Who is the greatest NRL team of all time? Vote in our Premiership Tournament
IT’S time to settle things once and for all. Who is the greatest premiership team of the NRL era? Vote now and have your say.
THIS tournament has been designed for one single purpose.
Who is the best premiership winner of the NRL era?
10 different clubs have won premierships since 1998, and we’re giving fans to have their say on who is the top dog of the last 17 years once and for all.
The format is simple — a 16 team, single elimination tournament that will run from now until grand final week.
We’ve taken a look at every team, who they beat in their run to the finals and who their opponents were on grand final day, now it’s up to you to decide who’s the greatest team of all.
Vote on each match up and check back next Thursday to see the draw and match ups for the next round. First up, we’ve got the ’11 Sea Eagles up against their ‘08 counterparts, a match up that’s sure to divide the Northern Beaches. Voting closes on Tuesday the 15th of September at 4:30, so get in now.
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ROUND 1 MATCH UPS HERE
2008 MANLY SEA EAGLES vs 2011 Manly Sea Eagles
2008 Manly Sea Eagles
One of the more underrated premiership teams of the modern era, the 2008 Sea Eagles were absolutely stacked. Apart from Michel Robertson and Glen Hall, every player in their starting side would play Origin or Test football. Brett Stewart was at his absolute apex, the backline was so potent that Jamie Lyon had to be shoehorned into the halves and while they may have missed out on the minor premiership to the Storm, they’re one of the dark horses to go all the way in this bracket.
Run to the final: Manly didn’t just cruise through to the finals, they tore the hearts out of their opposition with contemptuous ease with a 38-6 smashing of the Dragons in week one set up a dream destroying 32-6 beating of the fairytale Warriors in the preliminary final. Throw in the record breaking grand final triumph, and the Sea Eagles outscored their opposition 110-12 in their three finals games.
Who did they beat: Melbourne might have been without Cameron Smith in the 2008 decider but they still had some serious players across the board. Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, Israel Folau and Michael Crocker were all present and after a nip and tuck first half, the Sea Eagles led 8-0. When Robertson scored his second try five minutes after the resumption, the floodgates burst open. Manly ran the exhausted Storm ragged with Robertson completing his treble soon thereafter and David Williams, Brent Kite, David Williams, Steve Menzies and Steven Bell crossing the stripe to complete the route.
Grand final line up: 1. Brett Stewart 2. Michael Robertson 3. Steven Bell 4. Steve Matai 5. David Williams 6. Jamie Lyon 7. Matt Orford 8. Brent Kite 9. Matt Ballin 10. Josh Perry 11. Anthony Watmough 12. Glen Hall 13. Glenn Stewart 14. Heath L’Estrange 15. Mark Bryant 16. Jason King 17. Steve Menzies
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2011 Manly Sea Eagles
Coming into season 2011 there were serious doubts over Manly’s decision to start unheralded rookie Daly Cherry-Evans at halfback, but the Queenslander quickly proved himself to be more than up to the challenge, striking up an instant combination with Kieran Foran and the Sea Eagles become the first team since 1978 to win the title with a rookie halfback. The team still had the nucleus of the 2008 title winning side, including Jamie Lyon, the Stewart brothers, Steve Matai, Brent Kite and Anthony Watmough as well as an interested Tony Williams and an emerging Will Hopoate.
Run to the final: As talented as the Sea Eagles were, it must be said that they had a bit of a charmed run into the grand final. They hammered an overmatched and overachieving Cowboys side 42-8, which earned them a week off, before laying Brisbane in the preliminary final. While the Broncos were a talented outfit, they were without Darren Lockyer, who had broken his cheekbone in the win over the Dragons the week before. It wasn’t an easier run, but it wasn’t a murderers row either.
