2006 NRL season

Rugby league competition 2006 National Rugby League 100px 15 Brisbane 16 Brisbane Broncos 6th NoneHoneysett Stuart Read Brent Shocking end to the Melbourne Storm era April 23, 2010 The Australian http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/shocking-end-to-the-melbourne-storm-era/story-e6frg7mf-1225857195771 https://web.archive.org/web/20101025120203/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/shocking-end-to-the-melbourne-storm-era/story-e6frg7mf-1225857195771 dead October 25, 2010 189 8201 16,485 3,115,700 Canterbury 16 Hazem El Masri (296) South Sydney 16 Nathan Merritt (22) Melbourne 16 Cameron Smith Dally M Medal South Sydney Rabbitohs 8th 2005 2007 The 2006 NRL season was the 99th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the ninth run by the National Rugby League. The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen clubs competing for the 2006 Telstra Premiership. Throughout the 26 rounds of the regular season, ten teams from New South Wales (9 of them from the Sydney basin), two from Queensland and one each from Victoria, the ACT and New Zealand competed for the minor premiership. Eight of these teams qualified for the four-week finals series, with the Brisbane Broncos eventual victors over the Melbourne Storm in the grand final. Bernard Grantley Storm laments lost opportunity Fox Sports Premier Media Group Pty Ltd. 2006-10-02 http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20509985-23214,00.html 2009-12-17 Melbourne finished the regular season first so were awarded the minor premiership, but this was later revoked due to the Melbourne Storm salary cap breach. The decision was then made to award no minor premiership for the season. Preseason Newcastle Knights coach Michael Hagan signed a three-year deal to coach the Parramatta Eels, beginning in 2007. Hagan replaced Brian Smith, who had coached the Eels since 1997 whilst Smith replaced Hagan at Newcastle in an unprecedented coach-swap. In other coaching moves, Matthew Elliott was confirmed as the coach of the Penrith Panthers, beginning in 2007. Penrith Panthers halfback Craig Gower was fired as captain, suspended for four games and fined $100,000 ($90,000 to be paid to an NRL programme encouraging the responsible use of alcohol by league players and $10,000 to replace a destroyed golf cart) after a string of alcohol-fueled incidents at a charity golf function. The Charity Shield heralded the unofficial start of the season, with the South Sydney Rabbitohs defeating St George Illawarra 14-12 in their first home game at Telstra Stadium on February 18. All NRL clubs engaged in a series of trials during the month of February. Wests Tigers premiership-winning captain Scott Prince announced on March 3 he had signed a four-year deal with expansion team Gold Coast Titans, beginning in 2007. Prince relinquished the captaincy of the Tigers for the 2006 season. New Zealand Warriors salary cap breach The salary cap for the 2006 season was A$3.366 million per club for their 25 highest-paid players. Budge Dale NRL salary cap guide tvnz.co.nz Television New Zealand Limited 2006-02-22 http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/663927 https://web.archive.org/web/20121005184004/http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/663927 dead 2012-10-05 2009-12-17 The New Zealand Warriors were investigated by the National Rugby League over alleged salary cap breaches committed by the team's previous administrators. The club admitted to inflating its salary cap to the tune of nearly $1 million during the 2005 season. The National Rugby League fined the Warriors $430,000 and ordered the team to start the season with a four premiership point deficit. It was the first time in 99 years of rugby league in Australia that a team has started a season on less than zero premiership points. The Warriors appealed the decision by the NRL to deduct the four competition points but accepted the financial penalty. Prior to the beginning of the season, the National Rugby League confirmed that the points penalty would stand. The penalty would prove the decisive factor in the Warriors missing the finals for the third year in succession. Teams Brisbane Broncos 19th seasonGround: Suncorp StadiumCoach: Wayne BennettCaptain: Darren LockyerCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 72nd seasonGround: Telstra StadiumCoach: Steve FolkesCaptain: Andrew RyanCanberra Raiders 25th seasonGround: Canberra StadiumCoach: Matthew ElliottCaptain: Clinton SchifcofskeCronulla-Sutherland Sharks 40th seasonGround: Toyota StadiumCoach: Stuart RaperCaptain: Brett KimmorleyManly Warringah Sea Eagles 57th seasonGround: Brookvale OvalCoach: Des HaslerCaptain: Ben KennedyMelbourne Storm 9th seasonGround Olympic Park StadiumCoach: Craig BellamyCaptain: variousNew Zealand Warriors 12th seasonGround: Mt Smart StadiumCoach: Ivan ClearyCaptain: Steve PriceNewcastle Knights 19th seasonGround: EnergyAustralia