2004 NRL Grand Final
Sunday, 3 October 2004 · Telstra Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales
2004 NRL Grand Final result: Canterbury-Bankstown def. Sydney Roosters, 16-13, at Telstra Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales on Sunday, 3 October 2004.
Result
| Team | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Canterbury-Bankstown | 16 |
| Runner-up | Sydney Roosters | 13 |
Attendance: 82,127
NRL 2004 — full season ladder & finals series
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Diff | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 710 | 368 | +342 | 42 |
| 2 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 760 | 491 | +269 | 42 |
| 3 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 602 | 533 | +69 | 37 |
| 4 | Penrith Panthers | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 672 | 567 | +105 | 34 |
| 5 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 624 | 415 | +209 | 32 |
| 6 | Melbourne Storm | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 684 | 517 | +167 | 30 |
| 7 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 526 | 514 | +12 | 29 |
| 8 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 554 | 613 | -59 | 26 |
| 9 | Wests Tigers | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 509 | 534 | -25 | 24 |
| 10 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 516 | 617 | -101 | 24 |
| 11 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 528 | 645 | -117 | 24 |
| 12 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 517 | 626 | -109 | 22 |
| 13 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 615 | 754 | -139 | 22 |
| 14 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 427 | 693 | -266 | 16 |
| 15 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 455 | 812 | -357 | 16 |
Qualified for the finals series — top 8 (McIntyre final eight system) that season.
Finals series
Qualifying Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep 2004 | Penrith Panthers 31–30 St George Illawarra | Penrith Park, Penrith, NSW | 21,963 |
| 11 Sep 2004 | Brisbane Broncos 14–31 Melbourne Storm | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, QLD | 31,100 |
| 11 Sep 2004 | Canterbury-Bankstown 22–30 North Queensland Cowboys | Telstra Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW | 18,371 |
| 12 Sep 2004 | Sydney Roosters 38–12 Canberra Raiders | Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW | 18,325 |
Semi-Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 2004 | North Queensland Cowboys 10–0 Brisbane Broncos | Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville, QLD | 24,989 |
| 19 Sep 2004 | Canterbury-Bankstown 43–18 Melbourne Storm | Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW | 23,750 |
Preliminary Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 2004 | Canterbury-Bankstown 30–14 Penrith Panthers | Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW | 37,868 |
| 26 Sep 2004 | Sydney Roosters 19–16 North Queensland Cowboys | Telstra Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW | 43,048 |
Grand Final
| Date | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct 2004 | Canterbury-Bankstown 16–13 Sydney Roosters | Telstra Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW | 82,127 |
Match officials
| Referee | Tim Mander |
Scorers
| Canterbury-Bankstown | Tries: Matt Utai 23'; Matt Utai 42'; Hazem El Masri 53' Goals: Hazem El Masri (2/4) |
| Sydney Roosters | Tries: Chris Walker 13'; Anthony Minichiello 32' Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon (2/2) Drop goals: Brett Finch (1) |
Teams
| Canterbury-Bankstown | Sydney Roosters | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Patten | Fullback | Anthony Minichiello | 1 |
| 2 | Hazem El Masri | Wing | Shannon Hegarty | 2 |
| 3 | Ben Harris | Centre | Ryan Cross | 3 |
| 4 | Willie Tonga | Centre | Justin Hodges | 4 |
| 5 | Matt Utai | Wing | Chris Walker | 5 |
| 6 | Braith Anasta | Five-Eighth | Brad Fittler (c) | 6 |
| 7 | Brent Sherwin | Halfback | Brett Finch | 7 |
| 8 | Mark O'Meley | Prop | Jason Cayless | 8 |
| 9 | Adam Perry | Hooker | Craig Wing | 9 |
| 11 | Willie Mason | Prop | Peter Cusack | 20 |
| 14 | Reni Maitua | Second Row | Michael Crocker | 11 |
| 12 | Andrew Ryan (c) | Second Row | Adrian Morley | 10 |
| 13 | Tony Grimaldi | Lock | Craig Fitzgibbon | 12 |
| Substitutes | ||||
| 15 | Corey Hughes | Chad Robinson | 14 | |
| 16 | Roy Asotasi | Chris Flannery | 15 | |
| 17 | Sonny Bill Williams | Ned Catic | 16 | |
| 18 | Johnathan Thurston | Anthony Tupou | 17 | |
| Steve Folkes | Coach | Ricky Stuart | ||
Clive Churchill Medal
Willie Mason (Canterbury-Bankstown).
Match context
The 2004 decider reunited the competition's two form teams of the era in a rematch of sorts of the 1980 grand final, the last time these two storied clubs had met on the game's biggest stage. Canterbury-Bankstown, missing injured captain Steve Price, fell behind early when Roosters winger Chris Walker crossed after thirteen minutes. The Bulldogs hit back through Matt Utai and then Hazem El Masri, whose penalty goal levelled the scores, but the Roosters replied through a Brett Finch field goal and an Anthony Minichiello try to take a 13-6 lead into the sheds. It was the only time all season the Roosters would lose after leading at half-time. Canterbury seized control after the break: Utai crossed for his second try to level the scores, and El Masri, in a coolly taken match-winner, dived over in the 53rd minute to put the Bulldogs in front for good. The Roosters camped on Canterbury's line for long periods in the closing stages but could not find a way through a desperate, scrambling Bulldogs defence marshalled by stand-in captain Andrew Ryan. The decisive moment arrived in the final minute when Roosters forward Michael Crocker produced a half-break deep in Canterbury territory only for Ryan to strip the ball from him in the tackle, snuffing out the Roosters' last real chance and sealing a famous 16-13 victory. Prop Willie Mason was outstanding in the forward exchanges and was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for his dominant, tone-setting performance. The win delivered Canterbury-Bankstown's eighth premiership and capped a remarkable turnaround for a club that had been stripped of premiership points and fined over a salary cap scandal only two seasons earlier in 2002. It also marked the final match of Roosters and former Australian captain Brad Fittler's glittering career, while teammate Luke Ricketson was a notable absentee, suspended on the eve of the match for a striking charge. A crowd of 82,127 packed Telstra Stadium, underlining the enduring box-office appeal of the Bulldogs-Roosters rivalry.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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