2009 NRL Grand Final
| Company type | Sports event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rugby league |
| Founded | October 4, 2009 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific, India, Middle East, Americas, UK, Ireland |
| Products | Rugby league match, television broadcast |
The 2009 NRL Grand Final served as the decisive championship match for the NRL's 2009 Telstra Premiership season. Taking place on 4 October 2009 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, the contest featured the Parramatta Eels facing off against the Melbourne Storm, who were making their fourth straight grand final appearance. Melbourne's victory was subsequently annulled due to breaches of the salary cap. This grand final was notable for introducing a dual-referee system, with Shayne Hayne and Tony Archer sharing officiating duties.
At halftime, Melbourne held a 10–0 advantage and managed to fend off a Parramatta rally, ultimately winning 23–16. This triumph marked their third premiership since entering the league, although it was later revoked because of salary cap infringements. Following this, Melbourne went on to defeat the Leeds Rhinos, champions of the 2009 Super League Grand Final, in the 2010 World Club Challenge, a title that was also later rescinded.
Background
The 2009 NRL season represented the 102nd iteration of professional rugby league competition in Australia and the twelfth conducted under the National Rugby League banner. Sixteen teams vied for the Telstra Premiership, with the season spanning from 13 March until the grand final on 4 October. Concurrently, the National Youth Competition held its second season.
Melbourne Storm
Finishing fourth in the regular season with a record of 14 wins, nine losses, and one draw, Melbourne Storm entered the finals amid skepticism regarding their form despite being minor premiers for three consecutive years and champions in 2007. Analysts questioned their ability to reach a fourth straight grand final. However, they convincingly overcame defending premiers Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40–12 and 2006 premiers Brisbane Broncos 40–10 during the finals to secure their place in the grand final. This achievement made Melbourne Storm the first team since Parramatta (1981–84) to appear in four consecutive grand finals.
Five-eighth Brett Finch had an added personal dimension to this match, competing against Parramatta—the club that had terminated his contract earlier in April 2009 under coach Daniel Anderson.
Parramatta Eels
Following a sluggish start to their campaign, the Parramatta Eels surged by winning nine of their last twelve matches to finish eighth and claim a spot in the finals. They proceeded to defeat each of the top three teams from the regular season—minor premiers St. George Illawarra Dragons, Gold Coast Titans, and rivals Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs—to reach the grand final. This appearance was Parramatta’s first since 2001 when they lost to the Newcastle Knights, with their last premiership victory dating back to 1986. Parramatta became the first team to advance to an NRL Grand Final from eighth position; had they won, they would have been the first side ranked below sixth to secure the premiership. Previously, Canterbury reached the 1998 grand final from ninth place under a different finals structure.
Fullback and Dally M Medal recipient Jarryd Hayne faced potential suspension following a contentious tackle but was ultimately cleared to participate, setting up a significant matchup against Melbourne’s fullback and 2008 Golden Boot Winner Billy Slater.
Captain Nathan Cayless overcame a hamstring injury sustained during the preliminary final to lead his team, joining teammates Luke Burt and Nathan Hindmarsh as among the few remaining players from Parramatta’s 2001 Grand Final lineup.
During round 19 of the regular season at Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta narrowly edged out Canterbury with an 18–16 victory.
Schedule
The 2009 NRL Grand Final's pre-game entertainment featured the Grammy-winning Australian rock group Wolfmother, while Irish ensemble The Script performed their popular track Before the Worst during halftime. The 2008 Australian Idol champion Wes Carr honored players who had reached the milestone of 300 Premiership appearances, alongside tributes to those retiring. Prior to the kickoff, the Telstra Premiership Trophy was delivered to ANZ Stadium by the Child Flight helicopter together with members of the "300 Club."
- 11:45am Gates Open
- 12:10pm Kickoff of the NSWRL Cup Grand Final
- 2:10pm Commencement of the Toyota Cup Grand Final
- 4:10pm Presentation by world boxing champions Danny Green and Roy Jones Jr.
