Unlike prior seasons, the 1982 Brisbane Rugby League season only consisted of 14 rounds due to the introduction of the Winfield State League, which ran from March 19 - May 2 and was not considered a part of the BRL premiership. Teams played each other twice, resulting in a top four of Southern Suburbs, Fortitude Valley, Wynnum-Manly and Redcliffe.
The 1982 Winfield State League was the inaugural season of the Queensland Rugby League's statewide competition. A total of 14 teams competed in the inaugural season, 8 of which were BRL Premiership clubs. The remaining six were regional teams from across the state, hence the State League name. The finals were straight final four series held at QRL headquarters at Lang Park, with Easts and Redcliffe winning their respective semi finals. In the final, the Tigers outclassed the Dolphins 23-15 to win the inaugural Winfield State League.