1999 NRL Grand Final
| Company type | Sporting event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rugby league |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
The 1999 NRL Grand Final served as the championship decider for the 1999 NRL season, showcasing two of the league's newest franchises: the Melbourne Storm, competing in just their second season and finishing 3rd in the regular rounds, and the St. George Illawarra Dragons, a newly formed joint venture club that secured 6th place. Both clubs advanced to the final by overcoming other top-eight teams during the finals series.
An unprecedented crowd of 107,999 spectators gathered at Stadium Australia, breaking the previous grand final attendance record of 78,065 set in 1965. This attendance also exceeded that of the 1998 Grand Final by 67,142 fans. Renowned for its fierce competition, this match is frequently ranked among the greatest NRL grand finals ever played. It was also notable as the last occasion the Clive Churchill Medal was presented inside a case before switching to a neck ribbon format in subsequent years.
Pre-game entertainment featured Hugh Jackman delivering a rendition of the Australian national anthem.
Background
The 1999 NRL season represented the 92nd year of professional rugby league in Australia and was only the second season managed by the National Rugby League. Following the exclusion of both the Adelaide Rams and Gold Coast Chargers, alongside the merger forming the St. George Illawarra Dragons from St. George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers, seventeen teams contested for the Premiership. This season also saw the inaugural grand final hosted at Stadium Australia.
Melbourne Storm
In their sophomore year, the Melbourne Storm were guided by coach Chris Anderson with Glenn Lazarus as captain. They concluded the regular Telstra Premiership season ranked third out of seventeen teams.
St. George Illawarra Dragons
The 1999 campaign marked the debut season for the St. George Illawarra Dragons joint venture. Led by coaches David Waite and Andrew Farrar, and captained by Paul McGregor, they finished sixth at the end of regular competition.
Teams
| Position | Melbourne Storm | St. George Illawarra Dragons |
|---|---|---|
| Coach | Chris Anderson | David Waite & Andrew Farrar |
| Fullback | Robbie Ross | Luke Patten |
| Wingers | Craig Smith, Marcus Bai | Jamie Ainscough, Nathan Blacklock |
| Centres | Aaron Moule, Tony Martin | Paul McGregor (c), Shaun Timmins |
| Five-eighth | Matt Geyer | Anthony Mundine |
| Halfback | Brett Kimmorley | Trent Barrett |
| Props | Glenn Lazarus (c), Rodney Howe | Craig Smith, Chris Leikvoll |
| Hooker | Richard Swain | Nathan Brown |
| Second-rowers | Stephen Kearney, Paul Marquet | Lance Thompson, Darren Treacy |
| Lock | Tawera Nikau | Wayne Bartrim |
| Interchange/Substitutes | Matt Rua, Russell Bawden, Ben Roarty, Danny Williams | Craig Fitzgibbon, Rod Wishart, Brad Mackay, Colin Ward |
Match details
At halftime, St. George Illawarra held a 14–0 advantage with tries from Craig Fitzgibbon and Nathan Blacklock. However, early in the second half, an Anthony Mundine knock-on shifted momentum toward Melbourne. The Storm capitalized with tries from Tony Martin, Ben Roarty, and winger Craig Smith—who also contributed two penalty goals. Despite a try from Dragons captain Paul McGregor that went unconverted, Melbourne closed in with an 18–14 scoreline.
In the 77th minute, Melbourne forced a goal-line dropout which led to halfback Brett Kimmorley kicking a bomb toward Craig Smith on the wing. During this play, Dragons centre Jamie Ainscough executed a high tackle over the try line that rendered Smith unconscious and caused a knock-on. Referee Bill Harrigan referred to video official Chris Ward who awarded Melbourne a penalty try. Matt Geyer successfully converted this try to put Melbourne ahead 20–18, clinching their maiden grand final triumph.
By winning this match, Melbourne became the quickest expansion club to claim a premiership title, surpassing Canterbury Bulldogs’ previous record set in 1938. The game also marked an end of an era as champion prop and captain Glenn Lazarus retired after securing his fifth grand final victory across three different clubs.
For supporters of St. George Illawarra, this defeat was particularly painful; their club had previously lost four grand finals (1985, 1992, 1993, 1996) and had not claimed a title since 1979. They would not reach another grand final until 2010 when they finally won their first premiership as a joint venture.
The grand final attracted over 600,000 television viewers in Melbourne—a city traditionally dominated by Australian Rules football. Melbourne’s comeback from a 14-point deficit established a record for the largest grand final turnaround until it was surpassed by Penrith in the 2023 NRL Grand Final.
Scoreboard
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