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Is 1999 the biggest grand final choke?

Valheru

Coach
Messages
19,225
It was for obstruction and it was Mini and was only about 1 minute or 2 before half time from memory.
It's funny the 2003 GF never upset me that much but the 2004 still sticks in my guts as I knew it would be quite a while till we had another chance with Freddy retiring but yes so happy I got see 2013, 18 and 19.

Ah so that was before half time, thought it was in the 2nd half.

Yeah at the end of the day i have seen 4 GF wins live... seen 3 losses too but that is a decent strike rate.
 

horrie hastings

First Grade
Messages
8,021
Ah so that was before half time, thought it was in the 2nd half.

Yeah at the end of the day i have seen 4 GF wins live... seen 3 losses too but that is a decent strike rate.

Yep , it was just before half time. Yep so happy I have seen 4 GF wins live, 2002, 13, 18 and 19. Seen 3 loses live too, 2000, 03 and 10, didn't go to the 2004 GF. I suppose ive been lucky to with being alive when we won in 1974/75 , I still remember being not very happy after the 1980 loss to Canterbury and I can also remember my father being very dirty after the 1972 GF loss to Manly, I remember him saying the ref was a thief when he got home from the game.
 

The unknown

Juniors
Messages
2,495
But the lol of lols is the doomsday double of Eels / Saints 05.

Tigers were pretty red hot, saints still expected to win but it wouldn’t be easy...and Benji running rings around Gasiner for that try is something i'll never forget

Agree on the eels though, thought they’d just have to turn up

Nek Minnit 29-0 lol
 
Messages
8,480
Tigers were pretty red hot, saints still expected to win but it wouldn’t be easy...and Benji running rings around Gasiner for that try is something i'll never forget

Agree on the eels though, thought they’d just have to turn up

Nek Minnit 29-0 lol

I remember watching the Sunday game all miserable after going to the SFS the night before for the Dragons loss to the Tigers..

The thing that struck me, and still sticks out to me to this very day about that game, is an interview with Brian Smith not long before kick-off. I’ve never before, or ever again, seen a coach look as nervous and anxious as him. Actually I’ve never seen another coach nervous and anxious before... or since (apart from Chris Anderson in the coaches box at Brookvale when Manly tore the Roosters apart one night, can’t remember the year..).

I actually remember nothing of the game itself. But his expressions, tone of voice, and even an admission there were nerves about was so uncomfortable to watch. And led into the doom that was to follow.
 

Jackie Treehorn

Juniors
Messages
589
I remember watching the Sunday game all miserable after going to the SFS the night before for the Dragons loss to the Tigers..

The thing that struck me, and still sticks out to me to this very day about that game, is an interview with Brian Smith not long before kick-off. I’ve never before, or ever again, seen a coach look as nervous and anxious as him. Actually I’ve never seen another coach nervous and anxious before... or since (apart from Chris Anderson in the coaches box at Brookvale when Manly tore the Roosters apart one night, can’t remember the year..).

I actually remember nothing of the game itself. But his expressions, tone of voice, and even an admission there were nerves about was so uncomfortable to watch. And led into the doom that was to follow.

Yeah Brian Smith will always feature prominently in this kind of thread. The impression I always had of him was an extremely highly strung dude who just cared too much about the result of the big games that it almost seemed inevitable the choke was on.
 

Jackie Treehorn

Juniors
Messages
589
This thread brought back a lot of repressed trauma, I thought I could get through it and then some merkin brought up the 98 and 05 GF prelims as well.


There goes all that therapy down the drain, and people wonder why I drink?

Parra in the Brian Smith era set the gold standard for choking in big games. 98, 01, 05, that’s a lot of choke.
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
19,225
Remember when Brian Smith was super "relaxed" in 2010 GF week which was a clear indication the chooks would win :D
 

Dogs Of War

Coach
Messages
12,721
Bleah, don't remind me. Nothing that Mundine has said or done ever since that match stacks up as bad as coughing up the pill over the phwarking try line. :(

He had form. He did that versus the Dogs in 1995 semi final, and there was no players around him at the time, he was just showponying. At the time the Dragons were in front, and probably would have gone on with it. But lost 12-10.

As for those saying Manly 1995. I think people forget that the Bulldogs team had been minor premiers the last 2 years. Just had a poor start to the year after the super league saga and 4 players going to Parra the next year. Once they got there shit together off the field, it all came together quite easy. You only have to look at how the Dogs demolished Canberra and Brisbane in the semis, and just beat the Dragons. The grand final teams of the previous 3 years.
 

_Johnsy

Referee
Messages
28,369
Melbourne lost to an 8th placed Warriors at home, escaped against the Broncos thanks to Ashton Sims and blew a very overachieving Cronulla team away. Their leader was gone and Manly had all the motivation and form behind them leading into the grand final.

It was theirs to lose
Look and compare the 2 sides player for player & then get back to me. I understand the points you make. The reality is they were good enough to make the GF, then put in that performance, even without Smith it is baffling.
 

Dogs Of War

Coach
Messages
12,721
Ah so that was before half time, thought it was in the 2nd half.

Yeah at the end of the day i have seen 4 GF wins live... seen 3 losses too but that is a decent strike rate.

Ive seen the Bulldogs lose the grand final twice now. 98 and 12. Don't want to go again in case I'm a jinx
 

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