2023 NRL season

The 2023 NRL season was the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League. The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, the longest in league history, followed by a finals series contested by the top eight teams on the competition table. The Penrith Panthers were the 2023 minor and major premiers.

Teams

For the 2023 season, the number of teams in the NRL increased from sixteen to seventeen with the inclusion of a fourth Queensland-based club, the Dolphins, based at Redcliffe. It is the first time the number of Premiership teams has changed since 2007 when the Gold Coast Titans joined the competition.

Colours	Club	Season	Home ground	Head coach	Captain
	Brisbane Broncos	36th season	Suncorp Stadium	Kevin Walters	Adam Reynolds
	Canberra Raiders	42nd season	GIO Stadium Canberra	Ricky Stuart	Jarrod Croker & Elliott Whitehead
	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	89th season	Accor Stadium & CommBank Stadium	Cameron Ciraldo	Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Matt Burton, & Reed Mahoney
	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	57th season	PointsBet Stadium	Craig Fitzgibbon	Wade Graham & Dale Finucane
	Dolphins	1st season	Suncorp Stadium, Kayo Stadium, & Sunshine Coast Stadium	Wayne Bennett	Jesse Bromwich
	Gold Coast Titans	17th season	Cbus Super Stadium	→ Jim Lenihan	Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	74th season	4 Pines Park	Anthony Seibold	Daly Cherry-Evans
	Melbourne Storm	26th season	AAMI Park	Craig Bellamy	Christian Welch
	Newcastle Knights	36th season	McDonald Jones Stadium	Adam O'Brien	Jayden Brailey & Kalyn Ponga
	New Zealand Warriors	29th season	Go Media Stadium Mt. Smart	Andrew Webster	Tohu Harris
	North Queensland Cowboys	29th season	Queensland Country Bank Stadium	Todd Payten	Jason Taumalolo & Chad Townsend
	Parramatta Eels	77th season	CommBank Stadium	Brad Arthur	Clint Gutherson & Junior Paulo
	Penrith Panthers	57th season	BlueBet Stadium	Ivan Cleary	Isaah Yeo & Nathan Cleary
	South Sydney Rabbitohs	114th season	Accor Stadium	Jason Demetriou	Cameron Murray
	St. George Illawarra Dragons	25th season	Netstrata Jubilee Stadium & WIN Stadium	→ Ryan Carr	Ben Hunt
	Sydney Roosters	116th season	Allianz Stadium	Trent Robinson	James Tedesco
	Wests Tigers	24th season	Leichhardt Oval, Campbelltown Sports Stadium & CommBank Stadium	Tim Sheens	Apisai Koroisau

Collective bargaining agreement issues

The start of the season was overshadowed by ongoing issues between the NRL and the Rugby League Players Association. By February 2023, the RLPA and the NRL were at a stalemate following the expiration of the previous collective bargaining agreement in November 2022.
The NRL had announced an increased salary cap on 23 December 2022, surprising the RLPA who had yet to agree to terms with the NRL.
By February 2023, the possibility of a player's strike or other industrial action had yet to be ruled out by the RLPA.
In response to the stalled negotiations over the new agreement, in early July the RLPA took industrial action with players boycotting almost all broadcast and media engagements. The RLPA later publishing a list of frequently asked questions in response to media reporting.
In Round 22, the players took further action by covering the NRL logo on their jerseys.

Pre-season

Pre-season in 2023 saw the introduction of the NRL Pre-season Challenge in attempt to ensure each team had played an even number of matches before the start of the season. The annual All Stars match was still played, however the Pre-season Challenge saw a vast reduction in the number of trial played. As the 2023 World Club Challenge was hosted in Australia, the competition was incorporated into the final week of the Pre-season Challenge, which also resulted in St Helens participating in the NRL Pre-season Challenge in both weeks.
Matches were played between 4 February and 19 February 2023, before a 11-day lead up until the beginning of the regular season.

All Stars match

Rotorua hosted the All Stars match, which was the first time the match was played in New Zealand.

