS+42WES−1MAN+14STG−8CAN+7PAR−2BRI+17NOR−22PEN−6SOU+12CBY−7CRO+38BAL−10EAS+34NEW+6 Manly Warringah Sea EaglesBRI−10GCS+18WES+4NOR+4STG+3CAN+34PAR+12SOU+9PEN−24ILA−14NEW−1EAS+8BAL−16CRO0CBY+10BRI+26GCS+4WES−1NOR+15STG+2CAN−1PAR+10XNOR−12CAN−8 Newcastle KnightsCRO+20PEN0BAL0SOU+10EAS0CBY−28ILA+14NOR−15GCS−4WES−29MAN+1STG−8CAN−12PAR−30BRI−10CRO−8PEN−14BAL−9SOU+16EAS+10CBY−14ILA−6 North Sydney BearsCAN+5WES+3PAR+14MAN−4BRI+5STG+7GCS+10NEW+15EAS−2BAL+10CRO+9CBY−9SOU+2PEN−8ILA+22CAN−16WES+4PAR+6MAN−15BRI−38STG0GCS+22XMAN+12PEN−2CAN−16 Parramatta EelsSTG−26CAN−38NOR−14BRI−13GCS−8WES−35MAN−12BAL+1CRO+10CBY−18SOU−8PEN−6ILA+2NEW+30EAS+22STG−28CAN−14NOR−6BRI−24GCS+20WES−8MAN−10 Penrith PanthersILA+22NEW0SOU+14CBY+20CRO+7BAL+14EAS+26WES−4MAN+24STG+2CAN−20PAR+6BRI−8NOR+8GCS+26ILA+6NEW+14SOU+11CBY+4CRO−2BAL+29EAS+34XXNOR+2XCAN+7 South Sydney RabbitohsEAS+6ILA−18PEN−14NEW−10CBY+7CRO−14BAL+5MAN−9STG−24CAN+8PAR+8BRI−16NOR−2GCS+16WES−2EAS−2ILA−12PEN−11NEW−16CBY−38CRO−7BAL+2 St. George DragonsPAR+26BRI+8GCS0WES+2MAN−3NOR−7CAN−16CBY−10SOU+24PEN−2ILA+8NEW+8EAS+14BAL+14CRO−2PAR+28BRI+2GCS+8WES0MAN−2NOR0CAN−32 Western Suburbs MagpiesGCS+6NOR−3MAN−4STG−2CAN+12PAR+35BRI+1PEN+4ILA+1NEW+29EAS−8BAL−13CRO+2CBY+9SOU+2GCS+14NOR−4MAN+1STG0CAN−28PAR+8BRI−14CBY+5CAN−14 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 F1 F2 F3 F4 GF

Bold – Home game X – Bye Opponent for round listed above margin

Ladder TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts1 Penrith (P)221714483250+233352 Manly221417391299+92293 North Sydney221417345303+42294 Canberra221408452327+125285 Canterbury221318424374+50276 Western Suburbs221318359311+48277 Brisbane221309470326+144268 Illawarra221219451291+160259 St. George221138388320+682510 Cronulla228311384441-571911 Eastern Suburbs229112337487-1501912 Balmain228113351412-611713 Newcastle226313308424-1161514 South Sydney227015370513-1431415 Parramatta226016351534-1831216 Gold Coast222119240492-2525

Ladder progression

Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 5. Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round. Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.

Team123456789101112131415161718192021221 Penrith Panthers 2 3 5 7 9 11 13 13 15 17 17 19 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 31 33 352 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 14 14 14 16 16 17 19 21 23 23 25 27 27 293 North Sydney Bears 2 4 6 6 8 10 12 14 14 16 18 18 20 20 22 22 24 26 26 26 27 294 Canberra Raiders 0 2 2 4 4 4 6 8 10 10 12 12 14 14 16 18 20 20 22 24 26 285 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2 4 4 4 4 6 7 9 9 11 13 15 17 17 17 19 19 21 21 23 25 276 Western Suburbs Magpies 2 2 2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 14 14 16 18 20 22 22 24 25 25 27 277 Brisbane Broncos 2 2 4 6 6 8 8 8 8 10 10 12 14 14 16 16 16 18 20 22 24 268 Illawarra Steelers 0 2 4 5 7 9 9 11 11 13 13 15 15 17 17 17 19 19 21 21 23 259 St. George Dragons 2 4 5 7 7 7 7 7 9 9 11 13 15 17 17 19 21 23 24 24 25 2510 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 0 2 2 3 3 5 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 9 11 13 13 15 15 17 19 1911 Eastern Suburbs Roosters 0 0 2 4 5 5 5 7 9 11 13 13 13 15 15 17 19 19 19 19 19 1912 Balmain Tigers 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 5 7 9 9 9 9 11 13 15 17 17 1713 Newcastle Knights 2 3 4 6 7 7 9 9 9 9 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 13 15 15 1514 South Sydney Rabbitohs 2 2 2 2 4 4 6 6 6 8 10 10 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 1415 Parramatta Eels 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 4 4 4 6 8 10 10 10 10 10 12 12 1216 Gold Coast Seagulls 0 0 1 1 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Finals HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeCrowd Playoff Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs14–19 Western Suburbs Magpies27 August 1991Parramatta StadiumBill Harrigan17,022 Preliminary semi-finals Canberra Raiders22–8 Western Suburbs Magpies31 August 1991Sydney Football StadiumEddie Ward24,792 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles16–28 North Sydney Bears1 September 1991Sydney Football StadiumBill Harrigan32,878 Semi-finals Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles26–34 Canberra Raiders7 September 1991Sydney Football StadiumBill Harrigan34,707 Penrith Panthers16–14 North Sydney Bears8 September 1991Sydney Football StadiumEddie Ward38,635 Preliminary final North Sydney Bears14–30 Canberra Raiders15 September 1991Sydney Football StadiumBill Harrigan39,665 Grand final Penrith Panthers19-12 Canberra Raiders22 September 1991Sydney Football StadiumBill Harrigan41,815

Chart

Grand final On the sunny afternoon of Sunday, 22 September the Sydney Football Stadium was packed to capacity with a crowd of 41,815 for the rematch of the previous season's grand final, and Canberra's third in a row.1991 grand final at rugbyleagueproject.orgHistory at penrithpanthers.com.au Raiders Timeline 1 at raiders.com.au The day also featured a tribute to the original 'Gladiators', Norm Provan and Arthur Summons on the Winfield Cup trophy's 10th anniversary (in the 50th grand final played) as well as a rendition of the national anthem by Anthony Warlow. The game was broadcast live on television throughout Australia by Channel Ten with match commentary by Graeme Hughes, Bill Anderson and Wayne Pearce. This would be Ten's final rugby league broadcast, as the Nine Network took over the rights the following season.