Greatest Finals Matches

[Big Pete]

Not sure about you guys but one of my favourite aspects of the finals is reliving some of the great finals game on the telly. Whenever a classic game is on, I tend to leave it on even if I'm busy as I just like to soak it all in and appreciate the atmosphere.

I'll kick us off...

2000 Prelim Final
Newcastle Knights vs Sydney Roosters

If you asked anybody heading into the 2000 GF, most would have told you that the Knights were going to face off against the Broncos and it should be an absolute beauty.

And they would have been right had it not been for an amazing second half performance from the Roosters.

I don't know if it was desperation or the occasion but something just clicked for Eastern Suburbs that night and they scored a sensational try down the right before Freddy in one of his best moments of his career accepted a gift intercept from Andrew 'Immortal' Johns to give the Roosters the ascendency.

The Knights refused to yield and did close the gap with moments remaining but when the game was on the line, they just lacked the composure and the rest as they say is history.

It's been awhile since I've had a chance to watch it, but it's one of those games I remember Freddy for.

What about you guys?

 

[Alec]

Knights vs Manly in 2006.

 

[Ari Gold]

Broncos v Dragons 2011.

/Thread

 

[Alec]

Beale's "flying dragon" knee ruins it for me a bit.

 

[Kaz]

Canterbury vs Broncos 2006.


We are trailing 20 - 6 after 44 mins & went on to win 37 - 20.

At half time when the players were walking up the tunnel to the dressing rooms, Willie Mason was heard by a few Broncos players saying to his team mates, we are heading to the Grand Final. :laugh:

 

[Super Freak]

The 2010 Preliminary Final between Dragons and Tigers is on my list.

What I can remember from this game, it was a real grinding contest mostly played in the middle. Both teams didn't have many chances in the opposition 20 in that second half, and it just came down to who wanted it more.

The Tigers really limited the impact of Soward by rushing him whenever he got the ball. It hurt the Dragons and they were unable to get on top. But after a while they dropped off and Soward was able to get a right side attack going which put the Tigers on the back foot and in the next tackle, Dragons scored. Not long after that Dragons got some good field position and Soward nailed a field goal.

The defense by the Dragons in that second half was brilliant. It was what won them the game. No matter what Tigers did, they just couldn't break it.

 

[Broncoman]

The 1994 major semi-final between the Dogs and Canberra would have to be one of the greatest games over the last 20 years. Canberra scored to level the game with 40 seconds to go taking it to extra time with end to end footy being played, Daley and Stuart hit the posts with field goal attempts before Halligan won the game with a snap inside the last 2 minutes. The other game that weekend between us and the Bears was a thriller with a field goal by Jason Taylor in the dying minutes knocking us out of the comp. Awesome weekend of finals footy.

 

[Financeguy]

Bulldogs vs Eels qualifying final 1998. Still the best atmosphere I have encountered at a live game. The comeback from Canterbury and the panic from the Eels was equally epic. Big rivalry from the 80's also emphasised by parra getting 4 of the best dogs players from the super league fallout.

Paul carrige kicking the ball from his own try line at the full time siren with the scores locked, polla-mounter taking the shot at field goal and it shaving under the cross bar, bulldog fans celebrating, parra fans in tears then the opposite when they realised it wasn't a goal.

i was so caught up in the moment I was hugging dogs supporters like I was one of thei own. Just an epic game of footy and my most memorable live game.

 

[Broncoman]

LOL Plathy was such a stirrer he was so good at it he makes Ennis look like mother Teresa.

 

[Big Pete]

Which finals games have you been to and any experiences?

For me...

Brisbane Broncos vs Parramatta Eels @ QEII Stadium 2002
May also double as my first live game period.

Started off poorly as Parra started fast out of the gates but in true Broncos fashion we out-lasted them and Alfie scored his 100th try in his last home game.

Was so stoked that evening with the win and with news that the Knights had lost to the Dragons and had lost Joey for the rest of the season, I thought the premiership was a reality by that point.

Brisbane Broncos vs. Melbourne Storm @ Suncorp Stadium 2005

The one prevailing memory I have of this game was how alien the atmosphere felt. Since it was a finals game and not a home game, they got rid of a lot of Broncos traditions and it sort of took me out of it.