Who did they beat: Another Melbourne-Manly grand final looked to be on the cards until the Warriors pulled off a huge upset in the preliminary final to make their first trip to the big dance since 2002. New Zealand looked out of sorts early and the experience of Manly shone through as they eased to an 18-12 lead following tries to both the Stewarts and Daly Cherry-Evans. Shaun Johnson roared back to life with 20 minutes remaining, setting up tries for Manu Vatuvei and Elijah Taylor, and for a few minutes the Warriors looked like they were coming to get the Silvertails. However, wayward goalkicking from James Maloney and one or two errors killed their momentum before Jamie Lyon crossed in the dying minutes. A farewell conversion to Michael Robertson stretched the score out to 24-10
Grand final line up: 1. Brett Stewart 2. Michael Robertson 3. Jamie Lyon 4. Steve Matai 5. William Hopoate 6. Kieran Foran 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Joe Galuvao 9. Matt Ballin 10. Brent Kite 11. Anthony Watmough 12. Tony Williams 13. Glenn Stewart 14. Shane Rodney 15. Jamie Buhrer 16. Vic Mauro 17. George Rose
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ROUND 1 MATCH UPS HERE
1999 Melbourne Storm vs 2001 Newcastle Knights
1999 Melbourne Storm
The story of the 1999 Storm is one of the more remarkable in rugby league history. In just their second season, the Victorian club built on the carcass of the Western Reds and Hunter Mariners managed to win it all.
With a flat style of attack that perfectly suited the era, Brett Kimmorley pulled the strings for an attacking minded side that contained players such as Robbie Ross, Aaron Moule, Matt Geyer and Marcus Bai, while Glenn Lazarus led an underrated forward pack alongside Richard Swain, Tawera Nikau and Stephen Kearney.
Run to the final: Melbourne finished the season in 3rd spot but were embarrassed 34-10 by the Dragons at Olympic Park and seemed on the edge of elimination when they trailed the Bulldogs 22-18 with 10 minutes remaining in a terrific, see sawing clash in week two.
Matt Geyer managed to latch on to a wayward Ricky Stuart kick and run the length of the field to score and set up a 24-22. In the preliminary final against Parramatta, the Storm were again on the wrong end of the scoreboard against a heavily favoured Eels side. Trailing 16-6, tries to Moule and Swain gave them yet another improbable two-point win.
Who did they beat: In one of the bizarre incongruities that can only be produced in sporting playoffs, Melbourne were thrown into a rematch against the Dragons, who were strong favourites after beating the minor premiership winning Sharks in the preliminary final.
The newly merged St George Illawarra side got out to a 14-2 lead midway through the second half and could have sealed the premiership if Anthony Mundine hadn’t bombed a certain try in the 50th minute after dropping the ball over the line.
Melbourne struck back with a try to Tony Martin before the Dragons restore their advantage with a try to Paul McGregor. A four pointer to Melbourne substitute Ben Roarty and a penalty goal helped close to gap to 18-14 and with five minutes remaining, Kimmorley hoisted a kick towards Craig Smith, who caught it and was certain to score before Jaime Ainscough coathangered him with a vicious swinging arm and all hell broke loose.
The video referees correctly award a penalty try, Geyer kicked the goal from in front and Melbourne won 20-18.
Grand final line up: 1. Robbie Ross 2. Craig Smith 3. Aaron Moule 4. Tony Martin 5. Marcus Bai 6. Matt Geyer 7. Brett Kimmorley 8. Glenn Lazarus 9. Richard Swain 10. Rodney Howe 11. Stephen Kearney 12. Paul Marquet 13. Tawera Nikau 14. Matt Rua 15. Russell Bawden 16. Ben Roarty 17. Danny Williams
2001 Newcastle Knights
Everyone talks about the 2001 Parramatta Eels as being the best attacking team of all time, and statistically they were. Brian Smith’s mob cranked out 839 points at an incredible average of 32.27 per match. But their grand final opponents, the Newcastle Knights, sit second on that list with 782 points. With Andrew Johns approaching his zenith as a footballer and blessed with speed out wide and athleticism in the forwards, this team was blessed with incredible attacking firepower.
Run to the final: Finishing the regular season in third position, the Knights smashed the Roosters 40-6 in week one of the finals and were given an unexpected week off after the 7th placed Dragons upset the 2nd placed Bulldogs. A preliminary final against the Sharks followed and Newcastle turned a 10-6 halftime deficit into an 18-10 win to advance to the second grand final in club history.
