I have wanted to do this for so long, and now I officially can. A list of the 10 best ever Australian rugby league teams.
10. 1995 Manly Sea Eagles - One of the best teams to fall at the final hurdle, Manly lost only two games in 1995 and topped the table with a points differential of +439. In a season that included some of the biggest stars of the modern era, Manly dominated but when the finals came around, they appeared burnt-out. They stumbled into the Preliminary Final with a four point win over Cronulla before holding Newcastle to one try in a 12-4 win. In the Grand Final, Manly just couldn't match the intensity of the Bulldogs with rookie Steve Price leading the way, and choked when it mattered most, held tryless in a 17-4 defeat. While the pain was immense, it was soon forgotten as they won the next year.
9. 2004 Canterbury Bulldogs - Made up for the disappointment of 2002 by winning 19 of their 24 games. The Dogs finished 2nd on the ladder behind the Sydney Roosters on points differential, but outscored them by 50 points. In a season highlighted by a 40-12 win over the Roosters, the Dogs went on to beat their counterparts 16-13 in the Grand Final after beating the reigning Premiers Penrith in the Preliminary.
8. 1917 Balmain Tigers - Conceded just nine tries in a 14 game season, of which they won 13. The Tigers finished 8 points clear of South Sydney on the first-past-the-post ladder.
7. 2001 Parramatta Eels - The greatest team to never win a Premiership. The 2001 Eels hold the record for the most points scored in a season with a titanic 839 and losing only 4 games along the way. With Jason Taylor scoring 265 points and Brett Hodgson running in 17 tries, the Eels were unstoppable in a season highlighted by a 40-0 thrashing of the team they would meet in the Grand Final that year - Newcastle - in round 17. The Eels waltzed into the Preliminary Final by thumping Warriors 56-12 in the Qualifying round, before marching into the Grand Final by putting Brisbane away 24-16. It was assumed the Eels just had to show up to the 2001 Grand Final and they would be crowned Premiers. However, no one told Newcastle who created one of the greatest Grand Final upsets of all time and won 30-24.
6. 1951 South Sydney Rabbitohs - One of only three teams to be 1st on the ladder for the entire season. South Sydney lost one game in 1951 and finished 11 points ahead of Manly on the ladder. After being walloped by St. George in the Major Semi Final 35-8, the Bunnies thanked their lucky stars when Manly took care of the Dragons in the Preliminary Final, and Souths went on to win the Grand Final 42-14 against the Sea Eagles.
5. 1925 South Sydney Rabbitohs - The only team in Australian rugby league history to win every game in a season. Souths went 12-0 in 1925 and were rarely challenged. A first-past-the-post system was in effect in 1925 so there were no finals.
4. 1982 Parramatta Eels - This year was not particularly spectacular for Parramatta, but was the pinnacle of their 4 Premierships in the 1980s. They won 21 of 26 matches scoring 619 points - 4 games clear and 80 points more than their nearest rival Manly. The Eels had a multitude of stars including Sterling, Kenny, Grothe, Cronin, Price, Edge and Ella. The Eels responded to a 20-0 loss to Manly in the Major semi by thumping Easts 33-0 and then beating Manly in the big one 21-8.
3. 1975 Eastern Suburbs - The Roosters lost just two games in 1975, winning 18 straight games to finish the season and have often been claimed the best team of all time. With Artie Beetson as captain, the Roosters scraped home in a few of their games by a solitary point, while winning a lot of their back half games by in excess of 18 points. They won the Grand Final 38-0 against St. George which for 33 years remained the biggest winning margin in Grand Finals.
2. 1935 Eastern Suburbs - Lost just one game and scored 599 points (avg. 37.4/game) with only 157 against for a whopping +442 point differential. On the back of winger Dave Brown's still-record 38 tries and 65 goals, the Roosters ploughed through 1935, thrashing Canterbury in one game 87-7. They won the Grand Final 19-3 vs. Souths. Could challenge for the number 1 spot.
1. 1958 St. George Dragons - This is the most dominant team of the most dominant dynasty in rugby league history. The Dragons won 11 straight premierships from 1956-66 and in 1959, they recorded their strongest season of the 11. The Dragons were undefeated, winning 17 of their 18 games with one draw, scoring 550 points and conceding only 190 - a difference of +360 points. The Dragons cruised to the Grand Final and kept Manly scoreless - winning 20-0.
And there you have it. The 10 greatest teams in rugby league history. There were some who were unlucky to miss out:
---------Honourable Mentions---------
1. 1909 South Sydney Rabbitohs
2. 1921 North Sydney Bears
3. 1932 South Sydney Rabbitohs
4. 2001 Newcastle Knights
5. 2002 Canterbury Bulldogs
6. 1994 Canberra Raiders
7. 2000 Brisbane Broncos
8. 2002 Auckland Warriors
9. 2004 Sydney Roosters
10. 1991 Penrith Panthers
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They all lack one name and 3 letters.
ReplyDeleteLRT
True that. But that's why they are the 10 GREATEST teams of all time.
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