Trials

Italics indicates a non-NRL club

Date	Time	Home	Score	Away	Stadium	Attendance	Report
4 February 2023	16:00 AEST	Wynnum Manly Seagulls	12–44	Brisbane Broncos	Kougari Oval, Brisbane
4 February 2023	19:00 AEST	Central Queensland Capras	8–24	Dolphins	Marley Brown Oval, Gladstone	4,500

Regular season

Results

Team

Brisbane Broncos

PEN
+1

NQL
+12

SGI
+22

DOL
+6

WTI
+34

CAN
−6

GCT
+17

PAR
+10

SOU
−26

MAN
+26

MEL
−8

PEN
−11

NZL
+4

CRO
+8

NEW
+4

GCT
−6

DOL
+8

CBY
+20

SOU
+16

SYD
+22

NQL
+16

PAR
+44

CAN
+11

MEL
−10

MEL
+26

NZL
+30

PEN
–2

Canberra Raiders

NQL
−1

DOL
−6

CRO
+4

NEW
−10

PEN
−41

BRI
+6

SGI
+6

DOL
+1*

CBY
+4

PAR
+8

MAN
−28

SOU
+7

WTI
+1

NZL
−22

SYD
+2

GCT
+4

SGI
+10

NZL
−1*

NEW
−22

WTI
+4

MEL
−46

CBY
+12

BRI
−11

CRO
−18

NEW
−2

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

MAN
−25

MEL
+14

WTI
+4

NZL
−2

NQL
+1*

SOU
−34

PAR
−26

CRO
−13

SGI
+2

CAN
−4

NZL
−12

GCT
+2

SYD
−1

PAR
−22

CRO
−38

NEW
−66

SOU
+4

BRI
−20

PEN
−26

DOL
+1

NEW
−36

CAN
−12

MAN
−18

GCT
−4

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

SOU
−9

PAR
+4

CAN
−4

SGI
+32

NZL
−2

SYD
+10

CBY
+13

NQL
+38

DOL
−20

MAN
+6

NEW
+20

BRI
−8

MEL
−44

CBY
+38

SGI
+36

WTI
+24

NZL
−32

MAN
−4

PEN
−28

SOU
+10

GCT
+30

NQL
+20

NEW
−26

CAN
+18

SYD
−1

Dolphins

SYD
+10

CAN
+6

NEW
+16

BRI
−6

SGI
−26

NQL
+10

SOU
−22

GCT
+2

CAN
−1*

CRO
+20

MEL
−8

SGI
+14

NZL
−22

MAN
−40

PAR
−28

BRI
−8

GCT
+2*

PEN
−10

CBY
−1

NEW
−2

SYD
−16

WTI
−1

NQL
−24

NZL
+24

Gold Coast Titans

WTI
+12

SGI
−14

MEL
+4

NQL
−12

SGI
+2

BRI
−17

DOL
−2

MAN
+16

PAR
+2

NEW
−20

CBY
−2

SOU
−18

WTI
+16

BRI
+6

CAN
−4

DOL
−2*

PAR
−1

SYD
−18

NQL
+9

NZL
−10

CRO
−30

PEN
−26

MEL
−21

CBY
+4

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

CBY
+25

PAR
+4

SOU
−1*

NEW
0*

PEN
−32

MEL
+10

WTI
+6

GCT
−16

BRI
−26

CRO
−6

CAN
+28

NEW
−10

DOL
+40

PAR
−30

MEL
−18

SYD
+2

NQL
−11

CRO
+4

SGI
+6

SYD
−10

PEN
−12

NZL
−7

CBY
+18

WTI
+42

Melbourne Storm

PAR
+4*

CBY
−14

GCT
−4

WTI
+12

SOU
+8

SYD
+20

MAN
−10

NZL
+8

SOU
−16

BRI
+8

DOL
+8

NQL
−25

CRO
+44

WTI
+22

MAN
+18

PEN
−18

SYD
+14

NEW
−8

PAR
+30

PEN
−20

CAN
+46

SGI
+10

GCT
+21

BRI
+10

BRI
−26

SYD
+5

PEN
−34

Newcastle Knights

NZL
−8

WTI
+2

DOL
−16

CAN
+10

MAN
0*

NZL
+10

PEN
