In the last few I've definitely turned from being a Rugby League fan who supports the Bulldogs who likes Rugby League. This season I hardly watched a game apart from Bulldogs games. On Sunday morning I wasn't sure if I'd watch the NRL grand final. I was leaning towards watching it as I'd of liked to see Johnathan Thurston win another premiership, but I wasn't 100% sure I'd be watching.
Then that afternoon I got a phone call from my friend Dave, and he had a spare ticket and asked if I'd like to go. Whilst I wasn't overly excited about watching the game on TV, being there to watch it was a different proposition.
What a game: It's easy to over rate the current at the expense of the past, but even as we awaited extra time it was clear that we had a new Best. Ever. Grand Final. Sometimes games that have great endings,such as the 1997 ARL Grand Final between Newcastle and Manly or the 1999 NRL Grand Final between the Storm and the Dragons, get over rated at the expense of good games that don't have a dramatic twist in the final moments, such as the 1990 & 1991 Grand Finals between Canberra and Penrith or the 2013 Grand Final between the Roosters and the Sea Eagles.
The previous front runner for the best ever Grand Final was the 1989 one between Canberra and Balmain, that also had a last minute try that forced extra time. This was a good game, but in terms of attacking play the Raiders were much the better team. Balmain were a great defensive team and their effort to beat Souths two weeks earlier was built on an incredible defensive display. In the Grand Final they ran into a team who would make to make 4 of the next 6 Grand Finals with a backline in 1989 that included Garry Belcher, Mal Meninga, Laurie Daley, John Ferguson and Ricky Stuart. Again the Tigers were out in another outstanding display. However the Tigers were a limited attacking team whose two tries came from an intercept and a punt downfield that took a wicked bounce. In saying that they will still be wondering how they lost the game considering that Michael Neil looked certain to score before Mal Meninga ankle tapped him; Back Door Benny hitting the crossbar with a field goal attempt; and one of the truly horrendous Grand Final refereeing decisions that cost the Tigers the ball right before the Raiders scored the try that allowed them to level the scores.
This years Grand Final was a much better attacking game. Each team moved the ball well and almost always ended up having some shot of scoring at the end of the set even if it was via a bomb.
Then of course came the ending, with the Cowboys down by 4 points scoring after the siren on the last play of the game after some sensational play for Michael Morgan and then Thurston's sideline conversion to win the game hitting the post.
Contentious decisions: There didn't appear to be any obvious horrible calls (maybe the closest was the decision not to send off Ben Hunt late in the game for a spear tackle, that's coming from somebody who remembers the game before the NRL decided that virtually nobody got sent off).
At the ground I thought Thurston had been stripped of the ball in the lead up to the Broncos second try. On watching replays at home in normal time it looked nowhere near as bad. I think the refs and video refs probably made the right decision.
How did the Cowboys get the ball back for their last set in normal time? They had the Broncos pinned deep until the Anthony Milford made another break. The ball game out and went back towards the Broncos line when Ben Hunt picked the ball up. Hunt then was stripped by Kyle Feldt. The refs obviously didn't think the original loose ball was a strip by the Cowboys otherwise it would have been a knock on from them.
Broncos went too defensive: About 12 minutes from the end the Broncos decided to put the ball into touch on every last tackle, It seemed a curious decision at the time. Their bombs had been effective in pinning the Cowboys in the corners and that by doing so you force the Cowboys to start their sets from deeper downfield; you effectively give them one less tackle; and you take their forwards out of the game for at least 2 tackles. Of course you are also always a chance of getting the ball back from a bomb.
Thurston deciding to kick off in golden point: I'd like to know JT's thinking. Now stats might prove me wrong, but surely teams who have the balls first in golden point win more than they lose. I can't believe teams don't want the ball first. Not only do you have the chance to win the game before the other team touches the ball, but with each period of extra time being 5 minutes it means that based on a set of 6 tackles taking a minute the team having the ball first will have it 3 times during this period whilst the team who kicks off will have it twice.
Kyle Feldt's kick offs: Feldt kicked off 6 times during the game. He uses one of those fancy new kicking tees. I said to Dave during the game that his kick offs were fantastic. They were not only high and deep but he was hitting them like a spiral bomb and they must be a nightmare to take. Of course Ben Hunt spilled his kick off in golden point.
The Clive Churchill Medal: This really has turned from an award from the best player on the ground to the an award for a big name player on the winning team. JT along with Andrew Johns is the best player I've seen. However the Cowboys scored 3 tries and he wasn't involved in 2 of them and the other was down to a sensational bit of play from Michael Morgan. Actually apart from a nice slight of hand from JT that should have put in Kane Linnett for a try I'm struggling to think of another great play by him. On the other hand Anthony Milford and Jack Reed from the Broncos were sensational.
Golden point in semi finals: I'm not a fan of golden point in NRL games, but I detest in semi finals (even with the Bulldogs beating the Dragons in this years semis in such a game). A team can have their season ended when they never even touched the ball in extra time (well apart from to kick off). Five minutes each way, with a golden point rule if scores are still level at that time, would be a much better rule.
