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The media is dubbing Penrith Panthers the Greatest Team of the Modern Era following their hard-fought win over Melbourne Storm in last month ’ s National Rugby league grand final .
Although I reckon if Nelson Asofa- Solomona had been in the Storm lineup instead of sitting on the sideline through suspension , the result would have been a lot closer and perhaps the Storm might have prevailed .
Big Nelson – all two metres and 115kg of him was easily the best forward on the paddock in the previous week ’ s preliminary final win over the Roosters . Anyway , getting a bit off track . I ’ m in a spin about what these socalled pundits refer to as the Modern Era .
Certainly , the Panthers are the best team running around in the first half of this decade but how far back does their definition of the “ Modern Era ” stretch ?
Down the 114 years since the birth of the game in Australia in 1908 , numerous teams have dominated their rivals at various stages throughout the decades . In particular , the South Sydney Rabbitohs who claimed that historic first premiership in tossing arch-rivals , Eastern Suburbs , 14-12 , in front of 4000 fans at the Royal Agricultural Ground
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( Sydney Showground ).
In the years since that auspicious match , eight teams could be tagged “ Greatest Team of their Era ”.
In particular , the Rabbitohs , Balmain Tigers and Easts .
Not to mention the big daddy of them all , St George Dragons , who won 11 successive premierships between 1956 and 1966 !
Easts and Balmain dominated the first decade of the game – Easts getting the bikkies in 1911,1912 and 1913 and the Tigers landing premierships in 1915 , 1916 and 1917 .
Souths were the dominant club throughout the Roaring Twenties , claiming titles in 1925 , 1926 , 1927 , 1928 and 1929 after finishing runners-up in ’ 24 .
Then it was Easts ’ turn to dominate the game throughout the following decade , claiming titles in 1935 , 1936 and 1937 before finishing runners-up in 1938 .
The 1940s belonged to the Tigers who snared premierships in 1944 , 1945 , 1946 and 1947 and winding up runners-up in 1948 . Souths were back on top soon ! After finishing runners-up in 1949 , the Rabbitohs won in 1950 and 1951 , were runners-up again in 1952 before snaring
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successive titles in 1953 , 1954 and 1955 . The 1952 grand final loss to Wests , 22-
12 , was chockful of controversy .
Both sides were missing star players to the 1952-53 Kangaroos tour of England and France – Wests were without Keith Holman , Frank Stanmore and Arthur Collinson and Souths , Clive Churchill , Col Donohoe and Greg Hawick .
Many who attended the match believed it was a “ hot dook ” with referee George Bishop making several suspicious rulings which heavily favoured Wests who won the penalties 15-4 .
Bishop announced his retirement immediately after the match !
Then of course we head to the Dragons ’ momentous 11 straight grand final victories before Souths were again the dominant team , winning in 1967 and 1968 , were runners-up in 1969 before claiming titles in 1969 , 1970 and 1971 . Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs ’ turn came to dominate - after finishing runners-up in 1979 , they claimed successive titles in 1980 , 1981 and 1982
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before finishing runners-up in 1983 and 1984 .
The last team to dominate rugby league ranks was Canberra Raiders who posted successive title victories in 1989 and 1990 before finishing runners-up to Panthers who claimed their first premiership victory in 1991 .
South Sydney have won the most premierships , holding aloft the winner ’ s ’ trophy on 21 occasions .
Then comes Easts Roosters and St George ( 15 ), Balmain-Wests Tigers ( 12 ), Manly-Warringah and Canterbury- Bankstown ( 8 ), Brisbane Broncos and Penrith ( 6 ), Melbourne Storm and Parramatta ( 4 ), Canberra Raiders and Newtown ( 3 ), Newcastle Knights and North Sydney Bears ( 2 ) and Cronulla Sharks ( 1 ).
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