−1*

NQL
−2

PAR
−31

GCT
+20

CRO
−20

MAN
+10

BRI
−4

SYD
−2

PEN
−8

CBY
+66

WTI
+16

MEL
+8

CAN
+22

DOL
+2

CBY
+36

SOU
+19

CRO
+26

SGI
+20

CAN
+2

NZL
−30

New Zealand Warriors

NEW
+8

SYD
−8

NQL
+14

CBY
+2

CRO
+2

NEW
−10

NQL
+8

MEL
−8

SYD
−14

PEN
−12

CBY
+12

BRI
−4

DOL
+22

CAN
+22

SGI
+30

SOU
−22

PAR
+36

CRO
+32

CAN
+1*

GCT
+10

WTI
+8

MAN
+7

SGI
+12

DOL
−24

PEN
−26

NEW
+30

BRI
−30

North Queensland Cowboys

CAN
+1

BRI
−12

NZL
−14

GCT
+12

CBY
−1*

DOL
−10

NZL
−8

NEW
+2

CRO
−38

SYD
+14

SGI
+20

WTI
−48

PAR
−8

MEL
+25

PEN
+4*

SOU
+25

WTI
+74

MAN
+11

PAR
+8

GCT
−9

BRI
−16

CRO
−20

DOL
+24

PEN
−32

Parramatta Eels

MEL
−4*

CRO
−4

MAN
−4

PEN
+1*

SYD
−8

WTI
+6

CBY
+26

BRI
−10

NEW
+31

GCT
−2

CAN
−8

SOU
+20

NQL
+8

CBY
+22

MAN
+30

DOL
+28

NZL
−36

GCT
+1

NQL
−8

MEL
−30

SGI
+6

BRI
−44

SYD
−22

PEN
+14

Penrith Panthers

BRI
−1

SOU
+6

PAR
−1*

CAN
+41

MAN
+32

NEW
+1*

SOU
−2

WTI
−4

NZL
+12

SYD
+44

BRI
+11

SGI
+8

SYD
+24

NQL
−4*

NEW
+8

MEL
+18

DOL
+10

CBY
+26

CRO
+28

MEL
+20

MAN
+12

GCT
+26

PAR
−14

NQL
+32

NZL
+26

MEL
+34

BRI
+2

South Sydney Rabbitohs

CRO
+9

PEN
−6

SYD
−2

MAN
+1*

MEL
−8

CBY
+34

DOL
+22

PEN
+2

BRI
+26

MEL
+16

WTI
+20

PAR
−20

CAN
−7

GCT
+18

SGI
−6

NQL
−25

NZL
+22

CBY
−4

BRI
−16

WTI
+14

CRO
−10

SGI
+12

NEW
−19

SYD
−14

St. George Illawarra Dragons

GCT
+14

BRI
−22

CRO
−32

DOL
+26

GCT
−2

CAN
−6

SYD
−1

CBY
−2

WTI
−2

NQL
−20

SYD
+2

DOL
−14

PEN
−8

SOU
+6

NZL
−30

CRO
−36

CAN
−10

WTI
+4

MAN
−6

PAR
−6

SOU
−12

MEL
−10

NZL
−12

NEW
−20

Sydney Roosters

DOL
−10

NZL
+8

SOU
+2

PAR
+8

MEL
−20

CRO
−10

SGI
+1

NZL
+14

NQL
−14

PEN
−44

SGI
−2

CBY
+1

PEN
−24

NEW
+2

CAN
−2

MAN
−2

MEL
−14

GCT
+18

BRI
−22

MAN
+10

DOL
+16

PAR
+22

WTI
+24

SOU
+14

CRO
+1

MEL
−5

Wests Tigers

GCT
−12

NEW
−2

CBY
−4

MEL
−12

BRI
−34

PAR
−6

MAN
−6

PEN
+4

SGI
+2

SOU
−20

NQL
+48

CAN
−1

GCT
−16

MEL
−22

NQL
−74

CRO
−24

NEW
−16

SGI
−4

SOU
−14

CAN
−4

NZL
−8

DOL
+1

SYD
−24

MAN
−42

Team

Bold – Home game
X – Bye
* – Golden point game
Opponent for round listed above margin

Ladder

Ladder progression

Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top eight.
Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.
Underlined numbers indicate that the team had a bye during that round.

