In the 1994 NSWRL Finals series five semi-finals were played at the Sydney Football Stadium. Interestingly, Canterbury-Bankstown was the only side representing the southern side of the Harbour Bridge with the series also including Manly-Warringah and North Sydney.

The other teams were back-to-back defending premiers Brisbane and fellow interstate powerhouse, Canberra. For those playing at home, that’s Manly and Norths, Broncos, Raiders and the Bulldogs.

Still, in the ’94 series, not one semi-final attracted less than 33,000 fans.

And for those that don’t remember – not once did any of the three Sydney clubs play against each other.

In week one, the Bears played Canberra and Manly battled the Broncos. The following week Norths tackled Brisbane and Canterbury outlasted the Raiders to qualify first for the grand final. Canberra downed Norths in the preliminary final which then pitted the minor premiers Canterbury up against Mal Meninga’s Green Machine.

The smallest crowd throughout the finals was the 33,641 that saw Jason Croker cross twice to help the Raiders secure a 26-12 over Norths.

Yet here we are more two decades later complaining about why two SYDNEY teams have to play in… SYDNEY?

Okay so Penrith don’t get to play at Pepper Stadium in their match against the Bulldogs but the rules had already been put in place by the NRL.

What’s the big problem?

A Spring afternoon in Sydney at Allianz Stadium?

You’re a Panthers fan and would rather kick stones than jump in your car and come down the M7?

What’s that? You support the Bulldogs and think Moore Park is just too far a train ride?

Come on, guys. This is the game you love!

This is YOUR team in the finals.

When the Panthers won the premiership for the first time in 1991, over 38,000 fans packed into the SFS to see Penrith squeak by the Bears 16-14 to qualify for their second consecutive decider. Penrith fans didn’t complain then because if they did club legends like Royce Simmons and Mark Geyer might have had a few choice words for them.

The same can be said for the Bulldogs who played in that ’94 series.

Over 41,000 saw the Bulldogs beat the Raiders to be the first team into the grand final. On that day, they won by a solitary point after a Daryl Halligan field goal. Now wonder how ‘Chook’ Halligan would feel today if he remembered that great day and there were only 15 or 20,000 people there.

Maybe those were your golden days.

Perhaps you were a little too young to remember.

If the latter is the case, then it’s you that needs to make the effort and support your team.

After all, you never know if you’ll get another chance.

Just ask all those old Bears fans.

 
1994
Week 1
North Sydney v Canberra 33,641
Manly v Brisbane 34,891

Week 2
North Sydney v Brisbane 36,011
Canterbury v Canberra 41, 865

Week 3
Canberra v North Sydney 41,941

 
@woodward_curtis