Merry Christmas from LeagueUnlimited!

From everyone at LeagueUnlimited.com, to you and your family & friends - we wish you a very Merry Christmas and holiday season.

It's been another tough year for many, particularly those in the eastern states of Australia. We hope that 2022 is brighter for all - on and off the field.

In both Australia and the UK, it was difficult to avoid the tumult. Both the NRL and Super League struggled as outbreaks and positive cases forced fixture changes, relocations and in the case of the NRL, a Grand Final played outside Sydney for the first time.

Penrith's upward trajectory continued, with the Panthers claiming the NRL title after falling agonisingly short one year prior. Minor premiers and reigning title-holders Melbourne fell a week short, while South Sydney's final year under Wayne Bennett finished an intercept pass away from being a total success.

Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic was present for just 18 of his side's 27 games - but still blew everyone away to claim the Dally M medal. He also claimed the RLPA Players' Champion, while Nathan Cleary's extra week in the finals saw him leapfrog Trbojevic to claim the LeagueUnlimited.com Player of the Year.

The women's game was put on pause due to COVID, with the NSWRL Women's Premiership falling just weeks short of completion. The 2021 NRLW season was pushed back and will run from February to April 2022, with the 2022 season planned to align with the back end of the season.

While Queensland maintained the Women's Origin shield, the men's side succumbed to a star-studded NSW team, who surged back with wins in Games I and II to reclaim the prestigious series crown. The series was played entirely in Queensland after both Melbourne and Sydney were unable to host their scheduled matches in June.

In Europe, St Helens picked up the famous 'double' for the first time since Leeds had done so in 2015 - winning both the Super League premiership and Challenge Cup. While the Saints won the double and made it three straight Super League titles, the year belonged to French rugby league. Catalans were the best side across the Super League season, claiming the League Leaders' Shield and falling just short of pipping the Saints for the big prize; while in the second-tier Championship, Toulouse Olympique dominated the competition to earn promotion to Super League. 2022 will mark the first occasion two French sides have participated in the top tier. Making way for them is Leigh - who were only promoted by invitation at the start of 2021. Leigh dropping down to Championship is accompanied by League 1 outfits Barrow and Workington earning promotion to the second tier, while bottom pair Swinton and Oldham were pushed back to the third tier.

For results, team sheets and more for just about every game for all the competitions listed above, just click here.

So - 2022 is nearly here. As soon as Boxing Day we'll be seeing UK clubs begin to duke it out ahead of their season which kicks off at the end of January. You can check out draws for any number of competitions for 2021 here.

For those wanting to get amongst it and voice their own thoughts, LeagueUnlimited's 'The Front Row Forums' are there for your enjoyment 24/7. The largest rugby league discussion forums online continue to grow, with the usual debate and frank exchange of views. You can also follow the latest news and match updates on social media with us, so make sure you hit follow along with more than 22,000 footy fans who follow us on Twitter, and join the 4,700+ who like us on Facebook.

We were excited to continue producing The Front Row, an NRL match programme. Every edition of this well-valued weekly publication can be viewed here.

We end on a huge huge huge thank you to the contributors, writers and updaters who give their own time for LU, as well as the moderators and administrators on the Front Row Forums. The website and discussion forums wouldn't continue to be such a success without you all - keep up the tireless and appreciated work you do!

If you're interested in joining our writing team, we are always on the lookout for anyone wanting to be part of LeagueUnlimited.com. If you have any offers, suggestions or think you have what it takes to be part of the team, please don't hesitate to email us at media@leagueunlimited.com.

A safe and enjoyable holidays to one and all!

- The LeagueUnlimited.com team
THERE IS NO OFF SEASON