Teams

The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with thirteen contesting the premiership, including five Sydney-based foundation teams, another six from Sydney, one from greater New South Wales and one from the Australian Capital Territory.

Balmain Tigers 79th season Ground: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Frank Stanton Captain: Wayne Pearce	Canberra Raiders 5th season Ground: Seiffert Oval Coach: Don Furner Captain: Dean Lance	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 52nd season Ground: Belmore Oval Coach: Warren Ryan Captain: Steve Mortimer	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 20th season Ground: Ronson Field Coach: Jack Gibson Captain: David Hatch	Eastern Suburbs Roosters 79th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Arthur Beetson Captain: Hugh McGahan	Illawarra Steelers 5th season Ground: Wollongong Showground Coach: Brian Smith Captain: Brian Hetherington	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40th season Ground: Brookvale Oval Coach: Bob Fulton Captain: Paul Vautin
North Sydney Bears 79th season Ground: North Sydney Oval Coach: Brian Norton Captain: Mark Graham	Parramatta Eels 40th season Ground: Parramatta Stadium Coach: John Monie Captain: Ray Price	Penrith Panthers 20th season Ground: Penrith Stadium Coach: Tim Sheens Captain: Royce Simmons	South Sydney Rabbitohs 79th season Ground: Redfern Oval Coach: George Piggins Captain: Mario Fenech	St. George Dragons 66th season Ground: Sydney Cricket Ground Coach: Roy Masters Captain: Craig Young	Western Suburbs Magpies 79th season Ground: Lidcombe Oval Coach: Steve Ghosn Captain: Ian Schubert

Advertising

1986 saw the NSWRL's agency, John Singleton Advertising produce an ad themed around the Gladiators photo and the then premiership trophy. The finished 60sec ad is presented with moving footage and stills from the 1963 grand final showing Provan and Summons embrace and stills shots of other 1970s champions including Bob Fulton, Arthur Beetson and John Sattler interspersed with 1985 season images.

The theme is of past heroes "who played it tough but played it fair" and the ad closes with the question as to who this year will claim the "Greatest Prize of All" - being the Winfield Cup Trophy, featuring the "Gladiators" statue.

Ladder

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Parramatta Eels (P)	24	16	1	7	2	446	280	+166	37
2	South Sydney Rabbitohs	24	15	2	7	2	353	318	+35	36
3	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	24	15	1	8	2	428	264	+164	35
4	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	24	14	1	9	2	476	379	+97	33
5	Balmain Tigers	24	13	0	11	2	403	387	+16	30
6	North Sydney Bears	24	13	0	11	2	362	416	-54	30
7	St. George Dragons	24	12	1	11	2	360	402	-42	29
8	Penrith Panthers	24	11	1	12	2	446	394	+52	27
9	Eastern Suburbs Roosters	24	10	0	14	2	334	364	-30	24
10	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	24	9	1	14	2	310	464	-154	23
11	Canberra Raiders	24	8	1	15	2	391	413	-22	21
12	Western Suburbs Magpies	24	8	1	15	2	372	538	-166	21
13	Illawarra Steelers	24	7	0	17	2	310	372	-62	18

Ladder progression

• Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 5.
• Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
• Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.
• Underlined numbers indicate that the team had a bye during that round.

	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26
1	Parramatta Eels	2	4	6	8	10	12	12	14	16	16	16	18	18	20	22	24	26	26	28	30	32	32	34	35	35	37
2	South Sydney Rabbitohs	2	4	4	6	8	10	12	12	14	16	18	20	20	20	22	23	25	25	25	27	29	31	33	34	36	36
3	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	0	2	3	5	7	7	9	11	13	15	15	17	19	19	19	21	23	25	27	29	29	31	31	31	33	35
4	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	2	4	4	6	8	10	10	12	14	16	18	18	20	22	24	26	26	28	30	30	31	31	31	33	33	33
5	Balmain Tigers	2	4	4	4	4	6	8	10	10	12	12	12	14	16	18	18	20	20	22	22	24	24	26	28	28	30
6	North Sydney Bears	2	4	4	6	8	10	10	10	10	10	10	12	14	14	16	18	18	20	20	20	22	24	26	26	28	30
7	St. George Dragons	0	0	2	4	6	6	8	10	10	10	12	12	12	14	14	14	16	18	20	20	22	24	26	28	28	29
8	Penrith Panthers	2	2	4	4	4	6	8	8	10	10	12	14	16	18	20	20	20	22	22	22	23	23	23	23	25	27
9	Eastern Suburbs Roosters	0	2	4	4	4	4	6	6	6	8	10	10	10	12	12	14	16	16	18	18	18	20	20	20	22	24
10	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	2	2	4	4	4	4	4	4	6	8	8	8	8	8	10	11	13	15	15	17	17	19	21	23	23	23
11	Canberra Raiders	0	0	0	2	2	2	2	4	4	4	6	6	8	8	8	10	10	12	14	16	16	16	16	18	20	21
12	Western Suburbs Magpies	0	0	1	1	3	3	5	5	7	7	9	11	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	15	15	17	19	19	21	21
13	Illawarra Steelers	0	0	2	2	2	4	4	6	6	8	8	10	10	12	12	12	12	12	12	14	16	16	16	18	18	18

