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Top 5 games you've seen live.


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Good topic!

1) Fev v Cas - Challenge Cup 2012: As a fev fan I struggle to think of a better result than beating your arch rivals in the cup when you are in the division below. The game was tense and the atmosphere fantastic. The post match bender was pretty epic too.

2) Fev v Wigan - Div 1, 1993: Recently promoted and beating the mighty Wigan was something special

3) Souths v Bulldogs - NRL Grand Final, 2014: Pretty special to be at the game where Souths made history, the Sam Burgess incident, GI in full flight. Great day.

4) England v New Zealand - World Cup Semi final, 2013 - What everyone else said

5) Fev v Fax - Championship Grand Final, 2010: Wrong result but amazing atmosphere and a superb game even if we were on the wrong end of the scoreline in the end. Unbelievable drama added to by weird events like the fire in the stand and subsequent 'pitch invasion' 

Honorable mentions to:

Australia v NZ - Homebush 2005 

Wests v Cowboys - NRLGF 2005

Cas v Wakey relegation battle

Fev v Wakey Championship GF 1998

Leeds v Adelaide Rams 1997

Wish I had more GB/Eng ones, although my favourite match on TV was the GB v Aus 2006 Tri Nations win.

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I've never really attended many classic games as a neutral, and not many great international games either. Although one that springs to mind is the Saints v Bradford GF in 2002, the voluntary tackle game.

My other picks would be Hull games.

Hull v New Zealand, Boulevard 2002. I would pick that more for the occasion than the game itself. The last game at the Boulevard and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Hull v St Helens, CC semi final, 2005. Still the best performance I have ever seen from us. The Saints team of that era were probably the best in the summer era, and Hull just dismantled them. I think we would have beaten literally any team in the world that day.

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2003 - Leeds v St Helens CC Semi Final

The game which got me into RL. An ET win for Leeds inspired by McGuire. 

2006 - Australia v GB

Mason v Fielden (and Peacock). Our last win over the Aussies. 

2009 - St Helens v Leeds Play Offs

The most intense game I've ever been to. 

2015 - Featherstone v Batley 

Amazing comeback by Fev completed after the final hooter with a shocking misjudgment by Shaun Ainscough

2016 - Hull KR v Salford MPG

Most dramatic end to a game I've ever witnessed.

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Saints 45-0 Hull FC - 2017 MW - After a couple of year’s of dour Rugby, “the grind” and bizarre comments from a poorly educated Keiron Cunningham, it was a pleasure to see an instantaneous return to the Saints we all knew, in a game that many expected little from. 

Saints 14-6 Wigan - 2014 GF - To win a game like that with so many players out and so many others playing in unfamiliar positions and after the pre-meditated attack on Lance Hohaia, was special. We had little chance, the whole Sky coverage was sickeningly Wigan TV at its peak and Shaun Wane’s face was a picture. 

Saints 40-30 Castleford - 2010 - You want to go out of your old ground in style and we did that, in true “never write off the Saints” style with a try from Kieron Cunningham. 

Saints 32-16 Wigan - 2004 CC Final - A red hot day and a red hot display from Saints. 

Saints 25-24 Salford - 2017 - Awful for much of that game and deservedly heading for defeat before, again, in Saints style, we come back and won on the hooter in what was one of Matty Smith’s only contributions in his final spell at Saints. 

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1. Wales v Western Samoa at the Vetch, Swansea 1995. Only decided to go at 9am that morning. There was a small pile of maybe 80 to 100 tickets left when I got there. Brilliant game!

2. Widnes v Canberra 1989 WCC, at Old Trafford. 

3. Dewsbury v Widnes 2001 league game, 16-17. Because it's the first game my missus went to. She was shouting with the best by half time,lol.

4. Great Britain v Australia at Wembley 1990.  Great start to the series.

5. I'm sure I've been to great games after 2001 as well. 

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Fulham v Batley early 80's - I went with my dad on my first long away trip. It was a game we had little to no chance of winning. I remember picking conkers outside the ground (very exciting for a 4 or 5 year old) before the game, and saw concorde fly over at half time. We won the game and scored 40 points (We rarely seemed to score 40 points in a season in those days) to everyone's amazement something like 24.- 42, John Jones scored a hattrick. Great day!

2010 NRC Cup FInal when we beat a much fancied Widnes.

2015 First game of the season beating Leigh at home, after they had been full of it throughout pre-season about how they were going unbeaten all season, and we knocked them off at the first time of asking!  

