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Is 1999 the biggest grand final choke?

TheDalek079

Bench
Messages
4,432
Are the dragons in 1999 the biggest chokers in grand final history? Clear favourites heading into the match, with two victories already over the storm earlier in the season. Melbourne were really average in the grand final, and dragons lead 14-0 at half time. They even have an easy chance to put the match beyond doubt, but mundine drops the ball over the line. Is this the greatest grand final choke?
 

grouch

First Grade
Messages
8,393
Are the dragons in 1999 the biggest chokers in grand final history? Clear favourites heading into the match, with two victories already over the storm earlier in the season. Melbourne were really average in the grand final, and dragons lead 14-0 at half time. They even have an easy chance to put the match beyond doubt, but mundine drops the ball over the line. Is this the greatest grand final choke?
Dragons fan here, hi.
Yes it is. Thanks for asking
 

grouch

First Grade
Messages
8,393
The match could have still been sealed beyond doubt despite Mundines knock on over the line. St George did score a try again after that - only for Rod Wishart to drop it cold from the kickoff, giving the Storm possession and field position, and with it all the momentum.

Imagine the alternate timeline if the Dragons held on to win that game.... Nathan Blacklock's try is rightfully replayed forever as the GOAT grand final try ... Mundine probably gets picked for Australia and doesn't become a boxer... Paul McGregor feels a deep sense of satisfaction with the game of rugby league, quits immediately and never feels to urge to become a coach. Sigh
 

mave

Coach
Messages
12,936
Manly in 1995 and 1997 were the biggest upset losses I saw. Especially 1995.

Im pretty sure the Knights had the best defence in the comp in 1997. Manly beat them in the finals a couple of weeks prior, with no Joey Johns, and it was not as convincing as the scoreline indicated.
Given Manly had won the year before, and were coming off a brutal 1 point win over the Roosters, while the Knights played Norths (lol), one could make the arguement that the Knights should have been favourites.

The less said about 1995, the better.
 

mozza91

Coach
Messages
12,672
Parramatta 2001.

No-one will ever top that level of choke
Not even close. We were a better side than Parra. We played them once during the regular season with Joey and beat them comfortably and once without him and O’Davis and got pumped.

It’s annoying that people say Parramatta choked and we did a Bradbury. The Knights won because they were a better team.
 

King hit

Coach
Messages
13,756
Parramatta were massive overachievers that year. Johns was always going to give them a lesson in that grand final.
Johns got massively confident watching them stumble through the preliminary final. At the grand final breakfast the Eels looked very nervous. While on the other hand Newcastle were pumped with confidence.
 

Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
Let's not pretend that the 2001 Eels were overachieving mugs.

They set all kinds of attacking records that will never be broken and they were also the best defensive side by a mile.

The Eels finished that year with an F/A of + 433 where as the Knights finished + 143, so they were a class above.

They just came up against a sometimes hot and cold Knights team that, when red hot, were a juggernaut led by the GoaT. They also froze on the biggest stage of the year, and I think Brian Smith deserves a lot of blame for that.
 

_Johnsy

Referee
Messages
27,270
1999 is certainly on the podium, which place is up for debate.

I'm shocked 2008 hasn't received a mention. Even without Smith, there is no way in hell Manly were a 40 point better side.

This is either a massive choke or it showed the complete lack of any backbone of the 2008 Melbourne side.


Brett Stewart Billy Slater
Michael Robertson Steve Turner
Steven Bell Matt Geyer
Steve Matai Israel Folau
David Williams Anthony Quinn
Jamie Lyon Greg Inglis
Matt Orford HB Cooper Cronk
Brent Kite Jeff Lima
Matt Ballin Russ Aitken
Josh Perry Brett White
Anthony Watmough Michael Crocker
Glen Hall Jeremy Smith
Glenn Stewart Dallas Johnson
Heath L'Estrange . Scott Anderson
Mark Bryant Adam Blair
Jason King Sika Manu
Steve Menzies Antonio Kaufusi
 

mongoose

Coach
Messages
11,215
Let's not pretend that the 2001 Eels were overachieving mugs.

They set all kinds of attacking records that will never be broken and they were also the best defensive side by a mile.

The Eels finished that year with an F/A of + 433 where as the Knights finished + 143, so they were a class above.

They just came up against a sometimes hot and cold Knights team that, when red hot, were a juggernaut led by the GoaT. They also froze on the biggest stage of the year, and I think Brian Smith deserves a lot of blame for that.

