List of National Rugby League golden point games

This is a list of golden point games played in the National Rugby League. The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn rugby league matches in the National Rugby League, Australasia's top competition in the sport. The term is borrowed from the golden goal system formerly employed in football (soccer).

The golden point is used to determine a winner (where applicable, see below) when scores are level at the end of regular time.cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/03/05/798857.htm|publisher=ABC|date=2004-03-05|title=NRL approves golden point rule|accessdate=2007-08-24] Prior to its introduction into the National Rugby League competition at the beginning of the 2003 season, normal season games were left as draws; in finals matches, 20 minutes extra time ensued (10 minutes each way), with a replay in the event of a draw.

If the scores are level at the end of 80 minutes, 5 minutes are played, the teams swap ends with no break, and a further 5 minutes are played. Any score (try, penalty goal, or field goal) in this 10 minute period secures a win for the scoring team, and the game ends at that point.cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/03/05/798857.htm|publisher=ABC|date=2004-03-05|title=NRL approves golden point rule|accessdate=2007-08-24] If the scoring event is a try, no conversion is attempted. If no further scoring occurs, the game is drawn and each team receives one competition point.

To date, 32 golden point games have been played, with just four remaining a draw after the ten minutes of golden point extra-time. Clinton Schifcofske has scored the winning points on more occasions than any other player, with Todd Carney the only other player to have achieved the feat more than once. The Wests Tigers, Cronulla Sharks, Brisbane Broncos, and Penrith Panthers have played the most golden point games with six in total, followed by the Canberra Raiders, the New Zealand Warriors, the North Queensland Cowboys and the South Sydney Rabbitohs with five apiece. The Canberra Raiders are the most successful team under the format, having won each of their golden point matches, whilst the Wests Tigers have lost five of their six matches. Prior to the 2007 season every existing team apart from the Sydney Roosters had played a golden point match. Competition newcomers, the Gold Coast Titans, played their first golden point match in their debut season. The South Sydney Rabbitohs have featured in the most drawn matches with three, followed by the Brisbane Broncos with two drawn matches, one of which was against South Sydney in round 25, 2004.

List of golden point matches

Footnotes

References

*cite web | title=Golden point games | work=Rugby League Tables & Statistics | url=http://stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/gp.html | accessdate=August 11 | accessyear=2007