It began almost as a joke, a rugby league superstition fuelled by more than a hint of urban myth.
Yet it’s the NRL statistic that continues to stand the test of time.
If you concede 50 points at any stage during the regular season, you can’t win the comp.
The circumstances are irrelevant, it seems, as Ricky Stuart and the Raiders have learned the hard way over the past painful fortnight.
Jest if you wish, but the 50-point threshold has become one of the most enduring indicators of premiership failure—and it remains ‘undefeated’ for another NRL season following the Raiders’ 32-12 week two exit at the hands of the Cronulla Sharks.
With the minor premiership safely wrapped up heading into the finals, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart made the fateful decision to rest the bulk of his first grade squad against the Dolphins in Round 27 just two weeks ago.
The under-manned Canberra side was pummelled 62-24 in an eleven-try trashing.
Few seemed overly concerned by the result at the time, but the NRL history books knew better.
As we all now know, the Raiders went on to lose their following two games en route to suffering the ignominy of being bundled out of the 2025 premiership race with not even a preliminary final to show for a breakout season.
The 50-point curse strikes again.
Footnote: Back in 2001 the Newcastle Knights conceded 49 points against Cronulla in Round 22 before going on to win the club’s second first-grade premiership eight weeks later. That’s as close as any team has ever gone.