The opening fortnight of the 2026 NRL premiership has given every indication that we’re in for another wild regular season ride, with shock bolters and surprise sliders galore.
The competition’s history is littered with teams who seemingly had little prospect of finishing anywhere near top of the table before a ball was kicked, yet spurned reputations to carry off the minor premiership – as recently as last season.
Western Suburbs Magpies (1961)
During its iconic run of 11 straight grand final wins from 1956-66, St George failed to collect the minor premiership just once – in 1961, when Western Suburbs edged the Red V on for-and-against.
Recruiting Australian internationals Noel Kelly and Don Parish, the ‘Millionaires’ ended an eight-match losing streak against the Dragons during the second half of the 1961 season, a result that effectively decided top spot.
But the Arthur Summons-led Magpies went down to the Saints 9-4 in the major semi and 22-0 in the grand final. Wests played St George in the next two deciders – including the highly controversial 1963 ‘Mudbath’ grand final – but was destined never to win another title before merging with Balmain.
Western Suburbs Magpies (1978)
Western Suburbs’ only minor premiership in its last 38 seasons as a standalone club came out of nowhere.
The Magpies finished ninth of 12 teams in 1977 before handing the coaching reins to untried under-23s mentor Roy Masters, who motivated his ragtag squad of firebrands and loose cannons with a mixture of psychology and supposed socio-economic imbalances.
Masters was chiefly responsible for the ‘Fibros’ versus ‘Silvertails’ feud that erupted in 1978 between Wests and Manly, while he harnessed the Magpies’ natural aggression – and the comparative leniency towards violence that prevailed during the era – with staggering success.
The Magpies, spearheaded by the likes of Tom Raudonikis, John ‘Dallas’ Donelly, Les Boyd and John Dorahy, finished three points clear at the end of the regular season.
But they were bundled out of the playoffs in straight sets by the Sharks and, in a wildly controversial preliminary final, the Sea Eagles as a gilt-edged premiership chance fell by the wayside.
Cronulla Sharks (1988)
Financially-stricken Cronulla almost went bust during the first half of the 1980s and could finish no better than eighth of 13 teams during three seasons under the great Jack Gibson (1985-87).
Allan Fitzgibbon, Illawarra Steelers’ foundation coach, took over in 1988 and guided the club to its maiden minor premiership – despite picking no recruits of note.
Rejuvenated forward Gavin Miller was a standout Dally M Player of the Year – breaking through for an Australian debut with clubmates Mark McGaw and Andrew Ettingshausen – while unheralded halfback Barry Russell was a shock Rothmans Medal winner in a campaign that incurred only four losses.
The Sharks’ season went to waste, however, via back-to-back finals losses to Canterbury and Balmain.
South Sydney Rabbitohs (1989)
After three finals appearances in four seasons, Souths fell away disappointingly in 1988 to finish eighth. But the George Piggins-coached outfit stormed back to relevance in 1989 to clinch the ‘Pride of the League’s’ first minor premiership in 19 years.
Despite the lengthy injury absences of star forwards Ian Roberts and Les Davidson, the Rabbitohs lost just three games as an experienced core of Mario Fenech, Craig Coleman, Phil Blake and David Boyd was galvanised by Dally M Rookie of the Year Jim Serdaris and a host of overachieving role-players.
Like Cronulla a year earlier, however, Souths ran out of steam in September and was sent packing from the finals in straight sets by Balmain and Canberra. The cash-strapped Rabbitohs fell apart in 1990, winning just two games in a jarring wooden spoon campaign.
Canterbury Bulldogs (1993)
The dominant team of the 1980s alongside Parramatta – with both clubs collecting four premierships – Canterbury endured a four-season finals drought after winning the 1988 grand final.
But Chris Anderson’s tenure as coach belatedly bore fruit in 1993, aided by the astute recruitment of Martin Bella, Jim Dymock, Jim Serdaris and Garry Connolly. A final-round over the heavyweight Raiders saw the Bulldogs edge the Dragons for the minor premiership on for-and-against.
The Terry Lamb-led side went down convincingly to the Saints in the major semi and lost a prelim thriller to the Broncos – the only minor premiers to exit the finals in straight sets between 1990 and 2008.
Cronulla Sharks (1999)
Cronulla reached the 1997 Super League grand final but – beset by injuries – failed to qualify for the bloated 10-team NRL finals series in 1998.
Halfback Paul Green’s departure muted expectations around the Sharks’ 1999 prospects, but John Lang’s side got off to a flyer, winning nine of their first 10 games, and surged to an unexpected minor premiership.
After ending the Broncos’ title defence in week one of the finals, the Sharks were floor by an Anthony Mundine-led second-half onslaught in a 24-8 prelim loss to the Dragons. They were the only minor premiers to fail to reach the grand final from 1994-2004.
