Top 10 NRL Grand Final Moments

The NRL Grand Final is a staple piece in Australia’s sporting culture, hosting loud crowds and exciting tackles every year. Throughout the years there have been some amazing grand final moments, and that is why below we have put together (in no particular order) 10 of the greatest moments in NRL grand final history.

At age 32, Royce Simmons called time on his career and it was fitting that he signed off in a second straight grand final in his 238th game for the Panthers. Simmons scored his first try in the first half of the game, and then in the late second half crashed in the corner scoring the game-winning try for Panthers to go on to win the premiership

It’s no surprise that the 2015 grand final tops our list of best NRL Grand Final moments. With the Broncos up 16-12 and 30 seconds left, Kyle Feldt scores an incredible last-minute try off a spectacular flick pass levelling the score. A Jonathon Thurston missed sideline conversion sent the game to its first-ever ‘Golden Point’ Grand Final, as Thurston went from zero to hero scoring the winning field goal from a Ben Hunt knock on giving the Cowboys the premiership in one of the most iconic Grand Finals of all time.

Minor premiers the Balmain Tigers (now West Tigers) go up against a gutsy Canberra Raiders side in the 1989 Grand Final. With legends of the game like Mal Meninga and ‘Sticky’ Ricky Stewart at the helm, the Raiders lead by 1 point in the dying minutes of extra time. Mal Meninga recovers the ball and offloads to Steve Jackson. Coming off the bench, Steve Jackson steamrolls five defenders to score a try that would write him into the history books.

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One of the fastest and most graceful movers of the modern era, Steve Renouf has a habit of making defenders look silly due to his brilliant speed and anticipation. Known for his incredible try in the 1992 grand final where he ran the entire field.

Just 21 years of age and 36 games into his first-grade career, Knights flyer Darren Albert etched himself into Newcastle's folklore when he took a pass from Andrew Johns and raced away to score the match-winner in 1997. The roar that came with the Knights crowd had to be heard to be believed.

To this day there are still kids recreating this try in their backyard. Benji Marshall returns a kick for a good sixty metres before his ‘iconic’ flick pass to Pat Richards. Pat Richards fends off a desperate Cowboys defender and scores in the corner.The West Tigers go on to win the Grand Final and Benji’s pass goes down in history as one of the best NRL Grand Final moments.

In 2016, the Cronulla Sharks bested a veteran Melbourne Storm outfit that featured at least two future immortals to win their first-ever Rugby League Premiership. In what came down to a supreme individual effort, Andrew Fifita monsters over under the posts to seal the game for a down-trodden Sharks team.

One that may have been forgotten, is the epic foot race between Scott Saddler and Todd Byrne. On the burst, Sydney winger Todd Byrne sprints down the sideline with no one in front of him. Out of nowhere, Penrith lock Scott Saddler – who is also six years older than the sprightly young Byrne, comes from behind to drag Byrne into touch saving a try. It’s an incredible solo effort that epitomises the Penrith Panthers desperation in their campaign for a premiership.

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4 minutes to go. St. George up by 4-points, Melbourne on their last tackle. Brett Kimmorley puts up a bomb…. What follows makes Rugby League history.

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Sam Burgess is an absolute warrior on the field. In the first tackle of the game, he suffered a fractured cheekbone and continued to play the full eighty minutes leading the South Sydney Rabbitohs to victory. It’s a herculean effort and worth its place in the Rugby League folklore.