2013 Leigh away playoff quarter final won by a point. 

2013 Fev away the week after, playoff Semi final won by a point to get to the Grand Final. 

 

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I've tried to go for the best games I've ever seen live trying to take the emotion out of it.

1. Castleford vs St Helens 2017. As Morgan crossed for what I thought was the winning try, the Railway end at Cas was shaking to its foundations. I have never been involved in a crowd celebration like that. 3 tries in 10 minutes to send us to the Grand Final...or not. Cas somehow found a way. We didn't deserve to go over the course of the year and Cas did. Another of those very proud in defeat games. I'll always remember the dignity of both sets of fans after the match too. There was no gloating from Cas fans, and many Saints fans wishing them the best for Old Trafford (that didn't work out). That sticks in my mind as much as the match itself.

2. St Helens vs Bradford - 2000. Wide to West. I was one of the 8,000 or so there to see it happen. One of the 6,000 or so Saints fans, as Bradford absolutely packed out the Eddington. It was a great game before the try to, full of drama and skill (Tommy Martyn's try was sublime as was Pryce's 100m effort), with the most incredible ending to boot.

3. St Helens vs Bradford - 2002 Grand Final. Probably not the greatest game technically, but the back and forth and dramatic ending puts it on my list. Bradford fans carry on about a voluntary tackle, but for me a no try early on for them, which would have put them 12-0 in under 10 minutes and a Bennett try incorrectly awarded to us were far more important. I will never be able to fathom how we won it.

4. Great Britain vs Australia 2003.  The Morley one. We may have lost, but to hold Australia for so long with a man short was an incredible effort. I hope one day to see England or Britain beat Australia live.

5. St Helens vs Leeds - March 2009. Saints won around 26-14. It was at the height of the Saints vs Leeds rivalry and probably the best atmosphere I experienced at Knowsley Road, certainly the most intense. And Saints got a couple of tries in the last 20 for the win.

Honourable mentions for Leeds vs St Helens in the 2015 play offs and the Anfield test last year.

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in no particular order.

Hull v Australia 1978, I don't remember much of the game but as my auntie worked in the club house and knew most of the players I was lucky enough to get on the Australian's coach and get all their autographs on my programme, I'd only been going a few months to watch Hull was still only 9 so it was just a bit special!

Hull v HKR Floodlight Trophy final 1979, packed Boulevard, I got to the ground about 5:30 after just having had tea a stones throw away at my auntie and uncle's who lived in Airlie st, it was just fuggin epic, the atmosphere was incredible and we smashed the red and white 'lovely people'?

Hull v Widnes CC final 1982. Was lucky enough to get picked as one of the few to go on the school trip to Wembley. Coach, meal and ticket to sit on the sidelines (wooden benches) as close as you could get to the touchline pretty much, it was £22 all in!. Just a brilliant day all round and an exciting finish to the game, we had dinner at a 'posh' hotel after the match, that was the first time I'd been out to a proper restaurant I think. Still have the day's itinerary tucked away inside the programme with my ticket stub.

Hull v Australia 1982, I remember this quite vividly, battle torn Hull side against the full test team bar one player I think. Mick Harrison had retired at least once and was about 106 years old but still harder than any of the pups in SL and would smash them just by giving them a dirty look. Tony Duke another old campaigner was filling in for the injured Wileman, at half time we thought we might have them, it was an absolute slug fest on a heavyish Boulevard pitch but the ockers played some great stuff but we held and held. A high shot on Prendiville preventing him scoring should have seen us get a penalty try that might have given us a chance after Topliss's wonderful 1st half score but they managed to get over the whitewash twice to our one. We were the only side really to trouble the full test side Invincible's all year

Hull v St.Helens semi-final CC 2005. St,Helens giving it large and Hull put them to the sword,, best display of rugby by a Hull side against a ridiculously talented team, it was just a little bit mental. it was at that juncture we really believed we could win it!

Hull v Leeds 2005 CC final, having missed the '82 replay due to the crowd problems at Ellend road and sat utterly despondent on the coach in the car park for the whole match (after trying to get in)  seeing my team lift the CC trophy for the first time made me shed a tear, I was near the end toward the Leeds fans so had a fantastic view of Cooke waltzing his way around Sinfield! Mum and stepfather came to visit us so me the boy and the crumblies all went from mine, parked up, had a picnic then a stroll to the ground, just a beautiful day and a wonderful match.