New Zealand Warriors (2002)
While the Warriors’ sole minor premiership success was facilitated by runaway competition leaders the Bulldogs’ salary cap scandal penalty, it was nevertheless a momentous achievement for the Auckland-based club.
On the brink of extinction prior to an ownership change, the Warriors qualified reached the finals for the first time in 2001…despite losing more games than they won.
With Stacey Jones, Ali Lauitiiti, Clinton Toopi, PJ Marsh and co. at the peak of their powers – aided by the cool-headed experience of Australian imports Ivan Cleary and Kevin Campion – the 17-7 Warriors snared the J.J. Giltinan Shield in a frantic finish to the regular season.
The Warriors defeated the Raiders and Sharks to qualify for a historic grand final appearance, where they went down 30-8 to the Roosters. The Warriors have finished in the top four just twice since.
Penrith Panthers (2003)
Club legend Royce Simmons’ seven-season tenure as Penrith coach ended with a wooden spoon in 2001, while ex-Cronulla coach John Lang could only lift the Panthers to 12th in a another seven-win campaign in 2002.
But after winning only one of their first four games in 2003, the Panthers shocked the NRL by going on a 13-1 run and outlasting defending champs Sydney Roosters for the minor premiership. They went on to upset the Roosters 18-6 in a stirring grand final performance.
Enigmatic duo Preston Campbell and Rhys Wesser were integral to Penrith’s remarkable triumph, while previously unheralded trio Joel Clinton, Luke Lewis and Trent Waterhouse joined teammates Craig Gower and Ryan Girdler on the Kangaroo Tour at the end of the season.
Parramatta Eels (2005)
After six finals appearances in as many seasons under Brian Smith from 1997-2002, Parramatta went off the boil in 2003-04 – winning just nine games and landing 12th in the latter campaign.
A recruitment drive netted Timana Tahu, Glenn Morrison, Mark Riddell and PJ Marsh, though, and the Eels rallied to finish top of the table in a wildly unpredictable 2005 NRL premiership (albeit with eight losses, the most ever by a minor premier).
The blue-and-golds’ compelling case for premiership glory fell apart via a staggering 29-0 preliminary final loss to the Cowboys.
Canterbury Bulldogs (2012)
Canterbury missed the playoffs in 2010-11, leading to club stalwart Kevin Moore’s axing as coach and the recruitment of Des Hasler, fresh from guiding Manly to its second premiership in four years.
Hasler steered the Bulldogs to their first minor premiership in 18 years, while Ben Barba won the Dally M Medal in a blistering season, and Josh Reynolds finished fifth in the count and Sam Kasiano was named Prop of the Year in breakout campaigns.
The Bulldogs ultimately fell short in the grand final, going down 14-4 to the Storm.
Sydney Roosters (2013)
Brian Smith’s Roosters faded after making the 2010 grand final, missing the playoffs in the next two seasons.
Relatively unknown NRL rookie coach Trent Robinson took over in 2013 – and had star recruits Sonny Bill Williams, James Maloney, Michael Jennings and Luke O’Donnell at his disposal as the relentless Roosters charged to top spot on the ladder.
The Tricolours secured the J.J. Giltinan Shield with a final-round win over archrivals and fellow heavyweights Souths.
The Roosters became just the third team in a decade to couple the minor premiership with a grand final victory, defeating Manly 26-18 in the big one. The club made it a hat-trick of minor premierships in 2014-15 but missed the grand final in both seasons.
Penrith Panthers (2020)
Ivan Cleary’s return to the Penrith coach’s box in 2019 garnered modest results initially, with the club missing the finals for the first time in four years.
While Api Koroisau and Kurt Capewell were regarded as handy pick-ups from rival clubs, few foresaw the Panthers’ incredible run to the minor premiership with just one loss in 20 games of the COVID-disrupted 2020 season.
The Panthers were ambushed early by the Storm in the grand final – eventually losing 26-20 – but subsequently produced the first title four-peat in more than half a century from 2021-24, collecting another two minor premierships along the way.
Canberra Raiders (2025)
Canberra was widely hailed as a potential wooden spooner ahead of the 2025 season, having missed the previous year’s finals and bidding farewell to stalwarts Elliott Whitehead and Jordan Rapana.
The unfancied Raiders produced a spectacular regular season campaign, however, winning 18 of their last 20 games to finish four points clear of the field. Epic golden point wins over 2024 grand finalists Melbourne and Penrith seemingly underlined their title credentials.
But Ricky Stuart’s side became the first minor premiers to be bundled out of the finals in straight sets since 2009, going down to the Broncos in golden point after a horrific collapse and then the Sharks – both at home – in an agonising lost opportunity.