It is hard to think that COVID-19 won’t affect our game forever.
We may not have a 2020 season at all unless we can get the show back on the road by 1 September.
The shape of our game in terms of the players, clubs and administration are all subject to the events yet to come. Some clubs may yet rue missed opportunities, and the worst case scenario may see some clubs bow out of the league without having won a title.
In sport, as in life, you have to take your opportunities when they are presented to you, as you never know when they will come around again. There are losses that keep you up at night as a fan, let alone as a player or coach. Let’s look at some of the sliding doors moment and missed opportunities of the past ten years or so.
2009: The Eels fall at last hurdle
Having not really followed rugby league until 2009, it was the run of the Parrmatta Eels that I found most absorbing and entertaining. To this day I haven’t seen such a dominant stretch of matches by a single player as Jarryd Hayne pulled off at the end of 2009. The Eels were dead and buried that season, but Hayne found a way to propel them into the finals, just scraping in at eighth spot.
After having lost to the Dragons in the last round of the regular season, the Eels would rally for week one of the finals, playing the Dragons again. Playing the minor premiers on their home patch under the old McIntyre finals system was a tough ask for Parramatta. But having defied odds already, they would ambush the Dragons and run away as winners, with Hayne scoring one of the best individual tries you will see to seal it. The Eels would go on to thrash the Titans in Week 2 of the finals before a match-up with the Bulldogs drew a near capacity crowd to ANZ for the preliminary final. A tight affair would see the Eels come out on top, the Storm waiting for them in the grand final.
The Eels couldn’t get things going for much of the contest against the Storm, and with time fading fast they found themselves down by 16. They would rally, two quick tries seeing them bridge the gap to just six with time still on the clock. A contentious penalty would march the Storm downfield and Greg Inglis would slot a field goal to take the game from reach.
The effort and ability to get that far after their season looked so gone was commendable. But having come so far, the Eels couldn’t help but wonder: what if? The most heartbreaking chapter of the tale for them was the revelation six months later that the Storm had been rorting the salary cap systematically for seasons, including 2009. They were stripped of the 2009 title among other achievements but the damage had already been done. The Storm’s legacy was tarnished and the Eels had been robbed of a fair opportunity for their first title since 1986.
2010-11: Tigers pipped at the post
The Tigers were one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the NRL in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Mainly down to Benji Marshall but well aided by the team around him, another premiership wasn’t out of reach for the joint venture.
The 2010 season saw the Tigers finish third in the competition and draw the Sydney Roosters for Week 1 of the finals series. In one of the more bizarre games and riveting finishes you will see, they played out a 100-minute golden point thriller. With the Tigers up by one and barely enough time for a set left on the clock, the Roosters would win a scrum against the feed. With the siren about to sound, the ball would find its way into the hand of Braith Anasta, who would slot a field goal from a long way out to send the match into extra time. With both sides out on their feet and missing opportunities to ice the game, Shaun Kenny-Dowell would snatch an intercept, run the length and score to win the game for the Roosters.
Despite the length of the match, the Tigers rallied the next week to overcome the Raiders in Canberra. Jarrod Croker would miss an attempt at goal for the Raiders that would have probably seen the match go into extra time again. The preliminary final for the Tigers would see them face the Dragons in front of a big crowd at ANZ Stadium. Like all the Tigers finals fixtures, the game went down to the very last set. Jamie Soward would slot a field goal to put the Dragons up by one, and with time very much a factor the Tigers pressed for the winning try. It wasn’t to be, with the Dragons holding on until the end. With the Dragons easily dispatching the Roosters the following week, it would have been interesting to see how the Tigers fared in the rematch instead, and with redemption on their mind.
The next regular season would be a similarly successful one for the Tigers, finishing in fourth. They would gain some redemption for 2010 by seeing off the Dragons in Week 1 of the finals. The following week they would host the Warriors, who were coming off a bad loss to the Broncos. After seeming comfortable for most of the match, the Tigers would squander the lead to the Warriors, who scored a remarkable try at the death to win by two. With the Warriors going on the make the grand final, it was the Tigers again who would rue an opportunity to contest a premiership.
