2010 NRL Grand Final
| Company type | Sports league |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rugby league football |
| Founded | 1998 |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific, Indian subcontinent, Ireland, United Kingdom, Middle East, United States |
| Website | www |
Background
The 2010 season of the NRL represented the 103rd iteration of professional rugby league competition in Australia and was the thirteenth conducted under the National Rugby League banner. A total of sixteen teams vied for the 2010 Telstra Premiership, which ran concurrently with the third season of the National Youth Competition.
A significant event during the season was the Melbourne Storm's April confession to deliberate salary cap violations. As a consequence, the Storm were stripped of all eight competition points they had accumulated up to that point and were prohibited from gaining any additional points, effectively condemning them to finish at the bottom of the ladder.
| Dragons | Roosters | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rd.1 | Eels | Rabbitohs | ||||||||
| Rd.2 | Bulldogs | Tigers | ||||||||
| Rd.3 | Cowboys | Bulldogs | ||||||||
| Rd.4 | Storm | Broncos | ||||||||
| Rd.5 | Broncos | Panthers | ||||||||
| Rd.6 | Titans | Raiders | ||||||||
| Rd.7 | Roosters | Dragons | ||||||||
| Rd.8 | Cronulla | Tigers | ||||||||
| Rd.9 | Sea Eagles | Cowboys | ||||||||
| Rd.10 | Bulldogs | Knights | ||||||||
| Rd.11 | Raiders | Bye | ||||||||
| Rd.12 | Eels | Titans | ||||||||
| Rd.13 | Warriors | Sharks | ||||||||
| Rd.14 | Bye | Storm | ||||||||
| Rd.15 | Sharks | Bye | ||||||||
| Rd.16 | Tigers | Warriors | ||||||||
| Rd.17 | Panthers | Raiders | ||||||||
| Rd.18 | Bye | Rabbitohs | ||||||||
| Rd.19 | Rabbitohs | Bulldogs | ||||||||
| Rd.20 | Titans | Broncos | ||||||||
| Rd.21 | Broncos | Eels | ||||||||
| Rd.22 | Roosters | Dragons | ||||||||
| Rd.23 | Sea Eagles | Sharks | ||||||||
| Rd.24 | Raiders | Titans | ||||||||
| Rd.25 | Knights | Sea Eagles | ||||||||
| Rd.26 | Rabbitohs | Cowboys | ||||||||
| QF | Sea Eagles | Tigers | ||||||||
| SF | DNP | Panthers | ||||||||
| PF | Tigers | Titans | ||||||||
| Key: Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 | ||||||||||
St. George Illawarra Dragons
St. George Illawarra secured their place in the Grand Final by overcoming the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and Wests Tigers during the finals series, achieving the status of minor premiers for the second year running. However, their performance in finals had been underwhelming, with just a single Grand Final appearance since the joint venture began in 1999. It had been three decades since the St. George Dragons last claimed a premiership, while the Illawarra Steelers had neither won nor reached a Grand Final.
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters followed an alternative path to reach the Grand Final. After finishing at the bottom of the ladder in 2009, the arrival of coach Brian Smith and the acquisition of star player Todd Carney propelled them to sixth place in 2010. They secured consecutive finals victories against the Wests Tigers, Penrith Panthers, and Gold Coast Titans, earning their Grand Final berth and positioning themselves as potential contenders to become the first club since 1934 to win a premiership after finishing last the previous season.
Grand final day schedule
The pre-match entertainment was headlined by Australian rock band You Am I, alongside performances by Jessica Mauboy, dance troupe Justice Crew, and choirs including the Sydney Children's Choir. The ceremony paid tribute to retiring NRL players and commemorated the 21 Australian soldiers who lost their lives in the war in Afghanistan, culminating with a dramatic arrival of a Blackhawk helicopter.
- 11:45am Gates Open
- 12:00pm NSW Cup Grand Final Kick Off – Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs. Windsor Wolves
- 1:45pm NSW Cup Grand Final presentation
- 2:00pm Toyota Cup Grand Final Kick Off – South Sydney Rabbitohs vs. New Zealand Warriors
- 3:15pm Coin Toss
- 3:50pm Toyota Cup Grand Final presentation
- 4:25pm Telstra Premiership Grand Final teams highlight reel
- 4:36pm Presentation honoring players with 300 games and those retiring
- 4:45pm Ken Stephen Medal recipient Andrew Ryan and Toyota National Volunteer of the Year Greg Carey delivered the Telstra Premiership Trophy via Telstra Child Flight helicopter
- 4:50pm Pre-game entertainment featuring Justice Crew, Jessica Mauboy, You Am I with Dan Sultan and Phil Jamieson
- 5:18pm National Anthem performed in Dharawal and English by Jessica Mauboy accompanied by choirs
- 5:20pm Telstra Premiership Grand Final – First half – St George Illawarra Dragons vs. Sydney Roosters
- 6:05pm Blackhawk helicopter arrival and Defence tribute
- 6:20pm Telstra Premiership Grand Final – Second half
- 7:03pm Official presentation ceremony
Match details
Following the conclusion of the NSW Cup and Toyota Cup grand finals, the main event commenced around 5:15pm under overcast skies with a temperature of approximately 13°C and light rain creating a muddy playing surface. The crowd numbered 82,334 spectators.
First half
| St. George Illawarra Dragons |
Position | Sydney Roosters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Darius Boyd | FB | 1. Anthony Minichiello |
| 2. Brett Morris | WG | 2. Joseph Leilua |
| 3. Mark Gasnier | CE | 3. Kane Linnett |
| 4. Matt Cooper | CE | 4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall |
| 5. Jason Nightingale | WG | 5. Sam Perrett |
| 6. Jamie Soward | 5/8th | 6. Todd Carney |
| 7. Ben Hornby (c) | HB | 7. Mitchell Pearce |
| 8. Neville Costigan | PR | 8. Jason Ryles |
| 9. Dean Young | HK | 9. Jake Friend |
| 10. Michael Weyman | PR | 20. Lopini Paea |
| 11. Beau Scott | SR | 11. Nate Myles |
| 12. Ben Creagh | SR | 12. Mitchell Aubusson |
| 13. Jeremy Smith | LF | 13. Braith Anasta (c) |
| 14. Nathan Fien | Interchange | 10. Frank-Paul Nu'uausala |
| 15. Trent Merrin | Interchange | 14. Martin Kennedy |
| 16. Matt Prior | Interchange | 15. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves |
| 17. Jarrod Saffy | Interchange | 16. Daniel Conn |
| Wayne Bennett | Coach | Brian Smith |
Early in the match, at six minutes, St. George Illawarra gained advantageous field position from a penalty, enabling Jamie Soward to kick into Sydney’s in-goal area where Mark Gasnier scored just inside the dead ball line; video referee Bill Harrigan confirmed the try despite replays indicating Brett Morris had stepped out earlier, which should have halted play. Soward successfully converted two minutes later to establish a 6-0 lead.
By the sixteenth minute, Sydney responded as Joseph Leilua crossed after Todd Carney’s kick; Braith Anasta grounded the ball following a deflection, with video referee confirmation awarding the try though Carney missed the conversion, reducing St George’s lead to 6-4.
Shortly thereafter, Mitchell Aubusson extended Sydney’s advantage by scoring near the corner following rapid ball movement from left to right; Carney again failed to convert but put Sydney ahead at 8-6.
At twenty-six minutes into play, St George Illawarra was awarded a penalty within goal-kicking range but Soward's attempt missed.
Around the thirty-minute mark, Michael Weyman left the field due to a head injury sustained from contact with Daniel Conn, who was subsequently placed on report.
The remainder of the first half featured robust defensive efforts from both teams with limited scoring opportunities, concluding with Sydney Roosters holding an 8-6 lead at halftime.
Second half
| 32 | St George Illawarra Dragons |
|---|---|
| Tries | 2 Nightingale (46', 60') 1 Gasnier (8') 1 Young (63') 1 Fien (70') |
| Goals | 6/7 Soward (9', 47', 61', 64', 67', 71') |
|
8 |
Sydney Roosters |
| Tries | 1 Anasta (16') 1 Aubusson (20') |
| Goals | 0/2 Carney |
Just six minutes into the second half, St. George Illawarra took advantage of a goal-line drop-out by the Sydney Roosters when right winger Jason Nightingale scored near the corner. Soward successfully converted from the sideline, pushing the Dragons ahead 12-8. Despite persistent rain, Nightingale crossed the try line again following a long cut-out pass, increasing the margin to 18-8. Shortly thereafter, Nathan Fien launched an attack close to the posts, with Dean Young breaking through defenders to score. The video referee confirmed the try, and Soward’s conversion extended the lead to 24-8.
Errors from the Roosters persisted, allowing Soward to add a penalty goal, taking the score to 26-8. Fien then powered over from dummy half for another try, which Soward converted, sealing a comprehensive 32-8 win. This victory marked St. George Illawarra’s inaugural premiership as a merged club and ended a 31-year title drought for St. George supporters, who had endured numerous grand final defeats since 1985.
Timeline
-8th: Dragons lead 6–0 (Try: Gasnier, Goal: Soward)
-16th: Roosters ahead 6-4 (Try: Anasta)
-20th: Roosters extend lead 8-6 (Try: Aubusson)
-46th: Dragons regain lead 12-8 (Try: Nightingale, Goal: Soward)
-60th: Dragons increase advantage 18-8 (Try: Nightingale, Goal: Soward)
-63rd: Dragons dominate 24-8 (Try: Young, Goal: Soward)
-67th: Dragons further lead 26-8 (Penalty Goal: Soward)
-70th: Dragons secure victory 32-8 (Try: Fien, Goal: Soward)
For the third occasion during the 2010 season, St. George Illawarra overturned a halftime deficit against the Sydney Roosters by preventing any scoring in the second half to claim triumph. Fullback Darius Boyd was awarded the distinguished Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match, becoming only the fourth fullback to earn this recognition following acclaimed recipients such as Robbie O'Davis, Darren Lockyer, and Billy Slater. Boyd was instrumental in both of Nightingale’s tries and amassed 111 metres from 13 carries. This achievement marked Boyd’s second premiership title after his earlier success with the Brisbane Broncos in 2006.
Audience
The grand final drew an audience exceeding 3.1 million viewers on Australian national television, surpassing last year’s viewership figures in both Sydney and Brisbane markets. In addition, around 197,000 viewers tuned in live across New Zealand.
Telecast Details
- Australia: Broadcast live on Nine Network starting at 5pm AEST with coverage beginning at noon; simultaneously aired on Gem HD. A replay was shown on Fox Sports at 8pm AEST.
- New Zealand: Live coverage on Sky Sports from 6:30pm NZ time; delayed broadcast on Prime.
- Asia-Pacific: Available via Australia Network covering regions including China, Hong Kong/Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Palau, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Brunei, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, East Timor, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Micronesia and Kiribati.
- Indian subcontinent: Broadcast through Australia Network serving India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
- Ireland and United Kingdom: Live telecast on Sky Sports from 7am; delayed airing on Premier Sports.
- Middle East: Coverage provided by both Australia Network and ShowSports.
- United States: Live broadcast on America One starting at 9pm ET/PT.
- Canada: Live coverage available via Setanta Sports (Canada).
2011 World Club Challenge
By clinching the NRL grand final title, St. George Illawarra earned the right to compete against the 2010 Super League XV victors, the Wigan Warriors, in the 2011 World Club Challenge, where they triumphed with a 21-15 scoreline.