NRL grand final countdown No.5: Parramatta 1986

[rachit14nov]

t was the grand final that had everything; everything that is except tries.

By the time the 1986 decider rolled around, Parramatta and Canterbury-Bankstown had shared every premiership between them since the turn of the decade.

The Eels' previous two campaigns had ended at the hands of their fiercest rivals with the Bulldogs victorious in both the 1984 grand final and the 1985 preliminary final.

The following year however, Parramatta claimed the minor premiership and carried the psychological advantage of a major semi-final victory two weeks prior.

On the last Sunday in September, the league's two most entertaining teams fought out a classic befitting of their attacking prowess, even if the final score didn't suggest so.

Just as impressive was the last line of defence from both teams and the ferocious personal battles being fought out in the middle of the SCG.

Only after Kelly was finally banished to the sin bin in the shadow of half-time were the first points scored as Mick Cronin slotted home a penalty goal after missing his first two attempts early in the game.

It was a long time coming given the Eels were also disallowed two tries after Brett Kenny was ruled to have first mishandled a Peter Sterling kick and later held up by Farrar over the tryline.

Canterbury finally got on the board after 52 minutes when halfback Steve Mortimer - who had taken control of the game after the break - scooted out of dummy half and attempted a kick-and-chase into open pastures. Sterling was penalised for taking Mortimer out after the kick and Terry Lamb stepped up to level the scores.

Cronin gave Parramatta the advantage again eight minutes later when he converted a penalty after Price was again levelled, this time by Bulldogs replacement David Boyd.
Controversy would take over in the back end of the game when a covering Kenny was collared by Bulldogs fullback Phil Sigsworth as he chased through a Mortimer kick.

Sigsworth was sent off in a comparatively soft shot given the high voltage attacks that had dominated the game.

Despite playing a man down the Bulldogs had the best of the chances in the late stages.

First Farrrar went close to the line before being bundled out by a wall of six Eels defenders and then Terry Lamb was given a late opportunity to level the scores after Mortimer was again tackled without the ball in an incident that saw Geoff Bugden sent to the sin bin.

Lamb looked to have struck the penalty kick sweetly, but the attempt faded right.

A final Bulldogs attacking foray was thwarted by the full-time siren and a truly epic battle drew the curtain on the careers of Cronin and Price, a fact that wasn't lost on Canterbury coach Warren Ryan.

"I think referee Mick Stone got swept up in the emotion of the farewell to Mick Cronin and Ray Price" Ryan said.

Mortimer meanwhile was unlucky not to at least take away the Clive Churchill Medal, that honour going to his opposite number, Sterling.

[this is it]

The guy holding the trophy looks like the guy in the movie "duce bigalow".. haha Anyways.. Nice post..