Ten years on and the Tigers are as far away from a premiership as ever. With two consistent seasons, and Benji Marshall playing at his best the Tigers would look back on that period frustrated that they couldn’t get a close win or two to take them further and give them a shot in the big dance.
2011: Last gasp Broncos win costs them dearly
With Darren Lockyer hanging up the boots at the end of 2011, the stage was set for one last achievement for the champion half. Having easily progressed to the second week of the finals, the Broncos would take on the reigning premiers, the Dragons, for a preliminary finals spot. With the game being a grind for much of the 80 minutes, scores were locked as the full-time siren sounded. The Broncos would rally for Lockyer’s last game at Suncorp, with the man himself kicking the field goal to win the match.
It would come at a cost, though. During the game Lockyer would sustain an injury to his cheekbone as Gerard Beale flew high to take a bomb, catching Lockyer with his knee. While hopeful that he would be able to take his place the following week against the Sea Eagles, Lockyer had played his final game.
The Broncos would dig deep against the Sea Eagles, but it was the class and touch that was lacking. While it was a 12-point win to Manly in the end, it is hard not to think that Lockyer could have made up at least a portion of that difference had he have played. The Broncos have now gone since 2006 since a premiership, a long stint for a proud club rich in success. It is hard not to wonder if they could have got the win on that night with Lockyer, and beaten the Warriors for the premiership the following week.
2014: Panthers fairytale comes to naught
After a pretty sustained build-up the Panthers got 2014 right under Ivan Cleary. They would finish the regular season fourth and face the daunting task of the reigning premiers, the Sydney Roosters, in Week 1 of the finals. In an exciting finish to the contest and with the Panthers trailing by six they would score a last-gasp try and have Jamie Soward kick a sideline conversion to equalise. With just enough regulation time left, Soward would again step up, nailing a field goal to earn the Panthers a week off and a preliminary final.
Two weeks later and the Panthers would play the Bulldogs for a spot in the grand final against the Rabbitohs. Despite the week off, the Panthers would start slow, giving away a 12-point lead early. Twice they would bridge the gap to just six, but it wasn’t to be. On the last play, and with the ball in Soward’s hands, the Bulldogs would come up with it and book their shot in the grand final.
With history beckoning the Rabbitohs, it is hard to see anyone beating them in the 2014 decider. But with the long campaign of the Bulldogs they were meek opposition for them in the end. The Panthers, meanwhile, haven’t come as close since, and it is a head-scratcher as to why they sacked the coach that got them there only to bring him back years later. What is certain was the Panthers never went down without a fight that season, and it would have been interesting to see their fortunes in a grand final.
2015: Broncos get as close as you can
Rugby league is a game of inches. Millimetres. Seconds. It defies belief how close a result can be sometimes, the difference between winning or losing. Despite seemingly having things under control for most of the 2015 decider, the Broncos fell in the most heartbreaking of circumstances. With the siren about to sound Michael Morgan came across the field, drew three defenders and got the ball to Kyle Feldt, who scored in the corner to level the game for the Cowboys.
If the Broncos make one tackle, they win that premiership, but instead Johnathan Thurston is handed a kick to win it. He hits the post and the Broncos are gifted a reprieve. Just as quickly as they get it, they squander it, with Ben Hunt fumbling the kick-off and the Cowboys getting a set on their line to win it. Thurston would not miss twice, kicking a field goal and sending the crowd into raptures, with North Queensland winning their maiden premiership.
This would keep players and fans of the Broncos up at night. To come so close and to walk away with nothing it the definition of heartbreak. The Broncos haven’t come close in the five years since, and who knows when that kind of chance will come their way again.
2019: Green Machine fall to the premiers
One of the surprise packets of 2019, it was refreshing to watch the Raiders push all the way into the decider last season. They finally started closing out the close games that had been there undoing in seasons past and got the best out of their entire roster. Josh Papalii, Jack Wighton and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad stood out in particular.
