Your top 5 Grand Finals

[blue bags]

When did GFs in RL commence? 1981?

they GRAND FINALS were an option before the 1940s i think, if you team was good enough be undisputed ranked number 2 at the end of the season, that gave your team the right to challenge the minor prems to play in a GRAND FINAL
grand finals have been played since the 1940s i believe , before that time, the minor prems were the champs, no grand finals played unless a challenge by 2nd place team
i not sure about the real details , need more research

 

[TheDalek079]

2019. Truly epic

 

[The Mad Hatter]

they GRAND FINALS were an option before the 1940s i think, if you team was good enough be undisputed ranked number 2 at the end of the season, that gave your team the right to challenge the minor prems to play in a GRAND FINAL
grand finals have been played since the 1940s i believe , before that time, the minor prems were the champs, no grand finals played unless a challenge by 2nd place team
i not sure about the real details , need more research

I was being a troll.

I don't think anyone posting ever saw a Saturday gf either. Trivia. ..the last one was 1980.

Agree with Valheru though. I still love 2014 though.

 

[GongPanther]

89 for me also. Don’t leave out the pearce knock on and the replacement of sirro and roach. The Jackson try?

The '89 GF is being remembered for all the wrong reasons. It should be remembered as the derp GF.

Derp Pierce knock-on, derp coach replacing Sirro and Roach-clip.derp Elias' field goal bouncing off the woodwork. And the derp tackling that allowed a bench player to walk 20 yards to score a GF win. Even most die hard Tigers fans that I know STILL can't bring themselves to watch the replay.

So yea, anyone with common sense would concur to your point here.

 

[Valheru]

mate great post, lots of thought put into it.

I agree with most of your sentiment on the games, and especially the CCM. Especially Thurston. What amazes me is hardly anyone talks of Kyle Feldt, who got the ball back off the Broncos in the final minute to give them hope, then scored the try on the bell. That in itself should be glorified as one of the greatest grand final efforts to get a win in history... but nup... we get bludgeoned with Thurstons simple field goal.

The only games my views differ (I’m not one to argue or hose down opinions of others, that’s simpletons’ stuff) are

2009 GF I thought was actually a great game. When Moi Moi got his try it really ramped up too, but a somewhat dud referee call late cost Parra the chance to push for a final tilt at victory. That Parra came from the clouds to make it (and yes, I was at kogarah when they beat us in the first semi) and that the Storm had systematically rorted the cap adds to intrigue of this game for me. Of all the GFs of the NRL era there’s probably only 3 or 4 I’d genuinely be interested to watch again, this is one of them.

I would rate 2013 Roosters Sea Eagles as the best Quality GF in the NRL era. I was very much a neutral but it just was a cracking game of league. Was happy for the Roosters to win that. I’d happily watch this game again too.

2003 Panthers Roosters, I was at the game. At the time I didn’t think it was all that fantastic of a game, rather a slog in the rain. I’ve watched it once on telly since and felt the same. Great that Panthers won, but I don’t have the enthusiasm that others do for this one.

I’d put the 2017 Storm team in my top 5 GF performances, probably even at number 1. But I get your criteria on beating favoured opponents. The rest of yours are indeed similar to my thoughts.

1999 - exciting for all but Dragons fans. I was at the game about 5 rows from the back of the (since removed) Southern Stand. I was unashamedly heartbroken as the penalty try unfolded below us. But i can appreciate it was otherwise one of the most memorable GF’s and finishes, my team was on the wrong end of it.

2019 Best refereeing? Yes I don’t think that game deserved to be remembered for Ben Cummins 6 again call. I was very much going for the Raiders and they could have won. But I don’t think that cost them the game. Many people seek the outrage angle at any opportunity and milk it for all it’s worth.

Yeah 2009 went through my mind a few times but just couldn't crack any of the lists for me.

You know what, 2013 was probably slightly better quality than 2003 but the conditions in 2003 put it into number 1 for me.

Yes i reserved best performances for those teams that weren't necessarily expected to win. For favourites you cant look past 2017 storm, 2007 storm. 2010 dragons and 2014 souths for top performances on the day IMO with honourable mentions to 98/00 Broncos and 02 roosters.

I was hoping for a bite on the refereeing stuff but alas the fishing hasn't been great so far

One list I omitted, top 5 losing performances. I will go with

2013 manly
2003 roosters
2019 raiders
2016 storm
99 dragons

Sounds odd to not have 15 Broncos but their tactics were woeful and the reason they didn't win comfortably.

 

[Valheru]

When did GFs in RL commence? 1981?

1909 was a cracker i hear.

 

[blue bags]

the forfeit GF was epic

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Yeah 2009 went through my mind a few times but just couldn't crack any of the lists for me.

You know what, 2013 was probably slightly better quality than 2003 but the conditions in 2003 put it into number 1 for me.

