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We’re for the fans, the power and the passion

SPORT — it’s my life and the lifeblood of The Tele. The best yarns, the biggest characters, the sagas and the scandals ... we’ve been all over them like a seagull on a dropped chip.

AU NSW:    Cronulla Revel in Grand Final Win  Package    October 02

SPORT — it’s my life and the lifeblood of The Tele. The best yarns, the biggest characters, the sagas and the scandals ... we’ve been all over them like a seagull on a dropped chip.

Good Warney. The pure magnificence of his ball of the century at Old Trafford. Bad Warney. Using his mum’s headache pills as an excuse when caught using drugs.

Off-field revolutions. World Series cricket. Super League.

The

. I was in the press box at Leichhardt Oval that Saturday covering the footy. I can still hear the announcer on 2KY (“delay in Brisbane — not the correct weight”).

Warney’s Ashes moments

Warnie's Ashes moments

The Bulldogs in Coffs Harbour and Todd Carney. The Storm’s salary cap rorting. Peptides. Winx, Makybe Diva and Kingston Town.

The day Michelle Payne won the race that stops a nation on Prince of Penzance. What a story. And it was beautifully delivered by our Ray Thomas.

Prince of Penzance ridden by Michelle Payne wins. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
Prince of Penzance ridden by Michelle Payne wins. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
Jockey Michelle Payne became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup.
Jockey Michelle Payne became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup.

The America’s Cup. Australia II. 1983. It took 26 challenges. More than 130 years. Never give up.

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Cathy Freeman at the Sydney Olympics. The pictures. The emotion. The moment.

St George’s 11 straight premierships. An era of great sports writing. Mike Gibson. Ian Heads. And then the one and only, the late and great Chippy Frilingos.

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Cathy Freeman after winning the women’s 400m final race at Sydney Olympic Games on September 25, 2000.
Cathy Freeman after winning the women’s 400m final race at Sydney Olympic Games on September 25, 2000.

Shane Gould, just 15, wins three golds at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The Telegraph was there. Page one all day. John Sattler’s broken jaw. Dean Jones and the most courageous innings of all time.

The day Jeff Horn beat Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium.

He was gone in the ninth round.

Kieren Perkins. The night he came from lane 8 at the Atlanta Olympics to win gold. Phenomenal stuff.

Greg Norman’s US Masters choke in the 1996. He blew a six shot lead on the final day. The entire nation shared his heartbreak. Darren Albert scores in the dying seconds off Joey Johns’ amazing blindside run in 1997 against Manly to give Newcastle a fairytale maiden premiership. Bigger news than the earthquake. It’s still the most exciting grand final I’ve ever seen.

Johnathan Thurston and his golden point field goal in 2015 to give the Cowboys their first ever premiership. Wow factor times five.

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The following year my team, the Sharks, are playing in the grand final. We’ve waited 50 agonising years.

The mighty Melbourne Storm. Harold Holt. The porch light. All that stuff.

Ten minutes to go. We’re in front. Just. Melbourne are storming home.

Phil Buzz Rothfield with daughter Emma Rothfield and Jae Withers at the Grand Final between Cronulla Sharks and Melbourne Storm. Picture: Toby Zerna
Phil Buzz Rothfield with daughter Emma Rothfield and Jae Withers at the Grand Final between Cronulla Sharks and Melbourne Storm. Picture: Toby Zerna

No press box. I’m sitting with the fans. Our readers. Laptop on shaking knees. Typing on the go.

I have two versions of 800 words ready to file. One about heartbreak, the other about history.

The deadline is full-time. The presses must roll. A late paper is a missed sale. Now that’s pressure.

Then ... IT’S THE SHAAARKS!

Paul Gallen and Andrew Ettinghausen celebrate the 2016 NRL Grand Final. Picture: Brett Costello
Paul Gallen and Andrew Ettinghausen celebrate the 2016 NRL Grand Final. Picture: Brett Costello

It’s sport and it’s the heartbeat of this newspaper.

Buzz Rothfield is The Daily Telegraph’s Sports Editor-at-large

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/were-for-the-fans-the-power-and-the-passion/news-story/03fd9c8adad8b5c255552e5770676b37