[4] The partnership was dissolved in 2012, with control of the NRL going to the re-constituted ARL, which was re-structured with an independent board of directors and renamed the Australian Rugby League Commission.

[7][8] Although this move brought more interest in the competition statewide in New South Wales, it would spell the beginning of the demise of some of the traditional Sydney-based clubs as well as having a negative effect on the Brisbane Rugby League premiership.

Balmain and Western Suburbs formed the joint-venture club, the Wests Tigers at the end of 1999, while North Sydney and Manly Warringah created the ill-fated Northern Eagles.

The Manly Warringah Rugby League Football Club took over the NRL licence from the Northern Eagles franchise, after the financial bankruptcy of the North Sydney faction made the joint-venture untenable.

In 2004, Canterbury-Bankstown put a year of turmoil and disgrace at the aftermath of the alleged rape scandal to hold aloft the NRL trophy and give the club their first premiership since 1995.

For the second year in a row, the grand final was played between the Melbourne Storm and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, in the NRL's first ever twilight decider.

In 2010 the Inaugural All Stars Match was held on 13 February, in conjunction with the Sorry Day reconciliation anniversary to promote rugby league's long association and involvement with the Aboriginal community.

After several years of preparation and build up, on 14 December 2010 the Australian Rugby League and News Corporation agreed upon a constitutional framework paving the way for the establishment of a new and independent commission to govern the sport in Australia.

[35] In October 2021, after months of speculation, the NRL and the ARLC announced that the competition would expand to 17 teams, with the admission of the Dolphins, based out of the suburb of Redcliffe in greater Brisbane, for the 2023 season.

The $600 million venture is funded by the Australian Government for a ten-year period and was made in conjunction with a parallel agreement concerning "strategic trust" and security between the two countries.

The first match of its kind was the 1976 World Club Challenge and it was then played sporadically throughout the late 80s and 90s, including a one off Super League tournament in 1997, before becoming a regular annual pre-season fixture since 2000.

As rugby league is a winter sport in Australia, the NRL premiership season begins in early March, with games played every weekend for 27 weeks, until the start of September.

From 1998 to 2011, the NRL used the McIntyre final eight system but with the introduction of the ARLC, it was decided to change to the current format which was perceived as fairer for teams finishing in the top four.

[61] The game itself is usually preceded by an opening ceremony featuring entertainment and the singing of the national anthem by well-known Australasian and international musical acts.

At the conclusion of the grand final there is a presentation ceremony where the winning team are awarded the Provan-Summons Trophy and premiership rings to each player and the head coach.

[62] The player judged to be the man-of-the-match by the Australian national team selectors is awarded the prestigious Clive Churchill Medal and the Prime Minister of Australia is typically on-hand to hand the trophy to the winning captain.

National Rugby League footballers are among Australasia's most famous athletes[citation needed], commanding multimillion-dollar playing contracts and sponsorship deals.

Since that time, many high-profile indigenous athletes have played in the competition, including Arthur Beetson (the first Aboriginal person to captain an Australian national team in any sport[69]) and former Test match representatives Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis.

In 2005, the New Zealand Warriors were fined $430,000 and were ordered to start the 2006 season with a four premiership point deficit and cut their payroll by $450,000 after club officials revealed that their former management had exceeded the salary cap by $1.1 million over the last two years.

[83] On 9 July, after over 2 months of club officials contesting the preliminary penalties, Parramatta were handed their punishment with the addition of their for/against points tally accumulated from rounds 1–9 being deducted.

The judiciary is currently chaired by Wollongong district court judge Paul Conlon and made up of former players Mal Cochrane, Michael Buettner, Bradley Clyde, Sean Garlick, Don McKinnon and Bob Lindner.

It is a three-dimensional cast of a famous photo called The Gladiators,[88] which depicts a mud-soaked Norm Provan of St. George and Arthur Summons of Western Suburbs embracing after the 1963 NSWRFL season's Grand Final.

Established in 1981, the group was four former Test captains, Clive Churchill, Bob Fulton, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper and were those appointed by Rugby League Week between 1981 and 2012.

Wally Lewis, Graeme Langlands added in 1999 Arthur Beetson 2003 Andrew Johns 2012 Following the demise of Rugby League Week, the Australian Rugby League Commission took ownership of The Immortals concept and expanded the group on 1 August 2018 by inclusion of Mal Meninga, Norm Provan, Frank Burge, Dave Brown and Dally Messenger.

[100] Outside of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, all matches are currently available in high definition on the subscription streaming service WatchNRL which operates through its website and a dedicated app.

Some notables who have been NRL cheerleaders include Jennifer Hawkins (Miss Universe 2004) for the Newcastle Knights, Chloe Butler (Lingerie Football League) for the Canberra Raiders and Tabrett Bethell (actress, 2007–2016) for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

Note: The Wests Tigers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, St. George Illawarra Dragons, Parramatta Eels, Gold Coast Titans, Melbourne Storm, Warriors, Canberra Raiders and Dolphins do not have active cheer squads.

The NRL and its clubs receive significant revenue from sponsorships, with sponsors' logos appearing on most parts of players' and referees' uniforms, the playing surface and even the ball itself.

From 2013, under a dramatic image rebranding of the competition, the Telstra Premiership logo was changed in conjunction with a new sponsorship deal to incorporate the key elements of rugby league in Australia to include the shield and chevrons, the green and gold, a red "Telstra" logo perched above the top of the shield and for the first time the iconic Provan-Summons trophy awarded to the premiers at the end of the season centred in the middle of the badge.

Other Official NRL Sponsors are: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, DoorDash, Hankook, Hisense, Home Hardware, Rebel, Treasury Wine Estates (Wolf Blass), Accor, Drinkwise, P&O, Gallagher and EISS Super.