Yes i reserved best performances for those teams that weren't necessarily expected to win. For favourites you cant look past 2017 storm, 2007 storm. 2010 dragons and 2014 souths for top performances on the day IMO with honourable mentions to 98/00 Broncos and 02 roosters.

I was hoping for a bite on the refereeing stuff but alas the fishing hasn't been great so far

One list I omitted, top 5 losing performances. I will go with

2013 manly
2003 roosters
2019 raiders
2016 storm
99 dragons

Sounds odd to not have 15 Broncos but their tactics were woeful and the reason they didn't win comfortably.

Yep, fishing away... thought that might be the case. 2019 - even though the raiders looked on top in the 2nd half you just knew that they needed to score otherwise the roosters would nab one. And they did. Even though they were favourites they really gutsed it out, tremendous effort. But many don’t remember that, rather Cummins...

I can tell you that with the 2010 GF, at half time me and about 60 thousand dragons fans weren’t exactly brimming with confidence, behind against the roosters but midway through the second half you could just feel the belief we were gonna win. People yelling, cheering, hugging, crying... it was spine tingling.

 

[King hit]

Canberra win last year if they manage to score when they have an extra man on the field or if BJ isn’t brain dead and passes

 

[TheDalek079]

The '89 GF is being remembered for all the wrong reasons. It should be remembered as the derp GF.

Derp Pierce knock-on, derp coach replacing Sirro and Roach-clip.derp Elias' field goal bouncing off the woodwork. And the derp tackling that allowed a bench player to walk 20 yards to score a GF win. Even most die hard Tigers fans that I know STILL can't bring themselves to watch the replay.

So yea, anyone with common sense would concur to your point here.

And derp bill harrigan f**king up with that running not in the spirit of the game penalty. WTF?

 

[blue bags]

1971
1975
1977 x 2, replay
1978 x 2, replay
1979
1981
1985
1992
1993
1996
1997 x 2 ARL & superleague
1999
2010

 

[horrie hastings]

I don't think anyone posting ever saw a Saturday gf either. Trivia. ..the last one was 1980.

I did, and i remember that horrible Grand Final

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

I did, and i remember that horrible Grand Final

Black Saturday

 

[horrie hastings]

1977 Saints and Parramatta 9-9 draw.
1981 Parramatta vs Newtown
1989 Canberra vs Balmain
1991 Penrith vs Canberra
1997 Newcastle vs Manly
2013-Roosters vs Manly

 

[TheFrog]

they GRAND FINALS were an option before the 1940s i think

They were optional up to and including 1953. Prior to that a GF was only played if the Minor Premier lost in the semi final or final.

 

[TheFrog]

1991 Penrith vs Canberra

1990 between the same sides was a gripping match too. Canberra had the famous backline, but the Panthers were a tough unit and Greg Alexander was at his absolute peak and seriously dangerous in the dying minutes. Canberra always looked likely, but in the end they were saved by the clock (which stopped with 5 minutes left so Penrith didn't know how much time was left after scoring late). I've always thought we should have declined the kick for goal being 4 behind and needing to score again. In the end it was decided on goalkicking.

It was many years before I could watch this game. The following year helped.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

1977 Saints and Parramatta 9-9 draw.
1981 Parramatta vs Newtown
1989 Canberra vs Balmain
1991 Penrith vs Canberra
1997 Newcastle vs Manly
2013-Roosters vs Manly

Was that the game Lord Ted knocked himself out scoring a try or was it in the replay match?

 

[horrie hastings]

Was that the game Lord Ted knocked himself out scoring a try or was it in the replay match?

Yep that was the one, the replay was a fizzer compared to the drawn game, Rod Reddy really belted Ray Price in the replay.

 

[horrie hastings]

1990 between the same sides was a gripping match too. Canberra had the famous backline, but the Panthers were a tough unit and Greg Alexander was at his absolute peak and seriously dangerous in the dying minutes. Canberra always looked likely, but in the end they were saved by the clock (which stopped with 5 minutes left so Penrith didn't know how much time was left after scoring late). I've always thought we should have declined the kick for goal being 4 behind and needing to score again. In the end it was decided on goalkicking.

It was many years before I could watch this game. The following year helped.

Yes that was a great game too, I remember when I watched it I said Penrith will win it next year, you could see they were building to a very good side.

 

[horrie hastings]

I can tell you that with the 2010 GF, at half time me and about 60 thousand dragons fans weren’t exactly brimming with confidence, behind against the roosters but midway through the second half you could just feel the belief we were gonna win. People yelling, cheering, hugging, crying... it was spine tingling.

Morris was out , Lol, yes the first half was close and the ariel shot showed that BJ may have been denied a fair try which would have given East a 12-6 lead at half time but even with Easts just leading 8-6 they were only just hanging in and i thought Saints were going to over run them in the second half, then when the rain started Saints just blew the Roosters off the field, Saints never gave the Roosters a sniff from there. Saints were so far ahead as the best side that day but I was just stoked the Roosters had made the GF after a horrendous 2009.