The National Rugby League (NRL) is the highest professional rugby competition across Australia and New Zealand, with the season running from March through to October, and culminating in the grand final – one of the most popular sporting events in Australia and New Zealand, and one of the world’s largest attended sporting championship matches.
The league is globally recognised as the highest standard rugby competition in the world, emphasised by the fact it is the world’s most viewed and attended rugby competition. The NRL Grand Final, finals series and the regular season also remain as some of the most popular sporting events to bet on, chiefly by Australians, but also many other punters from across the globe.
Best NRL online and mobile sports bookmakers
Australia boasts a grand selection of legal and respected online sports bookmakers, all of which deal with AUD currency and offer hundreds upon hundreds of betting markets for their customers, including national and international events and non-sporting markets like politics and entertainment.
To ensure their customers remain loyal and content, these bookies also deliver a collection of great cash bonuses, free bets, promotions, tournaments, competitions, and prizes, along with 24/7 customer support, live (in-play) wagering, betting optimisation for mobile and tablet devices, and many other punter perks and benefits.
Below is a list of our top regulated and licensed online bookies for keen Australian (and international) NRL punters:
- CrownBet – Established in 2015
- William Hill – Established in 1934
- Sportsbet – Established in 1993
- Bet365 – Established in 2000
- Luxbet – Established in 2008
To register an account with any of the above bookmakers, access the link via any platform (mobile, desktop, laptop, tablet) and you will be taken directly to the sign up page. Information required to become a free member includes: a username, password, your full name, your date of birth, your email address, your residential address and your contact number.
As a new member, you will be eligible for the new player free bet bonus every bookmaker offers – typically a cash injection (that is matched at 100 per cent or more of your initial deposit) that you can use to bet on any sporting event. It is worthwhile registering an account with at least a couple of different bookies so you can compare odds and see if there are any additional markets not offered by the alternative bookie.
Here are the most commonly used online deposit and withdrawal methods at Internet sports bookmakers, so you can securely fund you accounts and take out your winnings:
- Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards
- BPAY
- Direct wire transfer (BSB and Account Number of bookmaker provided)
- E-wallets such as PayPal, POLi and Moneybookers (Skrill)
- Cash card – this is an exclusive sports bookmaker EFTPOS card that acts like a regular EFTPOS card and allows the instantaneous transfer of funds to and from your bookie account, and is compatible for ATM withdrawals and purchases from any retail outlet that accepts EFTPOS
All financial transactions are protected with secure socket layer (SSL) digital encryption technology and all members can request to remove personal details from the bookies’ databases at any time they wish.
ID checks will be requested, to confirm you are the account holder – members can send in a copy of their driver’s licence or a copy of a utility bill showing their current address. This is only necessary for the first time you wish to make a withdrawal (afterwards you can make withdrawals without verifying your identity).
NRL popular betting markets
We’ve listed and explained some of the most popular wagering markets NRL punters enjoy, from head to head bets through to margin wagers, from individual player bets through to future bets.
The head to head bet: – The most commonly placed NRL wager, the head to head bet is simply a wager on the team you think will win the match (and always includes extra time). For example, the North Queensland Cowboys might be paying $1.40 to win at home against the $2.95 Canterbury Bulldogs.
The draw bet: You can also select the draw option, which means both teams will tie with the same score, at the conclusion of regular time. With the golden point rule in play since 2003, drawn games at the end of regular time, result in two five minute halves being played (extra time). Any score during extra time – the extra 10 minutes – results in a win for the scoring team (a try, penalty goal or field goal). If there is no scoring after the full 10 minutes of extra game time, the match ends in a tie and both clubs receive one competition point.
The big win little win bet (after 80 minutes): A simple enough wager, this is a bet on whether one team will win by either 1 to 12 points (little win) or 13 or more points.
The line bet: Also known as a handicap wager, this bet provides one team (the underdog) with a head start by a certain amount of points, so the betting odds can be displayed as even. For example, if the Melbourne Storm is playing the Sydney Roosters in Melbourne, and in the head to head market Melbourne is paying $1.25 and Sydney is paying $3.85, the line/handicap might be +11.5 for Sydney (and thus -11.5 for Melbourne). Both options offer the same odds (typically $1.90).
This means Sydney holds a head start of 11 and a half points – if you bet on Sydney at +11.5, you will need Sydney to either win or lose by no more than 11.5 points. If you wager on Melbourne at -11.5, you will need Melbourne to win by more than 11.5 points. Bookies also allow punters to choose their own lines/handicaps (with the odds either decreasing or increasing depending on the original line).
Scorecast: This is one of the most enjoyable bets, as it offers a combination of the winning margin and the first try scorer (and huge odds). For example, for the Storm v Roosters match, you could select Cooper Cronk for the opening try scorer, coupled with a Storm victory by 1 to 12 points – this kind of wager will offer you some substantial odds (could be around $40.00 for such an option).
Player markets: Player markets include first try scorer, anytime try scorer, last try scorer, to score two or more tries, as well as the options for a penalty try as the first scoring play or no tries to be scored at all.
Other niche markets: Other popular markets include half time/full time results (such as Melbourne Storm leading at half time, and Melbourne Storm leading at full time), whether there will be extra time, variations on the margin (exact winning margin, the tri bet – which is one team by more than 6.5 points, the other team by more than 6.5 points or for the result to be under 6.5 points), first half and second half markets, and a heap more.