StadiumCoach: Michael HaganCaptain: Andrew JohnsNorth Queensland Cowboys 12th seasonGround: Dairy Farmers StadiumCoach: Graham MurrayCaptain: Travis NortonParramatta Eels 60th seasonGround: Parramatta StadiumCoach: Brian Smith→Jason TaylorCaptain: Nathan CaylessPenrith Panthers 40th seasonGround: CUA StadiumCoach: John LangCaptain: Tony PuletuaSouth Sydney Rabbitohs 97th seasonGround: Telstra StadiumCoach: Shaun McRaeCaptain: Peter CusackSt. George Illawarra Dragons 8th seasonGround: OKI Jubilee Stadium & WIN StadiumCoach: Nathan BrownCaptain: Trent BarrettSydney Roosters 99th seasonGround: Sydney Football StadiumCoach: Ricky StuartCaptain: Craig FitzgibbonWests Tigers 7th seasonGround: Campbelltown Stadium & Leichhardt OvalCoach: Tim SheensCaptain: Brett Hodgson Season summary The season began on March 10 with a match between defending premiers Wests Tigers and the St. George Illawarra Dragons, played at Telstra Stadium. The Melbourne Storm won 20 out of 24 regular season matches to win the minor premiership eight points clear of the Bulldogs.Australian Associated Press Broncos claim premiership Television New Zealand Limited 2 October 2001 http://tvnz.co.nz/content/839300/2422021/article.html?cfb=3 17 December 2009 However, in April 2010, the Storm were retroactively stripped of their minor premiership as a result of salary cap breaches occurring over the course of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons, with no minor premiers declared for the 2006 season, as well as the subsequent two seasons.http://www.nrl.com/news/news/newsarticle/tabid/10874/newsid/58359/melbourne-storm-breach-nrl-salary-cap/default.aspx Melbourne Storm breach NRL Salary Cap 22 April 2010 22 April 2010 National Rugby League https://web.archive.org/web/20100425022320/http://www.nrl.com/news/news/newsarticle/tabid/10874/newsid/58359/melbourne-storm-breach-nrl-salary-cap/default.aspx 25 April 2010 dead dmy-all https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/melbourne-storm-stripped-of-two-rugby-league-titles-over-salary-cap-fraud/news-story/d20d300e8ea41809e9a5a7b4d1db197e Melbourne Storm stripped of two rugby league titles over salary cap fraud The Australian 22 April 2010 22 April 2010 McDonald subscription Margie The grand finals: Brisbane 16 Brisbane Broncos vs Melbourne 16 Melbourne Storm (NRL) Parramatta 16 Parramatta Eels vs Newtown 16 Newtown Jets (NSW Cup) Penrith 16 Penrith Panthers vs Newcastle 16 Newcastle Knights (NSW Jersey Flegg Cup) The winners in all grades were: Brisbane 16 Brisbane Broncos (NRL) Parramatta 16 Parramatta Eels (NSW Cup) Penrith 16 Penrith Panthers (NSW Jersey Flegg Cup) The test match Australia 16 Australia vs NZ 16 New Zealand The tri-nations Series Australia 16 Australia vs NZ 16 New Zealand Australia 16 Australia vs Great Britain 16 Great Britain Great Britain 16 Great Britain vs NZ 16 New Zealand The State Of Origin Series Queensland 16 Queensland vs New South Wales 16 New South Wales Venues Sixteen stadiums regularly hosted National Rugby league matches, with a further six hosting at least one match in season 2006. Stadium name During the 2006 season, many of the stadiums were known by different names to their traditional ones, as some were sponsored by various organisations. For example, Aussie Stadium was also formerly known as the "Sydney Football Stadium", likewise, Mt Smart Stadium was known as 'Ericsson Stadium' for the majority of the season, until the naming rights expired.CityHost club(s)Capacity This includes both seated and standing spots. Suncorp Stadium Milton, Brisbane, Qld Brisbane Broncos 20 Brisbane Broncos52,500 Canberra Stadium Bruce, Canberra, ACT Canberra Raiders 20 Canberra Raiders25,000 Olympic Park Stadium Melbourne, Vic Melbourne Storm 20 Melbourne Storm18,500 EnergyAustralia Stadium Newcastle, NSW Newcastle 20 Newcastle Knights26,200 Sydney Football Stadium Moore Park, Sydney, NSW Sydney Roosters 20 Sydney Roosters41,159 Brookvale Oval Brookvale, Sydney, NSW Manly 20 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles22,000 Campbelltown Stadium Campbelltown, Sydney, NSW Wests Tigers 20 Wests Tigers20,000 Leichhardt Oval Leichhardt, Sydney, NSW Wests Tigers 20 Wests Tigers20,000 Oki Jubilee Stadium Kogarah, Sydney, NSW St George Illawarra 20 St George Illawarra Dragons20,541 Parramatta Stadium Parramatta, Sydney, NSW Parramatta 20 Parramatta Eels20,500 CUA Stadium Penrith, Sydney, NSW 20px Penrith Panthers21,000 Telstra Stadium Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, NSW Canterbury 20 BulldogsSouth Sydney 20 South Sydney RabbitohsWests Tigers 20 Wests Tigers83,500 Toyota Park Cronulla, Sydney, NSW Cronulla 20 Cronulla Sharks21,500 Dairy Farmers Stadium Kirwan, Townsville, Qld North Queensland 20 North Queensland Cowboys25,000 Mt Smart Stadium Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand Warriors old 20 New Zealand Warriors25,000 WIN Stadium Wollongong, NSW St. George Dragons 20 St George