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2014 NRL Grand Final: Sam Burgess wins the Clive Churchill Medal

Would the Burgess brothers still be around in 2021? (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Robb Cox)
5th October, 2014
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The 2014 Clive Churchill Medal was awarded to Sam Burgess as the South Sydney Rabbitohs secured their first NRL Premiership in 43 years.

The 2014 NRL Grand Final saw the South Sydney Rabbitohs defeat Canterbury Bulldogs with a score of 30 to 6.

Sam Burgess suffered a suspected fractured cheek in the first tackle of the match when he clashed with James Graham, but the injury only appeared to spur him on.

Burgess went on to make 36 tackles and gain 225 metres.

With the game secured, Burgess was given the final kick in his final game for the Rabbitohs – a conversion attempt after Greg Inglis scored the final try of the match.

Burgess was unable to cap off a miraculous performance with the conversion, but his heroics throughout the game will go down in NRL history as one of the great Grand Final performances.

Sam Burgess is the first non-Australian to win the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match in a grand final.

The first try of the night was scored by Alex Johnston in the 20th minute of the match.

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The Bulldogs drew the scores level at 6-6 in the 49th minute after Tony Williams stormed over.

Just minutes later, George Burgess barged past the Bulldogs’ try scorer to reinstate the Rabbitohs’ 6-point lead.

The final 10 minutes of the match saw the Rabbitohs run over three tries and secure an emotional, drought breaking premiership.

The Clive Churchill Medal is awarded to the player judged to be man-of-the-match in the NRL Grand Final.

Sam Burgess becomes the first Clive Churchill Medal winner for the Rabbitohs since Ron Coote in 1971, after running out an impressive performance to secure the 2014 NRL Premiership before a crowd of 83,833.

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