Is 1999 the biggest grand final choke?

[Valheru]

nothing will beat the storm getting pumped 40-0 as the biggest choke in rugby league history

If not for that JAC intercept try which stopped us going 24-0 up and halted our momentum, we might have seen something similar in 2018 with Smith playing

 

[moffla]

nothing will beat the storm getting pumped 40-0 as the biggest choke in rugby league history

Wasn't a choke.
We limped into the Grand Final while you guys rolled your way in. We were never going to win that game

 

[moffla]

If not for that JAC intercept try which stopped us going 24-0 up and halted our momentum, we might have seen something similar in 2018 with Smith playing

Instead, we won the second half and everyone knows that's what Grand Finals are truly about...

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Matthew Ridge can.

Heartbreak Ridge.

 

[Smack]

Wasn't a choke.
We limped into the Grand Final while you guys rolled your way in. We were never going to win that game

dragons here m8, not manly

I feel sick

 

[moffla]

dragons here m8, not manly

I feel sick

I am so sorry for accusing you of such a sin

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Taking it based on the actual GF, irrespective of form leading in I’d agree with Manly 95, Brisbane 15 & Melbourne 2018 as well in the debate.
As for 99, it’s hard to argue against the choke. A couple of poor calls(not the penalty try)didn’t help but Melbourne just found another 3 gears in the 2nd half.
Being at the game, I still have visions of a tearful Dragons fan taking off his jersey & throwing it into the crowd in disgust only for the Dragons fan who caught it to promptly throw it back at him.

I was there too... my memory leaving the ground was of mass and utter devastation. Everyone shuffling out looking at the ground.... they should have been playing the Platoon theme music in the background it was that tragic. I felt like Elias getting shot down in the field, betrayed by a result.... “whyyyyyyy!!!!!”...

 

[Reflector]

I was there too... my memory leaving the ground was of mass and utter devastation. Everyone shuffling out looking at the ground.... they should have been playing the Platoon theme music in the background it was that tragic. I felt like Elias getting shot down in the field, betrayed by a result.... “whyyyyyyy!!!!!”...

+ Tigers fans leaving the SFS in '89 and Broncos fans leaving ANZ in '15

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

+ Tigers fans leaving the SFS in '89 and Broncos fans leaving ANZ in '15

Yes. The only thing I'd suggest is that for Dragons and Tigers fans - it had been a long long time since they last won a title, and for many fans - they weren't around to see it. Broncos had won less than ten years before, and had a great run in the 90's.

So it was Platoon for us and the Tigers, perhaps Good Morning Vietnam for the Broncos.

 

[Reflector]

As someone quipped, one of the best sides never to have won a GF in that era. Balmain were a tough relentless and bullying side.

Balmain, Souths and Cronulla were all teams who could look back on that 1986-89 period with a sense of "what might have been"?

 

[TheDalek079]

If not for that JAC intercept try which stopped us going 24-0 up and halted our momentum, we might have seen something similar in 2018 with Smith playing

IMO the biggest 'what if' from that game is what would have happened if Fergo scored that try early on the second half. Would have been 24-0, and with all our momentum, and Storm being utterly hopeless I think we could have cracked 40 points

 

[Life's Good]

I was there too... my memory leaving the ground was of mass and utter devastation. Everyone shuffling out looking at the ground.... they should have been playing the Platoon theme music in the background it was that tragic. I felt like Elias getting shot down in the field, betrayed by a result.... “whyyyyyyy!!!!!”...

I’m thinking....

 

[GongPanther]

Balmain, Souths and Cronulla were all teams who could look back on that 1986-89 period with a sense of "what might have been"?

Tigers had a more mongrel smell of blood about them. When you played against them, you knew you were in more than a game of football.

 

[_Johnsy]

Wasn't a choke.
We limped into the Grand Final while you guys rolled your way in. We were never going to win that game

Riiiiiiight