Chart

	Qualifying final					Major semi-final					Preliminary final					Grand final
						1	Parramatta	28								Parramatta		4
							Canterbury	6								Canterbury		2
	2	South Sydney	2								Canterbury		28
	3	Canterbury	16			Minor semi-final					Balmain		16
						South Sydney		11
	4	Manly	22			Balmain		36
	5	Balmain	29

Grand final

Eels coach John Monie had stepped into the large shoes left by Jack Gibson in 1984 and was under pressure to ensure Parramatta did not fall short for a third year. Eels legends Ray Price and Mick Cronin were in their farewell seasons and the Eels fans at least wanted to see them go out on a winning note. Everything had augured well right through the season with a Parramatta victory in the pre-season competition, the midweek National Panasonic cup and the minor premiership.

The Bulldogs on the other hand were building a dynasty under the Warren Ryan-coached style of uncompromising defence that had changed the game. In prop Peter Kelly, hooker Mark Bugden and three-quarter Andrew Farrar, Ryan possessed a number of defensive hitmen capable of carrying out his game plan.

Parramatta's Mick Cronin required a police escort to the match after being stuck in a traffic jam.^[5]

The grand final was fifteen minutes old when Eels winger Mick Delroy was knocked out by a high shot from Farrar while Price suffered a constant barrage from Kelly throughout the first half. Referee Mick Stone at least initially appeared reluctant to send anyone off and Farrar and Kelly benefitted.

Stone also disallowed two near tries in the first half to Eels five-eighth Brett Kenny who was ultimately frustrated in his attempt to replicate the two tries per grand final statistic that he'd maintained in each of the 1981, 1982 and 1983 deciders.

It wasn't until Kelly was sin-binned for 10 minutes for a high tackle on Price that the Eels started to find gaps in the Bulldogs line. Two minutes before half time and still with 12 men Canterbury looked in trouble when Eric Grothe Sr. set off down the sideline with a clear path. A desperate Steve Mortimer cover-defending run brought Grothe down metres from the tryline. A minute later Cronin opened the scoring for the Eels with a successful penalty goal.

Twelve minutes into the second half, Canterbury five-eighth Terry Lamb levelled the score with a penalty goal after Peter Sterling was penalised for a late tackle on Steve Mortimer.

With eighteen minutes remaining, Canterbury replacement forward David Boyd was penalised for a high tackle on Price who had by now suffered an hour of ferocious Bulldog attention. Price appeared concussed and the Parramatta trainers unsuccessfully tried to convince him to leave the field. Cronin kicked the resultant penalty and the Eels again took a 2-point lead.

After Canterbury fullback Phil Sigsworth was sent off for a high shot on Kenny, the 12 remaining Bulldogs lifted a level and continued with attacking surges. Farrar was stopped by the Eels defence centimetres from the line, Lamb missed an opportunity to level with another penalty attempt and then right on the bell Parramatta forward Michael Moseley, in a career highlight moment, cut down Bugden as the Bulldogs hooker appeared certain to score.

Parramatta had taken on Canterbury at their own game - defence-focused trench warfare and managed to keep the game tryless and win the battle of attrition. In the process they halted Canterbury's hopes of three successive titles in the first try-less grand final.

Parramatta 4
Goals: Cronin 2

Canterbury-Bankstown 2
Goals: Lamb 1

Clive Churchill Medal: Peter Sterling (Parramatta)^[6]