#1 NRL's Greatest Grand Finals | Thebigtip

24th September 1989
Canberra Raiders 19 defeated Balmain Tigers 14
@ Sydney Football Stadium
Referee: Bill Harrigan
Raiders 19: Belcher, Ferguson, Jackson tries. Meninga 3 goals. Sullivan field goal.
Tigers 14: Grant, Sironen tries. Currier 3 goals.
Clive Churchill Medallist: Brad Clyde.

Most good judges agree that the Canberra Raiders breathtaking extra time victory over the luckless Balmain Tigers is still the greatest grand final of them all.

A day which saw the premiership trophy leave Sydney for the first time and the very last time the Balmain Tigers would ever see grand final day.

Despite the Raiders playing well, the Tigers scored two tries against the run of play. Resulting in Balmain leading 12-0 at the break.

Canberra’s Kiwi prop Brent Todd ran across field and through a poor pass to his left with Tigers winger James Grant picking up the ball and racing away for the first try of the decider.

A great ball from Steve Roach saw Grant speed away before linking up with Andy Currier who kicked ahead and re-gathered before tipping on to a roaring Paul Sironen who was unstoppable from twenty metres out.

Balmain could taste sweet victory.

Gary Belcher hit back for the Raiders fifteen minutes into the second half when John “Chicka” Ferguson beat Currier and then gifted the ball to Belcher. 12-6.

With twenty minutes to play, two monumental moments kept Canberra in the game and kept the Tigers away from the premiership.

First Mal Meninga ankle-tapped Michael Neil only metres before the line. Minutes later, Tim Brasher seemed destined to score as he stood unmarked outside the Canberra defensive line. But as the ball swept to the right, Tigers skipper Wayne Pearce dropped the ball.

Another turning point was Balmain coach Warren Ryan’s decision to substitute international players Steve Roach and Paul Sironen.

But it shouldn’t have mattered as Benny Elias attempted a second shot at field goal. The Ball sailed toward the posts only to hit the crossbar and bounce away.

With ninety seconds to play, Raiders five-eight Michael Sullivan put up a searching bomb which Laurie Daley palmed back for the waiting Ferguson who beat three defenders to score close to the posts. Meninga converted and the game went to extra-time.

Gary Jack knocked on two minutes into the extra period and Sullivan quickly took the field goal from the scrum to give Canberra a 13-12 lead.

Then came one of the greatest grand final tries of all time and it came from an unlikely source. Replacement Raider Steve Jackson took off from fifteen metres out and quickly beat two Balmain defenders before carrying three more desperate Tigers players across the line. Somehow he got the ball down.

Such was the drama of the match that an account of it was written by Thomas Keneally entitled "A movie script that came to life".