The Grand Final 'I was there" thread

[God-King Dean]

c) The game itself - I remember every second vividly. From the crazy Chris Walker try early on to the Ryan-on-Crocker tackle in minute 79, every nerve-racking moment. Watching Pricey and Bobcat lift the trophy 100m away from me is something I'll never forget.

Most under-rated tackle of all time. Awesome tackle.

 

[Danish]

I've been to 6 grand finals... 91, 98, 04, 06, 07 & 08.

'91 was easily my favourite. I was a massive penrith fan back in those days before they joined the super league, and a huge freddy fan to boot (which later saw me transfer to the roosters). I was only 5 at the time so the entire week prior was spent painting a banner and decorating my mum and dad's cars for the big day.

I was dressed head to toe as a chocolate soldier, my brother in the new liquorice all sort jersey. Drove out to the stadium really early in the day, and got interviewed by channel 9 with my dad alongside a bunch of nutter raiders fans. We bumped Wally Lewis on the way to our seats, and to his credit he stopped and chatted with me and my brother for 5-10 minutes.

the game was a bit of a blur, all I remember is going nuts for Simmons when he scored both his tries, trying to put meninga off with chants of "Lolly pop legs!" from the other side of the stadium (he missed though!) and accidentally poking this poor old raiders fan in the nuts each time we scored :lol:

After the game we drove all the way home with streamers all over the car, screaming out to everyone we drove past, then it was back to a family friends house for a BBQ dinner and to watch it all over again on tape.

A great day

 

[Danish]

Most under-rated tackle of all time. Awesome tackle.

Didn't Ryan also manage to stop chris walker inches from the try line about 10 minutes out from the death as well??

I don't recall who exactly made the tackle, I just remember Walker accelerating up the middle, and looking for all money like he was through until someone managed to wrap up his bootlaces.

Someone else will have to watch the replay and let me know, because I can only ever make it to halftime when I attempt to watch it myself :lol:

 

[camsmith]

Been to the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Grand finals.

2006 - pissed off, went up by bus on the Saturday night, got about 10 minutes sleep. You could tell there was a slight lack of build up and atmosphere given there wasn't a Sydney team involved. I was just plain angry after the game (still think we were robbed) so not too much fun. Only thing that made up for it was that I'd been at the Storm vs Dragons game the week earlier.. never had so much fun at a game.

2007 - The best. Great accommodation, met some real nice fellow Storm supporters, the lead up to the game was good, good pre-game too.. and of course fantastic game. Even better was that we got into the post match party across the road. Was definitely one of the best nights in my life.

2008 - Just depressing. Had bad experiences with where we stayed the night, sat next to an idiot (from the same side) and the game speaks for itself. With all the hatred throughout the year and carry on with Cameron Smith being suspended the GF just capped off an awful year, even if we did great to get to the Grand Final.

 

[_Johnsy]

Your missus sounds awesome.

she is mate

 

[Knightmare]

I went to 96 and 99..

96 was the best year. The team played with awesome spirit and as a young teen managed to get to a lot of games that year. Cityrail got a workout.

What was the furthest you travelled for a game? Did you clock up any k's with Countrylink as well?

 

[KHunt]

What was the furthest you travelled for a game? Did you clock up any k's with Countrylink as well?

The 2001 GF must have been a knightmare for all Parra fans :crazy:

 

[Rainbow]

Iv'e been to a couple. early ones though. The two Cronulla V Manly grand finals.

I was also there when Steve Gearin scored from a Greg Brentnall kick for the Berries. A unbelievable freakish play in a grand final.

Would love to see my team in a grand final. Hope I live long enough!

 

[Jobdog]

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?

1997 and 2001. Both were very special for completely different reasons. I'm not too sure exactly what it was about them, but they were different - maybe it was the traditional Sunday arvo GF in 97 (must admit I prefer them) and then the 2001 GF (as we all know, the first night time grand final.

Week leading up to both of them, as mentioned earlier - 97 we played Norths in the prelim final and to this day I can still see Darren Albert coming from the western side of the ground to the south-eastern corner to run Matt Seers down. It was incredible. As far as I know, I think that game was when the "NEW-CAS-TLE" chant was born. I would have been 11 or so and I'm not usually one to shed any tears, but GF day 1997 I cried like a little baby. It's funny looking back on it now, because really, it's just a game, but to me it felt more than that.

2001 - no one expected us to win that game and for some reason I was probably more confident leading into that game than the 1997 one. Maybe it was because I had matured and thought "if we lose this, it's not the end of the world", I'm not sure, but I woke up on GF day around 5am just as the sun was coming up and I remember thinking to myself "we're not going to lose today". The 5am wakeup made the whole day a bloody long one, but we followed in excess of 200 coaches in a convoy down the F3 - it was incredible seeing EAS carpark jam-packed with coaches and people running everywhere.

