Intrust Super Premiership NSW

2016 Season

In 2016, 12 clubs are fielding teams in the Intrust Super Premiership.

*: The season the team joined is in the NSW Cup/Intrust Super Premiership, not any other competition before this.

Former teams in the NSW Cup

† The club also competed in the 1997 Super League (Australia) season reserve-grade competition.

History

The New South Wales Cup, run by the NSWRL, has been known by a variety of names and operated in several different ways since the inception of the NSWRL Premiership in 1908. Between 1908 and 1996, the competition was known as Reserve Grade and was competed for almost exclusively by reserve squads of each of the NSWRL Premiership Clubs, competing with that Club's name and colours. With the advent of the Super League war, and the resultant split competition in 1997, the NSWRL reconfigured the competition as the Presidents Cup. From 2002 until 2007, the competition was known as the NSWRL Premier League until it was reorganised into its present form.

'Stand-alone' clubs

With the competitions having merged back together, and with six NSWRL Premiership clubs having merged into three new NRL clubs (St. George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers; North Sydney Bears and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles; Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies) the competition became known as the First Division and included these sides competing under their original name and colours.

The inclusion of these non-NRL clubs (along with the return of the Newtown Jets in 2000) in the competition signalled a move away from the 'reserve squad' competition it had become and became increasingly differentiated from the NRL competition with games played at non-NRL venues such as North Sydney Oval, Marrickville's Henson Park and Western Weekender Stadium at St Marys.

Another trend that began during this period was the phenomenon of NRL clubs 'out-sourcing' competing teams, with several NRL clubs choosing not to field sides in this competition and rather field either merged entities (as in the St Marys Penrith Cougars and Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers, both formed with NSWRL Jim Beam Cup sides) or form agreements with another club to take their place in the competition, those players being eligible for NRL selection, such as the agreement between Newtown Jets and Sydney Roosters for the 2006 season.

2007 Expansion

In 2007, Bartercard Cup club Auckland Lions joined the competition.

2008 Expansion

In 2008 and 2009, Jersey Flegg Cup club Central Coast Storm fielded a team in the competition. The team was based on the NSW Central Coast but acted as a feeder club to the Melbourne Storm. In addition the Panthers were replaced by the Windsor Wolves and the Sharks were replaced by the Cronulla-Sutherland Cobras. The Canberra Raiders withdrew from the competition on 1 August 2007. The Newcastle Knights also announced a Joint Venture with the Central Charlestown. The team used the original Central Newcastle Rebels Name. The Parramatta Eels also formed a joint-venture with the Wentworthville Magpies to act as their Feeder Club in the competition from 2008 onwards. The Saints decided to no longer run a Reserve Grade Side, but would use the St George District Rugby League & the Illawarra District Rugby League competitions instead as their Feeder Team/s.

2009 NSW Cup Season

Two new teams have been added to the competition. These two new teams will have both previously played in the Jim Beam Cup. The Shellharbour City Dragons, previously known as the Shellharbour Marlins, will be the St George-Illawarra Dragons feeder side. The Bankstown Bulls, who were known as the Sydney Bulls, will act as the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs feeder side. Bankstown will still field a team in the Jim Beam Cup. The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles have withdrawn from the competition and will have a feeder team in the Queensland Cup. Newcastle has also withdrawn from the competition, discontinuing the link with the Central Newcastle Rebels.

2012 Expansion

Season 2012 saw the return of feeder clubs for NRL teams St George Illawarra and Canberra. The Illawarra Steelers, in partnership with Illawarra Coal and the Illawarra Leagues Club re-entered a team into the league, the Illawarra Cutters. They presently act as a feeder club to the Dragons. A Mounties Rugby League Club also entered the NSW Cup this season and is the Raiders' feeder club.

2013 expansion

The 2013 season will see Wyong Roos entering a team in the NSWCUP for the first time. It will not be a feeder team to any NRL team. 2013 was also the first time in Rugby League history that teams with the names Western Suburbs and Balmain will not field a team in the cup, they played as the Wests Tigers. There is a current state of ambiguity surrounding this joint venture, and it is suggested that both Wests and Balmain will return as two separate clubs once financial requirements are met.

2014 season

In 2014 the Auckland Vulcans will be replaced by a side from the New Zealand Warriors. The Penrith Panthers will also be returning to the competition in 2014, replacing Windsor, who remain in the Ron Massey Cup.

2016 Launch of the Intrust Super Premiership

On the 29th January 2016 it was announced that Intrust Super had secured naming rights for the competition for a three-year agreement The name would have been decided not to be confused with the Queensland-based competition the Intrust Super Cup.

adio/TV Coverage

Steele Sports have the most in-depth coverage of the Intrust Super Premiership covering two games each round led by Steele Sports founder Alby Talarico, Curtis Woodward and Daniel Pettigrew.

Hawkesbury Radio also cover Penrith Panthers games with Alive FM covering selected Wentworthville games.

Fox Sports show Live coverage of one game from the round.

The NSWRL website upload highlights of every game of the NSW Cup. It also gives half time and full-time scores of the other games.

There is also additional radio coverage of the finals on 2GB and 702 ABC Sydney.

NRL State Championship Match

Starting in 2014, The NSW Cup season was moved forward a week to make the Grand Final Match occur the weekend prior to the NRL Grand Final, allowing for the creation of the NRL State Championship which saw the NSW Cup premiers face off against the QLD Cup Premiers as a curtain raiser to the NRL Grand Final, following the National Youth Competition Grand Final.

Champions: New South Wales Cup

2018 Expansion

It was announced in November 2016 that the competition is proposed to be increased to 16 competing teams as part of a restructure of lower-tier rugby league competitions in New South Wales and Queensland.