It was the best of the times, it was the Thurst of times... the Grand Final was a phenomenal game. It was close, fast, both teams prepared to attack, both teams defending brilliantly, with an ending you couldn't script. The NRL even managed to deliver decent pre-game entertainment!
The match itself has been recapped and reviewed at great length, so I won't be doing that. My favourite summary is this one. Instead, here are four things you may not have read elsewhere:
1. Was Thurston Man of the Match?
Well yes, of course, they gave him both the Channel 9 award and the Clive Churchill Medal.
But was he really man of the match?
He was definitely the story of the match, the games best player whose only premiership had been off the bench as a rookie for a different club, a nice guy who'd never finished first in club footy, the architect of the second half attacking threat constantly repelled, the winning conversion hitting the post, then the field goal, and finally the photo with his daughter than has been liked and shared about one gajillion times.
But I think the best player was the Broncos Anthony Milford, who was a constant threat in attack and made some strong contributions in defence including two strips.
Then I think the best for the Cowboys was Granville. I'll go as far to say that if he'd been on the field in the middle of the second half the finish wouldn't have been as nail-biting. As soon as he came back on, the Cowboys played so much more straight and direct from dummy half.
Then Thurston.
There were others that were outstanding too. For the Cowboys Tamou and Tamalolo were very strong in attack, Ethan Lowe tackled everything, Morgan had that pass on the buzzer, and Coote was great from the back. For the Broncos, Reed was tough, Blair was strong, Parker is always strong, and Gillett may have been the best forward on the field.
Even the players that made the glaring areas weren't that bad. Kane Linnett dropped some balls but made a lot of metres, while before his extra time drop Ben Hunt was expertly marshalling the Broncos to full-time, running down the clock with clever kicks for touch.
Give them all an award.
2. The Five Best Grand Finals I've Seen
2015 - I was initially reluctant to call it the best, but yeah, I'm calling it
1989 - The first GF I vividly recall and until now the best I've seen. Canberra came from behind to force extra time, before going on to win 19-14. In a star studded team it was unheralded prop Steve Jackson who was the hero with a frankly ridiculous try. There are other iconic moments like the Benny Elias field goal hitting the cross bar, and Roach and Sironen subbed off and helpless as what turned out to be their last premiership chance faded away at the hands of the relentless Green Machine. Also Bob Hawke celebrating a bit too hard with the Canberra players. Yet it still wasn't better than this year.
2003 - That Scott Sattler tackle.
1991 - The other Panthers premiership. I think the most iconic grand final story for me until 2015 is in this match. Royce Simmons, captain and dinosaur hooker, perhaps the last one from an age when the hookers primary skill was to hook the ball in scrums rather than distribute from dummy half, scored two tries in his last match, having not scored all season. The previous year the Panthers had lost the GF because of poor goal kicking, this time Alexander would nail a brilliant and decisive conversion from the sideline.
1997 - The best finish until 2015. Andrew Johns to Darren Albert - an immortal is born. I'm sure he ended up sleeping on every pub floor and propositioning every married woman in Newcastle. It was a simpler time. Can't rate it higher because it was a split competition that season and I think the best team was the Super League champions.
3. Bennett Is Right About Golden Point
In the days after his teams defeat, Bennett has let off some steam by mentioning that golden point isn't very good. He's been accused of being ungracious and bitter because his team lost, but his position has been expressed by Bennett consistently since the rule was implemented in both victory and defeat.
And he's right.
The problem with golden point is it's shit footy.
Ben Hunt dropping the kickoff was a merciful act. What followed was three attempts in five tackles by the Cowboys to kick a field goal, with three attempts in five tackles by the Broncos to charge it down from an offside position, and two occasions where the refs were too scared to call a penalty to end it before the third attempt went over.
For three attempts in five tackles, or about thirty seconds, it was compelling. If it had continued for three minutes, or ten minutes and beyond, it would've detracted from the amazing spectacle of the previous 80 minutes.
They should just bring back draws in the regular season and ten minutes each way for finals and State of Origin.
What is crazy is that rugby league officials tinker with perfectly serviceable rules all the time and yet golden point has remained in place for over a decade.
4. There Will Never Be A Brisbane Grand Final
Sorry Queensland, but when 30,000 of you travelled down to Sydney, and combined with a bunch of spirited neutrals, filled the ground and created that atmosphere, you ensured the Grand Final will be in Sydney forever.
