Australian rugby league wooden spooners

The Australian rugby league wooden spooners are the team that finished last in the premier top-grade rugby league competition in Australia, which is currently the National Rugby League, and was previously the New South Wales Rugby Football League (1908-1994), the Australian Rugby League (1995-1997), and Super League (1997). Each of these seasons is considered to represent one continuous line of competition dating back from the first season in 1908. The wooden spoon is an unofficial award, however, fans often bring "real" wooden spoons to taunt opposition sides who are struggling on the bottom of the ladder.

Since the Melbourne Storm's salary cap breach which saw them win the wooden spoon in 2010 (more below), betting agencies have instead placed wagers on who would suffer the most losses in a single season, rather than win the wooden spoon itself.

First grade

TeamNo.SP%Years
1 Western Suburbs Magpies179218.5%1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1916, 1933, 1940, 1942, 1953, 1955, 1971, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1998, 1999
2 Parramatta Eels147219.4%1947, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1970, 1972, 2012, 2013, 2018
3 Sydney University101855.6%1921, 1923, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937
4 North Sydney Bears9929.8%1915, 1917, 1919, 1932, 1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1979
5 Newtown Jets87610.5%1924, 1925, 1928, 1939, 1968, 1976, 1977, 1978
5 South Sydney Rabbitohs81097.3%1945, 1946, 1962, 1975, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2006
6 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs5846%1943, 1944, 1964, 2002*, 2008
6 Sydney Roosters51114.5%1949, 1963, 1965, 1966, 2009
7 Newcastle Knights43112.9%2005, 2015, 2016, 2017
7 Balmain Tigers4924.3%1911, 1974, 1981, 1994
7 Penrith Panthers4527.7%1973, 1980, 2001, 2007
8 Gold Coast Chargers31127.3%1991, 1992, 1993
8 Annandale31127.3%1914, 1918, 1920
8 North Queensland Cowboys32412.5%1995, 1997 (SL), 2000
8 Illawarra Steelers31717.6%1985, 1986, 1989
8 St George Dragons3783.8%1922, 1926, 1938
8 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks3525.8%1967, 1969, 2014
9 South Queensland Crushers2366.7%1996, 1997
9 Gold Coast Titans21315.4%2011, 2019
10 Cumberland11100%1908
10 Melbourne Storm1218.3%2010^
10 Canberra Raiders1372.7%1982
10 Brisbane Broncos1333.03%2020
11 Hunter Mariners010.0%
11 Adelaide Rams020.0%
11 Newcastle Rebels020.0%
11 Northern Eagles030.0%
11 Western Reds030.0%
11 Wests Tigers0190.0%
11 St. George Illawarra Dragons0200.0%
11 Glebe0220.0%
11 New Zealand Warriors0260.0%
11 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles0730.0%

SP denotes seasons played. % refers to the percentage of seasons played that resulted in wooden spoons.

^ - The Melbourne Storm were forced to finish last in 2010 (stripped of all points) as a result of a salary cap breach uncovered earlier in the season.

  • records accurate as of end of 2020 season.[1]

NRL Women's Premiership

Bold teams indicate that the club still exists in the present competition.

TeamNo.SP%Years
1 Sydney Roosters1333.3%2019
1 St George Illawarra Dragons2366.7%2018

National Youth Competition (Holden Cup)

TeamNo.SPYears
1 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles3102011[4], 2013, 2016
2 North Queensland Cowboys1102008
2 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks1102009
2 Parramatta Eels1102010
2 Gold Coast Titans1102012
2 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs1102014
2 South Sydney Rabbitohs1102015
2 New Zealand Warriors1102017
3 Brisbane Broncos010
3 Canberra Raiders010
3 Melbourne Storm010
3 Newcastle Knights010
3 Penrith Panthers010
3 St. George Illawarra Dragons010
3 Sydney Roosters010
3 Wests Tigers010
SP denotes seasons played

Canterbury Cup NSW

TeamNo.SPYears
1 Western Suburbs Magpies272012, 2017
1 Newcastle Knights272016, 2018
2 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles162011
2 Wyong Roos172013
2 North Sydney Bears172014
2 Wentworthville Magpies172015
2 Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles132019
3 Mount Pritchard Mounties07
3 Penrith Panthers07
3 St. George Illawarra Dragons01
3 Illawarra Cutters06
3 Newtown Jets07
3 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks02
3 Windsor Wolves03
3 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs03
3 South Sydney Rabbitohs01
3 New Zealand Warriors06
3 Parramatta Eels06
SP denotes seasons played, Bold denotes team is still in competition

Intrust Super Cup QLD

Bold teams indicate that the club still exists in the present competition.

TeamNo.SPYears
1 Central Queensland Capras5242005, 2007, 2015, 2017, 2019
2 Mackay Cutters3122009, 2016, 2018
2 Sunshine Coast Falcons3122011, 2013, 2014
2 Souths Logan Magpies3241999, 2001, 2012
2 Ipswich Jets3241996, 2006, 2010
3 Logan Scorpions261997, 2002
4 Norths Devils1242008
4 Brothers-Valleys112004
4 Wests Panthers172003
4 Cairns Cyclones152000
4 Bundaberg Grizzlies131998
5 Aspley Broncos 0 1
5 Gold Coast Vikings 0 1
5 Mackay Sea Eagles 0 1
5 Townsville Stingers 0 1
5 Port Moresby Vipers 0 2
5 Brisbane Brothers 0 3
5 Townsville Blackhawks 0 5
5 Papua New Guinea Hunters06
5 North Queensland Young Guns 0 6
5 Toowoomba Clydesdales 0 11
5 Northern Pride012
5 Tweed Heads Seagulls 0 18
5 Burleigh Bears023
5 Easts Tigers024
5 Redcliffe Dolphins 0 24
5 Wynnum Manly Seagulls 0 24

Brisbane Rugby League premiership

Bold teams indicate that the club still exists in the present competition.