They ended the regular season in fourth, and a last gasp win over the Storm would see them earn a week off and a home preliminary final against South Sydney. They would win that too and take on the reigning premiers for the premiership. It was a classic encounter with plenty of fallout off the back of contentious calls. The two Roosters tries came off calls that gave them a substantial leg-up, although they were both technically correct. With the scores locked at 8-8 it was James Tedesco who would score for the Roosters with ten minutes still to play, and that was enough to see the Roosters go back to back.
This season might be cruellest for the Raiders. They finally look to have a team that is capable of pushing for a title, their first since the 1990s. Instead they have to wait and see what the future brings and hope they can keep the squad and staff intact. After coming so close in 2020, their fans should be eager to see what they can do when the band gets back together.
What have I missed? Which close loss or big moment keeps you up at night? Do you think your team has missed there windows at some stage?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I have replied to this and it has disappeared. The Roar software isn't very user friendly but I suppose it is to stop abuse although I have definitely not done that in my reply. It'll probably appear within a few hours.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
It is a very good example of a club that missed their chance and it was not like any refereeing decision that could be debated. The important thing about it was that it was a ruling by the 2nd referee after the main referee had made a clear ruling that the Raiders players saw. They were unaware of the 2nd referee's ruling and had their 1st tackle ruled as their last. This was a stuff up by the two referees system, I think it has never happened before, and the NRL should have admitted their error but they have shown themselves to be completely useless. I agree that once the refs had made the error and given the Raiders six again , it should have stood like any other ref error and the NRL don't want to admit it so they ignored it and made themselves look loike fools.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I'm a Dragons fan but have always had a soft spot for Balmain as my first game was the 1964 grand final and the Balmain fans were good sports even though they were so close to winning. My son, who had a tiger rather than a teddy bear when young, was devastated and didn't want to go to school (Kaleen High in Canberra's northern suburbs) and face all the Raider fans. Both Balmain and Canberra had missed out in the years before 89.
Paul
Roar Guru
got that exactly right Tim. I support neither team, but had the same feelings of sadness both in '89 and last year, that 2 sides deserving to win, didn't.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
After being involved in too many debates on whether a a game was decided by a refs error or not , I've concluded that debates are largely futile either way because mostly we don't know the answer. What I will say, however that I personally have opinions on moments in games which probably altered the course of the game and possibly or probably the result. It's not proof of anything but it is a valid opinion. The turning point in Manly's loss to the Storm this year IMO was a poor pass by Sironen. Nobody goes ballistic when you say that but if you say that about a ref error you start getting lectured. Spare the lectures , it's a valid opinion. It's different if you declare that a loss is due to Sironen's pass and maybe a lecture is in order. Declaring that a ref error didn't cost a team a victory is the same as declaring that it did, is just as illogical. Ironically , I've seen the same posters give a lecture on the topic and then claim their team was robbed by the ref a few weeks later or your team only got a win because of a ref error in your favor. Hard to believe but true. Personally , once the refs had made the error and given the Raiders six again , it should have stood like any other ref error. What's next? One ref calls a forward pass and the other one changes it to play on? The resulting try is justified because ''they got it right in the end''? The bit in the middle where the defenders stop because they are playing to the whistle is somehow ignored. If the Raiders got six again and scored a try , which is how they scored their first try , the reverse logic would be argued. '' The ref error didn't influence the result because the Raiders had them on the rack anyway and the Chooks never looked like scoring another try. The Chooks just weren't good enough on the day ''
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I brought this up because it is a very good example of a club that missed their chance and not to remind sensitive Sydney fans they were lucky to win. They were in a good position for a field goal and defenders were on side and had to run very fast to pressure the kickers. Field goals were reduced to 1 point because they were an easy two points when tries were 3 points and a better chance of scoring points than putting up a bomb. The predictable bomb with a 50% chance of scoring 6 points is a result of the fans of the game wanting to see more tries with less skillful ball playing and less throwing the ball around.
