NRL State Championship
| NRL State Championship | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Sport | Rugby league |
| Instituted | 2014 |
| Inaugural season | 2014 |
| Countries |
 Australia New Zealand Papua New Guinea
|
| Premiers |
 Illawarra Cutters New South Wales Cup (2016)
|
| Most titles | |
| Website | www.NRL.com |
| Broadcast partner |
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| Related competition | |
The National Rugby League State Championship is contested between the winners of the New South Wales Cup and the Queensland Cup and is organised by the NRL. It was introduced for the 2014 NRL season and was played immediately before the 2014 NRL Grand Final at Stadium Australia.
The origins of the NRL State Championship can be traced back to an idea from the Queensland media during the 1984 season of the Brisbane Rugby League when two of the greatest club sides Australia has ever seen had agreed to play a one-off match. Those were the days when the New South Wales (NSWRL) and the Queensland Rugby League competitions operated independently of each other with the only exception being State of Origin time, when players crossed paths. While the New South Wales media's general consensus was always that Sydney-based NSWRL was the premier and stronger of the two major rugby league competition, all seemed to be set for the one-off match before the NSWRL hierarchy stepped in and put a stop to the proposed match.
The 1984 BRL Wynnum-Manly Seagulls team was unquestionably Queensland's best, the team defeated a Southern Suburbs Districts Magpies side coached by Wayne Bennett and boasting names such as Gary Belcher, Mal Meninga, Peter Jackson, Bob Lindner in the 1984 BRL Grand Final by a record 42–8 scoreline. Many supporters north of the border believe they were also better than the 1984 NSWRL champion team the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs from Sydney. The Brisbane media were so confident about the strength of this super Wynnum side that they suggested a challenge match between the Seagulls and the Sydney Premiers Canterbury Bankstown.
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