NRL Attendances 2025

If all the teams played home games at home, then that would keep things simple. However, double header games and Magic Round creates scenarios that can distort figures. There is no right way to get around this but I'll explain what I do.

If more than one team play at a venue, then all competing sides count the highest attendance figure. That is because an accurate breakdown by game isn't always given. The one exception I make is the Magic Round where the attendance is credited to the total but not to the individual clubs. 

Winners: The total is up 4.2% over 2024 and 25.4% when compared with 2000-2024. That's quite an improvement historically.

Brisbane continues to confound me with its ongoing increases when I've assumed for the past few years that they have reached a ceiling. The Canterbury Bulldogs have had a ripper season both on field and with crowds, the latter helped by a bumper Easter Weekend turnout.

Canberra had a stellar season in winning the league and attendances reflected the public getting behind the success. Cronulla and South Sydney were involved in a double header but through a full season, these one off gains don't hugely affect the average. They both increased their averages, the latter despite a poor season.

The Gold Coast has always been a challenging area for rugby league but 2025 attendances were good considering the poor form of the team. The NZ Warriors managed another increase despite being close to stadium capacity.

Losers: Penrith had a 'home game' in Las Vegas which was helpful. Penrith needed that badly as their home game numbers are being badly affected by having to travel to another stadium while their stadium is redeveloped. 

Manly didn't do well with crowds, although the team usually performs well at home. Parramatta, North Queensland and Newcastle didn't play well overall and some fans were put off by that. I can't blame them. 

The St George - Illawarra club is the only team that has decreased on the 2000-24 average. Its now has the lowest attendances in the league, which is sad for a club with such a proud history. 

A point with the Dolphins. They are down historically but they have only had three seasons. The first was higher than the two since, which creates a historical negative. Their home stadium is tiny so when they can play home games at the larger Suncorp Stadium, that gives the attendance a real boost. So they are affected by Suncorp availability. More seasons are required to paint a clearer picture. 

For any unfamiliar with the game, the video above will explain all. 

NRL Regular Season : 2025

The 2025 regular season has finished. Teams played 24 matches and had three byes to complete 27 rounds. So how did they go? Most teams had tough injury runs, the demands of modern sport ensure that is the case. Ignoring that, here we go from bottom to top with brief opinion for each club.

Newcastle Knights: They lacked quality in depth, especially in the forwards. They went from a finals appearance to last in one season. The coach then left as expected. 

Gold Coast Titans: Had potential and at times looked really good but rarely played their best for a full game. Dropped two places from 2024 and another coach left.

St George-Illawarra: Could have been a wooden spoon winner but scraped enough wins together to avoid that ignominy.

South Sydney Rabbitohs: Without the top players regularly participating, the team looked ordinary.

Wests Tigers: They strengthened their squad and avoided another last place but are very much a work in progress. 

North Queensland Cowboys: Fifth last year but dropped seven places in 2025. Looked good going forward but overall inconsistent.

Parramatta Eels: A solid roster and improved toward the end of the season. Not enough to make the finals but there is promise.

Dolphins: Can do the razzle-dazzle, which led to a good points difference for a side that failed to make the finals. Perhaps not enough grind.

Manly Sea Eagles: A good but not great side, they finished where they deserved to.

Sydney Roosters: Came home strongly to snatch a finals spot. In form, they are formidable.

Penrith Panthers: Second place and grand final winners last year, they languished at the foot of the table during the season. They got their act together and made the finals. That said, the team is not as strong as last year.

New Zealand Warriors: I predicted they wouldn't make the finals but did so through grit and determination. Most of the games they played were tight. Overachieved? Maybe, but proved a hard side to beat, even though they did fade toward the end of the competition.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: They quietly went about their business in an effective way. Another good season.

Brisbane Broncos: Inconsistent at the beginning of the season but toward the end very impressive. 

Canterbury Bulldogs: A surprise package and led the competition for a while but finished below their best.

Melbourne Storm: Not quite the consistent Melbourne but very still competitive and came in second. 

Canberra Raiders: They surprised everyone but the coach. They were much more consistent and that paid dividends. They simply were tough to beat. 

The finals summary will follow once the matches are completed.