Manly vs Melbourne: A history of hate

Two grand final meetings, several other finals clashes and a game that saw an all-out brawl so infamous it is now simply referred to as the Battle of Brookie.

Yes, it’s been quite the rivalry.

As Manly and Melbourne get ready to etch another chapter in their tense rivalry this weekend – with both teams looking to cement their position in the top four – there is a very real chance tensions may go from heated to hatred in the blink of an eye.

At a glance, the earliest spark in this interstate conflict is remembered by most as the 2007 grand final, when the Storm were clinical in their 34-8 demolition of the Sea Eagles. An off night with the boot for Cameron Smith – who kicked just three from eight goals – flattered Manly.

However, the first move that created a sense of animosity between the sides came from Brookvale, and it was a blow landed off the field.

In 2005, having spent the previous few seasons in the doldrums following the collapse of the ill-advised Northern Eagles joint venture, Manly were beginning to make some progress in their battle for premiership legitimacy as they finished in the top eight for the first time since becoming a standalone club again in 2003.

However, with a roster of mostly up-and-coming junior players as well as experienced veterans such as Steve Menzies and Ben Kennedy, it was clear the Sea Eagles needed a few star recruits if they were to make a true dent in September. And so they looked south.

The Eagles signed two key members of Melbourne’s back line, as halfback Matt Orford and centre Steve Bell both signed deals to join Manly in 2006.

This did not sit well with the Melbourne Storm, to say the least.

(AAP Image/Paul Miller)

Master coach Craig Bellamy replaced the departed players on the team sheet with the names Cooper Cronk and Greg Inglis. Although they were two unknowns at the time, both would go on to be pretty handy players over the course of their careers.

The key facet of the rivalry was their mirrored success, as both rose from premiership pretenders to contenders during the same period of time.

In 2006, Melbourne took out the minor premiership, while Manly finished fifth – a far cry from their 13th-placed finish just two seasons earlier. In a satisfying strike, it was the Storm who kept the Sea Eagles out of the top four with a 30-20 defeat in the final round.

It would prove a decisive blow for the Northern Beaches club, who without a home advantage to capitalise on, would falter to the Knights in the first week of the finals before capitulating to the Dragons the following weekend, resulting in their elimination.

The Storm, meanwhile, charged through to the grand final, where their premiership dream was crushed at the hands of the Brisbane Broncos.

The following year saw both teams aiming to go even better, and for the Storm, the only way to do that would be to hold the trophy aloft. As has been an enduring theme throughout their rivalry, the Storm kept a slight distance ahead of Manly as both clubs emerged as the competition’s heavyweights in 2007.

However, the Eagles emerged victorious in their only regular season meeting, with Matt Orford kicking a 77th minute field goal to clinch a 13-12 victory for his side.

While an important win for the Sea Eagles both in terms of morale and their standing on the ladder, it meant very little on the night of Sunday, September 30. On that night, Manly were mere passengers on board Melbourne’s chariot ride to premiership glory.

Both clubs then consolidated their success of the previous season throughout the first 26 rounds of 2008, as they finished in the same positions, first and second respectively. In a reversal of fortunes from 2007, however, it was Melbourne who proved superior in their regular season clashes, taking out the grand final rematch 26-4 in Round 5, before returning to Brookvale later in the reason for a harder fought 16-10 victory.

And, much like the previous year, these regular season triumphs provided false hope when both teams again met in the decider. It seems almost a shame that despite the intensity of their rivalry and the history of close regular season clashes, their collisions on the bigger stages – notably their two grand final clashes – have resulted in blowouts.

Whatever the reason for this strange dichotomy of results, Manly drank from the sweet goblet of revenge as they prevailed 40-0 to win their first premiership since 1996. The almighty Storm, defending champions and minor premiers of the previous two seasons, were held scoreless in the grand final.

While the 2007 and 2008 campaigns marked the sole occasions when both teams reigned supreme as the two top teams in the competition, the following seasons saw enough controversies and tension to ensure the Manly-Melbourne feud remained alive and well.

(Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)

After defeating Manly 40-12 en route to their second NRL title in three seasons, the Melbourne Storm would next to do battle with their Northern Beaches foes in Round 6, 2010. While an inconsequential match on paper, it was in fact an important timeline not so much in the Manly-Melbourne rivalry, but the Storm club itself, as it was the last game they played before being found guilty of serious and systematic breaches of the salary cap for the last five years.

Not only did this result in Melbourne not being eligible to play for competition points throughout the remainder of the 2010 season, but they were also stripped of the titles they had won in 2007 and 2009 when they had committed the breaches.

This did not sit well with Manly.

While more than a year passed between the announcement of the Storm breaches and the Round 25 clash between Manly and Melbourne, a wild brawl erupted, with sin-binned pair Adam Blair and Glenn Stewart sent off, plus ten players pleading guilty at the judiciary and a $50,000 fine to both clubs. Oh, and an 18-4 win by Manly.

Lost amongst the pandemonium in the aftermath was an incredible display of virtue by Billy Slater, who protected an injured David Williams following a tackle by cradling his neck until medical aid arrived. Slater’s actions displayed a sense of respect and sportsmanship that exists among the animosity and controversy so often engulfed in relations between Melbourne and Manly.

Fast forward eight years, and the more things change the more they stay the same. Manly and Melbourne, a top four clash at Brookvale and a chance to add another memorable chapter to one of the great rugby league rivalries.