We got to the game and I have NFI who won Flegg or Premmy or whatever it was called then, but IIRC the favourites may have lost both games, so being a superstitious type person I thought it could only be a good omen ;-)

Pre-match was sensational - Jimmy Barnes, the Black Hawk, and the Northern end of Telstra Stadium a sea of blue and red. As we know, we won the game and the party that followed was unbelievable. I remember getting back to EAS probably about midnight or so and there would have been about 10,000 people inside! By the time the boys arrived home, that crowd had swelled to about 17-18,000 at 3am.

It was incredible and nothing I'll ever forget.

 

[Knightmare]

The 2001 GF must have been a knightmare for all Parra fans :crazy:

Not so bad, it would've only taken them about half an hour (on average) from Eels heartland for the game. It took us an hour and a half, and that was from Gosford. Hate to think what time the Novocastrians got home on an all-stations train!

 

[boxa777]

What was the furthest you travelled for a game? Did you clock up any k's with Countrylink as well?

Caught some flights to Qld for one of the games, missed 3 for the season.

A couple of supporter buses also to Marathon and some others..

Its amazing what a few young ratbags can do..

Best year for this premiership less supporter.

 

[Nuke]

97 we played Norths in the prelim final and to this day I can still see Darren Albert coming from the western side of the ground to the south-eastern corner to run Matt Seers down. It was incredible. As far as I know, I think that game was when the "NEW-CAS-TLE" chant was born.

It was indeed the day that chant was born. When I got to Newcastle the Friday after that game and before the GF, I was told by a few family members that they didn't know where that came from, but it was there in full force! It was certainly there on GF day!

We got to the game and I have NFI who won Flegg or Premmy or whatever it was called then, but IIRC the favourites may have lost both games, so being a superstitious type person I thought it could only be a good omen ;-)

Pre-match was sensational - Jimmy Barnes, ...

Being in Perth (Ansett had collapsed a few weeks prior, so QANTAS -being the only domestic airline in the country at the time- jacked prices up enormously, making it too difficult for me to get across to NSW), I only had delayed tv coverages of the game to see it, so I started to listen to the live ABC radio call. I heard that Jimmy Barnes was part of the pre-game show (as he was in 1997), and when I heard that the Knights had linked arms during the national anthem, then the kick-off by the opposition (Manly in 1997, Parramatta in 2001) and the first play of the game (O'Davis caught the ball from the kick-off and passed it to the Knights lock -Glanville in '97, Peden in '01) I was confident we'd win it. Basically, the first 10secs was as it was in 1997, so I took that as a sign we'd win.

I was only 20 in 2001, so it seems kinda silly now, but it felt right at the time! I'm glad I was right!

 

[Jobdog]

then the kick-off by the opposition (Manly in 1997, Parramatta in 2001) and the first play of the game (O'Davis caught the ball from the kick-off and passed it to the Knights lock -Glanville in '97, Peden in '01) I was confident we'd win it. Basically, the first 10secs was as it was in 1997, so I took that as a sign we'd win.

Usually I remember all those sorts of little insignificant things, but even I wasn't aware of that :crazy:

 

[ByRd]

2004

Best night of my life. The week leading up to it was a non sop party at belmore, each night before the game everyone would gather at belmore and just start partying and getting ready for the game. The actual game was torture to watch lol from being down at the half to holding on for the last 25mins or so.

After the game was just awesome. The roosters fans that had been giving it to us couldnt hang around to cop some back at the end loll and left early.

The after party at belmore was just crazy, about 10-15000 crowded in the streets of belmore infront on the leagues club and just going strong til about 4 in the morning. The players coming through on an open decked bus and just singing "we are the champions" and Priceys speech to us all, best night ever.

 

[Nuke]

Usually I remember all those sorts of little insignificant things, but even I wasn't aware of that :crazy:

I don't remember why I noticed that at the time either. I think I must've watched the '97 GF earlier that day ..!

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Souths fan

 

[Jobdog]

Another thing that I thought was rather amusing post-2001 grand final was the party at EAS which started about midnight (as mentioned earlier). Dunno when it finished, but at around 3am just before the boys came back, with 15-16,000 people inside EAS, the MC's for the occasion said they'd just had complaints from the residents about noise levels and whether we could be a little more quiet. Needless to say that was the only inspiration we needed to be twice as loud :lol:

 

[ozenzud]

Grand finals are the greatest days ever. I've watched every one since I saw my first one in 1975, east v st george. That was on a black and white tele.

The first one I went to, was 1981, para v newtown, in the old two bob "stand". What a day that was, 1982, manly v para. 85, Saints v Bulldogs, the year of the bomb! Then a wait to 87. Unfortunately don't live in OZ anymore and have never got the chance to go to another GF again. BUT, maybe this year to see the warriors take it out. Emotion over Fai, Stacey's back. You never know.

 

[LESStar58]

1996. Lined up at Horden Pavillion at 7 in the morning to get tix for myself and my uncle. The Dalai Lama drove past us and we all hurled abuse at people asking "is this where you get Swans GF tickets?"