Who did they beat: When you tell the kids of today about the 2001 Parramatta Eels its hard to convey just how terrifying and unstoppable they seemed. With veteran halfback Jason Taylor calling the shots and young tyros like Jamie Lyon, Brett Hodgson, David Vaealiki and PJ Marsh backing up the experience of Nathan Hindmarsh, Michael Buettner and David Solomona, the result was a team that could beat you a thousand different ways and could score points like no other team in league history, which made Newcastle’s incredible 24-0 blitzkrieg in the opening half of the 2001 grand final all the more stunning.
Doubles to Bill Peden and Ben Kennedy and a try to Steve Simpson gave the Knights an unassailable lead and while the Eels made it a little closer, the 30-24 win wasn’t a true reflection of the Knights dominance.
Grand final line up: 1. Robbie O’Davis 2. Timana Tahu 3. Matthew Gidlety 4. Mark Hughes 5. Adam MacDougall 6. Sean Rudder 7. Andrew Johns 8. Josh Perry 9. Danny Buderus 10. Matt Parsons 11. Steve Simpson 12. Ben Kennedy 13. Bill Peden 14. Daniel Abraham 15. Paul Marquet 16. Glenn Grief 17. Clinton O’Brien
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ROUND 1 MATCH UPS HERE
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2000 Brisbane Broncos vs 2012 Melbourne Storm
2000 Brisbane Broncos
More of a cold, clinical, grinding sort of team than their free flowing counterparts of the past, the 2000 Broncos best 17 was comprised entirely of players with Test or Origin experience. Kevin Walters and Ben Ikin formed an unorthodox yet effective halves combination, Darren Lockyer starring from fullback and Gorden Tallis, Shane Webcke and Brad Thorn leading an elite forward pack, they might not have been Wayne Bennett’s greatest Brisbane side but they were damn close to being the toughest and they won the minor premiership by a clear six points.
Run to the final: In the days of the old McIntyre system, it was possible for teams to get a cruisy run into the grand final and that’s exactly what happened in 2000 for the Broncos.
They handled the 8th placed Sharks with consummate ease in the first week of the finals and took on 7th placed Parramatta in the preliminary final.
The Eels were a tricky team and had hit top form at just the right time and Brisbane beat them 16-10 in a high quality fixture to advance to the grand final against the Roosters.
Who did they beat: While the 2000 grand final is nearly universally regarded as one of the worst in recent history, that takes nothing away from the Broncos 14-6 victory. Brisbane were defensively sound, took the chances when on offer and did all the little things right to secure their 5th premiership and their second of the NRL era.
Grand final line up: 1. Darren Lockyer 2. Lote Tuqiri 3. Tonie Carroll 4. Michael De Vere 5. Wendell Sailor 6. Ben Ikin 7. Kevin Walters 8. Shane Webcke 9. Luke Priddis 10. Dane Carlaw 11. Gorden Tallis 12. Brad Thorn 13. Kevin Campion 14. Shaun Berrigan 15. Ashley Harrison 16. Michael Hancock 17. Harvey Howard
2012 Melbourne Storm
The Storm were after validation and a legitimate premiership in 2012 and they got them both by focusing on what had been their foundation since Craig Bellamy took the reins in 2003 — stiff defence, a quality kicking game and capitalising on their chances. Recovering strongly from the salary cup purge of 2010, the Storm added the likes of Sisa Waqa, Bryan Norrie, Jesse Bromwich and Gareth Widdop to the core unit of Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Ryan Hoffman to ensure their continued relevance as premiership contenders.
Run to the final: Taking on 3rd placed South Sydney in the first week of the finals, the Storm clinically dismantled the resurgent Rabbitohs and walked away with an easy 24-6 and hosted long time rivals Manly in the preliminary final. In a stunning upset, Melbourne tore their old sparring partners apart 40-12 to advance to their fifth grand final since 2006.
Who did they beat: Fuelled by a unique, chain passing style around the middle of the field and packed with Ben Barba flash and Josh Morris dash, the minor premiership winning Bulldogs were a worthy foil to the clinical Storm. A nervous start from Canterbury saw Melbourne strike first and they led 10-0 before a Sam Perrett try brought the Dogs a bit closer. Justin O’Neill swooped on a Cooper Cronk cross kick just before halftime and the second half was scoreless, as Cronk choked Canterbury to death with one of the finest kicking displays of the modern era and the Storm won their first legitimate premiership since 1999 with a 14-6 triumph.