St.Albans Centurions v Coventry Bears -  2007 Harry Jepson trophy. A Cents side that had done the business all season and capped it off with a wonderful display of hard fought rugby to be the top amateur side in the nation for summer rugby!

 

 

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In no particular order, but can still feel the excitement of each game :

GB v Australia 1994 Wembley— the sound of Land of Hope and Glory echoing around the stadium— the look on the Aussies faces when they came out of the tunnel and that try by Jiffy 

Wire v Wigan Wilderspool New Years Day 1988–the sheer passion of that game 

Wire v Widnes in JP semi at Wigan 1986– great tries and great biff

Wire v Wigan Sept 1989 at Central Park— Greg Mackey’s debut in a game Wire were never supposed to win

Wire v Hudds Wembley 2009–finally a win in the CC final

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, MZH said:

I've never really attended many classic games as a neutral, and not many great international games either. Although one that springs to mind is the Saints v Bradford GF in 2002, the voluntary tackle game.

My other picks would be Hull games.

Hull v New Zealand, Boulevard 2002. I would pick that more for the occasion than the game itself. The last game at the Boulevard and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Hull v St Helens, CC semi final, 2005. Still the best performance I have ever seen from us. The Saints team of that era were probably the best in the summer era, and Hull just dismantled them. I think we would have beaten literally any team in the world that day.

Yup, that absolute shellacking of Saints was incredible, to those that didn't go and saving their pennies for the final, they missed out. Top bit was Paul Cooke giving it the 'losers' signal with his finger and thumb to his forehead to the saints pack deep into the second half at a scrum, absolute gold!

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Blackpool Borough v Huyton, Div 2, 1977. You never forget your first one.

Great Britain v Australia, 2nd Test 1982, Wigan. Rugby League from a different planet.

Wigan v Manly, World Club Challenge, 1987. Packed so tight I could only see parts of the pitch. Wouldn't be allowed nowadays.

Oldham v Featherstone Rovers, Second Division Premiership, 1988, Old Trafford.  A crazy game. Featherstone dead and buried at half-time, came back to lead, beaten by a last minute Oldham try.

Widnes v Canberra Raiders, World Club Challenge, 1989, Old Trafford.  Game over after 20 minutes but it wasn't.

Scotland v New Zealand, Four Nations, 2016, Workington. I know the Scotland team was full of plastics but when I was a thin-faced, long-haired freak who liked Rugby League at school, I would never have believed I would see this day. And yes, I was blubbing like a baby at the end.

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Fev victory v cas, Challenge Cup, Post Office Road. 2012. 

Fev valliant loss v Leeds, Elland Road, Challenge Cup SF 1995. 

Fev v Bradford, Post Office Road, Fev achieve qualifiers from underdog win. 

Fev v Wigan, Challenge Cup, Post Office Road, lost but gave them the fright of their lives.

Those four that I attended and then just one from TV live;

Sydney Roosters v Melbourne Storm, this season @ AAMI Stadium, Melbourne. 

 

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York v Castleford 1984 Challenge Cup quarter final at Clarence Street. Steadman scoring all our points to send York into the semis,

GB v Aus Wembley 1990. Schofield running the show to help GB win the first Ashes test.

GB V Aus Wembley 1994. 12 man victory and JD try.

NZ V Aus Brisbane 2008 . World Cup Final. Kiwis winning it. Always look on the bright side of life.

Eng v NZ Wembley 2013 World Cup semi. Heartbreak.

 

 

 

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14 hours ago, Bring back the Boyd said:

Wire v Wigan Wilderspool New Years Day 1988–the sheer passion of that game 

I nearly added that one, it would have been my 6th choice and was probably a more memorable game than the '84 Lancashire Cup Final but as that was my first live game I added it.

I will never forget the Cullen/Goodway incident, it was wild west stuff.

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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My top 5 games seen live:

5) Wigan 16-16 St Helens (1995 Challenge Cup R4 at Central Park)

Watched this one with a few Wiganers at the corner of the Pop between the two sets of fans.  My memory is hazy, but this was the closest I remember seeing underdog Saints come to beat Wigan at Central Park at that time.  Was also part of Wigan’s historic unbeaten run in the Challenge Cup.  

4) St Helens 75-0 Wigan (2005 Challenge Cup R6 at Knowsley Road)

Got taken to this by some Wiganers and having seen them in their pomp in the 90s this has to be their darkest hour for sure.  Wigan’s heaviest ever defeat in any competition and just at the place they’d least like it to happen.  Not a great game per se, but has to be in there.

