The 1989 Grand Final between the Canberra Raiders and Balmain Tigers stands tall as perhaps the greatest decider in Rugby League history.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the iconic match and Canberra and Balmain players are set to remember the occasion in their own ways.
Balmain finished 3rd and Canberra 4th at the conclusion of the regular season. Both sides entered the Grand Final in blistering form, with the Raiders having won eight in a row, while the Tigers were seven games unbeaten.
The Tigers had fallen at the final hurdle in 1988, losing to the Bulldogs 24-12. The Raiders, on the other hand were making their second Grand Final appearance in just their eighth season of existence.
Tigers’ winger James Grant scored the first try of the match when he intercepted a pass from Raiders front-rower Brent Todd just 25 metres out from the try-line.
Balmain produced a truly epic try to extend their score-line to 12-2 at the break when Andy Currier linked up with Steve O’Brien down the right side following Currier’s heaving kick. The British centre found support in test forward Paul Sironen who charged towards the line from 20 metres out.
Despite going into the sheds with a 10-point deficit, the Raiders were far from deflated. “I didn’t think Tim said anything out of the ordinary at half-time, we just sort of knew we were always in the game," Sironen told Zero Tackle.
"I think we secretly knew that we had such star players and match winning players that at some stage someone was gonna do something and turn the game around,” front rower Brent Todd recounts, in response to Tim Sheens’ half-time talk to the Raiders team.
Canberra turned their fortunes around in the second half as good lead-up from Laurie Daley and John ‘Chicka’ Ferguson resulted in their fullback Gary Belcher diving over after evading a tackle. The Tigers agonisingly, had a couple of chances to kill the game off when they had the lead. Michael Neil was ankle tapped by Mal Meninga as he burst through a hole, ten metres out. As Balmain led 14-8, hooker Ben Elias watched as his close-range field goal attempt cannoned against the crossbar.
With time running out, a Chris O’Sullivan bomb was batted back by the Raiders, ending up in the hands of Daley who tossed the ball overhead to Ferguson who beat four players before crashing over adjacent to the posts.
With the game tied at 14-all, both sides faced off in extra time. An O’Sullivan field goal and a ridiculous, inspirational try by Steve Jackson where he shrugged off five defenders on his way to the line, capped off a memorable decider, 19-14.
The 1990s became the last decade of Balmain’s existence in the NRL, forced to combine with the Western Suburbs Magpies to form the Wests Tigers, a team that would go on to win the competition
in 2005. However unfortunately, it couldn’t erase the pain felt by Balmain’s players that still lingers to this day, although club great Paul Sironen can appreciate the game for what it was.
“30 years have eased the disappointment and watching the game it certainly was a great game of League!"
“I look at both sides and see some of the greatest players of all time all involved in one game!”
“(It was) possibly my greatest moment in my career scoring that try followed by worst moment an hour later!”
Sironen’s teammate, Tim Brasher who went on to become a NSW and Australian representative fullback was playing in the centres in his first season at the top level. Brasher never had another shot in a grand final in his career but he marvels at the experience.
“It still hurts a little but I am definitely proud to have been a part of one of the greatest ever grand finals.”
“It was amazing, especially still being in school. I enjoyed the experience and was blessed to come into such a great team of mentors. I learnt so much from all the guys. I really thought I would get another chance to win a GF....but not to be!”
The 30th year anniversary offers an excuse for the Canberra players of that famous day to reminisce and bask in their triumph yet again. Brent Todd says he looks forward to when the team catches up.
“We all get together as much as we can. Laurie Daley gets a boat around grand final time. I live in Bali so it’s a bit harder for me but we were just recently all together when (our 1989 premiership winning team) were inducted into the Canberra Raiders Hall of Fame. I’d really like to catch up more with all the players – sometimes it’s hard to get us all in the one place at the one time. To me none of them have changed, they’re all the exact same.”
It certainly was a spectacular finale in 1989, one that has only been closely rivalled by a few since (1997 ARL and 2015 in particular). Hopefully we can witness some more greatness, craziness and utter euphoria thirty years on from one of the greatest grand finals of all time, on 2019’s Grand Final Day.