Your Favourite Rugby League moments

Thought i would start a new thread just for people to post their favourite Rugby League moments .

Either just writing them down or posting a clip .

They can be anything you like , full length of the field trys , match winning kicks , great tackles even punch ups if you like . Anything that shows how Great our game of league is .

Right then this has to start it off ........................................................................................................................................And its wide to West

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhGEldMGoSM

This is mine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epT4-ZaHBlw

I saw this live Hull KR v Queensland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62XSX_w8aQk

Good thread Kenny. Really enjoyed that and your first one.

I've got a few memorable league moments starting from about 1970. Dad used to take us down to Brookie and we'd watch the likes of Kenny Irvine, Bob Fulton, Johnny Mayes, Terry Randall. I was at Graham Eadie's first 1st grade game when he was a 17 y.o. My brother still has the original program with an article on this 'new young talent'. Later there were players like Michael O'Connor, Cliff Lyons, Matt Ridge, Hasler, Menzies, Toovey... so many great players to watch.

There's a few vague memories of us winning in '72 and '73 but by 1976 it had reached fever pitch on the northern beaches culminating in that 13-10 win over Parramatta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J5cGb8RM70

The motivation behind Wests. I thought the Eels rivalry was bigger at the time and it's only since Roy Masters has been talking it up for 30 years or more it sounds a lot bigger than it really was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E0u3V2Kse8

By 1978 we met them again in the semi final only to draw 13-13. Then there was the replay a week later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Q-l-8XpqM

After beating Wests 14-7 (who had lead the competition all year long with Cronulla) the Grand Final was also a draw. 11-11.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo1x-nc9Yow

The replay took place on a Tuesday afternoon and from memory it was unseasonably hot (33-34 degs, very humid with violent thunderstorms late in the afternoon) and the atmosphere was also stifling at the SCG. You could cut the air with a knife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T11SnDqip34

It was a bit of an anti climax when first Russell Gartner, then Eadie ran through one of the only gaps in the Sharks defence and managed to pot a few goals too to make it a very flattering 16-0 final scoreline.

It also brings back memories listening to Rex Mossop and his co-commentator Barry Ross, 'Sideline Eye'. I saw Rex in a Sydney hospital just before he died last June when my Dad was a few rooms away in the same ward. I'd always bump into him in Manly either on the beach or just walking around the place. We used to have breakfast at the same place (Ash's Table... still go there) and he was looking really fit when he was about 81 or 82?... and this was in late 2010.

Anyway, happy memories mostly of players, coaches and assorted characters.

Ellery Hanley full length of the field
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trqg66GNNSo

Martin Offiahs Challenge Cup try
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBtoUy5cHYU&feature=related

Ellery again the crab try (how do you run at that speed sideways ?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KkyECLey4s

Henderson Gill ( just because it annoys my brother in law _
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhIne3LCpB4

Offiahs ten tries v Leeds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPdkL8w_Qog

Paul Anderson kicks a goal from the touchline, its not an important kick or anything but it was a great moment to see a big forward kick a goal from the touchline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebuZv9HO-2g

LB – man you’ve dredged up some memories of Manly!

They were in effect NZ’s favourite team before the Warriors came along, much because of the influence of Graham Lowe as coach, and the presence of Ridge, the Iro bros and then later with Craig Innes and Gene Ngamu.

Manly were never really my favourite team – I supported Balmain from a young age but then dropped them because of the way Alan Jones treated Gary Freeman, who left for the Roosters in 92 (they subsequently and to this day are my team) – but my everlasting memory of Rugby League is possibly a game that was great at the time but one no one really talks about.

Manly v Canberra in the Minor Semi final 1991

Canberra were reigning champions and went into this game as favourites. Manly had so many injuries coming into this game and they weren’t at full strength. It turned into an epic tussle with Manly refusing to relent, even when Geoff Toovey went off with a facial/eye injury. It took 4 Gary Coyne tries to subdue Manly but all I remember is the way they kept coming back. I can’t remember who scored all the tries for Manly but Kevvy Iro and Frank Stokes scored memorable ones. The game was settled controversially when Canberra were awarded a penalty, Meninga had the ball on the ground awaiting the bucket of sand to kick a penalty and while Manly turned their backs to get ready for the kick, Meninga slyly tapped and Coyne got his fourth...outrageous!

For a boy of 11 it was the stuff of legends, two great teams going hammer and tongs. Brilliant game

Mintie

In the early 90s, there were a couple of other kiwis at Manly as well, Awen Guttenbeil and Billy Weepu, (Piris Brother).

Another New Zealander doing his bit for Manly!!!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3bVBmcvOOs&feature=related

I love the commentators comment:

" I cant see how someone wont get cited out of this"..

aucklandlaurie wrote:
Mintie

In the early 90s, there were a couple of other kiwis at Manly as well, Awen Guttenbeil and Billy Weepu, (Piris Brother).

Spot on Laurie, I played against Billy a few times when he went back to Wainui...also played alongside him for Wellington in '99. For a big unit, he's very skilled!

Mintie
Did you play in the Lion Red cup?

No, Lion Red Cup only existed until about 96-97 was it? I was ball boy for the Hutt Valley Firehawks in 94 though, $5 a game was good going at the time!

By the time I was playing for Wellington it had gone back to a provincial competition, with Auckland split into North and South. Can't remember which of them won it in the end - my NZRL yearbook for 99 is still in NZ!

We had quite a strong team then, Mike Luke and Anthony Farmer gave us a hard edge in the forwards with Paul Howell, Paul Whatuira, Willy Heather and Warren Doughty in the backs. As an 18 yr old I was just happy to be there playing with some guys who I used to idolise on the Wellington scene! Best moment though was getting our MVP against NSW Country at the Hutt Rec after being asked to play halfback for the first time ever. That was probably the quickest game I have ever played in my life, and I am surprised that I was able to play as well as I did against that team.

mintie
Thats a good standard, cause a lot of those guys you played with would have formed the basis of the Orcas team that played in the Bartercard.

Possibly Laurie, though when the Bartercard started in 2000, we had two teams from Wellington, Wainui and Porirua. Wainui was almost exclusively a standalone side whilst Porirua recruited heavily from other clubs.

I signed up with Wynnum Manly for 2000 so left before the Bartercard came into effect, but had I stayed I probably would have gravitated towards Wainui....