	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27
1	Penrith Panthers	0	2	4	4	6	8	10	10	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	40	42
2	Brisbane Broncos	2	4	6	8	10	10	12	14	14	16	16	16	18	20	22	24	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	42
3	Melbourne Storm	2	2	2	4	6	8	8	10	12	12	14	16	18	18	20	22	24	24	26	28	28	30	30	32	34	36	38
4	New Zealand Warriors	2	2	4	6	8	8	10	10	10	10	12	14	14	16	18	20	22	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	38
5	Newcastle Knights	0	2	2	4	5	7	7	7	7	9	11	11	13	15	15	15	15	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35
6	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	0	2	2	4	4	6	8	10	12	12	14	16	18	18	18	20	22	24	26	26	26	26	28	30	32	32	34
7	Sydney Roosters	0	2	4	6	8	8	8	10	12	12	12	12	14	16	16	18	18	18	20	20	22	22	24	26	28	30	32
8	Canberra Raiders	0	0	2	2	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	14	16	18	18	20	22	24	26	28	28	28	30	30	32	32	32
9	South Sydney Rabbitohs	2	2	2	4	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	16	16	18	18	20	20	22	22	24	24	26	26	28	28	30	30
10	Parramatta Eels	0	0	0	2	2	4	6	6	8	8	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	22	24	24	24	26	26	26	28	30
11	North Queensland Cowboys	2	2	2	4	4	4	4	6	6	8	10	10	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24	26	26	26	28	28	30	30
12	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	2	4	6	6	7	7	9	11	11	11	11	13	13	15	17	17	17	19	21	21	23	25	25	25	25	27	29
13	Dolphins	2	4	6	6	6	8	8	10	10	12	14	14	16	16	16	18	18	18	20	20	22	22	22	22	22	22	24
14	Gold Coast Titans	2	2	4	4	6	8	8	8	10	12	12	12	14	14	16	18	20	20	20	20	20	22	22	22	22	22	24
15	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	0	2	4	4	6	6	6	6	8	8	8	10	12	12	12	12	14	14	16	16	16	18	20	20	20	20	20
16	St. George Illawarra Dragons	2	4	4	4	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	8	8	8	10	12	12	12	12	14	16	16	16	16	16	16	16
17	Wests Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	4	6	6	8	10	10	10	10	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	14	14	14

Finals series

† Match decided in extra time.

Player statistics and records

In Round 10, Wayne Bennett became the first coach to coach 900 games in the NRL and its predecessor competitions.
In Round 22, Cameron McInnes broke the record for the most tackles in a game in the NRL era with 81.
In the Grand Final, Ezra Mam tied the record for most tries by a five-eighth in a season, with 18.

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 27.
Top 5 point scorers

Points	Player	Club	Tries	Goals	Field Goals
244	Jamayne Isaako	Dolphins	24	73	2
216	Nick Meaney	Melbourne Storm	10	88	0
183	Nicho Hynes	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	5	81	1
182	Adam Reynolds	Brisbane Broncos	5	79	3
176	Shaun Johnson	New Zealand Warriors	8	71	2

Top 5 try scorers

Tries	Player	Club
24	Jamayne Isaako	Dolphins
23	Dominic Young	Newcastle Knights
21	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	New Zealand Warriors
21	Alex Johnston	South Sydney Rabbitohs
21	Mikaele Ravalawa	St. George Illawarra Dragons

Top 5 goal kickers

Goals	Player	Club
88	Nick Meaney	Melbourne Storm
81	Nicho Hynes	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
79	Adam Reynolds	Brisbane Broncos
73	Jamayne Isaako	Dolphins
72	Nathan Cleary	Penrith

Top 5 tacklers

Tackles	Player	Club
1,015	Blayke Brailey	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
1,014	Damien Cook	South Sydney Rabbitohs
986	Reed Mahoney	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
968	Nat Butcher	Sydney Roosters
956	J'maine Hopgood	Parramatta Eels
956	Reece Robson	North Queensland Cowboys

Attendances

Club figures

* = Magic Round home game not counted

Match Officials

Includes Finals Matches

Referee	Games
Adam Gee	29
Gerard Sutton	27
Grant Atkins	25
Ashley Klein	24
Peter Gough	23
Todd Smith	23
Chris Butler	20
Ben Cummins	15
Liam Kennedy	10
Chris Sutton	10
Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski	5
Kasey Badger	1
Belinda Sharpe	1

2023 Transfers

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