Greg
Roar Pro
Man i am so sick of the game was decided by an error narrative. It is absolute garbage. A little unlucky yes, but huge stretch to say it decided the game, and even more outrageous to assume they were about to kick a game winning field goal. After the decision the scores were still level, the Raiders defensive line was set and the Roosters had to go 90m to score. The failure to hold out the Roosters cost them the game, not the refereeing error. Furthermore, lets look at the 2 alternatives for the referees. The first is they do not over turn their decision and the six again stands. Sure perhaps, likely even, they set up for a field goal at the end of that set. They might go on to win but the roosters would be more hardly done by from that call than the raiders were by what did eventuate. But the key here is they only might go onto win. The Roosters would still have had a little over 5 minutes to even the scores and with Cooper Cronk guiding the team in the final minutes they are every chance to. The 2nd is they get the initial call right, that gives that play for Canberra to either score a try, kick a field goal or get a repeat set. All 3 possible, but none likely. Of the three the least likely would be to kick a field goal. They're weren't in a great position on the field and had defenders coming from every direction that could pressure the kickers. A try would be more likely than a field goal given they were against a scrambling defence, but neither was the Raiders attack organised. Given what we had seen from the roosters defence and the raiders attack both that night and the course of the season id be backing the roosters defence. The best chance the raiders had was a repeat set and to set up for a field goal the following set. However it is just as likely the kick goes dead or the ball is returned to field of play. The final and probably the most likely scenario is that they either shift right before being tackled with the ball or losing the ball trying to push the pass to maintain possession. More than happy to concede Raiders the had a few tough calls against them. But it was probably about the same amount as what went against the Roosters. The main difference was the unusualness of the luck against the Raiders made these incidents stand out.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
They'll still be talking about that one in 30 years time. Some clubs only get a crack at a title once every 20 years or more and although there is meant to be comfort that next year you can get the job done , fairly often it you only get one crack at it as this season has shown. I have yet to hear the NRL say they don't endorse ref number 2 over ruling ref number 1 on the run. They actually endorsed it after the game , I'm still stunned. It's a disaster waiting to happen........ again.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Yes as they were about to kick the game winning field goal the referee rules 6 again but was unable to tell the players as there was no way they could hear the referee change his decision. It's the only time a grand final had been decided by a referee error since I've been watching. There have been some where people disagreed with the ref's ruling like in 1989 but none that was a refereeing error like this. It was a two referees error.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
That missed field goal by Benny Elias would've won it too. It hit the cross bar and bounced back. Canberra were lucky that year and Balmain were hard done by Hollywood Harrigan but the Raiders were unlucky last year against the lucky Roosters.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Mick Cronin missed a try conversion inches from the sideline that would've won Parramatta their first premiership. He was a good kicker but he was in the team because of his brilliant football brain and his strength from lifting kegs of beer at his Gerringong pub. The referee allowed Reddy to slap Price around a bit and he did penalise and caution Reddy four times and many thought he should've sent Reddy off. What many weren't aware of was that in the grand final Price broke Mark Shulman's back with his knees. Shulman never played again and all Price got was a grand final replay loss.
matth
Roar Guru
And even further back go to the 1977 grand final. The Eels chasing their first ever premiership and a simple missed penalty by possibly the greatest goal kicker ever to that point, Mick Cronin, leaves scores level. In the replay Rod Reddy goes ballistic and Bath’s Babe win in a canter. And then Cronulla fall in a replay the very next year, chasing their first title.
Superspud
Roar Rookie
I know it's outside the time frame but think the 2001 Eels deserve a mention here as the poster boys for what could have been. Dominate a season like no team has done since the 75 Roosters and blow it all in the first 15 minutes of the Grand Final. Even after being down 24 nil they still would have won had the game gone another 5.
Rugbahleg
Guest
Im wondering what teams can learn from the last crisis we faced, that being Super League, The Raiders for example went in absolute champions and came out, almost instantly tarnished.
Rellum
Roar Guru
If the 2015 Broncs win then the game would have changed. They nearly went all teh way with a different style. One tackle and that style might have taken over.
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
The Raiders have now been robbed twice, 2019 and 2020. Its not fair.
kk
Roar Pro
Greatest acquisition of talent this century.
steveng
Roar Rookie
HY that's a "Classic" :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: as most of us are in the same boat.
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
:laughing:
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
Good read Jack. The 1986 GF - Parramatta vs Bulldogs, with the Dogs attacking the Eels line relentlessly in the last minute. Just one more play and I think the Dogs would've won that but........ :unhappy: