To support or to not support, that is the question. Picking a team to cheer for in the Grand Final can be a perplexing problem. For 28 of the last 30 years, Parramatta fans tuning in to watch the NRL Grand Final have had to find a reason to get behind a team that they normally despise. That’s an incredibly ugly statement on a few levels, but it’s nonetheless a true reflection of what the fans of 14 other clubs will be also be feeling on Sunday. How will you approach the task of investing your interest in the biggest day on the NRL calendar? Here’s my rundown on the task of backing a team that normally doesn’t grab your imagination.

The Exceptional Past

Outside of the four Parramatta premierships, three grand finals have proven to be memorable moments for this author. On those days, only the supporters of the losing teams could find a reason to not smile.

* 1989 – Canberra 19 defeat Balmain 14

“What else can happen!” The words of commentator Graeme Hughes perfectly mirrored the thoughts of viewers as the field goal attempt by Benny Elias thuds into the crossbar. Canberra was surging back from a ten point deficit, but a 7 point buffer with around 5 minutes to go would have sealed the victory for the Tigers. History now records the late try by Chicka Ferguson sending the match into extra time and Chris O’Sullivan breaking Balmain hearts by taking an early field goal opportunity. The rampaging run from replacement forward Steve Jackson to secure Canberra’s maiden Premiership would then become the stuff of legend, along with the scenes of Mal Meninga openly weeping with joy.

Who would not be moved by such a match? Incredibly, as a neutral fan, I watched the recording of that grand final around half a dozen times during the next three days, such was the impact of what I witnessed. It is arguably the greatest grand final in the history of rugby league.

* 1997 – Newcastle 22 defeat Manly 16

The ARL Grand Final during the Super League split captured the imagination of the public and helped to ensure that the competition united the following year. Like Canberra, Newcastle were searching for their first ever title and everyone loved to hate Manly. In another one of those great comeback stories, the Knights had to recover from a 16 to 8 half time deficit, and they did so courtesy of a man of the match performance from Robbie O’Davis.

Yet it was the genius of Andrew Johns that sealed the victory as he took advantage of a scattered Manly defence in the chaos of a threatened field goal to attack the blind side and send an untouched Darren Albert in for the most important try of his career. A working class city rejoiced, the ARL had trumped a bland Super League decider, and another chapter in the rich history of the game was written.

* 2015 – North Queensland 17 defeat Brisbane 16

Who’d have thought that a grand final played between two Queensland clubs could so engross the Sydney public like this epic did? In the first decider to go into golden point, this match would become a prelude to a series of classic encounters between the two clubs that would also require extra time during the 2016 season.

Like the 1989 and 1997 grand finals, this match resulted in a team winning their first premiership by overcoming a half time deficit. It too would require a scoring play in the final seconds (the try in the corner by Kyle Feldt) and the drama of Thurston’s sideline conversion attempt cruelly striking the upright. Yet nothing would compare to the pain felt by Ben Hunt after he fumbled the extra time kick off to set up the field goal opportunity that was professionally executed by the Cowboys. A library of NRL memes has been assembled on the back of that devastating error.

Did I have to include this? Yes I did!

Cronulla?

A maiden premiership would fit the “History Happens” mantra of the NRL. It would almost qualify as a rugby league script writer’s dream should the Sharks take their first title on Saturday. They’ve certainly overcome their fair share of drama in their 50 year history, having been bailed out of financial disaster by the governing body a couple of times and defying calls for relocation in recent years. Throw in the suspension of coach Shane Flanagan over the peptides scandal, and genuine supporters of Cronulla can rightly feel proud of the resilience of their team.

Furthermore, the club boasts a couple of the young superstars of our game, namely Valentine Holmes and Jack Bird. These talented players should prove to be the backbone of future success for the Sharks, especially when combined with the development of their junior rep teams from 2015. Add some astute recruitment in recent years, notably Michael Ennis, Luke Lewis and James Maloney, and you have a team that have perfectly placed themselves in that all too rare premiership window.

Yet, in the same breath I can find reason in the above to cheer against the Sharks. The club has been propped up by the NRL just to survive, and they have never enjoyed more than a niche supporter base in the Shire. The success of 2016 has resulted in plenty of bandwagon support and no doubt many fans attending Sunday’s decider will be donning some recently acquired jerseys. Of course, a larger fan base is a natural consequence of winning a title, so success has its own justly deserved rewards.

Of course, such memes probably become redundant after a premiership.

Another case against the Sharks is that the stench of the peptides debacle has not entirely disappeared from the senses of many NRL supporters. This attempt at cheating was not something perpetrated without some knowledge from within the football department of the club. The suspension of players and staff is testimony to this, and there are players no longer with the club whose careers were thrown onto the scrap heap in the aftermath of the investigation.

Finally, I would also add that I’m keeping an eye on the ability of the Sharks to retain a potentially premiership winning roster. Losing players is an unfortunate consequence of success and a reason why clubs would talk about a premiership window. Successive titles and dynasties are almost impossible in the modern game. Undoubtedly, some Cronulla players had some freight carried by their previous clubs when they were first secured by the club, especially those who departed the Tigers and the Panthers. The retirement of Michael Ennis should ease some cap pressure, but the emergence of Holmes, Bird and Feki will necessitate upgraded contracts. It must make recruitment of high profile players difficult going forward.

Melbourne?

There is no denying that the Storm assembled premiership winning rosters by systematically cheating the salary cap. As a Parramatta supporter it hurts to realise that the team that defeated the Eels in the 2009 decider were not remotely close to being cap compliant. Of course the Eels were not alone in being impacted by the Storm’s cheating. Despite the players’ claims of innocence, and even after the Storm’s titles were stripped, the fans of other clubs will rightly point to this era as being one that laid the foundations for future success for Melbourne. By being able to retain key spine players like Smith, Cronk and Slater, the Storm have created a formula for success that many others have tried to emulate but few have been able to achieve.

Remember these times?

Incredibly, I also find myself in admiration of this club. When many clubs find sustained success in the modern game near impossible, the Storm have been permanently rooted in the NRL finals series, year in, year out. Since their inception, they have only failed to qualify for the finals in three seasons, and one of those was in 2010 when they were not allowed to compete for points. It’s an incredible record!

Importantly, there is little doubt that the current Melbourne squad is cap compliant. Craig Bellamy has proven his ability to resurrect the careers of players that other clubs have rejected. Of course the consequence of this has been that these players then attract the attention of other clubs and codes. After previously being unwanted in the NRL, Blake Green will depart the Storm as a marquee recruit for the Sea Eagles. Likewise, Koroibete has a lucrative Rugby Union contact awaiting him after this season, all thanks to a brief period under Bellamy’s tutelage.

When all is said and done, supporters should also remember that the Storm finished as minor premiers with Billy Slater watching from the sidelines. With Cameron Munster, Melbourne has proven that there is life after Slater and they’ve done so with a player that they have developed themselves. They’ve also achieved success without the media support in their AFL dominated home city, something that is surely an indictment of the media in the southern state rather than a reflection of the lack of a massive fan base for the club.

Where Do You Sit?

Currently, I’m sitting quite uncomfortably on the fence. Having found far too many reasons to cheer against each team, I’m looking for that decisive factor that will see me land on one side or the other. Will it be the emotion of the Sharks winning their inaugural title or will it be my admiration of the total professionalism of the Storm? Every rugby league fan will have their own perspective.

Maybe history will happen and I’ll be writing about the 2016 Grand Final with the same reverence as the other great deciders referenced today. Bring on Sunday.

Eels forever!

Sixties

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