1985 NSWRL season

1985 NSWRL season
Teams	13
Premiers	Canterbury-Bankstown (5th title)
Minor premiers	St. George (15th title)
Matches played	163
Points scored	5416 (total) 33.227 (per match)
Attendance	1,450,162 (total) 8,897 (per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Mick Cronin (204)
Top try scorer(s)	Steve Linnane (17)

The 1985 New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the seventy-eighth season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Thirteen teams competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Canterbury-Bankstown and St. George clubs. This season NSWRL teams also competed for the 1985 National Panasonic Cup.

Season summary

Twenty-six regular season rounds were played from March till September, resulting in a top five of St. George, Balmain, Canterbury, Parramatta and Penrith battling it out in the finals

The 1985 season's Rothmans Medallist was Balmain's lock, Wayne Pearce. The Dally M Award was given to Penrith's halfback, Greg Alexander, while Rugby League Week gave its player of the year award to Parramatta's lock, Ray Price.

Teams

The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with thirteen contesting the 1985 premiership, including five Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from Sydney, one from greater New South Wales and one from the Australian Capital Territory

Balmain Tigers 78th season Ground: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Frank Stanton Captain: Wayne Pearce	Canberra Raiders 4th season Ground: Seiffert Oval Coach: Don Furner Captain: Dean Lance	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 51st season Ground: Belmore Oval Coach: Warren Ryan Captain: Steve Mortimer	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 19th season Ground: Ronson Field Coach: Terry Fearnley Captain: David Hatch	Eastern Suburbs Roosters 78th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Arthur Beetson Captain: Ron Gibbs→John Tobin
Illawarra Steelers 4th season Ground: Wollongong Showground Coach: Brian Smith Captain: Brett Hetherington	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 39th season Ground: Brookvale Oval Coach: Bob Fulton Captain: Glen Ryan→Paul Vautin	North Sydney Bears 78th season Ground: North Sydney Oval Coach: Greg Hawick→Brian Norton Captain: W. Honeywood→Fred Teasdell→Mark Graham	Parramatta Eels 39th season Ground: Belmore Oval Coach: John Monie Captain: Ray Price	Penrith Panthers 19th season Ground: Penrith Park Coach: Tim Sheens Captain: Royce Simmons
	South Sydney Rabbitohs 78th season Ground: Redfern Oval Coach: Ron Willey Captain: David Boyle	St. George Dragons 65th season Ground: Kogarah Oval Coach: Roy Masters Captain: Craig Young	Western Suburbs Magpies 78th season Ground: Lidcombe Oval Coach: Ken Gentle Captain: Lee Crooks

Ladder

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	St. George	24	18	2	4	2	470	264	+206	42
2	Balmain	24	18	0	6	2	494	304	+190	40
3	Canterbury-Bankstown	24	16	2	6	2	435	267	+168	38
4	Parramatta	24	16	0	8	2	458	311	+147	36
5	Penrith	24	13	1	10	2	460	379	+81	31
6	Manly-Warringah	24	13	1	10	2	404	345	+59	31
7	Eastern Suburbs	24	10	3	11	2	374	389	-15	27
8	Cronulla-Sutherland	24	11	0	13	2	440	404	+36	26
9	South Sydney	24	10	0	14	2	373	419	-46	24
10	Canberra	24	8	2	14	2	432	534	-102	22
11	North Sydney	24	6	1	17	2	281	491	-210	17
12	Western Suburbs	24	5	2	17	2	311	661	-350	16
13	Illawarra	24	5	0	19	2	303	467	-164	14

Finals

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
			Date and Time	Venue	Referee	Crowd
Playoff
Penrith Panthers	10-7	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	3 September 1985	Sydney Cricket Ground	Mick Stone	16,428
Qualifying Finals
Parramatta Eels	38-6	Penrith Panthers	7 September 1985	Sydney Cricket Ground	Kevin Roberts	18,939
Balmain Tigers	8-14	Canterbury-Bankstown	8 September 1985	Sydney Cricket Ground	Mick Stone	25,194
Semi Finals
Balmain Tigers	4-32	Parramatta Eels	14 September 1985	Sydney Cricket Ground	Kevin Roberts	25,423
St. George Dragons	17-6	Canterbury-Bankstown	15 September 1985	Sydney Cricket Ground	Mick Stone	39,013
Preliminary Final
Canterbury-Bankstown	26-0	Parramatta Eels	22 September 1985	Sydney Cricket Ground	Kevin Roberts	34,915
Grand Final
St. George Dragons	6-7	Canterbury-Bankstown	29 September 1985	Sydney Cricket Ground	Kevin Roberts	44,569

Grand Final

St. George	Position	Canterbury-Bankstown
Glen Burgess	FB	Michael Potter
Steve Morris	WG	Matthew Callinan
Michael O'Connor	CE	Chris Mortimer
Michael Beattie	CE	Andrew Farrar
Denis Kinchela	WG	Peter Mortimer
Steve Linnane	FE	Michael Hagan
Perry Haddock	HB	Steve Mortimer (c)
Pat Jarvis	PR	Peter Kelly
Phil Ritchie	HK	Billy Johnstone
Craig Young (c)	PR	Peter Tunks
Graeme Wynn	SR	Brian Battese
Billy Noke	SR	Steve Folkes
Graeme O'Grady	LK	Paul Langmack
Chris Johns	Reserve	David Gillespie
Chris Guider	Reserve	Greg Mullane
Stephen Funnell	Reserve	Mark Bugden
Alan Neil	Reserve
Roy Masters	Coach	Warren Ryan

Canterbury continually put St George fullback Burgess under the test of the high-ball in his in-goal area, which, under the rules of the time, resulted in a line drop-out with the Bulldogs regaining possession. Prop Peter Kelly used the blindside to send winger Peter Mortimer over out wide for a 6-0 half time lead.

Bulldogs half and skipper Steve Mortimer seized control of the match and centre Andrew Farrar clinched it with a field goal in the 72nd minute to take the score to 7-0. A last light of hope appeared for the Dragons when Steve Morris scored and Michael O'Connor converted with five minutes left on the clock. In the end a practised and clinical approach from Canterbury shut out the Dragons who had been the minor premiers.

No Australian rugby league grand final since has been decided by a single point.

Canterbury-Bankstown 7
Tries: P Mortimer. Goal: Farrar. Field Goal: Farrar.

St. George 6
Tries: Morris. Goal: O'Connor.

References

• Rugby League Tables - Season 1985 The World of Rugby League
• Results:1981-90 at rabbitohs.com.au
• 1985 J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup at rleague.com
• NSWRL season 1985 at rugbyleagueproject.com