The eels spine that year

1. Brett Hodgson
6. Michael Buetner
7. Jason Taylor
9. Brad Drew

amazingly well coached and drilled side but overachievers that were outclassed by a better side in the grand final.
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
17,509
Not even close. We were a better side than Parra. We played them once during the regular season with Joey and beat them comfortably and once without him and O’Davis and got pumped.

It’s annoying that people say Parramatta choked and we did a Bradbury. The Knights won because they were a better team.

It certainly wasnt a Bradbury by the knights.

Parra were (and still are?) Statistically the best side in history so the fact they were blown off the park in the manner they were makes it a choke.
 

Dave's mate

Juniors
Messages
1,783
It certainly wasnt a Bradbury by the knights.

Parra were (and still are?) Statistically the best side in history so the fact they were blown off the park in the manner they were makes it a choke.
Losing to the best player in the sports history is a choke?
 

Slackboy72

Coach
Messages
11,939
Let's not pretend that the 2001 Eels were overachieving mugs.

They set all kinds of attacking records that will never be broken and they were also the best defensive side by a mile.

The Eels finished that year with an F/A of + 433 where as the Knights finished + 143, so they were a class above.

They just came up against a sometimes hot and cold Knights team that, when red hot, were a juggernaut led by the GoaT. They also froze on the biggest stage of the year, and I think Brian Smith deserves a lot of blame for that.
I'm pretty sure they smashed Newy twice that year already.
 

PARRA_FAN

Coach
Messages
16,988
Parramatta 2001.

No-one will ever top that level of choke

I'd put us and Manly 1995 as similar losses.

Both dominant throughout the season, premiership favourites got to the Grand Final, celebrated the fact it was the first GF for a while as it was an achievement pre-season but werent mentally switched on game day.

With Manly, Mark Carroll said in an interview once how most the players spoke about getting the GF and doing really well, but mentally they were nervous on game day and they were up against a Canterbury side that looked pumped up having lost the GF the year before and had that momentum going into the game.

With Parramatta, there were plenty of nerves. It was a fairly young forward pack that for a few years in a row just missed the GF. Once they got there it was a sigh of relieve but still shouldve been mentally prepared. There were some signs of nerves in the Brisbane game, I remember they had an ordinary start and just beat them in the Preliminary final. It shouldve been a wake up call but instead people were saying in the GF breakfast, the players looked nervous. And when they sung national anthems, you compare the two teams' body language.

Newcastle looked pumped and fired up, having lost the prelim the year before, all embraced each other before the game.

Parramatta very quiet, no-one singing the anthem. I thought ah oh, hopefully they'll be switched on. Unfortunately they weren't.

Newcastle came out of the blocks early with Johns running the show. Even though he got Clive Churchill Medal, I feel Kennedy and Buderus were unlucky not to win it, they were simply unstoppable on the night.

And whilst Manly came back a year later to win the title, Parramatta didnt recover from that loss.

Whether it was Smith's coaching that helped them turn into zombies, who's knows.
 
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Slackboy72

Coach
Messages
11,939
1999 is certainly on the podium, which place is up for debate.

I'm shocked 2008 hasn't received a mention. Even without Smith, there is no way in hell Manly were a 40 point better side.

This is either a massive choke or it showed the complete lack of any backbone of the 2008 Melbourne side.


Brett Stewart Billy Slater
Michael Robertson Steve Turner
Steven Bell Matt Geyer
Steve Matai Israel Folau
David Williams Anthony Quinn
Jamie Lyon Greg Inglis
Matt Orford HB Cooper Cronk
Brent Kite Jeff Lima
Matt Ballin Russ Aitken
Josh Perry Brett White
Anthony Watmough Michael Crocker
Glen Hall Jeremy Smith
Glenn Stewart Dallas Johnson
Heath L'Estrange . Scott Anderson
Mark Bryant Adam Blair
Jason King Sika Manu
Steve Menzies Antonio Kaufusi
Apart from Menzies (on the bench), Glenn Stewart and Brent Kite, that Manly side is second rate compared to the salary-cap-cheating Scum side. How Orford and Lyon streeted Inglis and Cronk is still a mystery.
 

Canard

Immortal
Messages
34,147
Parra 2001 by a long way.

They set all sorts of records in the season and rested players in the lead up finals, and did all sorts of shit, like have Smith turn up late to games "just in case" etc

They were outright favorites in a game that was all over by the 25min mark.

I've never heard anyone call that a Bradbury, mainly because Bradbury didn't win the medal until 2002, and that's it's just considered a dominant performance by a great side.
 
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