ARL Premiership

The ARL Premiership was Australia's first grade rugby league competition between 1995 and 1997. It replaced the previous competition, the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, after the competition expanded to 20 teams with the admittance of four additional clubs to the competition; the North Queensland Cowboys (Townsville, Queensland), South Queensland Crushers (Brisbane, Queensland), Western Reds (Perth, Western Australia), and Auckland Warriors (Auckland, New Zealand).

Australian Rugby League Premiership

Sport	Rugby league
Instituted	1995
Inaugural season	1995
Ceased	1997
Replaced by	National Rugby League
Number of teams	20 (1995–1996) 12 (1997)
Country	Australia New Zealand (Australian Rugby League)
Broadcast partner	Nine Network C7 Sport
Related competition	New South Wales Rugby League premiership

History

During the Super League war of the mid-1990s the Australian Rugby League (ARL) took over control of Australia's first grade competition from the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) who had run the Premiership since its inception in 1908. As the premiership expanded to Queensland, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, and New Zealand, the NSWRL relinquished its control to the ARL.

Although they only won one ARL Premiership in 1996, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles dominated the competition in its three years under the ARL name, winning each minor premiership (1995–1997), and appearing in all three Grand Finals.

The Super League War reached its peak in 1997 with News Corporation following through on plans to run its rival Super League in direct competition with the Premiership. As a result, the ARL Premiership lost eight clubs to the newly formed league: Auckland Warriors, Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders, Canterbury Bulldogs, Cronulla Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Penrith Panthers, and Perth Reds.

At the end of 1997, after an agreement was reached between the ARL and Super League owners News Corporation, the two competitions were absorbed into the newly created National Rugby League, resulting in the immediate shut down of financially troubled clubs the Hunter Mariners (Super League), Perth Reds (Super League), and South Queensland Crushers (ARL).

Teams

Club	City	Home venue(s)	Est.	Joined	Exited
Auckland Warriors	Auckland	Ericsson Stadium	1995	1995	19964
Brisbane Broncos	Brisbane	ANZ Stadium	1988	1995	19964
Canberra Raiders	Canberra	Bruce Stadium	1981	1995	19964
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	Sydney (Sutherland Shire)	Endeavour Park	1967	1995	19964
Gold Coast Chargers1	Tweed Heads Gold Coast	Seagulls Stadium (1995) Carrara Stadium (1996–1997)	1987	1995	1997
Illawarra Steelers	Wollongong	Woolongong Stadium	1980	1995	1997
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	Sydney (Northern Beaches)	Brookvale Oval	1947	1995	1997
Newcastle Knights	Newcastle	Marathon Stadium	1988	1995	1997
North Queensland Cowboys	Townsville	Stockland Stadium	1995	1995	19964
North Sydney Bears	Sydney	North Sydney Oval	1908	1995	1997
Parramatta Eels	Sydney (Parramatta)	Parramatta Stadium	1947	1995	1997
Penrith Panthers	Sydney (Penrith)	Penrith Stadium	1967	1995	19964
South Queensland Crushers	Brisbane	Suncorp Stadium	1995	1995	1997
South Sydney Rabbitohs	Sydney	Sydney Football Stadium	1908	1995	1997
St. George Dragons	Sydney (St. George)	Kogarah Oval	1998	1995	1997
Sydney Bulldogs2	Sydney (Canterbury-Bankstown)	Parramatta Stadium	1934	1995	19964
Sydney City Roosters	Sydney	Sydney Football Stadium	1908	1995	1997
Sydney Tigers3	Sydney (Balmain)	Parramatta Stadium	1908	1995	1997
Western Reds	Perth	WACA Ground	1992	1995	19964
Western Suburbs Magpies	Sydney	Campbelltown Stadium	1908	1995	1997

¹ Played as the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1995 before being rebranded ahead of the 1996 season.

² Rebranded from Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 1995 as a result of the Super League war.

³ Rebranded from Balmain Tigers in 1995 during the Super League war but reverted back for the 1997 season.

⁴ Exited to join the rival Super League for the 1997 season.

Premiers

For NSWRL top flight results before 1995, considered by the NRL as its own history, see NSWRL Premiership.

For the all-time list of top-flight Premiers since 1908, see Australian rugby league premiers.

Season	Grand Finals			Minor Premiers
	Premiers	Score	Runners-up
1995	Canterbury-Bankstown	17–4	Manly-Warringah	Manly-Warringah
1996	Manly-Warringah	20–8	St. George	Manly-Warringah
1997	Newcastle	22–16	Manly-Warringah	Manly-Warringah