2001 NRL Grand Final

Sunday, 30 September 2001 · Stadium Australia, Sydney, New South Wales

2001 Grand Final ▾

2001 NRL Grand Final result: Newcastle def. Parramatta, 30-24, at Stadium Australia, Sydney, New South Wales on Sunday, 30 September 2001.

Result

TeamScore
WinnerNewcastle30
Runner-upParramatta24

Attendance: 90,414

NRL 2001 — full season ladder & finals series

PosClubPWDLPFPADiffPts
1Parramatta Eels262024839406+43342
2Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs261736617568+4937
3Newcastle Knights261619782639+14333
4Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks261529594513+8132
5Brisbane Broncos2614111696511+18529
6Sydney Roosters2613112647589+5827
7St George Illawarra Dragons2612212661573+8826
8New Zealand Warriors2612212638629+926
9Melbourne Storm2611114704725-2123
10Northern Eagles2611114603750-14723
11Canberra Raiders269116600623-2319
12Wests Tigers269116474746-27219
13North Queensland Cowboys266218514771-25714
14Penrith Panthers267019521847-32614

Qualified for the finals series — top 8 (McIntyre final eight system) that season.

Finals series

Qualifying Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
7 Sep 2001Cronulla-Sutherland 22–6 Brisbane BroncosToyota Park, Sydney, NSW15,508
8 Sep 2001Newcastle Knights 40–6 Sydney RoostersMarathon Stadium, Newcastle, NSW22,061
8 Sep 2001Canterbury-Bankstown 22–23 St George IllawarraSydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW17,975
9 Sep 2001Parramatta Eels 56–12 New Zealand WarriorsParramatta Stadium, Parramatta, NSW17,336

Semi-Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
15 Sep 2001Brisbane Broncos 44–28 St George IllawarraSydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW19,259
16 Sep 2001Cronulla-Sutherland 52–10 Canterbury-BankstownSydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW21,507

Preliminary Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
22 Sep 2001Newcastle Knights 18–10 Cronulla-SutherlandSydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW31,438
23 Sep 2001Parramatta Eels 24–16 Brisbane BroncosStadium Australia, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW34,184

Grand Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
30 Sep 2001Newcastle Knights 30–24 Parramatta EelsStadium Australia, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW90,414

Permalink to this season's ladder page →

Match officials

RefereeBill Harrigan

Scorers

NewcastleTries: Bill Peden 3'; Steve Simpson 7'; Bill Peden 24'; Ben Kennedy 32'; Timana Tahu 64'
Goals: Andrew Johns (5/7)
ParramattaTries: Brett Hodgson — minute unconfirmed; Jamie Lyon 66'; Jamie Lyon — minute unconfirmed; Brett Hodgson — minute unconfirmed
Goals: Luke Burt (4/4)

Teams

NewcastleParramatta
1Robbie O'DavisFullbackBrett Hodgson1
2Timana TahuWingLuke Burt2
3Matthew GidleyCentreJamie Lyon3
4Mark HughesCentreDavid Vaealiki4
5Adam MacDougallWingJason Moodie5
6Sean RudderFive-EighthMichael Buettner6
7Andrew JohnsHalfbackJason Taylor7
8Josh PerryPropNathan Cayless (c)8
9Danny BuderusHookerBrad Drew9
10Matt ParsonsPropMichael Vella10
11Steve SimpsonSecond RowNathan Hindmarsh11
12Ben KennedySecond RowIan Hindmarsh12
13Bill PedenLockDaniel Wagon13
Substitutes
14Paul MarquetPJ Marsh14
15Clinton O'BrienAndrew Ryan15
16Glenn GriefAlex Chan16
17Daniel AbrahamDavid Solomona17
Michael HaganCoachBrian Smith

Clive Churchill Medal

Andrew Johns (Newcastle Knights).

Match context

The 2001 decider made history as the first Grand Final played at night in the competition's history, drawing 90,414 spectators to Stadium Australia. It was also played against the backdrop of South Sydney's continued exclusion from the competition, a saga that would finally be resolved in the Rabbitohs' favour by a Federal Court ruling later that year, paving the way for their return in 2002. On the field, Newcastle produced one of the most one-sided opening periods in Grand Final history. Captain and playmaker Andrew Johns orchestrated a blistering start, with winger Bill Peden crossing in the third minute before Steve Simpson added a second try soon after; Peden then scored his second by the 24th minute, and Ben Kennedy crashed over to push the lead out to an extraordinary 24-0 by the 32nd minute. Newcastle's half-time advantage of 24-6 stands as one of the largest in Grand Final history. Parramatta, appearing tense and error-prone early, gradually found their rhythm and staged a spirited fightback after the break, with centre Jamie Lyon crossing twice and fullback Brett Hodgson also scoring, cutting the margin to 30-24 in a grandstand finish. But Newcastle held their nerve to close out the match and claim their second premiership in five seasons, following their famous 1997 triumph. The combined total of 54 points ranks among the highest aggregate scores in Grand Final history. Johns was a dominant, composed presence throughout and was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for his generalship, cementing his reputation as one of the finest halfbacks of his generation. For Parramatta, the near-miss extended a premiership drought stretching back to 1986, while for Newcastle the victory confirmed the Hunter club as one of the era's genuine powerhouses, built around Johns's brilliance and a hard-nosed forward pack that had overwhelmed the Eels before withstanding their brave second-half response. The match capped a season played out largely in the shadow of the South Sydney exclusion controversy, which dominated off-field headlines throughout 2001 even as Newcastle and Parramatta delivered one of the more statistically remarkable deciders of the era.

Sources

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

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