Grand final line up: 1. Billy Slater 2. Sisa Waqa 3. Dane Nielsen 4. Will Chambers 5. Justin O’Neill 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Bryan Norrie 11. Kevin Proctor 12. Ryan Hoffman 13. Todd Lowrie 14. Sika Manu 15. Ryan Hinchcliffe 16. Jaiman Lowe 17. Richie Fa’aoso
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ROUND 1 MATCH UPS HERE
2010 St George Illawarra Dragons vs 2004 Canterbury Bulldogs
Melbourne were the best team in the competition in 2010, but their disqualification through the race for the title wide open and the Dragons ended up coming out on top. Built around defence and the kicking game of Jamie Soward, Wayne Bennett had quickly transformed the Dragons into a hard nosed, no nonsense outfit that won consecutive minor premierships in 2009-10. Soward was the key component, but they had talent right through the team with Darius Boyd, Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Michael Weyman and Jeremy Smith rounding out the squad.
Run to the final: Manly were in a transition year and were lucky to even make the finals, so it was no surprise when the Dragons spanked them 28-0 in Week One. They took on the third placed Tigers in the preliminary final and trailed 12-6 at halftime before clawing their way back and grinding out a 13-12 victory courtesy of a Jamie Soward drop goal.
Who did they beat: Fuelled by the brilliance of Todd Carney, the Roosters upset the Tigers and beat the Panthers and Titans to progress to the grand final just 12 months after winning the wooden spoon. A controversial try to Braith Anasta and a touchdown for Mitchell Aubusson negated Mark Gasnier’s opener and the Roosters took an 8-6 lead into the break. As they had all season, the Dragons retreated to what they did best — they kicked to the corners, backed their defence and waited for the Roosters to unravel. The end result was a thumping 32-6 victory and their first title since 1979.
Grand final line up: 1. Darius Boyd 2. Brett Morris 3. Mark Gasnier 4. Matt Cooper 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Jamie Soward 7. Ben Hornby 8. Neville Costigan 9. Dean Young 10. Michael Weyman 11. Beau Scott 12. Ben Creagh 13. Jeremy Smith 14. Nathan Fien 15. Trent Merrin 16. Matt Prior 17. Jarrod Saffy
2004 Canterbury Bulldogs
While the stench of the 2002 salary cup breaches still linger over the 2004 Bulldogs, there’s no escaping the fact that they were one of the finest attacking teams in rugby league history — their 760 points is the third highest of all time and with Brent Sherwin and Braith Anasta pulling the strings, they had a high octane, kick-happy offence that was hard to stop on a bad day and impossible to rein in when they were really firing. Throw in the brutal forward pack of Willie Mason, Mark O’Meley, Steve Price and Andrew Ryan, the emergence of Willie Tonga and an incredible 342 point season from Hazem El Masri and it’s easy to see why they went all the way.
Run to the final: After being upset 30-22 by the Cowboys in week one, the Dogs rebounded with a powerful 43-18 win over the emerging Melbourne Storm before advancing to the grand final courtesy of a 30-14 win over defending champions Penrith. Along with the 2006 Broncos, the 1999 Storm and the 1998 Broncos, they’re the only teams on this list who won the grand final after earlier losing a match earlier in the finals series.
Who did they beat: Nine times out of ten, the 2004 grand final is an absolute bell ringer — in the Roosters and the Bulldogs you had two teams who were clearly the best in the competition, they genuinely disliked each other and the rivalry had been fuelled over the course of several seasons. Yes sir, nine times out of ten, this match up produces an all-timer. The tenth time, it rains. The Bulldogs handled the wet conditions far better than the Roosters and the kicking game of Brent Sherwin helped them turn a 13-6 halftime deficit into a 16-13 win.
Grand final line up: 1. Luke Patten 2. Hazem El Masri 3. Ben Harris 4. Willie Tonga 5. Matt Mutai 6. Braith Anasta 7. Brent Shetwin 8. Mark O’Meley 9. Adam Perry 11. Willie Mason 14. Reni Maitua 12. Andrew Ryan 13. Tony Grimaldi 15. Corey Hughes 16. Roy Asotasi 17. Sonny Bill Williams 18. Johnathan Thurston
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