3) Leeds 26-30 St Helens (2002 Super League R6 at Headingley)

Last minute winning try from Anthony Stewart thanks to a break from Chris Joynt capped off a great comeback in a very close game.  Can’t remember if this is also the one with a fair bit of rain.  St Helens went on to become champions.

2) St Helens 20-18 Brisbane Broncos (2001 World Club Challenge at Reebok Stadium)

I always get the two wins over Brisbane mixed up, but I think this is the one with the second half blizzard.  Saints put in a gritty second half comeback victory after finding themselves 18-6 down.  Really tense game that seemed to have a bit of everything. 

1) Great Britain 8-4 Australia (1994 Ashes Series 1st Test at Wembley)

One of my favourite sporting memories is cheering in that try from Davies and the courageous display from him and the other 11 after Shaun Edwards had been sent off.  I swear to this day that our little group started the, “We only needed 12 men” chant that day.  Great memories.

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Huddersfield v Leeds CC SF 2006 ( we weren't given a cat in hell's chance)

Huddersfield v St Helens, CC SF 2009 ( great game that we managed to come out on top in)

Huddersfield v Halifax challenge cup 1995 (we were 2nd div, they were near top of 1st and we beat them convincingly in a huge upset at the time)

Keighley v Huddersfield challenge cup 1995 ( 30-0 victory and their 1st home defeat for over 12 months)

Huddersfield v Barrow Div 3 1992 ( the night we won the 3rd division and started our comeback up the RL ladder, also turned out to be the last league game played at Fartown from what i recall)

 

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My top 3:

3. 1978 Widnes v Australia - the last time a club side beat the Aussies, for some reason felt confident we would beat them that night.

2. 1995  Tonga v NZ  - everything international football should be (atmosphere, tense, chance of an upset, brutal )

1. 1989  Widnes v Wigan.  Championship decider.  It took place the day after the Hillsborough disaster and the place was absolutely packed to the rafters. All sorts of emotions that afternoon ending in total joy after watching a great game and one of the best tries you will see (Offiah)

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Fulham vs Wigan 1980

GB Vs Aus     Davies Try

Huyton Vs Fulham

Wigan Vs Cas  Premiership Final  Skerrett had his jaw broken

Celtic Crusaders vs Fev     Crusaders scored 2 tries in the last minute to win. David Hobbs went into the Crusaders dressing room when they were singing their song to tell them to shut up  

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20 hours ago, doc said:

1. Wales v Western Samoa at the Vetch, Swansea 1995. Only decided to go at 9am that morning. There was a small pile of maybe 80 to 100 tickets left when I got there. Brilliant game!

How could I forget? My mate Scoob making the drive from Croydon. The queue to get in. The atmosphere. Being treated like a guru by those alongside because I knew the rules.

Can someone start a top ten match theead.

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Oldham v Widnes, 1975 Challenge Cup Quarter Final at Watersheddings. Packed in like sardines on a beautiful summers day.

St. Helens v Oldham  c 1974 at Knowsley Road. Incredible drop goal from Johnny Blair give Oldham a memorable victory in closing seconds from the half way line. Supporters coach bricked on the way home!

Wakefield v Oldham c 1975. Oldham about 20 points to nil down and out at half time but won an amazing game with a relentless second half effort in the fog. Wakefield supporters attacked Oldham lads on their way back to the coach...bit of a trend there.

Oldham v GB 1970s. Drawn night game at Watersheddings. Frank Foster ( hardest player I ever saw) drop goal locked in the memory bank forever.

Fulham v Wigan 1980, Craven Cottage. Great day in the sun, spoiled only slightly by a live commentary over the PA system by Keith Macklin where he explained every play in too much detail like he was talking to a bunch of infants in the playground.

 

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In no paticular order;

Halifax v St Helens 87 CCup Final, tension only broken by some Oldham lads sat in front saying how great it would be when the Roughyeds played there!

68 watersplash final, nobody had a clue what was going to happen from one minute to the next.

Wigan v Manly 87, luckily we got there fairly early and got on a barrier at the dressing room end, couple of extra pints and we probably wouldn't have got in.

Keighley23 v Whitehaven22 1969 C Cup, You score, we score then became a drop-goal golden 2 points, posts, crossbars hit Jefferson won it as he did most games for Keighley back then.

Newcastle v Manly 97 Grand Final brilliant Andrew Johns play at the very end sends Darren Albert skipping in for the match winner.

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