Illawarra Dragons20,000 Hindmarsh Stadium Hindmarsh, Adelaide, SA15,500 Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium Gosford, Central Coast, NSW20,059 Jade Stadium Christchurch, New Zealand36,500 Carrara Stadium Carrara, Gold Coast, Qld22,000 Waikato Stadium Hamilton, New Zealand26,350 Sydney Cricket Ground Moore Park, Sydney, NSW43,562 Advertising In 2006 the NRL and their advertising agency MJW Hakuhodo stayed with the Hoodoo Gurus' "That's My Team" soundtrack for a fourth year, producing a treatment aimed to appeal to the fundamental hope of all players and fans: that it would be ‘their team’ who would win the Grand Final. Capitalising on the enthusiasm generated by the Wests Tigers triumph of 2005 in only their sixth season, the campaign line and song chorus was changed to ‘That’s My Dream’. All fifteen NRL club captains featured heavily in the television and outdoor ads holding aloft the Telstra trophy. Eight young real life fans also featured in the TV commercial reflecting the origins of the game from backyard football scenes to Sydney beaches. Each was a fan of one of eight clubs who had not till then won the Telstra Premiership trophy and four different broadcast versions of the ad told the stories of their love of the game and each's dream of their own team's victory. Dally M Awards 2006 Dally M Awards The Dally M Awards were introduced in 1980 by News Limited. The most prestigious of these awards is the Dally M Medal which is awarded to the Player of the Year. The other prestigious award is the Provans Summons Medal which is the season's best player as voted by the public. As well as honouring the player of the year the awards night also recognises the premier player in each position, the best coach, the best captain, representative player of the year and the most outstanding rookie of the season. The awards night and Player of the Year medal are named in honour of Australian former rugby league great Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger. AwardPlayerClubPlayer of the YearCameron SmithMelbourne StormProvans Summons MedalNathan HindmarshParramatta EelsRookie of the YearJarryd HayneParramatta EelsCaptain of the YearBen KennedyManly Warringah Sea EaglesRep Player of the YearDarren LockyerBrisbane BroncosCoach of the YearCraig BellamyMelbourne Storm Team of the Year AwardPlayerClubBest FullbackClinton SchifcofskeCanberra RaidersBest WingerBrian CarneyNewcastle KnightsBest CentreMark GasnierSt George Illawarra DragonsBest Five-EighthDarren LockyerBrisbane BroncosBest HalfbackCooper CronkMelbourne StormBest LockBen KennedyManly Warringah Sea EaglesBest Second-RowerNathan HindmarshParramatta EelsBest PropRoy AsotasiBulldogsBest HookerCameron SmithMelbourne Storm Statistics and records Clinton Schifcofske ran 3,741 metres with the ball in 2006, more than any other player in the competition.Proszenko Adrian Gallen set to smash record http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/gallen-set-to-smash-record-20120505-1y5lo.html 7 May 2012 The Sydney Morning Herald 6 May 2012 The Brisbane Broncos set a club record for their biggest comeback win when they came from 18-0 down at half time to win 30-28 against Canberra Raiders in round 8. The Melbourne Storm set a club record for their longest winning streak with 11 games from Round 12 to Round 23. New Zealand Warriors defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 66–0 in Round 16. This set new records for New Zealand's greatest winning margin and South Sydney's greatest losing margin. The Newcastle Knights and Canberra Raiders set the league record for the highest aggregate score in a match, with a total of 102 points scored in Newcastle's 70–32 win in Round 2. The previous record (97 points, between St George and Canterbury-Bankstown) had stood since 1935. The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks set a then-club record for longest losing streak with 10 matches from Round 17 to Round 26. Nathan Merritt became the first player to top the try scoring chart from the wooden spoon winning side.Champions in poor teams, Sydney Morning Herald, September 2006 Ladder 2006 NRL season results Finals series The Melbourne Storm went into the finals for the first time as Minor Premiers (at the time). They had a week off after their first finals win against the Parramatta Eels 12-6 to prepare for a preliminary final encounter, again the St. George Illawarra Dragons which was won by the Storm 24-10, earning them a spot in the Grand final against the Brisbane Broncos. The Broncos had surprised everyone in the previous two months. After a slight hiccup in the qualifying final, going down against St. George Illawarra Dragons 20-4, they came back in the next two weeks, beating the Newcastle Knights 50-6 in the Semi-final and coming from 20-6 down at halftime to win 37-20 against the Bulldogs in the preliminary final. HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeCrowd Qualifying