miccle said:All that negativity absolutely blows - why the need for it?? This'd be something closer to resembling mine, focusing slightly more on some individual games:
10. The 8-1 game between the Eels and the Dragons. Absolutely bizarre match, very memorable.
9. PHAC/Crowe vote of South Sydney - the Rabbits seemingly on the rise at last.
8. The early balltearer of a match between the Knights and the Cowboys - the supposed GF preview which never eventuated. What an incredible game.
7. The round 16(??? or maybe later) clash between the Doggies and the Dragons - one of the best forward battles I've seen in a regular season match in years.
6. The incredible semi-final comeback of Brisbane to beat the Doggies for a spot in the GF.
5. The rise and rise of the Melbourne Storm - dominant minor premiers, increasing crowd figures and a new powerhouse emerging in the competition.
4. Jason Taylor's incredible launch into top class coaching, taking a Parra team destined for the bottom three on a rise up into the top eight courtesy of an incredible winning streak. Magic.
3. The whole SOO series, capped off by a memorable result in front of a sold out crowd in MELBOURNE. Amazing stuff.
2. The year of the Bronco. Love 'em or hate 'em their journey this year was magic after some horrid years, lead by Locky and Bennett who proved everyone wrong... and sent one of the best props in the game out a winner.
1. The Tri-Nations series. Everything about it - from the early Fien saga, the against-all-odds win by the Poms, the Mason/Kidwell controversy right through to the incredible golden point final. This series was amazing and rocketed IRL right into the forefront of Australia.
That's how I'd line up the top ten moments/matches/issues for the year - anyone completely disagree with me? Or is my list a slight improvement?
Hellsy said:Good choices!!!
Id also add
* Eric Grothe running down the sideline in Origin, he ran most of the firld to score - remiders of his old man came flooding in!!
Misty Bee said:Your list is far better, miccle. On a similar note:
Kidwell's hit on Mason - Tri Series 1
Wiki's hit on Mason - Tri Series final
LESStar58 said:Honorable mention goes to Eels vs Storm @ Parra Stadium when we were getting thumped without our Origin stars. Trner put the ball out of the full twice from the kick off and we desreved to lose but we ended up pounding away at the eels with webster scoring 3 or 4 tries and hayne about the same amount for parra. great game all around!
miccle said:Definitely - but that's one of the reasons why I had a cop-out and just said the whole SOO series... because TBH all three games had absolutely everything.
That try was just outstanding - pure pace, power and determination. But add to that things like Finch in game one, Mogg rising from a relative unkown in the league world to being a multiple try-scoring hero for Qld, the incredible last minute try to win the series and a packed house in Melbourne. Deadset you could almost do the top ten moments for the year from those three games alone if you really wanted to.
Glad to see a lot of people like my list though
mattyg said:Mason deserved to be in the top 10. He basically made the tri nations series what it was, and that was one of the best adverts for international rugby league ever.
LESStar58 said:My top 12 (cos I feel like bein' different)
12. Tri series as a whole- some close games, sterling results, controversy and some fantastic finishes!
11. Knights vs Cowboys @ Energy AustraliaStadium- yeah, it's funny how a season can change so quickly! The top 2 teams, both undefeated at the time and both expected to feature inn The Big One. Look how things ended up. Cowboys missed the finals and the Knights were belted by 40-odd points by the eventual premiers.
10. Night football returns to Kogarah. 8-1? On par with the weirdest scoreline I've seen since QLD beating NSW 2-0 @ the SFS in 1995!
9. Origin.... all 3 games.
8.Webcke's retirement. I'm a Storm supporter through and through but to see Webbie go out the way he did, I just had to applaud. Perhaps the most dominant prop forward the game has seen since Glenn Lazarus, who also bowed out in a similar fashion in 1999.
7. Cooper Cronk's field goal in double golden point extra time to pip Penrith 17-16 @ Olympic Park.
6. Ryan Hoffman setting up Jake Websters last minute try off a miraculous Cooper Cronk kick @ Olympic PArk.
5. Ryan Hoffman crying his eyes out on the hallowed Telstra Stadium pitch after the Storm lost the GF. It epitomises how much that jersey means to Hoffy, the team as a whole and the fans of Melbourne. Hopefully he'll be crying tears of joy come October 2007
4. Dragons vs Storm @ Kogarah- the game really was in the balance right up ntil Cronk scored the winner in the corner. Fantastic Storm defense denied Gasnier a try and then there was Matt King flipping off the Dragons fans!
3. Greater interest in rugby league in Melbourne all up. Bigger Storm crowds, a sold out Origin and a International featuring one of the great finishes in RL.
2. The rise and rise of Greg Ingliss. 19 years old with the whole rugby league world at his feet. Has played Origin, Internationals and played in a grand final all in really his only full year of first grade. Undoubtedly the most naturally gifted athlete in any code of sport in this country. The kind of player rugby league ignorant people will go to a game just to see play. And the best part? He's all ours for another 4 seasons!
1. The year of Darren Lockyer. Again, I'm a Storm fan but for 3 or 4 years now Locky has been my favorite player without question. Ever since he pulled that rabbit out of the hat in the First Test vs GB @ Wigan, 2003. He's all class, a champion and he deserves everything he gets.
Rubbish.Boatharbour said:there's surely an agenda there by Channel 10 in
dishing up that ordinary list of "highlights".