The year was 1997 and as a seven-year-old kid I was starting to understand rugby league. I was unaware of things like the Super League war and Kerry Packer buying up big, but I watched and enjoyed the games.
I had started supporting the Roosters the year before, much to the dismay of my Dad – a long suffering Rabbitohs fan.
Then the ARL grand final rolled around, matching up the Newcastle Knights versus Manly Sea Eagles. I was supporting the Knights because Manly knocked out my Roosters the week before with a late field goal.
To this day I believe that grand final to be one of the greatest games I have ever seen.
The highlight for me wasn’t the late try Darren Albert scored by running down the blind side in one of the ballsiest plays of all time from Andrew Johns. It was two front rowers going at each other.
They caught my young eye and I asked my dad who they were. He told me it was ‘Chief’ and ‘Spud’. These two giants wanted to kill each other every time the other had the ball. They would fly out of the line just to stop him and I was enthralled. I had seen nothing like it before.
After that I wanted to watch every game between Manly and Newcastle. Paul Harragon and Mark Carroll, besides having two of the best nicknames, were rivals that disliked each other and wanted to best each other each time they played.
Another rivalry like this was Adam MacDougall versus Wendall Sailor, Mark Geyer and anyone. In today’s game there aren’t any real player rivalries. There may be the occasional flare up between Paul Gallen and Josh Papalii, Paul Gallen and Dylan Napa, Steve Matai and Sam Burgess and Aaron Woods and Sam Burgess, but none of these flare ups have gone on to become great rivalries.
Earlier this year the Dogs faced the Roosters and David Klemmer faced up to Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, one of the fiercest players in the NRL. I would love this to become an ongoing rivalry but I doubt it will. So I must ask the question, why is this the case?
Is it because players cannot risk suspension with the game being watered down? Is it because players move among clubs at a much higher rate than they used to, therefore becoming friends with a one time foe? Is it because players from rival teams spend more time together through media commitments or representative footy?
Sonny Bill Williams and Sam Burgess are meant to have this huge rivalry, but for me this was created solely by the media. I have seen no evidence that these two players dislike each other.
State of Origin is the only place for rivalry in today’s game, but that is a team-based rivalry built over 30 years. It doesn’t matter who plays, there will be fire works.
I miss the Spud versus Chief rivalry, and I hope for a day where two young front rowers replicate it. I want to see a normal hit up become exciting, where you never know who’s going to get who or what they will do to each other. As a young kid Harragon and Carroll made me love the game and made me almost like Manly.
I would like to nominate two young front rowers who are outstanding prospects, who run without fear and hit very hard, as future rivals. David Klemmer and Dylan Napa step up. These two come from different states so can continue their rivalry at Origin level. They could also battle each other in Test jumpers.
If this rivalry was to eventuate it would be very exciting. Crowds would come to watch the Roosters versus Bulldog games just to see who could win that battle. But alas, one can only dream.
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