finals Newcastle Newcastle Knights25–18 Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles8 September 2006 8:00pmEnergyAustralia StadiumSean Hampstead23,752 Brisbane Brisbane Broncos4–20 St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons9 September 2006 6:30pmSuncorp StadiumPaul Simpkins50,387 Canterbury Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs30–12 Canberra Canberra Raiders9 September 2006 8:30pmTelstra StadiumShayne Hayne14,628 Melbourne Melbourne Storm 12–6 Parramatta Parramatta Eels10 September 2006 4:00pmOlympic ParkSteve Clark15,690 Semi-finals St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons28–0 Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles15 September 2006 7:45pmSydney Football StadiumPaul Simpkins30,907 Newcastle Newcastle Knights6–50 Brisbane Brisbane Broncos16 September 2006 7:45pmSydney Football StadiumSteve Clark22,081 Preliminary finals Canterbury Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs20–37 Brisbane Brisbane Broncos22 September 2006 7:45pmSydney Football StadiumPaul Simpkins29,511 Melbourne Melbourne Storm24–10 St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons23 September 2006 7:45pmTelstra StadiumSteve Clark40,901 Finals chart Melbourne 16 Melbourne 12 Manly 16 Manly 18 Parramatta 16 Parramatta 6 Newcastle 16 Newcastle 25 Canterbury 16 Canterbury 30 St. George 16 St. George Illawarra 20 Canberra 16 Canberra 12 Brisbane 16 Brisbane 4 St. George 16 St. George Illawarra 28 Manly 16 Manly 0 Newcastle 16 Newcastle 6 Brisbane 16 Brisbane 50 Melbourne 16 Melbourne 24 St. George 16 St. George Illawarra 10 Canterbury 16 Canterbury 20 Brisbane 16 Brisbane 37 Melbourne 16 Melbourne 8 Brisbane 16 Brisbane 15 Grand Final 2006 NRL Grand Final scoreboard Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of Round 26. Top 5 point scorers PointsPlayerTriesGoalsField goals274Canterbury Hazem El Masri161050193Newcastle Andrew Johns8801192Cronulla Luke Covell8800174Canberra Clinton Schifcofske6742168Melbourne Cameron Smith5740 Top 5 try scorers TriesPlayer22South Sydney Nathan Merritt20Manly Brett Stewart1923px Rhys Wesser18St. George Mark Gasnier18Eastern Suburbs Amos Roberts Top 5 goal scorers GoalsPlayer105Canterbury Hazem El Masri80Newcastle Andrew Johns80Cronulla Luke Covell74Canberra Clinton Schifcofske74Melbourne Cameron Smith 2006 transfers Players Player2005 club2006 club Stuart Kelly Brisbane Brisbane Broncos Retirement Darren Mapp Brisbane Brisbane Broncos Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Darren Smith Brisbane Brisbane Broncos Retirement Matt Adamson Canberra Canberra Raiders Retirement Ben Cross Canberra Canberra Raiders Melbourne Melbourne Storm Matt Gafa Canberra Canberra Raiders Harlequins Super League: Harlequins RL Ian Hindmarsh Canberra Canberra Raiders Catalans Super League: Catalans Dragons Ryan O'Hara Canberra Canberra Raiders Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Michael Robertson Canberra Canberra Raiders Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Tyran Smith Canberra Canberra Raiders Retirement Braith Anasta Canterbury Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Jamahl Lolesi Canterbury Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Keith Galloway Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Sam Isemonger Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Ryan McGoldrick Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Castleford Super League: Castleford Tigers Paul Mellor Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Nathan Merritt Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs David Peachey Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Jason Stevens Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Retirement Michael Sullivan Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Warrington Super League: Warrington Wolves Scott Donald Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Leeds Super League: Leeds Rhinos Sam Harris Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Daniel Heckenberg Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Harlequins Super League: Harlequins RL Terry Hill Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Retirement John Hopoate Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Suspension Chad Randall Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Harlequins Super League: Harlequins RL Steven Bell Melbourne Melbourne Storm Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Alex Chan Melbourne Melbourne Storm Catalans Super League: Catalans Dragons Robbie Kearns Melbourne Melbourne Storm Retirement Jamie McDonald Melbourne Melbourne Storm Toulouse Olympique Matt Orford Melbourne Melbourne Storm Manly Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Peter Robinson Melbourne Melbourne Storm Retirement Dennis Scott Melbourne Melbourne Storm Retirement Mark Hughes Newcastle Newcastle Knights Catalans Super League: Catalans Dragons Andrew Price Newcastle Newcastle