2001 NRL Grand Final

2001 (2001) NRL Grand Final  ()
12 Total
PAR 024 24
NEW 246 30
Date 30 September 2001
Stadium Stadium Australia
Location Sydney
Clive Churchill Medal Andrew Johns (NEW)
Referees Bill Harrigan
Attendance 90,414
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters
Commentators

The 2001 NRL grand final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2001 NRL season. It was contested by the Newcastle Knights (who had finished the regular season in 3rd place), and the Parramatta Eels (who had finished the regular season in 1st place), after both sides eliminated the rest of the top eight during the finals. The attendance of 90,414 was the third highest ever seen at a rugby league match in Australia. Domestically, live free-to-air television coverage was provided by Nine's Wide World of Sports. The match was also broadcast live in the United States by Fox Sports World.[1] Newcastle Knights won, with their captain Andrew Johns receiving the Clive Churchill Medal for man-of-the-match.[2]

Background

The 2001 NRL season was the 94th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the fourth run by the National Rugby League. Also called the 2001 Telstra Premiership (due to sponsorship from Telstra Corporation) it was contested by thirteen Australian-based clubs plus one New Zealand-based club.

First half

Parramatta Eels Posit. Newcastle Knights
Brett Hodgson FB Robbie O'Davis
Luke Burt WG Timana Tahu
Jamie Lyon CE Matthew Gidley
David Vaealiki CE Mark Hughes
Jason Moodie WG Adam MacDougall
Michael Buettner FE Sean Rudder
Jason Taylor HB Andrew Johns (c)
Nathan Cayless (c) PR Josh Perry
Brad Drew HK Danny Buderus
Michael Vella PR Matt Parsons
Nathan Hindmarsh SR Steve Simpson
Ian Hindmarsh SR Ben Kennedy
Daniel Wagon LK Bill Peden
PJ Marsh INT Daniel Abraham
Andrew Ryan INT Paul Marquet
Alex Chan INT Glenn Grief
David Solomona INT Clinton O'Brien
Brian Smith Coach Michael Hagan

The Knights were first to score with a try to Bill Peden in the 3rd minute with Andrew Johns converting to take the Knights out to a 6-0 lead. Four minutes later, the Knights scored again through Steve Simpson with Andrew Johns failing to convert, taking the score to 10-0. Johns not long after took a shot at penalty goal due to a leg pull from Brad Drew which was penalised by referee Bill Harrigan to make the score 12-0. By the 24th minute it was already an 18-0 lead to the Knights with another try to Bill Peden and another conversion to Andrew Johns. Not long after, the Eels had their best chance of the first half with Andrew Ryan getting over the line but he was held up by Steve Simpson and failed to score with Simpson being injured in the tackle. In the following set the Eels got the ball wide left, but the pass which would have put Luke Burt in for a try in the corner was passed well behind him and he failed to catch it. In the 32nd minute, Ben Kennedy scored for the Knights with Andrew Johns converting to make it 24-0 to the Knights. The Eels had a couple of chances in the Knights half after that but failed to convert their opportunities so the score remained the same until halftime.

Second half

The Eels were the first to score in the second half to make the score 24-6. In the 64th minute the knights wrapped up the 2001 Premiership when a wide pass from Bill Peden to Andrew Johns who put up a towering bomb to Timana Tahu's wing who got tangled up with Luke Burt before getting the ball down about 50 cm inside the touch in goal line. Two minutes later, Jamie Lyon scored to make it 28-12 to keep the Eels in the game. Three Minutes later, the Knights made the margin three converted tries at 30-12 from a penalty goal to Johns after an attempted short drop out by Brad Drew went out on the full. One more try to both Lyon and Hogdson in the final ten minutes got it back to a converted try (30-24) but just wasn't enough for the Eels set a remarkable Grand Final comeback as the Knights went on to clinch the 2001 Premiership from the performance in one of the best 1st halves of a Rugby League Grand Final ever.

Newcastle have not played in another Grand Final since then, whilst Parramatta were unsuccessful in 2009 when it lost out to the Melbourne Storm.

Match summary

30 Newcastle Knights
Tries 2 Peden
1 Simpson
1 Kennedy
1 Tahu
Goals 5/7 Johns
Field Goals
24 Parramatta Eels
Tries 2 Hodgson
2 Lyon
Goals 4/4 Burt
Field Goals

Half Time: 24 0

Clive Churchill Medalist: Andrew Johns

Referee: Bill Harrigan

Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney

Attendance: 90,414

Scoring timeline

3rd: Newcastle 6-0 (Peden try; Johns goal)
7th: Newcastle 10-0 (Simpson try)
13th: Newcastle 12-0 (Johns goal)
24th: Newcastle 18-0 (Peden try; Johns goal)
31st: Newcastle 24-0 (Kennedy try; Johns goal)
57th: Newcastle 24-6 (Hodgson try; Hodgson goal)
63rd: Newcastle 28-6 (Tahu try)
65th: Newcastle 28-12 (Lyon try; Hodgson goal)
68th: Newcastle 30-12 (Johns goal)
73rd: Newcastle 30-18 (Lyon try; Hogdson goal)
79th: Newcastle 30-24 (Hodgson try; Hodgson goal)

See also

References

  1. Sports, Business & Entertainment Editors (2003-10-03). "National Rugby League Grand Final, Live on Fox Sports World This Sunday". Business Wire. Los Angeles: Gale Group. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  2. Keeble, Brett (1 October 2011). "Newcastle Knights recall 2001 grand final glory". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
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