Future betting: While technically all NRL (and sports) betting markets offered online are bets on future events, this relates specifically to results determined at season’s end, such as: the winner of the Grand Final; the league’s top try scorer; teams to finish in the top four and the top eight; the Grand Final quinella (the two teams to make it to the Grand Final); the team to win the minor premiership (finish on top of the table at the end of the regular season); and more.
Multi betting: Include multiple individual wagers packaged in as one large bet to multiply your odds. For example, you can select multiple NRL wagers from different markets, such as Melbourne Storm to beat Sydney Roosters at $1.25 (head to head bet), St George Illawarra Dragons to beat Wests Tigers at $2.45 (head to head bet), Corey Oates to be the first try scorer in the Brisbane Broncos vs Penrith Panthers match at $6.00, and Gold Coast Titans to beat Parramatta Ells by 1 to 12 points at $3.20 (margin bet); multiply all those together for your multi wager and you get odds of $58.80. Place a $10 bet on that multi and you stand to win $588.00
Interactive sports betting rules and regulations in Australia
Real money sports wagering is a legal practice within Australia, provided it is done so via a licensed and regulated bookmaker. Most sports betting is done interactively (via the Internet and over the phone), and again, this is a legal practice provided the operator offering such services is attached to a land based business.
Most sports bookmakers that are permitted to offer their services to Australian residents are licensed in the Northern Territory. The legal betting age for Australian residents is 18.
Aside from online sports betting, Australians can also punt in licensed betting outlets across the country, such as Victorian and New South Wales TABs, where live racing is broadcast, along with other live sporting events.
Live wagering (also known as in-play wagering) is permitted via telephone (speaking directly to a bookmaker representative) and in person (at betting outlets and sporting events). According to the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, betting operators are not allowed to offer live betting via the Internet.
History of the National Rugby League
The NRL began as the domestic New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL), which ran from 1908 until 1994. Interstate expansion began thereafter, and this forced foundation club Newtown Jets to quit the league due to financial troubles and brought about the demise of some of the traditional Sydney-based clubs.
The genuine push for a truly national competition kicked off in 1995, when the NSWRL passed control of the premiership to the Australian Rugby League (ARL). This sparked great interest across the country and culminated in the Super League War – a clash between media moguls Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer for the broadcasting rights and full ownership of the top-level professional rugby league comp of Australasia (Murdoch created the News Limited backed Super League organisation, and Packer had control of the Optus Vision backed Australian Rugby League).
The Super League poached teams and players from the ARL with enticing salaries, and the two leagues ran parallel competitions for the 1997 season. Crowds and sponsorship suffered significantly as the dispute between the two leagues raged, and the ARL called for a unified competition in 1998. After much negotiations, the organisations and clubs came back together to form the NRL we know today, in 1998, jointly owned by the ARL and News Limited.
The only international club, the New Zealand Warriors, entered into the competition for the 2001 season, having been resurrected from the financial unstable Auckland Warriors. The Warriors made the Grand Final in 2002.
NRL teams and records
As of 2016, there are currently 16 teams in the NRL competition, with 10 of those clubs residing in New South Wales:
- Brisbane Broncos – Brisbane, Queensland
- Sydney City Roosters – Sydney, New South Wales
- North Queensland Cowboys – Townsville, Queensland
- New Zealand Warriors – Auckland, New Zealand
- Canterbury Bulldogs – Canterbury, New South Wales
- South Sydney Rabbitohs – Sydney, New South Wales
- Melbourne Storm – Melbourne, Victoria
- Manly Sea Eagles – Manly, New South Wales
- Cronulla Sharks – Cronulla, New South Wales
- Penrith Panthers – Penrith, New South Wales
- Parramatta Eels – Parramatta, New South Wales
- St. George Dragons – Sydney, New South Wales
- Canberra Raiders – Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
- Newcastle Knights – Newcastle, New South Wales
- Gold Coast Titans – Gold Coast, Queensland
- Wests Tigers – Sydney, New South Wales
List of some NRL records (accurate as of July, 2016):
- Most premierships – 21 (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
- Most runner up finishes – 15 (Sydney City Roosters)
- Largest winning margin in a game – 85 (St. George Dragons against Canterbury Bulldogs in 1935)
- Highest score in a game – 91 (St. George Dragons against Canterbury Bulldogs in 1935)
- Most total points in a match – 106 (Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders in 2006)
- Biggest comeback in a match – 26 points (both North Queensland Cowboys and Penrith Panthers, in 1998 and 2009, respectively)
- Most games played – 355 games (Darren Lockyer)
- Leading points-scorer – Hazem El Masr (2418 points: 159 tries and 891 goals, from 1996 to 2009
- Leading tryscorer – Ken Irvine (212 tries, from 1958 to 1967
)
The team of the century was announced in 2008, and consisted of the following players:
- Full-back: Clive Churchill
- Wingers: Ken Irvine, Brian Bevan
- Centres: Reg Gasnier, Mal Meninga
- Five-eighth: Wally Lewis
- Half-back: Andrew Johns
- Lock: John Raper
- Second Row: Norm Provan, Ron Coote
- Props: Arthur Beetson, Duncan Hall
- Hooker: Noel Kelly
- Reserves: Graeme Langlands, Dally Messenger, Bob Fulton, Frank Burge
- Coach: Jack Gibson
Punters can find out more about specific NRL bets by contacting the support team at the bookmaker they are registered with