TOP FIVE AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE GRAND FINALS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS:
* 1989: Canberra 19 bt Balmain 14
The omens weren’t good for Balmain to break their title duck but few would have predicted how Canberra ultimately broke their hearts. Time and again the Tigers had their chances to ice the result. A try-bound Mick Neill was ankle tapped by Mal Meninga. Captain Wayne Pearce dropped the ball with the line wide open. And Ben Elias’ field goal attempt hit the crossbar. Then the Raiders made them pay. John “Chicka” Ferguson somehow jinked his way over for a try in the second last minute before Meninga converted to send it into extra-time. Reserve prop Steve Jackson then emerged as the unlikely hero, leaving Balmain defenders in his wake to score the match winner, seal the Raiders’ maiden title and enter the grand final into folklore as rugby league’s greatest.
* 2015 North Queensland 17 bt Brisbane 16
Brisbane had one hand on a seventh title leading 16-12 in the dying moments before Cowboys playmaker Michael Morgan produced an audacious flick pass to set up winger Kyle Feldt for a try that locked up the scores. As the crowd held its breath, Johnathan Thurston had a chance to clinch victory with a sideline conversion and it looked good, only for it to ricochet off the post. Lip readers at home no doubt fell off their chairs when cameras showed a gutted Thurston’s reaction. Yet there were still some twists left in the first grand final sent into golden point. Certainly Brisbane halfback Ben Hunt won’t have to be reminded of what happened next. In a gaffe that still haunts him, the Broncos No.7 dropped the kick re-start to hand valuable field possession to the Cowboys. Thurston did the rest, famously kicking the match winning field goal to seal the Cowboys’ maiden title and send XXXX sales through the roof up north for weeks.
* 1997 Newcastle 22 bt Manly 16
Speaking of partying, some Knights fans would be forgiven for still having a hangover after this cracker. But at first it seemed Manly would be popping open the champagne. As Cliff Lyons weaved his magic, the Sea Eagles led 16-8 at halftime. But the Knights snatched back momentum when Andrew and Matthew Johns combined to send fullback Robbie O’Davis over for a try, setting up an unforgettable finish. With just seven seconds left in the match, Andrew Johns made the bold decision to make a blindside play and flyer Darren Albert did the rest, crashing over for the match-winner as a shellshocked Sea Eagles looked on. Celebratory scenes in the Hunter that followed almost made rugby league fans forget about the ugly Super League war that had erupted that year and split the game in two – well, almost.
* 1999 Melbourne 20 bt St George Illawarra 18
These days it’s hard to imagine the Storm as underdogs in a grand final. But few would have backed Melbourne when they ran out for the season decider 20 years ago in just their second year of existence. The Storm appeared to be outclassed by star-studded new joint venture the Dragons who led 14-0 at halftime at the first grand final held at the Sydney Olympic stadium. And Dragons playmaker Anthony Mundine appeared to deliver the knock out blow in the second half but somehow knocked on over the try line. Led by retiring skipper Glenn Lazarus, the Storm kept chipping away and when Craig Smith kicked a second half penalty the Dragons’ deficit was reduced to 18-14. Smith would again feature in the game’s controversial finale – although he may not recollect it. In a bold call, officials awarded Melbourne a penalty try in the 77th minute after Smith was knocked out by Dragons centre Jamie Ainscough in-goal trying to collect a Brett Kimmorley kick. The subsequent penalty try conversion right in front of the posts gifted Melbourne the lead for the first time in the match and they held on to send Lazarus out a winner. It was his fifth title after two each with Canberra and Brisbane. The shattered Dragons had to wait until 2010 to finally claim premiership success.
* 1991 Penrith 19 bt Canberra 12
Panthers fans fondly remember their 2003 grand final success over Sydney Roosters and THAT tackle by Scott Sattler. But it’s hard to beat their maiden premiership 12 years earlier as a top five grand final highlight. The Panthers may have finished as 1991 minor premiers but Canberra were still the team to beat in the season decider as Meninga’s well oiled Green Machine eyed off a third straight title. The Raiders led 12-6 at halftime, a deficit that could have been 18-6 if Penrith winger Graham Mackay had not stopped try bound opposite number Paul Martin before the break. The bounce of the ball seemed to go against Penrith with Paul Smith denied a try after Canberra’s Mark Bell was taken out with a swinging arm in the lead-up. Then the fiery Mark Geyer was sin-binned. However, the Panthers hung in and by the time Geyer returned to the field, he gathered Canberra’s attempted short line drop out to send retiring hooker Royce Simmons over for his second try, sealing the Panthers’ first title. Simmons vowed to have a beer with everyone in Penrith during post-match celebrations.