Was a good game from memory. A touch of deja vu since these two teams met in the exact same situation a year prior and it seemed like they were in the box seat. I thought that was true for most of the game except for one brief period where we starting to get on top of them and jotted down in the corner. Looked like a fair try but Orford milked the ever loving christ out of a decoy run from Smith and we never recovered.

That was the moment where I stopped liking Orford and it seemed like he'd always dive at a crucial moment to get a call his way. Happened against Souths and St. George from memory.

Brisbane Broncos vs St George Illawarra Dragons @ Suncorp Stadium 2006

On the previous Sunday, we had a chance to say goodbye to Shane Webcke and celebrate in style with a commanding 24 point win against the Warriors. There was plenty to cheer about that afternoon and we seemed to be in good spirits heading into the finals. It seemed like the only thing that could let us down was our inability to perform in the finals.

What would you know...

Brisbane rocked up flat, never got out of second and Hodgo had a shocker at the back. I felt pretty low after this game and began to doubt my instincts because I was beginning to feel that we had the characteristics of a premiership team.

Melbourne Storm vs St George Illawarra Dragons @ ANZ Stadium 2006

Yeah, I don't know what it was about those Dragons but I somehow ended up catching more of their finals matches than the Broncos. Guess I was a subconcious bandwagon supporter.

Nah, was down in Sydney on a family holiday, we went to watch a game of footy and sat near the Dragons Army.

I don't have a lot of memories about the game other than Antonio Kaufusi being in great touch but the crowd was awesome that evening. Never gave up singing their songs and they were having fun little games with each other. This family infront of us had a bag of twisties and this guy was challenging others all around the place to catch them in their mouth. He was hitting people 10 seats away - it was the most impressive bit of skill all evening.

Train ride home was pretty intense. I received a slap across the head from my ma for helping one of the rowdy Dragons supporters on the name of one of the coaches he was tripping over for a good 10 seconds.

Even back then, I was a wannabe Brainy Smurf. :laugh:

Manly Sea Eagles vs North Queensland Cowboys @ SFS 2007

Same deal, family holiday in Sydney.

We basically went in as Cowboys supporters knowing full and well that they'd be long odds of beating Manly and that's basically how it played out. They were far too strong for the Cowboys that evening and I don't think I saw one Cowboys fan all evening. However, I did end up seeing a bunch of Cowboys players standing casually outside the stadium and the only reason I knew it was them was because Scott Minto was standing there. Can never forget a bloke like Scotty.

The game sucked, the crowd was worse. We were sitting behind some trendy 18 year old dickhead who'd go mental whenever Manly were doing well and cracked the sads when my Ma dared to cheer a Cowboys try and told her to pipe down because he had a headache.

Yep, out of all the games I've been to, Manly fans are still the worst.

Brisbane Broncos vs Melbourne Storm @ Suncorp Stadium 2008

All I'll say is that this was the last ever finals game I went to.

Had to go to a 18th at Moorooka afterwards, let's just say I basically kept to myself for the rest of the evening.

 

[Super Freak]

Of all the finals games I've been to and seen, and there have been to some great ones, nothing beats the 2009 Semi Final against Dragons.

The atmosphere and build up to the game was awesome. The master vs the apprentice. Broncos first finals game against former coach Wayne Bennett, going up against the minor premiers.

I was very nervous. We had never won a finals game at Suncorp and after several heartbreaking losses, including the heartbreaking loss the year before, I wasn't very confident.

But my mind was at ease at half time after Broncos dominated the first 40, it was a very physical performance and you could tell Broncos were as determined as ever to win. Broncos came out at the break and it was just like the first 40 all over again, Broncos completely dominated the game and I remember my older brother cheering and telling me, "we've finally won bro!"

During the second half, the Broncos crowd on the opposite side of the tunnel where the away supporter bay is were chanting "St George can't play" at the Dragons supporters and one supporter went down there and started rubbing it in, then a fight broke out.

The train ride home was awesome and I felt like we could actually knock off the Storm and win the GF.

It was a great night.

The other game that's up there was the 1998 preliminary final against the Roosters at ANZ.

It wasn't really the fact that Broncos dominated that game from start to finish and we saw some very great tries. It was the fact that my footy team got a bunch of free passes to the game. Despite sitting in the sun all day because it was a day game, and the heat, it was a great day. Sitting in the stands with all of my team mates watching the Broncos smash the Roosters. It was great.

I got a signed ball from Webcke that day, too.