The Queensland bubble of 2021 is a thing of the past, and fans in Sydney and Melbourne are able to support their teams again, with stadiums returning to 100% capacity in most states.
The Penrith Panthers will be looking to secure the Premiership again in 2022, (and are having a cracking season so far!) but the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm have each taken out three Grand Finals in the last 10 years. It’s been a while since a Roosters victory and they’ll be looking for a comeback in 2022, but the Storm is in excellent form, with only one loss so far this season.
How to watch NRL 2022 online for free on 9Now
Price: Free
One of the best ways to watch the 2022 NRL season is with 9Now, a live streaming and on-demand destination for all of Australia’s Channel Nine content. Channel Nine is the NRL’s official free-to-air broadcaster, and 9Now is live streaming the entire NRL season. 9Now is free to watch—all you need to do is create a Nine account (you will need to provide an Australian postcode, e.g. 2010 or 4218, to do this).
Here’s how to securely stream NRL in just a few simple steps:
- Get ExpressVPN.
- Connect to a VPN location in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, or Perth.
- Check the 9Now schedule and find the game you want to watch.
- Log in to your Nine account and enjoy!
Other ways to watch NRL rugby live streams
Sky Sports (UK)
Price: 25 GBP/month with a 6-month contract
If you’re in the UK you can stream Rugby League (and plenty of other sports) with Sky Sports. You can watch every game live or on-demand, including the Grand Final.
Watch NRL (Outside ANZ and Pacific Islands)
Price: A weekly subscription is 20 AUD/week, the monthly subscription is 39 AUD/month, and the 12-month subscription is 199 AUD/year.
If you want to watch NRL live streams in your country, the Watch NRL app offers live streams and on-demand replays of NRL games to viewers all around the world, including a live stream of the Grand Final. You can purchase the subscription service from anywhere, but content can only be viewed outside Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Download the app from either the App Store or Google Play.
Kayo Sports
Price: New customers can get a 14-day free trial. After that, the Basic plan is 25 AUD/month, and the Premium plan is 35 AUD/month.
Kayo Sports is an Australian sports streaming service and will live stream every game of the 2022 NRL season up to the Grand Final, which will be available on demand.
Foxtel
Price: New customers can get a 10-day free trial with Foxtel Now. After that, sports bundles start at 54 AUD/month. Foxtel iQ4 packages start at 59 AUD/month on a 12-month package.
If you’re in Australia you can sign up for a subscription with Foxtel Now or Foxtel iQ4 and stream the dedicated Fox League channel—you’ll need to get the base pack and add the Sport pack to your subscription.
[Want to stay up-to-date on all the biggest events in the world of sports? Check out our “What to stream” page, which is updated twice weekly.]
Watch NRL highlights on YouTube
Check out the official NRL YouTube channel for game highlights, recaps, and interviews with NRL players and coaches.
What is the best app to watch NRL live?
Download the 9Now app to stream NRL live and on demand on your phone or tablet. It’s available on the Australian App Store and Google Play. You can also download the NRL Official app to get access to live scores, player stats, replays, and more. There are no live streams, but the app is free and available on the App Store and Google Play.
2022 NRL Schedule
Round 10 | Network | Time (AEST) |
Friday, 13 May | ||
Bulldogs vs. Knights | Kayo/Foxtel | 4:00 p.m. |
Sea Eagles vs. Broncos | Nine/Kayo/Foxtel | 6:05 p.m. |
Saturday, 14 May | ||
Warriors vs. Rabbitohs | Kayo/Foxtel | 1:00 p.m. |
Titans vs. Dragons | Kayo/Foxtel | 3:30 p.m. |
Storm vs. Panthers | Nine/Kayo/Foxtel | 5:45 p.m. |
Sunday, 15 May | ||
Sharks vs. Raiders | Kayo/Foxtel | 11:50 p.m. |
Roosters vs. Eels | Nine/Kayo/Foxtel | 2:05 p.m. |
Wests Tigers vs. Cowboys | Kayo/Foxtel | 4:25 p.m. |
Check out the full 2022 NRL schedule here.
How many teams are in the NRL in 2022?
There are 16 teams in the NRL in 2022:
2022 NRL Teams | |||
Brisbane Broncos | Canberra Raiders | Canterbury Bulldogs | Cronulla Sharks |
Gold Coast Titans | Manly Sea Eagles | Melbourne Storm | New Zealand Warriors |
Newcastle Knights | North Queensland Cowboys | Parramatta Eels | Penrith Panthers |
South Sydney Rabbitohs | St George Illawarra Dragons | Sydney Roosters | Wests Tigers |
What, when, and where is the NRL 2022 State of Origin?
State of Origin is a bit like the NRL’s version of an all-star game, except players from different teams come together to represent their home states, namely the NRL strongholds of New South Wales and Queensland, in a riveting best-of-three series.
State of Origin 2022 will take place in three locations this year, heading West to the neutral ground of Perth for just the second time:
Date* | Location |
June 8, 2022 | Sydney |
June 26, 2022 | Perth |
July 13, 2022 | Brisbane |
*Times to be confirmed closer to the date
NSW has won three of the four last clashes, though QLD dominated by taking 11 out of 12 contests between 2006–2017.
What is the oldest NRL team?
The oldest teams still playing in the NRL are the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters (originally known as the Eastern Suburbs before becoming Sydney City, and finally the Sydney Roosters). The teams have been playing since the NRL was founded in 1908.
What was the NRL called before?
The NRL has been through multiple name changes since 1908. It was originally the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) before changing its name to New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) in 1984. In 1995 the name was changed again to National Rugby League (NRL)—the league had expanded significantly outside of NSW and the name was changed to reflect that.
Who won the NRL final?
Year | Grand Final Teams |
2021 | Panthers (14) vs. Rabbitohs (12) |
2020 | Melbourne (26) vs. Penrith (20) |
2019 | Sydney Roosters (14) vs. Canberra (8) |
2018 | Sydney Roosters (21) vs. Melbourne (6) |
2017 | Melbourne (34) vs. North Queensland (6) |
2016 | Cronulla (14) vs. Melbourne (12) |
2015 | North Queensland (17) vs. Brisbane (16) |
2014 | Souths (30) vs. Canterbury (6) |
2013 | Sydney Roosters (26) vs. Manly (18) |
2012 | Melbourne (14) vs. Canterbury (4) |
Check out the full list of Premiership winners (right back to 1908) here.