1981 NSWRFL season
| 1981 New South Wales Rugby Football League | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 12 |
| Premiers |
 Parramatta (1st title) |
| Minor premiers |
 Eastern Suburbs (16th title) |
| Matches played | 138 |
| Points scored | 4160 |
| Attendance | 1312977 |
| Top points scorer(s) |
 Steve Rogers (194) |
| Player of the year |
Kevin Hastings (Rothmans Medal) |
| Top try-scorer(s) |
Terry Fahey (16) |
The 1981 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 74th season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Twelve clubs, including six of 1908's foundation teams and another six from around Sydney competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Parramatta and Newtown clubs. NSWRFL clubs also competed in the 1981 Tooth Cup and players from NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team.
In 1981 the "sin-bin" was introduced to rugby league in Australia, enabling referees to send players from the field for five or ten minute periods for minor or deliberate technical offences.Newtown Jets hooker Barry Jensen became the first player to be sent from the field in this manner.
Mid-way through the season, players contracted to NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team in two games against the Queensland team in 1981. After that the experimental 1981 State of Origin game was played, and for the second time in history NSWRFL clubs' players were able to represent Queensland.
Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March until August, resulting in a top five of Easts, Newtown, Parramatta, Cronulla and Manly who battled it out in the finals.
Eastern Suburbs' halfback Kevin Hastings won the 1981 season's Rothmans Medal as well as Rugby League Week's Player of the Year award. The Dally M Award went to Cronulla-Sutherland centre, Steve Rogers.
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