But cheer up fellas - remember 1969 instead:
The 1969 Grand Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground is remembered as one of the biggest upsets in rugby league history.
South Sydney were the raging hot favourites. They’d won the last two premierships and were stacked with stars like Ron Coote, Bob McCarthy, John Sattler, and Eric Simms. Most expected the Rabbitohs to simply roll over Balmain.
But the Tigers had other ideas. Coached by Leo Nosworthy and captained by rugged forward Peter Provan, Balmain came with a plan: frustrate Souths, slow the play down, and take every chance on offer. They even perfected the old art of the “injury stoppage” — players going down to disrupt Souths’ momentum and reset the defensive line. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective.
On the scoreboard, Balmain took their chances. Len Killeen, the big South African winger, booted crucial goals. Tries were scarce, defence was everything, and the Tigers clung to their lead as the clock ticked down.
At full time the scoreboard told the story: Balmain 11 – South Sydney 2. The Tigers had shocked the rugby league world, denying the might of the Rabbitohs their third straight premiership.
For Balmain fans it was sweet glory, their first title since 1947. For Souths, it was a bitter reminder that no matter how good you look on paper, Grand Finals are won on the day
