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.
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.
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
78th seasonGround: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Frank StantonCaptain: Wayne Pearce
4th seasonGround: Seiffert Oval Coach: Don FurnerCaptain: Dean Lance
51st seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: Warren RyanCaptain: Steve Mortimer
19th seasonGround: Ronson Field Coach: Terry FearnleyCaptain: David Hatch
78th seasonGround: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Arthur BeetsonCaptain: Ron Gibbs→John Tobin
4th seasonGround: Wollongong Showground Coach: Brian SmithCaptain: Brian Hetherington
39th seasonGround: Brookvale Oval Coach: Bob FultonCaptain: Glen Ryan→Paul Vautin
78th seasonGround: North Sydney Oval Coach: Greg Hawick→Brian Norton[1]Captain: W. Honeywood→Fred Teasdell→Mark Graham
39th seasonGround: Belmore Oval Coach: John MonieCaptain: Ray Price
19th seasonGround: Penrith Park Coach: Tim SheensCaptain: Royce Simmons
78th seasonGround: Redfern Oval Coach: Ron WilleyCaptain: David Boyle
65th seasonGround: Kogarah Oval Coach: Roy MastersCaptain: Craig Young
78th seasonGround: Lidcombe Oval Coach: Ken GentleCaptain: Lee Crooks
Bold – Home game X – Bye * – Extra time game Opponent for round listed above margin
The 1985 grand final was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground before a crowd of 44,569.[2] 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. After felling St George's Graeme Wynn as a scrum broke up, Canterbury's prop Peter Kelly was surprising awarded a penalty and shortly thereafter 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.
Canterbury-Bankstown 7Tries: P Mortimer. Goal: Farrar. Field Goal: Farrar.
St. George 6Tries: Morris. Goal: O'Connor.
Man-of-the-match: Steve Mortimer
The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26.
Top 5 point scorers
Top 5 try scorers
Top 5 goal scorers
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