Though the league itself has been running continuously for over 100 years, the NRL itself was technically only founded in 1998 after the Super League war of the 1990s. In those 23 years, however, there have already been a host of thrilling season-ending clashes, and we’re going to take a look at the three best NRL Grand Finals.
1. Melbourne Storm vs St. George Illawarra, 1999
In just the second season of the newly formed National Rugby League, the Storm defeated St. George Illawarra in what remains one of the league’s most notable Grand Finals. For starters, it was the first to be played at Stadium Australia and saw a record-breaking 107,999 spectators come through the gates — this number is nearly 14,000 more than any since, and no more than 83,000 have attended in the past 19 years.
The game itself was pretty good, too. Played between the league’s newest clubs, it was one-sided in the first half, with St. George jumping out to what appeared to be an almost unassailable 14-0 lead. With three minutes to go in the match that lead had been reduced to four points, but a penalty try was awarded to the Storm after Craig Smith was knocked unconscious as he attempted to make a catch over the try-line, they took the lead for the first time in the match with just minutes remaining, and went on to win 20-18.
2. North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos, 2015
In a confronting moment for everyone south of the border, the 2015 NRL Grand Final saw two Queensland-based clubs battle it out on the big stage for the first time in history when the perennially successful Broncos took on the perennially unsuccessful Cowboys. History was on Brisbane’s side, and when North Queensland superstar Johnathan Thurston’s conversion attempt to win the game in the dying stages cannoned into the post, it seemed as though history was destined to repeat.
Alas, Brisbane’s Ben Hunt dropped the kick-off to begin the NRLs first ever Grand Final golden point, giving the Cowboys a golden opportunity to score, and they didn’t waste it. Thurston, who would subsequently receive the Clive Churchill medal as the best player on the ground, made amends for his missed conversion minutes earlier by slotting a field goal to give his Cowboys side its first ever Premiership.
3. Sydney Roosters vs Canberra Raiders, 2019
For lovers of controversy, this game had it all. Contested between the reigning Premiers in the Roosters and a plucky Raiders team on the hunt for an inaugural NRL Premiership, the game was destined to be a memorable one when the ball, while in-play, cannoned off the head of the Roosters’ trainer in just the third minute of the game. The Roosters went on to score a try shortly afterwards.
The Raiders began to dominate the game thereafter, though they scored just one try for their efforts. After 50 minutes of game time, a Jarrod Croker penalty locked the scores at 8-8, where they would remain for the next 23 minutes. A controversial referee decision with eight minutes to go prevented the Raiders from a potentially game-winning forward thrust, and one minute later, the Roosters ran the length of the field, culminating in a James Tedesco try which secured the team’s second consecutive Premiership and made them the team who has won the most NRL Grand Finals, alongside the Melbourne Storm.
While these are three of the most memorable Grand Finals in NRL history, however, there are plenty more which deserve a mention. Who could forget the Sharks’ stirring 2016 win, the Sea Eagles incredible 40-0 win over 2021 NRL Premiership contenders the Storm in 2008, or the first night Grand Final in 2001? In reality it’s rare that an NRL Grand Final doesn’t etch itself permanently into our collective memory banks, and it’s for this reason that every year, it’s one of the most anticipated days of sport in the country.