Have you ever attended a Grand Final that your team was in? How was a) The week leading up to the game b) The day of the game c) The game itself and d) After the game, for you?
For me, it was the 2001 Grand Final.
a) The week leading up to the game for me was enjoyable. I didn't mind at all how the media seemed to be treating Parra winning like it was a given. The less people talked about the Knights, the better as far as I was concerned. I remember in the Telegraph they had an Eels Grand Final poster which depicted the Eels mascot wrapped around the NRL trophy pumping its' fists triumphantly. The next day, the Knights Grand Final poster depicted a Knight charging forward with the bolts in its' armour coming loose. That for me symbolised the expectations of Grand Final week. I remember at school that week and the night before the game I was at a party and people were saying "You do realise Newcastle are going to get their arses kicked?" and I would laugh, saying "Just play the game."
b) The day of the game I remember travelling down on the train and having flashes of doubt, wondering if maybe I was too quietly hopeful and that maybe the Knights would do as well as Melbourne did in last season's decider and perhaps I should get off the train and go home now? I also kind of envied the Parra fans and how un-fazed they seemed to be, like they had no doubts whatsoever that they'd win it. When I got to the ground it was good though, we were up high in the stand with all the Knights fans and the view of the ground was awesome. I started really looking forward to the game beginning. Then when they showed inside the dressing rooms before the game, the Parra players all looked as though they were about to go and ask the hottest girl in school to the dance. The Knights boys, by contrast, looked like they were in the middle of throwing the biggest house-party ever seen. Even as a 16 y/o I thought "That's a good sign!"
c) During the game itself I was never actually nervous. Right from the kick-off Newcastle looked unstoppable. After Kennedy got the second try, and how quickly it came, I actually felt pretty comfortable that we'd hold that lead for the rest of the game. Going into half-time, my only vague worry was that we'd also blown a 24-0 lead against the Tigers a month before, but I knew it was a very slim chance of repeating itself. In the second half even when Parra narrowed the gap to 12 points I was frustrated more than anything that the boys had lapsed defensively. When they scored again to trail by only 6 points I was still sure that we'd win it. The only way they'd score again would be a major blunder which I didn't see happening again.
d) I actually felt pretty calm after the final whistle. Obviously I was really pleased to win the Premiership, but I suppose for most of the game it'd been simply counting down the time until Newcastle officially had it in the bag, rather than snatching victory at the last moment like in '97. I was also quietly smug, thinking about all the people who'd been acting like the Eels winning the Grand Final was a foregone conclusion and that the only Knights player they'd have to worry about was Joey. :lol: I was also hpy that I could sleep perfectly fine that night (or morning as it turned out) and not spend the next week thinking "F**k, if only this player had done that instead!" or "Damn, if only Harrigan had made that call!"
Great post
2005 Wests Tigers 30 Cowboys 16
a) The week leading up to the game
We went to the major semi V saints, wasnt all too confident but I did take a small sign readin "GF Tix wanted" for after the game...none of the Saints fans could read it thru the tears.
My sons jnr club got a heap of free Parra Cowboys tix, so we went to that game the next day, but my mind was on the following w/end, leaing telstra i saw a mass qeueu already at the homebush bay ticketek, checked parra leagues as well on the way home...same deal...Ive got no GF tix!!!!!:crazy:
Ring around a few friends, texting and mssging, decide with a friend and her kid to try for a family pkge, and I went to castle hill hills centre ticketek at about 11pm to camp out...was 22nd in line and a small game of cricket was in progress.
The stories were there was only 4000 tix left I think everyone knew online and phone sales would open when the doors opened at 9...people were worried about missing out...all tigers fans there.
Thankfully there was two terminals with very efficient operators and the 22nd person in the queue got to the counter at about 9.06am...hot tix in the hand was almost as good a feeling as f/time the previous saturday night at the SFS.
Collected all papers and news articles , magazines etc thru the week, actually made myself ill with worry I think, was crook for two days, they had a open traing at Concord on the Thurs I think...the bandwagon was in full cry, fans in circa 2000 t-shirts everywhere *Yeh I remember those old shirts, aint seen one in years*
b) The day of the game
All a bit of a blur, I remember my cameras batteries going flat with no time to recharge them, took that as a bad omen and it put me in a bad mood. Got there nice and early
c) The game itself
Again, all a bit of a blur at the time though Ive watched the replay about 6 times, was sitting in the corner Marshall was heading to when he gave the flick pass of all flick passes to Patty....he was heading straight towards us. Grateful my friend took some great photos of my son and me at the game, ones in a personal memorobilia frame along with my ticket and some photos harvey norman handed out, GF team in the week before, team celebrates post GF and prince with trophy, hung around after the game for what seemed like about 2 hours, bumping into friends and sharing the experience.
and d) After the game
Headed to Wests Ashfield, it was like NYE there, though with my young bloke with me didnt go in, just soaked up the celebrations. Then headed over to rozelle, and BLC...same deal there, main road closed, NYE type celebrations, ...couldnt sleep at all that night, got home at about 2am...watched the replay twice...sleep about 6am.
