New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1980
| 1980 New South Wales Rugby Football League | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 12 |
| Premiers |
 Canterbury-Bankstown (3rd title) |
| Minor premiers |
 Eastern Suburbs (15th title) |
| Matches played | 138 |
| Points scored | 4415 |
| Attendance | 1498634 |
| Top points scorer(s) |
Steve Gearin (220) |
| Player of the year |
 Geoff Bugden (Rothmans Medal) |
| Top try-scorer(s) |
 John Ribot (16) Wayne Wigham (16) |
The 1980 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 73rd 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 Canterbury-Bankstown and Eastern Suburbs clubs. NSWRFL clubs also competed in the 1980 Tooth Cup and players from NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team.
Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March till August, resulting in a top five of Easts, Canterbury, Wests, St. George and Souths who battled it out in the finals.
The 1980 season also saw the retirement from the League of future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee, Arthur Beetson.
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 1980. After that the experimental 1980 State of Origin game was played, and NSWRFL clubs' players represented Queensland for the first time.
The 1980 season's Rothmans Medallist was Newtown prop Geoff Budgen. The inaugural Dally M Award, named in honour of rugby league's first "Master" Dally Messenger, went to South Sydney's Robert Laurie. Rugby League Week gave its player of the year award to Eastern Suburbs' halfback Kevin Hastings.
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