| 1981 New South Wales Rugby Football League | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 12 |
| Premiers |  Parramatta (1st title) |
| Minor premiers |  Eastern Suburbs (15th title) |
| Matches played | 138 |
| Points scored | 4,160 |
| Attendance | 1,312,977 |
| Top points scorer(s) |  Steve Rogers (194) |
| Rothmans Medal | Kevin Hastings |
| Top try-scorer(s) | Terry Fahey (16) |
The 1981 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 74th season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Twelve clubs, including six of 1908's foundation teams and another six from around Sydney competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Parramatta and Newtown clubs. NSWRFL clubs also competed in the 1981 Tooth Cup and players from NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team.