Knights St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Monty Betham 23px New Zealand Warriors Wakefield Super League: Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Stacey Jones 23px New Zealand Warriors Catalans Super League: Catalans Dragons Francis Meli 23px New Zealand Warriors St. Helens Super League: St. Helens Iafeta Palea'aesina 23px New Zealand Warriors Wigan Super League: Wigan Warriors Karl Te Mata 23px New Zealand Warriors Harlequins Super League: Harlequins RL Richard Villasanti 23px New Zealand Warriors Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Jaiman Lowe North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Micheal Luck North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys 23px New Zealand Warriors Leigh McWilliams North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys Retirement David Myles North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys Toulouse Olympique Paul Rauhihi North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys Warrington Super League: Warrington Wolves Chris Sheppard North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Ashley Graham Parramatta Parramatta Eels North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys Garret Crossman 23px Penrith Panthers Melbourne Melbourne Storm Shannon Donato 23px Penrith Panthers Retirement Paul Franze 23px Penrith Panthers Castleford Super League: Castleford Tigers Joe Galuvao 23px Penrith Panthers South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Brett Howland 23px Penrith Panthers Retirement Ben Ross 23px Penrith Panthers Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Bryan Fletcher South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Wigan Super League: Wigan Warriors Glenn Hall South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Ashley Harrison South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Lee Hookey South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs 23px Penrith Panthers Brett Kearney South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Scott Logan South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Wigan Super League: Wigan Warriors Michael Ennis St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Brisbane Brisbane Broncos Willie Manu St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Castleford Super League: Castleford Tigers Shane Marteene St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Retirement Lance Thompson St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Albert Torrens St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Huddersfield Super League: Huddersfield Giants Ned Catic Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Wakefield Super League: Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Jason Cayless Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters St. Helens Super League: St. Helens Michael Crocker Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Melbourne Melbourne Storm Richie Faʻaoso Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Castleford Super League: Castleford Tigers Luke Ricketson Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Retirement Chris Walker Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Melbourne Melbourne Storm Stuart Webb Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Robert Miles Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Retirement Mark O'Neill Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Leeds Super League: Leeds Rhinos Pat Richards Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Wigan Super League: Wigan Warriors Matthew Rieck Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Retirement John Wilson Wests Tigers Wests Tigers Catalans Super League: Catalans Dragons Craig Stapleton Leigh Super League: Leigh Centurions 23px Penrith Panthers Mark O'Halloran London Super League: London Broncos 23px Penrith Panthers Darren Albert St. Helens Super League: St. Helens Cronulla Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Mark Edmondson St. Helens Super League: St. Helens Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters Andrew Emelio Widnes Super League: Widnes Vikings Canterbury Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Brian Carney Wigan Super League: Wigan Warriors Newcastle Newcastle Knights Shane Muspratt North Queensland Young Guns (Queensland Cup) North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys Matt Bickerstaff N/A St. George St. George Illawarra Dragons Luke Davico N/A Newcastle Newcastle Knights John Doyle N/A Eastern Suburbs Sydney Roosters George Gatis N/A 23px New Zealand Warriors See also 2006 State of Origin series 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations Rugby league in 2006 Footnotes 2 External links 2006 NRL season at stats.rleague.com 2006 NRL season at rugbyleagueproject.com 2006 NRL season at abc.net.au 2006 NRL season at nrl.com "Key features of the 2006 Telstra Premiership" - article at menofleague.com