These are some of the great action snapshots that have made the NRL Finals so memorable, with each and every one etched into Rugby League’s rich folklore.
Keep coming back as NRL.com takes a trip down memory lane to remember some of the greatest moments in NRL Finals.
It has been described as one of the greatest ever NRL Finals, with a finish that captivated an audience of hundreds of thousands, watching at the game and also at home on TV.
The Sydney Roosters trailed by one point with 13 seconds left on the clock, their season hanging on one last play.
The ball went through the hands to the left, from Braith Anasta to Mitchell Pearce who looked for space down the left touchline and spread the ball to winger Ashley Graham – but the Wests Tigers’ defence slid brilliantly, leaving nowhere to go.
Graham looked infield and threw a long ball to fullback Anthony Minichiello who had been calling for a kick through. Minichiello stopped his run, turned back the other way and got a call from Anasta who had parked himself in the backfield on the 30-metre line.
With three seconds left on the clock, and players frantically moving and pointing in front of him, Anasta didn’t hesitate: in perfect synchronicity he dropped the ball on to the ground and connected sweetly with his right boot.
The Steeden sailed straight between the posts as the full-time siren sounded.
The Roosters’ season in that one moment was kept alive in the most dramatic of circumstances. They would go on to win the game – and then make it all the way to the NRL Grand Final.
It remains one of the all-time great NRL Finals moments.
