Super League Grand Final classics: Drop goal glory and Flower's punch
Tuesday 13 October 2015 11:54, UK
Tom Mordey selects his five favourite Grand Final moments, including Sean Long's heroics in the 2002 decider.
Before we finish our countdown you can read our first two parts with and parts 15-11 and parts 10-6.
5. Knock-on. Or no knock-on? 1999
One of the most nail-biting Grand Finals came in 1999 when St Helens saw off Bradford 8-6 in the second showpiece event at Old Trafford, and the game wasn't lacking in controversy.
Bradford, already leading through Henry Paul's magnificent opening try, thought they'd edged out further in front after Leon Pryce broke clear. But Stuart Cummings handed the decision upstairs to video referee Dave Campbell.
Campbell deliberated for what seemed like an age over whether Michael Withers had brushed the ball with his fingertips in the build-up to the try. Eventually he ruled knock-on.
Bradford were dismayed, and to make matters worse, Kevin Iro scored a late try to snatch the game from their grasp.
Nobody could quite decide after whether it was a knock-on or not and it still remains open to debate.
4. Beep Beep Burrow - 2011
St Helens were the favourites in 2011, given Leeds' fifth-place finish in the table, but nothing could separate the sides early on at Old Trafford.
With the game locked at 2-2 late in the first half, it came down to a moment of magic from one of the Rhinos' experienced campaigners - Rob Burrow.
Live Super League Grand Final
Burrow, who'd started on the bench, took the ball up on halfway and dodged under a couple of tackles to make a clean break. He stepped round Paul Wellens, evaded James Roby and then outpaced another two St Helens defenders to cross for one of the best tries Old Trafford has seen.
St Helens did come back to lead, but Burrow produced more magic later on in a man-of-the-match performance, his second Harry Sunderland trophy, to help Leeds to a 32-16 win.
3. Drop goal glory - 2002
2002. What a game. Possibly the best Grand Final of them all. St Helens and Bradford truly delivered in a showdown like no other. They matched each other stride for stride and were 18-18 with just 60 seconds remaining.
Both teams scored three tries each, Scott Naylor, Robbie Paul and Michael Withers for Bradford and Mike Bennett, Sean Long and Martin Gleeson for St Helens.
In fact, an earlier missed conversion meant Long had levelled the game on 66 minutes with a penalty, setting up a tense finish.
Both sides missed attempted winning drop goals, Long and Paul Sculthorpe for the Saints, while man-of-the-match Paul Deacon went close for Bradford. But St Helens manufactured one final chance for Long with a minute left on the clock.
Keiron Cunningham flung the ball back and Long, this time, made no mistake, firing Saints to a dramatic victory. But there was still controversy to come…
2. Voluntary tackle? - 2002
So just to rewind quickly - St Helens were leading a tense Grand Final 19-18 after Sean Long dropped a goal to put them in front. There was barely 40 seconds on the clock when Bradford kicked-off.
As St Helens played out the final set of six, something extraordinary happened. Chris Joynt picked the ball up from dummy half and ran towards Paul Deacon. But before Deacon could attempt any tackle, Joynt flopped to the ground with no contact made.
Surely a voluntary tackle? The Bradford players certainly thought so, shouting at referee Russell Smith to give a penalty that would have been in very kick-able range for Harry Sunderland winner Deacon.
But Smith waved away their protests and blew for full time, leaving the Bulls raging mad. So controversy at Old Trafford, not matched until a certain incident in 2014…
1. That punch - 2014
Wigan went into the 2014 Grand Final as marginal favourites against bitter rivals St Helens.
The two sides had met in the showpiece event just twice before - in 2000 and 2010 - and the atmosphere built to a crescendo before kick-off as both sets of fans prayed to secure the local bragging rights in the biggest of games.
Unfortunately, the pressure was too much to handle for one player in particular. Within two minutes, Blake Green's high kick caused confusion in the Saints defence. Ben Flower knocked on and was then hit late by Lance Hohaia.
But then Flower lost it. He knocked the stand-off to the ground with one punch and then landed another with Hohaia lying flat on his back.
There was no choice for Phil Bentham but to issue the red card, making Flower the first player to be sent off at Old Trafford.
Wigan fought valiantly with 12 men, but didn't have enough and St Helens ran out 14-6 victors.
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