Top 10 Most Memorable Grand Finals - Number 5
March 12th 2011 12:04
Top 10 Most Memorable Grand Finals
Number 5
1969: Balmain Tigers verses South Sydney Rabbitohs
After finishing runners-up four times since their last Premiership in 1947, the Tigers were once again poised to become bridesmaids when faced with a Rabbitohs powerhouse. With the likes of Eric Simms, John Sattler, John O’Neill, Ron Coote and Bob McCarthy in their side, while coached by the ‘Little Master’ Clive Churchill, Souths were odds on favourites to win.
In fact, Balmain were almost unbackable and were quoted at 5-2 on or shorter despite finishing second in the regular season. By this time Souths were heavily entrenched in the club’s third ‘golden era’, having won the previous two Premierships and boasting a plethora of internationals.
Despite beating the Bunnies in round one, the Tigers had lost to them twice in the season, the second of which being two weeks earlier in a desperately close Major Semi-Final. Balmain then had to battle through another hard-fought game when they tipped Manly-Warringah by one point in the Preliminary Final.
Oddly, Souths adopted a tactic of refusing to kick on the last tackle and the move only benefited the Tigers. With a scrum the order of the day to restart the tackle count (nowadays sees a turnover), Balmain hooker Peter Boulton succeeded in consistently regaining possession for his team.
The mountain of possession and their tight defence saw the Tigers succeed in pinning the Rabbitohs down in their own half for large parts of the contest. Eventually, good field possession paid dividends for the Tigers as Bolton swooped upon a Bob McCarthy mistake. From there centre Terry Parker passed to replacement winger Sid Williams who crossed the line.
Scoring the only try in the match, the Tigers led 9-0. Having the advantage, it was at this point that the boys from Balmain adopted some dubious tactics. With the aim of slowing the Rabbitohs down, the Tigers were alleged to employ ‘go-slow’ tactics by feigning injury, continuously stifling Souths’ rhythm.
‘We had to slow it down…they had seven internationals…we would have been mad to take them on’, a Balmain official amazingly admitted at the time.
While perhaps not being in the spirit of the game, the ploy worked. In its aftermath the game was referred to as ‘the lay-down Grand Final’.
Justified or not, Balmain succeeded in halting the Souths juggernaut and ran out victors 11-2. The scenes of jubilation by the Tigers players at the full-time siren are images that are replayed even to this day. Their victory has since been called the greatest Grand Final upset in the post-war era, one in which the Wests Tigers continuously acknowledge at various functions and matches.
The aftermath to the game also saw the rise to one of Rugby League’s most iconic figures, Laurie Nichols; who was proclaimed as Balmain’s ‘number one fan’.
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