National Rugby League season 1999

Infobox rugby league season
year = 1999
competition = National Rugby League


imagesize = 125px
caption =
teams = 17
premiers =
count = 1st
minor premiers =
mpcount = 2nd
matches = 213
points = 8857
attendance = 3156924
top points scorer = (242)
top try scorer = (24)
1999 saw the second season of the National Rugby League premiership, the 92nd season of professional rugby league football in Australia. The Melbourne Storm claimed their maiden premiership in just their second season, defeating the St George Illawarra Dragons 20-18 in the first grand final played at Stadium Australia. The Dragons became the first joint-venture club to appear in the grand final.

Season summary

The 1999 National Rugby League season was historic for many reasons. The St George Illawarra Dragons played their inaugural game after forming the League's first joint venture, losing 10-20 to the Parramatta Eels. That game was the second of a double header, which was the first event to be held at Sydney's Stadium Australia, the central venue for the Olympic Games the following year. That game attracted a rugby league world record of 104,583 spectators.

During the season, the members of the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies voted to form another joint venture, to be named the Wests Tigers. After the conclusion of the season, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and North Sydney Bears were excluded from the premiership. The Bears would later form the game's third joint venture with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, whilst South Sydney would fight a two-year legal battle for reinclusion.

The defending premiers, Brisbane endured their worst ever start to a season, with just one win and a draw from their first ten games. Their champion halfback and captain Allan Langer retired mid-season as a result. The Newcastle Knights also lost an iconic player when 1997 premiership captain Paul Harragon retired mid-season. The Melbourne Storm's premiership victory saw their captain Glenn Lazarus become the only player to ever win grand finals for three different clubs.

Teams

Grand Final

A new rugby league world record crowd of 107,558 was at Stadium Australia for the Grand Final. Pre-match entertainment featured Hugh Jackman's rendition of the national anthem.

The Dragons were up 14-0 at half time, with a converted try and penalty goal to Craig Fitzgibbon, and a converted try to Nathan Blacklock. However, an Anthony Mundine knock-on over the try line early in the second half proved to be a major turning point in the match, with Melbourne running in tries through Tony Martin and Ben Roarty and winger Craig Smith kicking two penalty goals. An unconverted try to Dragons captain Paul McGregor couldn't stem Melbourne's momentum, with Craig Smith kicking the Storm to within four points of the Dragons at 18-14.

In the 77th minute the Storm forced the Dragons to a goal line dropout. Melbourne's halfback Brett Kimmorley then bombed to Craig Smith's wing. Dragons centre Jamie Ainscough, anticipating a Melbourne try, caught Smith in a head-high tackle over the try-line, resulting in Smith knocking on. Referee Bill Harrigan requested video referee Chris Ward adjudicate on the decision. In one of the most infamous grand final incidents, the Melbourne Storm were granted a penalty try, drawing them level with the Dragons. Being a penalty try, the subsequent conversion was taken from directly in front of the posts. Matt Geyer was successful in the conversion and the Storm, for the first time in the match, pulled ahead of the Dragons and took out their first grand final 20-18.

The Storm thus became the quickest expansion team to win a premiership, eclipsing the Canterbury side who won the 1938 premiership in just their fourth season. It was the last game of champion prop and captain Glenn Lazarus, who retired after a remarkable fifth grand final victory (having won premierships in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993).

For traditional St George fans the loss was hard to take. The Dragons were unsuccessful in their four previous visits to the grand final (1985, 1992, 1993 and 1996) and had not won a premiership since 1979.

Melbourne 20 (Tries: Martin, Roarty, Smith - penalty try; Goals: Smith 3/4, Geyer 1/1)

St George Illawarra 18 (Tries: Fitzgibbon, Blacklock, McGregor; Goals: Bartrim 2/3, Fitzgibbon 1/1)

Clive Churchill Medal: Brett Kimmorley

References & links

* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/snotes.html Rugby League Tables - Notes] "The World of Rugby League"
* [http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1999.html 1999 NRL season at stats.rleague.com]
* [http://www.rl1908.com/premiership.htm Premiership History and Statistics] "RL1908"
* [http://www.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/1999/sportsf/sf990312.htm Interview NRL Marketing Director Mark Wallace] "Thomas Kenneally poem"