Ron Massey Cup

TeamNo.SPYears
1Kingsgrove Colts32013, 2015, 2016
2Brothers Penrith22018, 2019
3Western Suburbs Magpies12017
3Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles12012
3Burwood North Ryde12014
4Concord-Burwood-Glebe Wolves0
4Auburn Warriors0
4Wentworthville Magpies0
4St Marys Saints0
4The Entrance Tigers0
4St Johns Eagles0
4Windsor Wolves0
4Asquith Magpies0
4Guildford Owls0
4Cabramatta Two Blues0
4Newtown Jets0
SP denotes seasons played, Bold denotes still in competition

Reversing fortunes

Western Suburbs were the only team to finish last in a season (1933) and then back up with a premiership in the following year. In season 2009 the Sydney Roosters finished last, winning just five games, however conjured a remarkable turnaround on and off the field to make the Grand final the following season.

In 2003, the Penrith Panthers won a premiership after finishing wooden spooners in 2001, and after finishing round 2 of the 2003 season in last place (15th). In the 2014 NRL season, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks were the wooden spoon recipients. They went on to win the 2016 Premiership.

After winning the 1942 premiership, Canterbury-Bankstown then crashed to last place in season 1943. After winning the 1952 premiership, Western Suburbs finished last in the season 1953. South Sydney went from minor premiers in 1989 to wooden spooners in 1990.

In 2010 the Melbourne Storm repeated this feat, albeit in unusual circumstances. The Storm then went on to win its first official minor premiership in the 2011 season, before finishing one game short of the Grand Final.

Avoiding the spoon

As of 2020, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles have avoided the wooden spoon in their 71 completed seasons since entering the competition in 1947. They are the only current pre-1995 club to have avoided the wooden spoon. Three other current clubs have also never claimed the wooden spoon: New Zealand Warriors (24), St. George Illawarra Dragons (20), and Wests Tigers (19).

The Balmain Tigers enjoyed a sixty-two season wooden spoon drought from 1911-1974, and St. George Dragons had went 60 seasons (1939-1998) prior to the joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers

Spoon Bowl

In recent NRL seasons, the media had started to describe the matches between the two last placed sides as the "Spoon Bowl". One of the first instances the term being used was in 2011 when the Parramatta Eels and the Gold Coast Titans played against each other in the final match of the regular season with the loser receiving the wooden spoon. In 2014, the term was used again when Canberra played against Cronulla with both sides sitting on the bottom of the table. In 2015, Newcastle and Penrith played against each other in the third instance of the "Spoon Bowl" term to be used. In 2017, the Wests Tigers and Newcastle played in the fourth spoon bowl game with Wests defeating Newcastle and avoiding last place. In 2018, Parramatta who were in last place and Canterbury who were in second last faced off against each other in the fifth edition of the spoon bowl. There were fears before the match that it could have been the lowest crowd for an NRL game in 20 years. Parramatta went on to win the game 14-8. In Round 24 of the 2018 season, Parramatta played against North Queensland in the sixth edition of the spoon bowl. North Queensland won the match 44-6 in Townsville which was also Johnathan Thurston's final home game before retirement, the match was also Matt Scott's 250th game. The result ensured Parramatta finished with the wooden spoon, their 14th in total.[2][3][4][5][6]

Notes

1 ^ The club has since merged with another club to form a joint venture.
2 ^ The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs finished last after they received a 37 premiership points deduction for gross salary cap breaches. Despite their punishment, statistically South Sydney were the worst performing team of the 2002 season, finishing with 14 competition points and a win/loss ratio of 5/19 compared to the Bulldog's 20/4 result which, discarding their deduction, would have earned them 44 competition points.
3 ^ The Melbourne Storm finished last on zero points after they received an 8 premiership points deduction and were barred from receiving further premiership points for the rest of the season due to long-term gross salary cap breaches. Despite their punishment, statistically the North Queensland Cowboys were the poorest performing team of the 2010 season, finishing with 14 competition points and a win/loss ratio of 5/19 compared to Melbourne's 14/10 result which, discarding their ban, would have earned them 32 competition points.
4 ^ Whilst the first grade side won the 2011 premiership, their Toyota Cup counterparts endured a long season at the bottom of the ladder. The first grade side has never won the wooden spoon.

See also

References

  1. "Premiership Records". nrl.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  2. Walter, Brad (4 September 2015). "NRL warned against adopting promotion-relegation ahead of 'spoon bowl' clash". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  3. Tuxworth, Jon (5 August 2016). "NRL: Honesty and accountability driving Canberra Riaders' finals surge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  4. "Tedesco out of 'Spoon Bowl' match against Knights". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  5. "Eels beat Dogs to leave wooden spoon open". ESPN.com. AAP. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  6. Badel, Peter (24 August 2018). "North Queensland hammer Parramatta 44-6 in Johnathan Thurston's final home game". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
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