It doesn't make sense to play the game in a stadium with 30,000 less seats after Sunday. Ever.
The match itself has been recapped and reviewed at great length, so I won't be doing that. My favourite summary is this one. Instead, here are four things you may not have read elsewhere:
1. Was Thurston Man of the Match?
Well yes, of course, they gave him both the Channel 9 award and the Clive Churchill Medal.
But was he really man of the match?
He was definitely the story of the match, the games best player whose only premiership had been off the bench as a rookie for a different club, a nice guy who'd never finished first in club footy, the architect of the second half attacking threat constantly repelled, the winning conversion hitting the post, then the field goal, and finally the photo with his daughter than has been liked and shared about one gajillion times.
 |
| One gajillion and one times |
But I think the best player was the Broncos Anthony Milford, who was a constant threat in attack and made some strong contributions in defence including two strips.
Then I think the best for the Cowboys was Granville. I'll go as far to say that if he'd been on the field in the middle of the second half the finish wouldn't have been as nail-biting. As soon as he came back on, the Cowboys played so much more straight and direct from dummy half.
Then Thurston.
There were others that were outstanding too. For the Cowboys Tamou and Tamalolo were very strong in attack, Ethan Lowe tackled everything, Morgan had that pass on the buzzer, and Coote was great from the back. For the Broncos, Reed was tough, Blair was strong, Parker is always strong, and Gillett may have been the best forward on the field.
Even the players that made the glaring areas weren't that bad. Kane Linnett dropped some balls but made a lot of metres, while before his extra time drop Ben Hunt was expertly marshalling the Broncos to full-time, running down the clock with clever kicks for touch.
Give them all an award.
2. The Five Best Grand Finals I've Seen
2015 - I was initially reluctant to call it the best, but yeah, I'm calling it
1989 - The first GF I vividly recall and until now the best I've seen. Canberra came from behind to force extra time, before going on to win 19-14. In a star studded team it was unheralded prop Steve Jackson who was the hero with a frankly ridiculous try. There are other iconic moments like the Benny Elias field goal hitting the cross bar, and Roach and Sironen subbed off and helpless as what turned out to be their last premiership chance faded away at the hands of the relentless Green Machine. Also Bob Hawke celebrating a bit too hard with the Canberra players. Yet it still wasn't better than this year.
2003 - That Scott Sattler tackle.
1991 - The other Panthers premiership. I think the most iconic grand final story for me until 2015 is in this match. Royce Simmons, captain and dinosaur hooker, perhaps the last one from an age when the hookers primary skill was to hook the ball in scrums rather than distribute from dummy half, scored two tries in his last match, having not scored all season. The previous year the Panthers had lost the GF because of poor goal kicking, this time Alexander would nail a brilliant and decisive conversion from the sideline.
1997 - The best finish until 2015. Andrew Johns to Darren Albert - an immortal is born. I'm sure he ended up sleeping on every pub floor and propositioning every married woman in Newcastle. It was a simpler time. Can't rate it higher because it was a split competition that season and I think the best team was the Super League champions.
3. Bennett Is Right About Golden Point
In the days after his teams defeat, Bennett has let off some steam by mentioning that golden point isn't very good. He's been accused of being ungracious and bitter because his team lost, but his position has been expressed by Bennett consistently since the rule was implemented in both victory and defeat.
And he's right.
The problem with golden point is it's shit footy.
Ben Hunt dropping the kickoff was a merciful act. What followed was three attempts in five tackles by the Cowboys to kick a field goal, with three attempts in five tackles by the Broncos to charge it down from an offside position, and two occasions where the refs were too scared to call a penalty to end it before the third attempt went over.
For three attempts in five tackles, or about thirty seconds, it was compelling. If it had continued for three minutes, or ten minutes and beyond, it would've detracted from the amazing spectacle of the previous 80 minutes.
They should just bring back draws in the regular season and ten minutes each way for finals and State of Origin.
What is crazy is that rugby league officials tinker with perfectly serviceable rules all the time and yet golden point has remained in place for over a decade.
4. There Will Never Be A Brisbane Grand Final
Sorry Queensland, but when 30,000 of you travelled down to Sydney, and combined with a bunch of spirited neutrals, filled the ground and created that atmosphere, you ensured the Grand Final will be in Sydney forever.
It doesn't make sense to play the game in a stadium with 30,000 less seats after Sunday. Ever.
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