This week I decided to lift the doona on a long repressed childhood memory and re-watch the 1989 NSWRL Grand Final. Would it be as tragic as my mum made out? It was with this trepidation that I loaded up the grainy YouTube video and settled in for 90 minutes of nostalgia.
With the full knowledge that Tigers were not going to win, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the 70 minutes I watched. Yes, at this point the compulsion to turn it off overcame me.
Here are 13 learnings I took from the 1989 NSWRL Grand Final.
I had forgotten how good he was. At times it was like watching a man against boys. Bigger than the forwards and faster than the backs. He kicked goals (badly) but also kicked in general play. He had what all the greats had: time and vision.
Yes, as you’d expect. But there was an almost innocent air to it, as defensive players genuinely tried to clear the ruck quickly, not realising that it was not to their advantage. An unexpected consequence was the low tackle counts. With only one or two players in each tackle, the highest tackle count going into half time was about 15. How times have changed.
I’d almost forgotten these. It looked like big Mal was building a sandcastle at the beach as he knelt down and lovingly moulded the sand to receive the ball.
The Sydney Football Stadium in 1989 was the top league field in Australia and it resembled a dust bowl in the middle. The curators must have really got a lot better since then, because if that was what the SFS was like, I would have hated to have gotten tackled on a suburban ground towards the end of the footy season.
We all remember that, one size fits all and long sleeves you can hack off with a blunt knife if you wanted a tougher look. The jumpers were so big and the shorts so small the jumpers actually hung out the bottom of the shorts! Was weird.
I expected to notice this and it was lovely when it unfolded. The game simply flowed and flowed. There were few stoppages, no bunker reviews, no captain’s challenges, no playing for a penalty. Play continued whilst injured players were treated in the back field and then the trainers took their magic sponge and ran off.
The tackling technique was impressive, few misses and few high shots. What did surprise me was how simple the attacking looked. Just a backline fanned out with one player passing to the next and running fast with the ball under the arm. This looks to be an area where the game has really developed. I put it down to the time and video analysis available in the professional era to get good structure and set plays.
The look fit but they are not bulky yet. No surprise, 1989 was the end of the ‘run them into the ground approach’ to rugby league fitness. The 1990s brought in a new era of strength training and explosive track work but in 1989 they still looked like regular joes.
Early days of his commentating, but like a rookie player who excludes class, you could tell he had something special. With Rex Mossop leading the call, Sterling did not get a lot of airtime, but when he did, he was deliberate and insightful. Unexpected pleasure from the 1989 coverage.
Bill is held up as the best and he was good on this day. What was interesting in a really frustrating way was listening to the commentators’ coverage of decisions. It was old school and respectful. ‘Referee’s decision is final and move on’ type thing. It was classy and has aged well.
I know the bunker, the captain’s challenge and the incessant replays have changed the landscape but the commentators could do well to better support the officiating.
If you wanted to keep a clean jumper this was the best position on the field, strolling outside where there was grass and scoring tries. There were no towering, spiral bombs, no running through the valley of death early in the tackle count. Wingers were for looking good and keeping the touch judge company.
Not sure if it was the balls at the time or the technique but most of the kicks in general play were complete bludgers by today’s standards.
Some things never change. I had to smile as the coverage resumed after half-time – there was an announcement apologising for the half-time entertainment. Note sure of the details but some failure to launch.
May rugby league never change.
criag
Roar Rookie
Lucky I never did care much about Grand Final half-time or pre-game entertainment. In 2002, the Roosters hadn't won a premiership since 1975, and I was so nervous before the Grand Final against the Warriors I paced up and down the concourse while Billy Idol was on (or not on).
Kurt S
Roar Pro
G'day, Outside. Good read. i hope it is the first of many. Mal was that good. I also remember the 94 grand final against the Dogs where he did a few special things. He had a fend of an era. I remember seeing Mal on a stand at a builder's convention doing PR in what must have been late early 2006. We'd been beaten in origin the years previous and knives were out for him and plenty of players. I asked him something along the lines of "Are we going to win this year, Mal?" almost dejectedly. He just smiled, gave a bit of a wink and a grin and said nothing. Little did he and I know at that point what would transpire over the next decade. Champion player.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Hurstville Oval was the home ground of St.George Rugby and Cricket Clubs. The cricket pitch was densely packed and after rain tiny craters dried to make them uncomfortable to fall on. Kogarah Jubilee Oval had been a cricket ground before it's rectangular transformation. The St.George JRLFC played their finals there so I have not so fond memories although we won our semi finals. :angry:
The Raw
Roar Rookie
Point 13 : Half time failures. I’m guessing that was the grand final where the entire cast of some broadway song and dance show which was playing Sydney at the time, (52nd Street?), traipsed out onto centre field in full costume and make-up, lined up for their spectacular song and dance show, THEN stood there mutely for 5 minutes because the PA operator couldn’t find the music track. After which they traipsed off again. Biggest embarrassment! Although the gf where Billy Idol screamed Rebel Yell out of tune for 5 minutes, because he couldn’t hear his monitor foldback, was probably even worse.
Nico
Roar Rookie
The kicking was patchy but creative at least. The chip and chase from inside your own 20 is a lost art in the modern game
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
and as you point out quick play the balls also no committee meetings at scrums they packed them straight away and got on with it with no backs packing down no chatting to refs it might have been a bit untidy but more often than not the players decided the game and lets not forget the shoulder pads great times
the outsider
Roar Rookie
Dont know the answer, but a game from that era is more than worth a watch. On first glance it looks the same but then subtle differences start to jump out. Like the ball catchers returning off the kick-off :stoked:
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
jayden campbell comes to mind with old school body shape but mick neill was awesome always looked like he was off balance and stumbling but what a player
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
so true and wingers were blokes who hung around with footballers how times have changed
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
"If Canberra want to get back into this contest, they need to be the first to score in the second half. Momentum is such an important part of the modern game."
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
thanks for the memorys what a sensational game remember it well up there with the best ever grand finals of course with mals goal kicking he was a toe poker heres a question who was the last toe poker in the nrl i dont know the answer hopefully someone does
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Yep. Even played Origin.
mrl
Roar Rookie
Steve Jackson!! Amazing try...did he ever play again?
the outsider
Roar Rookie
Agreed, the was the era when centre was a glamour position.
Phil
Roar Rookie
Very enjoyable read, quite nostalgic. Although I haven't watched the game, another good feature of that era was the centres playing as a pair, inside centre and outside centre, both sides of the field,strike weapons. It was much better than what we have now, left and right centres who specialise on their favoured side. Also the halves, genuine halfbacks and five eighths playing either side also and working together. If a modern day coach dared to play his centres as a pair then I have no doubt we would see more attacking flair.
Tony
Roar Guru
A great read. Looking back somewhat earlier, I can recall playing on suburban grounds late in the season where the previously dirt covered concrete cricket pitches were totally uncovered. Needless to say us outside backs stayed well away :happy:
Tony
Roar Guru
:angry:
DavMan
Roar Rookie
Thoroughly enjoyable article and several interesting points that I had forgotten, thanks. This is the era that I started really getting into the NSWRL, so will always hold it in very high regard and affection. The 90s though was the high water mark for rugby league for me though, notwithstanding the SL war. One question though, did Sterlo say "If we freeze it right there... and as play continues?"
Farmyard Friend
Roar Rookie
Point 4. Worse getting tackled in the centre of Bear Park aka North Sydney Oval.
the outsider
Roar Rookie
I recommend it, it was a lot of fun. :stoked: