The
2003 NRL grand final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding match of the 2003 NRL season. In what was a contest of
SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's east versus west, defending premiers and match favourites, the
Sydney RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
played against minor premiers and underdogs, the
Penrith PanthersThe Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
. The first
grand finalGrand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
to feature two Sydney-based teams since 1996 and the first all-Sydney grand final since the formation of the NRL was played on the night of Sunday, 5 October at Stadium Australia in the inner western suburb of
Sydney Olympic ParkSydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
. Domestically, live television coverage was provided by Nine's Wide World of Sports. The match was also broadcast live in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by 'Fox Sports World' as it had been since 2001.
Match day
Of all the Panthers players, only Luke Priddis had grand final experience, having defeated the Roosters with the Broncos in the 2000 NRL season's decider.
81,166 spectators turned out at Telstra Stadium for the game. Pre-match entertainment featured performances by
Meat LoafMichael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
, the
Hoodoo GurusHoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
and
American IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
winner
Kelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
.
Troy Cassar-DaleyTroy Cassar-Daley is a multi-award-winning country musician from New South Wales, Australia.He released his first EP, "Dream Out Loud", in 1994 and was nominated for his first Golden Guitar for Best Male Vocalist the same year...
then sung the Australian national anthem just before
Bill Harrigan-External links:**http://www.billharrigan.com.au/Referee-career-pg2853.html*http://www.mediaman.com.au/profiles/harrigan.html*http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1766903.htm*http://www.claxtonspeakers.com.au/speakers_profile/134...
, refereeing his 7th consecutive grand final and 10th overall, blew time on and the Roosters kicked off.
| Penrith Panthers |
Position |
Sydney Roosters |
1 Rhys WesserRhys Joseph "Sugar" Wesser is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the NRL...
|
FB |
1 Anthony MinichielloAnthony Minichiello is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who, to date, has played his entire career for the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League. He plays at fullback and on the Wing. Minichiello has represented New South Wales and Australia...
|
2 Luke LewisLuke Lewis is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative utility player, he has spent his entire professional career with the Panthers,...
|
WG |
2 Todd ByrneTodd Byrne is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for Hull in the Super League competition...
|
3 Luke RooneyLuke Rooney is an Australian professional rugby union footballer for RC Toulonnais in the Top 14 competition as of 2012. His previous teams include Melbourne Rebels and the Penrith Panthers.-Rugby League:...
|
CE |
3 Ryan CrossRyan Cross is a Rugby Union football player for Racing Metro 92 after signing from USA Perpignan in the French Top 14. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League competition, the Western Force and the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby.-Early career:Son of former rugby...
|
| 4 Ryan Girdler Ryan Girdler is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played centre and was a successful goal-kicker. Thanks to his on-field skills and good looks he became a popular figure in rugby league.-Rugby league career:Girdler first played in the NSWRL for the Illawarra...
|
CE |
4 Shannon HegartyShannon Hegarty is an Australian rugby league footballer for the Jacksonville Axemen of the USA Rugby League...
|
5 Paul WhatuiraPaul Whatuira is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL...
|
WG |
5 Chris Walker |
6 Preston CampbellPreston Campbell, is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...
|
5/8th |
6 Brad FittlerBradley Scott "Freddie" Fittler AM is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. The current coach of NSW City team in the City vs. Country clash, he coached in the NRL for the Sydney Roosters between 2007 and 2009. As a player, Fittler captained both New South Wales...
(c) |
| 7 Craig Gower Craig Gower is an Australian-Italian professional rugby footballer. He is a dual-code rugby international, having played rugby league for Australia, and rugby union for Italy...
(c) |
HB |
9 Craig WingCraig Wing is an Australian rugby union player. He currently plays rugby union in Japan. A former rugby league player for New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international utility player, Wing played for South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters.-South Sydney Rabbitohs:Craig Wing was a...
|
8 Joel ClintonJoel Clinton is an Australian professional rugby league footballer with Hull Kingston Rovers of the European Super League and most previously the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League...
|
PR |
8 Jason Cayless Jason Paul Cayless is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international representative prop forward, he is the younger brother of Parramatta Eels great, Nathan Cayless. He played his club football for the Sydney Roosters, with whom he won the 2002...
|
9 Luke PriddisLuke Priddis is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s...
|
HK |
14 Michael CrockerMichael Crocker is an Australian professional rugby league footballer with the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the NRL...
|
| 10 Martin Lang |
PR |
10 Ned CaticNed Catic is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for Barrow Raiders after being released by Castleford Tigers at the end of the 2008 Super League season...
|
11 Joe GaluvaoJoe Galuvao is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League...
|
SR |
11 Adrian MorleyAdrian Morley is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Warrington Wolves of Europe's Super League...
|
12 Tony PuletuaAnthony Puletua is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer for St. Helens in the European Super League. A New Zealand and Samoan international, Puletua previously played for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League competition...
|
SR |
12 Craig FitzgibbonCraig "Fitzy" Fitzgibbon is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for Hull in the European Super League and previously the Sydney Roosters of the NRL. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative forward, he is the son of former rugby league player and...
|
13 Scott SattlerScott Sattler is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who later became the Football Manager for the Gold Coast Titans. As a player he played for the Gold Coast Chargers from 1992 to 1993 as well as a second spell with the club between 1997 and 1998...
|
LF |
13 Luke RicketsonLuke Ricketson is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian and Ireland international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative back-rower, he played his entire club football career for the Sydney Roosters of the NRL...
|
14 Ben RossBen Ross is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League . A Queensland State of Origin representative forward, he has previously played club football for St...
|
Int. |
7 Brett FinchBrett Finch is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Wigan Warriors of the Super League...
|
15 Trent WaterhouseTrent Waterhouse is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Penrith Panthers of the National Rugby League . He has also represented City Origin, New South Wales and Australia...
|
Int. |
15 Andrew Lomu Andrew Lomu is an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Canberra Raiders and for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League competition...
|
16 Shane RodneyShane Rodney is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for Harlequins RL of Super League. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers, winning the 2003 NRL premiership with them. and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles whom he won the 2011 NRL Grand Final with...
|
Int. |
16 Chad RobinsonChad Robinson is an Australian professional rugby league footballer.He will join European Super League side Harlequins RL for the 2009 season...
|
17 Luke SwainLuke Swain, is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Salford City Reds of Super League. He previously played in the NRL for the Penrith Panthers and Gold Coast Titans...
|
Int. |
17 Chris Flannery |
John LangJohn Lang is an Australian former rugby league football coach and player. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative hooker, he played his club football in Brisbane with the Eastern Suburbs Tigers and in Sydney with the Eastern Suburbs Roosters...
|
Coach |
Ricky StuartRicky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
|
First half
Rain started falling only a few minutes into the match and continued throughout. After thirty minutes of play, the Roosters' defence was the first to give when Penrith hooker Luke Priddis, still within his team's side of the
fieldThe rugby league playing field, also referred to as a pitch or paddock, is the playing surface for the sport of rugby league football and is surfaced exclusively with grass....
, ran from dummy-half and into open space, finally passing to winger Luke Rooney coming through in support to cross untouched on the left for the opening
tryA try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
. Ryan Girdler kicked the conversion so the Panthers were leading 6-0. No more points were scored for the rest of the half so this remained the score at the break.
Second half
In the eighth minute, and after repeat sets of six had brought the Roosters close to Penrith's try-line, forward Jason Cayless crossed it beneath the uprights, but the ball was held up by the defence. On the very next play, the ball went through the hands out to Shannon Hegarty to score on the left hand side of the field. Craig Fitzgibbon's conversion, which bounced through off an upright, evened the scores at 6-6. Eight minutes later Sydney winger Todd Byrne received the ball on his own forty-metre line and ran into open space along the left edge of the field. Panthers lock forward Scott Sattler was chasing and twenty metres from the try-line tackled Byrne, pulling him out of the field in what would become one of the most famous plays in
grand finalGrand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
history. In the sixty-sixth minute the Panthers had made their way up to within five metres of the Roosters' try line where Luke Priddis again ran from dummy-half and scored, stretching out of the tackle to touch down beside the uprights. Preston Campbell kicked the extra two points so Penrith were now leading 12-6. In the seventy-third minute, Panthers halfback Craig Gower attempted a field goal but it was charged down. Penrith re-gathered the ball and continued towards the Roosters line and four tackles later had reached perfect field-goal kicking position. Priddis, at dummy-half again, instead decided to dummy and run left, throwing a long cut-out pass to Rooney on the wing to score untouched in the corner. Campbell converted the try and the Panthers lead 18-6 with six minutes left to play, but no further points ensued so this remained the score at full time.
Post match
Luke Priddis was awarded the
Clive Churchill MedalThe Clive Churchill Medal has been presented to the man-of-the-match of the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final match ever since the 1986 season. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian history, following his death in 1985...
as man-of-the-match before the Prime Minister of Australia
John HowardJohn Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
presented Panthers captain Craig Gower with the premiership trophy.
It was Scott Sattler's last game with Penrith, having signed with the
Wests TigersThe Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
for the following season.
Three members of Penrith's premiership winning team have subsequently played in other premiership teams –
Paul WhatuiraPaul Whatuira is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL...
was part of the
Wests TigersThe Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
team that triumphed in 2005 whilst
Joe GaluvaoJoe Galuvao is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League...
and
Shane RodneyShane Rodney is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for Harlequins RL of Super League. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers, winning the 2003 NRL premiership with them. and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles whom he won the 2011 NRL Grand Final with...
won a second premiership together as part of the
Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesThe Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
team that won in 2011.
At the Penrith Leagues club approximately 10,000 people celebrated the victory with the Panthers.
World Club Challenge
Having won the premiership, the Penrith Panthers were to travel to England the following February to play the winners of the upcoming
2003 Super League Grand FinalThe 2003 Super League Grand Final was held on Saturday 18 October 2003, at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK. The game was played between Bradford Bulls and Wigan Warriors.Referee: Karl Kirkpatrick Attendance: 65,537...
in the
World Club ChallengeThe World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
.
External links