- 4:40pm Arrival of Telstra Child Flight helicopter carrying the Telstra Premiership Trophy
- 4:45pm Tribute to 300 Club members and retiring players with a performance by Wes Carr
- 4:50pm Performance by Wolfmother
- 5:10pm Australian National Anthem sung by Mark Vincent
- 5:15pm Match Kick-off
- 6:05pm Halftime show featuring The Script
- 6:55pm Presentation of the trophy to Melbourne Storm
Match details
| Melbourne Storm | Position | Parramatta Eels |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Slater | FB | Jarryd Hayne |
| Steve Turner | WG | Luke Burt |
| Will Chambers | CE | Krisnan Inu |
| Greg Inglis | CE | Joel Reddy |
| Dane Nielsen | WG | Eric Grothe |
| Brett Finch | FE | Daniel Mortimer |
| Cooper Cronk | HB | Jeff Robson |
| Aiden Tolman | PR | Nathan Cayless (c) |
| Cameron Smith (c) | HK | Matthew Keating |
| Brett White | PR | Fuifui Moimoi |
| Adam Blair | SR | Nathan Hindmarsh |
| Ryan Hoffman | SR | Ben Smith |
| Dallas Johnson | LK | Todd Lowrie |
First Half
Ryan Hoffman of Melbourne opened the scoring with a try in the fifth minute, giving his team a 6–0 advantage. Parramatta faced difficulties early on, and Melbourne increased their lead when Adam Blair scored in the 24th minute after a line break by Cooper Cronk, resulting in a halftime score of 10–0.
Second Half
Early in the second half, Parramatta's Eric Grothe Jr. crossed the try line, reducing Melbourne’s lead to 10–6. Melbourne then responded with tries from Greg Inglis following a bomb kick at the 49th minute and Billy Slater off a line break in the 56th minute, extending their lead to 22–6. Parramatta mounted a late comeback with tries from Joel Reddy and Fuifui Moimoi, narrowing the margin to 22–16. A contentious penalty against Moimoi for holding onto Slater led to a Greg Inglis field goal in the 79th minute, securing Melbourne’s victory at 23–16.
Clive Churchill Medal
Fullback Billy Slater from Melbourne was honored with the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match, marking him as the first fullback since Darren Lockyer in 2000 to earn this recognition. He joined Brett Kimmorley (1999) and Greg Inglis (2007) as recipients representing Melbourne Storm. Some commentators believed that halfback Cooper Cronk’s outstanding display—with two try assists, 24 tackles, and substantial kicking metres—was more deserving of the award. Upon receiving the medal, Slater himself acknowledged Cronk’s significant role; nonetheless, selectors maintained their original decision.
Scoreboard
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Audience
The 2009 NRL Grand Final drew a full house of 82,538 spectators at ANZ Stadium, marking the highest rugby league attendance since the venue's current setup. Additionally, millions tuned in both nationally and internationally to watch the event.
Telecast details
- Australia – Nine Network broadcast live from 5pm AEST, with pre-match coverage commencing at noon. A replay was shown on Fox Sports at 8pm AEST.
- New Zealand – Live coverage on Sky Sports starting at 6:30pm NZ time.
- Asia-Pacific – Australia Network provided coverage across regions including China, Hong Kong/Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands.
- Indian subcontinent – Broadcast via Australia Network, reaching audiences in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
- Middle East – Coverage available through Australia Network and ShowSports.
- United States and Canada – Live telecast on Spike TV beginning at 11am ET/PT, also serving viewers throughout the Americas.
- Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom – Live broadcast on ESPN UK, starting at 7am.
Nine Network criticism
The Nine Network was criticized for omitting post-match festivities—including trophy and medal ceremonies—from broadcasts outside New South Wales and Queensland. Supporters in Melbourne voiced notable disappointment due to the Melbourne Storm’s triumph and the significant local fanbase unable to attend the match in Sydney. Observers pointed out that while international audiences received post-game coverage, major Australian cities such as Melbourne and Adelaide did not.