1990 NSWRL Grand Final

Result

Attendance: 41,535

NRL 1990 — full season ladder & finals series

Qualified for the finals series — top 5 (“final five”) that season.

Finals series

Minor Preliminary Semi-Final

Major Preliminary Semi-Final

Minor Semi-Final

Major Semi-Final

Preliminary Final

Grand Final

Permalink to this season's ladder page →

Match officials

Scorers

Teams

Clive Churchill Medal

Ricky Stuart (Canberra).

Match context

Canberra arrived at the Sydney Football Stadium chasing a second straight premiership after their breakthrough 1989 triumph, facing a Penrith side led by veteran hooker-captain Royce Simmons and a dangerous attacking pairing of Greg Alexander and young five-eighth Brad Fittler. Canberra were irresistible early, racing to a 12-0 lead built on tries to John Ferguson and Laurie Daley, both created by the darting, probing halfback play of Ricky Stuart around the ruck. Penrith hit back before the break through a Greg Alexander try, then Alexander combined to put Brad Fittler over, narrowing the margin to 12-10 at halftime. The Panthers continued their fightback into the second half as Paul Smith crashed over to threaten an upset, but Canberra steadied through the composure of their spine and the accurate boot of captain Mal Meninga, who landed three goals, while a try to Matthew Wood restored an eight-point buffer at 18-10. Alexander scored a late consolation try to bring Penrith back within four points, but the Panthers found no further scoring opportunity as the clock ran down. Both sides finished with three tries apiece, a measure of how tight the contest remained despite Canberra's control of possession and territory for long periods. Ricky Stuart was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for his generalship at halfback, orchestrating the Raiders' attacking raids and controlling the tempo throughout, while Meninga's goal-kicking again proved the difference on the scoreboard. The win delivered Canberra back-to-back premierships, cementing the Raiders as the dominant force of the early 1990s under coach Tim Sheens, built around the pairing of Meninga and Stuart, the strike power of Daley and Ferguson, and a forward pack that controlled the physical exchanges. For Penrith, it was another agonising grand final defeat, extending a premiership drought stretching back to the club's 1967 entry into the competition, though the resilience shown in this contest, clawing back from 12-0 down to threaten a comeback, hinted at the depth of talent assembling at Penrith Park that would soon bear fruit.

Sources

• Wikipedia - 1990 NSWRL season
• Rugby League Project - 1990 NSWRL Grand Final