It all comes down to this, the final game of the NRL Premiership season.
In 2024, Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers will fight it out at Accor Stadium in Sydney for the right to hoist the Provan-Summons Trophy.
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But what is the history of rugby league’s single biggest game since it was first played in 1908?
Read on as we answer some of your key questions about the NRL decider.
[Note: While the NRL was only created in 1998, we have referred to previous iterations of the competition in the same fashion for simplicity. The records do however reflect all the Australian rugby league Grand Finals played back to 1908. We have also taken the liberty of including the two Grand Finals played by the St George Illawarra Dragons under the umbrella of “The Dragons”.]
Which club has won the most NRL Grand Finals?
South Sydney have won the Grand Final on 17 occasions. They won their first decider in 1908 and their most recent in 2014. They have won the competition on a further four occasions in seasons where the title was decided on a first past the post basis. They were also awarded the 1909 decider on forfeit after the Balmain Tigers thought they had an agreement to boycott the match due to a scheduling dispute.
Which club has lost the most NRL Grand Finals?
The Dragons hold the record for the most lost season finales with 13. They were first beaten by Souths in 1927 and suffered their most recent Grand Final defeat in 1999 by Melbourne Storm.
Which club has the longest Grand Final winning streak?
The Dragons won an incredible 11 straight deciders between 1956 and 1966. They beat five different clubs across that stretch; Balmain, Manly, Wests, Easts and Souths.
The Dragons in action against Balmain Tigers in the 1956 Grand Final, the first of 11-straight victories for the Big Red V. Fairfax Media via Getty Images
Has an NRL Grand Final always been played?
No. A deciding match has not been played on 11 separate occasions. It has however been contested in every season since 1938. That is why South Sydney have won more total premierships than St George.
Which player has won the most NRL Grand Finals?
Norm Provan won 10 Grand Finals as part of Dragons team that also won 11 consecutive titles between 1956 and 1966. Provan did not play in the team’s victory in 1966.
Which player has lost the most NRL Grand Finals?
There are four players who have lost four Grand Finals each. They are Brad Fittler (1990 Panthers and 2000, 2003, 2004 Roosters), Mark Coyne (1992, 1993, 1996, 1999 Dragons), Anthony Minichiello (2000, 2003, 2004, 2010 Roosters) and Dale Finucane (2012, 2014 Bulldogs and 2016, 2018 Storm).
Roosters players Brad Fittler and Anthony Minichiello during the 2000 NRL Grand Final loss to the Broncos. Adam Pretty/ALLSPORT
Which coach has won the most NRL Grand Finals?
Arthur Halloway holds the record for the coach who has won the most deciders, with eight in total. He won his first with Balmain Tigers in 1916 and his last with Eastern Suburbs in 1945.
Which coach has lost the most NRL Grand Finals?
Brian Smith holds the record with four Grand Final losses (1992, 1993 Dragons and 2001, 2010 Roosters).
Which player has scored the most points in an NRL Grand Final?
St George’s Harry Bath owns the record for the most points in a decider. He scored 16 in his club’s 31-9 win over Manly in 1957.
Who has scored the most tries in an NRL Grand Final?
Johnny Graves crossed the stripe on four occasions back in the 1951 finale. He helped Souths overcome Manly 42-14.
What is the biggest winning margin in an NRL Grand Final?
Manly Sea Eagles absolutely monstered Melbourne Storm in 2008. Their 40-0 victory remains the highest winning margin in an NRL Grand Final.
Fireworks go off before the 2015 NRL grand final at ANZ Stadium. Brett Hemmings/Getty Images
What is the biggest crowd in an Australian rugby league Grand Final?
107,999 fans watched Melbourne Storm come from 14-0 down to defeat the Dragons at Stadium Australia in one of the most dramatic Grand Finals ever played. That record attendance is unlikely to be broken anytime soon, with the ground’s capacity now reduced to around 82,000.
Has anyone ever been sent off in an NRL Grand Final?
Phil Sigsworth is the owner of a rare piece of Australian rugby league ignominy as the only player to be sent off on Grand Final day. The Canterbury-Bankstown fullback was given his marching orders for a high tackle on Brett Kenny as his Bulldogs went down 4-2 to Parramatta Eels.
What is the NRL Grand Final trophy?
The Provan-Summons Trophy (then known as the Winfield Cup) was first presented to the winning team following the 1982 Grand Final. It is a bronze sculpture depicting a photograph taken of Norm Provan and Arthur Summons by John O’Gready, following the mud-riddled 1963 Grand Final between the Dragons and Magpies.
Norm Provan [L] stands alongside Arthur Summons and the NRL Premiership trophy, which immortalises the duo’s iconic ‘Gladiators’ moment from the 1963 Grand Final Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Who has won the most Clive Churchill Medals?
The Clive Churchill Medal for the best player in the Grand Final was first awarded in 1986. Since then, Bradley Clyde, Billy Slater and Nathan Cleary have all won the award on two occasions.
Has any player won the Clive Churchill Medal on a losing side?
Yes. Four players have been awarded the Medal despite being on a losing team. They are Bradley Clyde, Brad Mackay, Daly Cherry-Evans and Jack Wighton.
Which clubs have never won a Grand Final?
Three current clubs have yet to win a decider, being New Zealand Warriors, Gold Coast Titans and the recently added Dolphins (the latter two yet to make an appearance on Grand Final day).
They join the Glebe Dirty Reds (1908-1929), Sydney University (1920-1937), Cumberland (1908), Newcastle Rebels (1908-1909), Annandale (1910-1920), Illawarra Steelers (1982-1998), Gold Coast Seagulls/Chargers (1988-1998), South Queensland Crushers (1995-1997), Western Reds (1995-1997), Adelaide Rams (1997-1998), Hunter Mariners (1997), Northern Eagles (2000-2002) to have never won a decider.
Which club has the longest Grand Final losing streak?
Several clubs have lost back-to-back deciders, South Sydney (1924,1924), Newtown (1954, 1955), Parramatta (1976, 1977), Manly (1982, 1983), Balmain (1988, 1989), Dragons (1992,1993), Roosters (2003, 2004), but the record of three consecutive Grand Final losses belongs to Wests Magpies (1967, 1962, 1963).
Who has refereed the most Grand Finals?
Bill Harrigan took charge of the decider on 10 separate occasions between 1989 and 2003.
How many different venues have been used for a Grand Final?
The Grand Final has been played seven different grounds. The Sydney Cricket Ground has hosted the most deciders [53] while Sydney’s Olympic Stadium has staged the showpiece every year since 1998, except for 2021 when the game was moved to Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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