The FOUR most successful club rebuilds in NRL history

Before every NRL titan that dominates the competition is a struggling side trying to rebuild.

Whether a club is struggling to retain talent, has failed to manage its cap properly, or simply isn't winning footy games, a rebuild is necessary for a franchise to reclaim its competitive edge in the NRL.

While there are a few squads every year in need of a roster overhaul, few have managed to construct a premiership-contending roster as well as these clubs.

Sydney Roosters (2013-2018)

The Sydney Roosters have established themselves as one of the premium clubs in the NRL, with 15 premierships in the franchise's proud history.

However, after failing to make a splash in the early 2010s, a rebuild was needed to return the club to premiership glory.

After uncharacteristically finishing well out of the top eight in back-to-back seasons, the Roosters had big changes to make.

Insert Trent Robinson, who was set to become one of the greatest coaches of the NRL era, and would lead the Sydney Roosters to three premierships in six seasons.

Their first premiership came in Robinson's first year with the club, where he oversaw a decent roster overhaul to get in elite rugby league talents who would eventually lead them to premiership glory.

Stars such as James Maloney, Sonny Bill Williams, and Michael Jennings joined the club's ranks, which had already featured NRL loyalty in Anthony Minichello, Mitchell Pearce, and Boyd Cordner.

The Roosters' host of stars, led by the brilliance of Robinson, earned the side a minor premiership, a grand final appearance, and evidently a premiership.

The Roosters went on to dominate the rest of the 2010s, reclaiming their status as a competitive NRL side year-in-and-year-out.

They added more superstars to their team sheet, with James Tedesco and Cooper Cronk inking deals with the club in the build-up towards their back-to-back premierships in 2018 and 2019.

It is truly one of the most impressive rebuilds of the NRL era, and has laid a foundation that would last for over a decade.

Cronulla Sharks (2014-2016)

In 2014, the Cronulla Sharks were bottom feeders.

They had just secured the wooden spoon and were coming off the ASADA supplements scandal. Sharks coach Shane Flanagan was suspended, with multiple players stood down.

After only winning five games that year, it was clear the club was under major scrutiny, a situation that would take a miracle to turn around.

After serving his suspension, Flanagan returned to the Sharks the following season, with a fire in his belly only a premiership could sate.

Straying away from the controversies of the past, the Sharks began to adopt an attitude focused on discipline and grit.

The club would go on to finish 6th after winning the spoon the year prior, making it all the way to the semi-finals.

The club would soon bring in the likes of Michael Ennis and James Maloney, proven winners who brought class and leadership to this scrappy Sharks side.

In 2016, the club was dominant, winning 15 games in a row in the regular season. The Cronulla Sharks would go on to win the premiership, defeating the Melbourne Storm 14-12 in a historic match that broke the Sharks' 49-year premiership drought.

Before the rebuild, Flanagan had already laid the foundations with stars like Paul Gallen, Luke Lewis, and Wade Graham.

He simply needed to add some class to his roster and shift their mentality. His vision earned them a premiership, concluding an incredible rebuild.

South Sydney Rabbitohs (2006-2014)

One of the longest and most emotionally draining rebuilds of all time, the South Sydney Rabbitohs' rise in the late 2000s was incredible.

After receiving their third wooden spoon in four years, the Rabbitohs were a basket case in desperate need of correction.

A lot of work went into the Rabbitohs' rebuild in 2007. After Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes à Court bought a 75% stake in the club, they began to shift the culture.

The club would go on to sign key recruits in Roy Asotasi, Nigel Vagana, and David Kidwell, players who brought a level of class and discipline the side hadn't seen before.

The club would go on to make their first finals appearance since 1989, a huge shift for the struggling club.

Over the next few years, the South Sydney Rabbitohs' management focused on building a winning environment and strong foundations.

The club brought in superstar Greg Inglis and paired him with one of the most dominant forward packs of all time, featuring the likes of Asotasi, Sam Burgess, and Dave Taylor.

To round out this impressive squad, the club signed Michael Maguire in 2012, whose coaching mentality focused on discipline and winning systems.

The club began to pick up speed over the next two years, making the prelim in 2013 and claiming the premiership in 2014.

With stars like Adam Reynolds and Inglis hitting their straps, as well as the inspirational leadership of Sam Burgess, a premiership was almost guaranteed by the time they reached the Grand Final, smashing the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30-6.

Penrith Panthers (2016-2021)

Quite simply, the greatest rebuild of all time, the Penrith Panthers went from underachievers to a revolutionary dynasty in the space of a few years.

After being known as one of the most inconsistent and mediocre clubs for over a decade, the Panthers needed a change. Enter NRL supremo Phil Gould, who announced his "five-year plan" would lay the foundations for long-term success in Penrith.

Gould focused on building solid junior pathways for the club, as opposed to bringing in outside stars.

The club started to truly find an identity, one that its juniors would feel proud to be a part of. This, in turn, produced a golden generation of stars, including Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Stephen Crichton, Brian To'o, Liam Martin, and many more.

The Penrith Panthers brought in premiership winner James Maloney to mentor Cleary, who was a rising star in need of direction.

The club also brought back Ivan Cleary, who was sacked from the club just a few years prior.

With the foundations put in place, all this side needed was experience, and after a heartbreaking defeat to the Melbourne Storm in the 2020 Grand Final following a lengthy undefeated streak, this Penrith Panthers outfit had all the tools for success.

The Ivan Cleary-led Panthers went on to win the next four premierships, showcasing a level of dominance never-before-seen in the NRL era.