New South Wales Rugby League season 1990

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1990
competition = New South Wales Rugby League premiership


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 16
premiers = leagueicon|Canberra|16 Canberra
count = 2nd
minor premiers = leagueicon|Canberra|16 Canberra
mpcount = 1st
matches = 183
points = 6107
attendance = 2209354
top points scorer = leagueicon|Canberra|16 Mal Meninga (212 points)
top try scorer = leagueicon|Canberra|16 Mal Meninga (17 tries)
1990's New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the eighty-third season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen clubs competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the previous season's premiers, the Canberra Raiders and the Penrith Panthers, who were making their grand final debut.

eason summary

For the 1990 season, the salary cap was introduced in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. Tewnty-two regular season rounds were played from March till August, resulting in a top six of Canberra, Brisbane, Penrith, Manly, Balmain and Newcastle.

South Sydney went from being the previous season's minor premiers to wooden spooners this season.

Parramatta's halfback Peter Sterling won the official player of the year award, the Rothmans Medal. The Dally M Medal was awarded to Manly's five-eighth Cliff Lyons. "Rugby League Week" gave their player of the year award to Canberra Raiders centre and captain, Mal Meninga.

Teams

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

Grand Final

Penrith were attempting to become the first team to win a Grand Final in their first attempt, but were coming up against a superb Canberra outfit who knew what finals football was all about. Extra time in the reserve grade grand final followed by the pre-match entertainment, including a performance by John Farnham, running late combined to put the kick-off 30 minutes behind schedule. This may have worked to the advantage of the more experienced Raiders and served to rattle the young Panthers.

Canberra jumped to a 12-nil lead in the opening minutes after their halfback Ricky Stuart laid on tries for winger John Ferguson and Laurie Daley and the match appeared as good as over despite a strengthening of Penrith's defence as they recovered.

The Panthers came back to trail 12-10 after Greg Alexander put Brad Fittler in for a try just before half-time and Paul Smith in for another seven minutes into the second half.

Canberra moved to 18-10 in the second half when replacement winger Matthew Wood scored. A late try from Alexander still left Penrith trailing 18-14 at the full-time siren.

Both sides finished with three tries each but the wizadry of Stuart and the kicking boot of Meninga were the difference that saw the Raiders with their second consecutive premiership.

Canberra 18 (Tries: Ferguson, Daley, Wood ; Goals: Meninga 3)

Penrith 14 (Tries: Fittler, Smith, Alexander; Goals: Alexander 1 )

Clive Churchill Medal: Ricky Stuart (Canberra)

References

* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1990.html Rugby League Tables - Season 1990] "The World of Rugby League"

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llo6Ll6aSfI&mode=related&search "1990 Winfield Cup 2min TVC"]

* [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/seasons/NSWRL_1990/summary.html NSWRL season 1990 at rugbyleagueproject.com]
* [http://www.rleague.com//db/year/1990/j_j_giltinan_shield_and_winfield_cup/index.php 1990 J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup at rleague.com]
* [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/competitions/NSWRL_1990.html NSWRL season 1990 at rugbyleagueproject.com]
* [http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/The-Club/Tradition/Results---1981-1990.html Results: 1981-90 at rabbitohs.com.au]