Cowboys run to NRL GF one of the greats

RUGBY LEAGUE’S GREATEST GRAND FINAL BOLTERS

CLIVE CHURCHILL’S SOUTH SYDNEY HEORICS – 1955

Churchill’s brilliance got South Sydney to the finals, but they had to do it without him come September. The diminutive fullback guided them to eight straight wins to sneak into the last finals spot but only after he kicked a sideline conversion with a broken wrist against Manly in the penultimate round. The injury ended his season, but the Rabbitohs did it without him as they came from behind to beat Newtown 12-11 in the decider.

BALMAIN MAKE IT AFTER PLAYOFF – 1988

The Tigers reached their first grand final in 20 years after they spent all but two weeks of the regular season outside of the top five. Balmain were ninth at the halfway point of the season, but won nine of their last 11 games to reach a midweek fifth-place playoff against Penrith. They won that, then defeated Manly (fourth), Canberra (third) and minor-premiers Cronulla before going down to Canterbury in the decider.

CANTERBURY DO IT FROM NINTH – 1998

The only team to have made a grand final from outside the top eight. Canterbury won their last four games to finish ninth – when a 20-team competition meant the top 10 made the finals – and beat St George and North Sydney in the first two weeks of the finals. They then twice came from 16 points down in the third and fourth weeks to beat Newcastle and Parramatta – the latter in extra time – before they were beaten by Brisbane on the big day.

ST GEORGE DEFY SUPER LEAGUE WAR – 1996

The Super League war meant the Dragons lost two head coaches and some of their players in the pre-season, and it showed as they dropped to 12th on the ladder after 10 rounds. But seven straight wins landed them in the finals, where they beat the more fancied Canberra, Sydney City and North Sydney en route to their ill-fated decider against Manly.

JARRYD HAYNE INSPIRES PARRAMATTA MAGIC – 2009

In an incredible 10-week run, Jarryd Hayne set the NRL alight as he broke through 84 tackles and set up 14 tries to take the Eels from 14th on the ladder and into the eight. They then beat the NRL’s top three of St George Illawarra, Canterbury and the Gold Coast to reach the decider, before they were beaten by Melbourne in the decider.

NORTH QUEENSLAND SHOCK THE NRL – 2017

The already injury-ravaged Cowboys were considered dead and buried when Johnathan Thurston went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in June. After they dropped five of their last six, North Queensland had to wait on Canterbury beating St George Illawarra on the final day of the season to make the finals. But on the back of Michael Morgan and Jason Taumalolo, the Cowboys came from behind against Cronulla, Parramatta and the Sydney Roosters to set up a grand final date with Melbourne.

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