NRL Round 5 featured stirring breakthrough wins for previously winless Manly and North Queensland, renewing hopes of a finals push after most fans and critics had drawn a line through their names for 2021.
In the third edition of Zero Tackleโs Top 8, This Warriors Life's Will Evans counts down the best revivals horror starts during the NRL era.
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CHECK OUT WILL's OTHER TOP 8s: The best rugby league wing giants, Miraculous comebacks of the NRL era
8. New Zealand Warriors (2011)
The progress made by the Warriors in 2010 โ when they finished fifth โ seemed a distant memory as Ivan Clearyโs charges lost their opening three games of 2011. But with the likes of rookies Elijah Taylor and Shaun Johnson forging permanent spots in the starting line-up, the Warriors resurrected their campaign by winning all of their games in May and July.
The enigmatic Auckland-based outfit landed in sixth before producing iconic finals upsets of the Tigers and Storm, eventually halted by a 24-10 loss to the Sea Eagles in the Grand Final.
Parramatta 2009 doesnโt even get a mention?!?!
5 wins from 18 rounds and go on to make a GFโฆ thatโll do me!
I take your point โ but this list was based purely on teams that lost a bunch of games at the start, going 0-3, 0-4, 0-5 etc.
The โ09 Eels won two of their first three so I didnโt consider them for this. Absolutely the greatest late-season charge since Southsโ Miracle of โ55 โ in fact I put them at No.2 in the โLate-season Ralliesโ top 10 in my book โThe NRL Book of Listsโ.