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 the 2010 NRL season (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 Magpies[1]17*9218.5%1908* (disputed),[1] 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1916, 1933, 1940, 1942, 1953, 1955, 1971, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1998, 1999
2 Parramatta Eels147618.4%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 Rabbitohs81137.1%1945, 1946†, 1962, 1975, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2006
6 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs6886.8%1943, 1944, 1964, 2002[2], 2008, 2021
7 Sydney Roosters51154.3%1949, 1963, 1965, 1966†, 2009
8 Newcastle Knights43511.4%2005, 2015, 2016, 2017
8 Balmain Tigers[1]4924.3%1911, 1974, 1981, 1994
8 Penrith Panthers4567.1%1973, 1980, 2001, 2007
9 Gold Coast Chargers31127.3%1991, 1992, 1993
9 Annandale31127.3%1914, 1918†, 1920†
9 North Queensland Cowboys32810.7%1995, 1997 (SL), 2000
9 Illawarra Steelers[1]31717.6%1985, 1986, 1989
9 St George Dragons[1]3783.8%1922, 1926, 1938
9 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks3565.4%1967, 1969, 2014
10 South Queensland Crushers2366.7%1996, 1997
10 Gold Coast Titans21612.5%2011, 2019
11 Cumberland1*1100%1908* (disputed)[1]
11 Wests Tigers1234.3%2022
11 Melbourne Storm1254.0%2010[3]
11 Brisbane Broncos1352.9%2020
11 Canberra Raiders1412.4%1982
12 Hunter Mariners010.0%
12 Adelaide Rams020.0%
12 Newcastle Rebels020.0%
12 Northern Eagles030.0%
12 Western Reds030.0%
12 St. George Illawarra Dragons0240.0%
12 Glebe0220.0%
12 New Zealand Warriors0280.0%
12 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles0730.0%
  • SP = seasons played
  •  % refers to the percentage of seasons played that resulted in wooden spoons
  • † = winless season
records accurate as of end of 2022 season.[2]

NRL Women's Premiership

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

TeamNo.SP %Years
1 St. George Illawarra Dragons2540.0%2018, 2020†
2 Newcastle Knights1250%20211†
Gold Coast Titans1250%2022
Sydney Roosters1520.0%2019†
3 New Zealand Warriors030.0%
Parramatta Eels020.0%
Brisbane Broncos050.0%
SP = seasons played; † = winless season; 1 = season played in early 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

NRL Under-20s
TeamNo.SPYears
1 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles3102011, 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

NSW Cup
TeamNo.SPYears
1 Western Suburbs Magpies272012, 2017
1 Newcastle Knights272016, 2018
1 Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles252019, 2022
2 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles162011
2 Wyong Roos172013
2 North Sydney Bears172014
2 Wentworthville Magpies172015
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

Queensland Cup

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

TeamNo.SPYears
1 Central Queensland Capras6272005, 2007, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
2 Souths Logan Magpies4271999, 2001, 2012, 2022
3 Mackay Cutters3152009, 2016, 2018
3 Sunshine Coast Falcons3152011, 2013, 2014
3 Ipswich Jets3271996†, 2006, 2010
4 Logan Scorpions261997, 2002†
5 Norths Devils1272008
5 Brothers-Valleys112004
5 Wests Panthers172003†
5 Cairns Cyclones152000
5 Bundaberg Grizzlies131998†
6 Aspley Broncos01
6 Gold Coast Vikings01
6 Mackay Sea Eagles01
6 Townsville Stingers01
6 Port Moresby Vipers02
6 Brisbane Brothers03
6 Townsville Blackhawks08
6 Papua New Guinea Hunters09
6 North Queensland Young Guns06
6 Toowoomba Clydesdales011
6 Northern Pride015
6 Tweed Heads Seagulls021
6 Burleigh Bears026
6 Brisbane Tigers027
6 Redcliffe Dolphins027
6 Wynnum Manly Seagulls027
† = winless season
Note: 2020 season cancelled after one round

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
2Western Suburbs Magpies12017, 2022
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 2022, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles have avoided the wooden spoon in their 75 completed seasons since entering the competition in 1947. They are the only current pre-1995 club to have avoided the wooden spoon. Two other current clubs have also never claimed the wooden spoon: New Zealand Warriors (27), and St. George Illawarra (23).

The Balmain Tigers enjoyed a sixty-two season wooden spoon drought from 1911-1974, and St. George Dragons had gone 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.[3][4][5][6][7]

In round 24 of the 2022 NRL season, the Gold Coast who were second last on the table played against Newcastle who were third bottom in the Spoon Bowl match. The Gold Coast needed a win to ensure their survival from the wooden spoon whilst Newcastle could have mathematically still received it. The Gold Coast would win the match 36-26 ensuring the Wests Tigers would finish last for the first time in their 22-year history.[8]

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. Whiticker & Collis 2006, p. 120
  2. "Premiership Records". nrl.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  3. Walter, Brad (4 September 2015). "NRL warned against adopting promotion-relegation ahead of 'spoon bowl' clash". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  4. Tuxworth, Jon (5 August 2016). "NRL: Honesty and accountability driving Canberra Riaders' finals surge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  5. "Tedesco out of 'Spoon Bowl' match against Knights". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  6. "Eels beat Dogs to leave wooden spoon open". ESPN.com. AAP. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  7. 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.
  8. "Gutsy 12-man Titans hold on to beat Knights and avoid wooden spoon". www.foxsports.com.au.

Works cited
  • Whiticker, Alan; Collis, Ian (2006). The History of Rugby League Clubs. New Holland, Sydney. ISBN 9781741104707.
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