sentences:  With three sides finishing in equal fifth place, two elimination finals playoffs also had to be played.Western Suburbs had 1 point deducted for fielding an ineligible player in round 8.After losing two consecutive matches in rounds 2 and 3, defending premiers Eastern Suburbs posted nineteen consecutive wins to close out the regular season; a streak than ran from round 4 to round 22 and remains the record for the most consecutive wins in premiership history.