| 1988 New South Wales Rugby League premiership | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 16 |
| Premiers |  Canterbury-Bankstown (6th title) |
| Minor premiers |  Cronulla-Sutherland (1st title) |
| Matches played | 183 |
| Points scored | 6,559 |
| Attendance | 1,966,658 |
| Top points scorer(s) |  Gary Belcher (218) |
| Rothmans Medal | Barry Russell |
| Top try-scorer(s) | John Ferguson (20) |
The 1988 NSWRL season was the 81st season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and saw the first expansion of the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership outside the borders of New South Wales, and another expansion outside of Sydney, with the addition of three new teams: the Brisbane Broncos, Newcastle Knights and Gold Coast-Tweed Giants. The largest NSWRL premiership yet, sixteen clubs competed during the 1988 season, with the J J Giltinan Shield for minor premiers going to Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. The finals culminated in a grand final for the Winfield Cup between the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Balmain Tigers. This season NSWRL teams also competed for the 1988 Panasonic Cup.