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Message: [QUOTE="Broncoman, post: 2705053, member: 7803"] [B]1999 Preliminary Final, Parramatta Eels V Melbourne Storm, 18th September 1999, Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney [/B] With the preliminary finals starting on Friday I decided to review a preliminary final from the past and I choose the 1999 encounter between Parramatta and Melbourne. Melbourne's fight through the finals continued as they came from behind for the 2nd week running to stun Parramatta and the league world with a tense 18-16 win putting them into the Grand Final in only their 2nd season. [B]What was happening before the game? [/B] After a successful entry into premiership football in 1998 the Storm again finished 3rd place in 1999. Just like 1998 Melbourne lost their first finals game in 1999 falling to a Mundine inspired Dragons 34-10 at Olympic Park. The Storm kept their season alive with a desperate last gasp 24-22 win over the Bulldogs thanks to a runaway try by Matt Geyer with 10 on the clock. Their reward for this win was a showdown with Parramatta. Parramatta continued their run of finals appearances stretching back to 1997 with a 2nd place finish in 1999 recording the best defense of the comp. In the first week of the finals they finished the Knights with a 30-16 win giving them a weeks rest and a place in the 3rd week of the finals. [B]1st half [/B] Enjoying a wealth of possession and territory Parramatta began the game with a bang and lead 8-0 after 10 minutes. A soft penalty allowed Schifcofske to open the scoring with a simple goal despite missing an earlier one and a great effort from winger Daniel Wagon stretched their lead to 8-0. Stranded 20 meters from the line and isolated Wagon put in a perfectly weighted kick which he grounded inches from the dead ball line. Melbourne started to get their game working and Kimmorley got them on the board in the 22nd minute after he kicked for himself on the last he won the race for the ball and dived on it behind the sticks. Craig Smith converted and the score was 8-6. Both sides bombed tries in the coming minutes, first for Bai for the Storm in the 27th minute after the pass from Martin was forward and Parramatta bombed a golden opportunity 2 minutes later as Moran dropped the ball with the line clear in front of him. After Schifcofske landed his 3rd goal of the night the Eels stretched the margin to 10 after Vella and Jason Smith provided some great running and offloads to send Stuart Kelly flying over in the shadows of halftime. The try gave Parramatta a good lead of 16-6 at halftime and a big confidence boost behind them. [B]2nd half[/B] Parramatta continued to build and forced an early drop out after the break but the Storm kept their composure and denied Parramatta points. Melbourne brought the margin back in the 54th minute after a kick from Kimmorley went back from Geyer and Bawden and Moule was there to score. After being reviewed by the video they awarded the try and Smith's conversion brought the margin to 4. Parramatta denied the Storm a chance in the corner a few minutes later and bombed a certain try as well as Jason Smith's last pass went miles forward. In the 62nd minute the Storm took the lead for the first time as Kimmorley again provided a kick that lead to Swain beating everyone to dive on the ball and score. It was again reviewed but they had no problems and Smith's conversion put the Storm ahead 18-16 with just under 20 to go. Craig Smith almost scored in the 70th minute but he put a foot into touch. Parramatta searched for a way to remain alive but they just didn't conjure anything and produced a sloppy finish which was fitting as they played a poor indisciplined 2nd half that cost them their season. Melbourne had once again come back from the dead in the finals and they had booked their place in the Grand Final in just their second season. [B]Match summary [/B] A game of two halves. Parramatta dominated the first half and could've had more points on the board but poor execution cost them. Melbourne on the other hand just held their nerve and bustled the Eels into mistakes after the break and got 2 lucky bounces and a perfect record from Craig Smith got them over the line. Some good attacking footy but some very sloppy mistakes at the same time. [B]Broncoman Man of the Match; Brett Kimmorley [/B]In a close game kicking like this kicking and decisions by the halfback will be some of the most important plays of the game and Kimmorley provided that. His kicking was very effective and he provided all the points for the Storm and also defended very well in the middle, i'm guessing he would've made around 20 tackles or something. I've got no idea who the official winner was but I would've given it to Kimmorley. Brett also won the Clive Churchill medal a week later but he shouldn't have but that is another story. [B]Melbourne Storm 18; [/B]Tries by Brett Kimmorley, Aaron Moule and Richard Swain, 3 goals by Craig Smith [B]Beat Parramatta Eels 16; [/B]Tries by Stuart Kelly and Daniel Wagon, 4 goals by Clinton Schifcofske [B]Notes [/B] - You can't help but admire the Storm at how they became so successful so early. They threw players into a foreign state which had almost no history in Rugby League and yet they pulled of one of the gutsiest premiership wins ever in just their 2nd season. Their effort to come back here was great but they pulled of an even greater comeback in the Grand Final. - A young Nathan Hindmarsh was very impressive. He was working his arse of in defense, running hard and offloading the ball when he got the chance to. Hindmarsh is one of my favorite players off all time so I found it good to see him doing well here as a young man. - Glenn Lazarus showed his champion qualities as he took charge and lead the way after being outrun by the young Parramatta forwards in the first half, the longer the game went on the better he got. He capped of his career a week later with a premiership title, deserving finish to possibly the best front rower Australia has produced. - Parramatta fielded some very good teams in the late 90's and early 2000's but they always choked at the final hurdle. From 1997 to 2003 the club always made the finals and from 1998 to 2000 they made the preliminary final, 2001 they dominated the whole season but fucked it all up in the big one and in 2002 and 2003 they were knocked out in the first week. In 1998 it was the Carige stuff ups and in this one it was the whole teams fault, they blew good leads in 2 straight years. - On a side note this was probably Cronulla's best chance to win a premiership, In 1999 Cronulla set the pace on the back of the magic from David Peachey who won the Dally M that year they won the minor premiership (their 2nd in history). They flogged the Broncos 42-20 in the first week of the finals and on the back of form, confidence and on the back of 2 wins against the Dragons and a win against Melbourne they would've really liked their chances but after taking an 8-0 lead at the break in their preliminary final the Dragons caught some fire on the back of Mundine and that was it. [B]Melbourne Storm [/B] 1: Robbie Ross 2: Craig Smith 3: Aaron Moule 4: Tony Martin 5: Marcus Bai 6: Matt Geyer 7: Brett Kimmorley 8: Glenn Lazarus 9: Richard Swain 10: Rodney Howe 11: Paul Marquet 12: Stephen Kearney 13: Tawera Nikau 14: Matt Rua 15; Ben Roarty 16: Russell Bawden 17: Danny Williams Coach: Chris Anderson [B]Parramatta Eels [/B] 1: Clinton Schifcofske 2: Daniel Wagon 3: David Kidwell 4: Stuart Kelly 17: Luke Burt 6: Jim Dymock 7: David Penna 8: Dean Pay 9: Dean Schifilliti 10: Michael Vella 11: Nathan Hindmarsh 12: Jarrod McCracken 13: Jason Smith 14: Dennis Moran 15: Mark Tookey 16: Nathan Cayless 18: David Vaealiki Coach: Brian Smith [media=youtube]9oIPN5S5GUA[/media] [/QUOTE]

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