Top 8: Miraculous comebacks of the NRL era

The Warriors set a new club record for their biggest-ever comeback on last Saturday, recovering from a 21-point deficit during the second half to snatch an unforgettable – and controversial – 34-31 victory in Canberra. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s match-saving play to jolt the ball free from a try-line-bound Jordan Rapana capped one of the wildest matches in recent memory. In the second edition of Zero Tackle’s Top 8, WILL EVANS from This Warriors Life counts down the most miraculous comebacks of the NRL era. *Check out This Warriors Life’s website and podcast, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Bulldogs v Newcastle (2002) A surging comeback from the Bulldogs in front of parochial Newcastle crowd was iced by one of the most famous pressure kicks in premiership history. At the tail-end of a 17-match winning streak in 2002, the Bulldogs trailed an Andrew Johns-inspired Newcastle side 19-0 at halftime. Bulldogs five Braith Anasta sparked the revival – two of his kicks led to tries, while a superb long pass resulted in another. A no-try ruling against workhorse forward Steve Reardon with four minutes left appeared to cruel the Bulldogs’ comeback with the score at 21-16. But when the Knights ran out of defenders in the final minute, Bulldogs fullback Luke Patten slid over in the corner to leave Hazem El Masri with an opportunity to win the match after the siren. Setting the ball up metres from a baying pro-Knights crowd and with a swirling breeze to contend with, ‘El Magic’ stepped up and curled a spine-tingling conversion through the posts to snatch a legendary victory. https://youtu.be/WIJ0lJF-Z1c?t=99 Wests Tigers v New Zealand Warriors (2011) The Warriors powered to a 22-4 lead over the Tigers in their mid-2011 clash, with a Manu Vatuvei second-half double bookending a sizzling try to Shaun Johnson, who was playing just his second NRL game. Not to be upstaged, Kiwi Test captain Benji Marshall engineered an incredible fight-back, scoring two tries and laying on two more in the final 18 minutes to steal a 26-22 victory for the Tigers. https://youtu.be/E7LUfh4aVec?t=149 North Queensland v Penrith (1998) The battling Cowboys’ visit to Penrith Stadium in Round 12 of 1998 shaped as another tough night out as the Panthers raced to a 26-0 halftime lead. But the perennial easybeats rewrote the record books by piling on seven unanswered tries – including a Noa Nadruku hat-trick and a double to Andrew Dunemann – to pull off a mind-blowing 36-28 win, the biggest comeback in premiership history. https://youtu.be/ENfcAUUy_EY?t=4736 South Sydney v North Queensland and Bulldogs (2008) A Chris Sandow field goal was the difference as South Sydney recorded the equal-second biggest comeback of all time against North Queensland. Trailing 28-4 with less than half an hour to play, the Rabbitohs stormed back to level with four quick tries, before Sandow snapped a one-pointer in the final minute. Just nine days later, Souths recovered from an 18-point deficit against the Bulldogs to send the match into extra-time. The Dogs led 24-6 early in the second stanza, but the match was levelled at 30-all when Rabbitohs winger Fetuli Talanoa scored with seven minutes remaining. Craig Wing sent Luke Capewell over for a try in the second period of golden point to clinch a memorable 34-30 victory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuhh3aUAO6A Penrith v Wests Tigers (2000) Two years after being on the wrong end of the biggest comeback of them all, the Panthers landed in second place on the all-time list with an astonishing revival – again at Penrith Stadium. Wests Tigers led the late-2000 encounter 31-8 with 23 minutes on the timepiece but the hosts blazed over for four tries in just 12 minutes, including a quick-fire double to rampaging second-rower Tony Puletua. Reluctant goalkicker Chris Hicks – who finished his career with 58 percent success rate – nailed the go-ahead conversion from near the touchline and the Panthers hung on for a 32-31 win. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcc4fv0UXHI New Zealand Warriors v Bulldogs (2001) In Round 8 of 2001, the Bulldogs were coasting to victory against the Warriors in the first-ever match staged in Wellington, ahead 24-8 with less than six minutes to go. Back-to-back tries from wingers Henry Fa’afili and Francis Meli gave the inscrutable Warriors a sniff, before prop Justin Morgan busted the line and sent makeshift fullback Clinton Toopi away for a 75-metre, score-levelling down. Stacey Jones missed the relatively easy conversion, but the drawn result provided the impetus for the underachieving club to qualify for its maiden finals series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tybq68VOkvE&t=4s St George Illawarra v Manly (2004) Manly, languishing in 13th place late in a dismal 2004 campaign, was on course for a huge upset at Kogarah Oval, leading St George Illawarra 34-10 with 24 minutes remaining. Nathan Blacklock put the Saints back in the hunt with two tries in rapid succession, before Ben Hornby and Matt Cooper crossed to cut the deficit to just four. Front-rower Justin Poore powered over in the 77th minute to lock up the scores, and Mark ‘Piggy’ Riddell buried the pressure conversion from out wide to clinch an unbelievable 36-34 result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR2nNyh1gWk Cronulla v Brisbane and Sydney Roosters (2014) The strife-torn Sharks were held scoreless in three consecutive games during a tumultuous 2014 season – and their fourth straight doughnut loomed when they trailed Brisbane 22-0 in the 54th minute at Suncorp Stadium in Round 16. But after failing to trouble the NRL’s scoreboard attendants for 40 days (including 322 minutes of footy) the Sharks rallied with four converted tries to pull off a miraculous 24-22 upset. Incredibly, despite the Todd Carney ‘bubbler’ incident blowing up two days later, they equalled the second-biggest comeback ever in the next round, rolling defending champs Sydney Roosters 30-28 by overturning a 24-0 halftime scoreline. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm-Ig-CnVus

Top 8: Miraculous comebacks of the NRL era

This Warriors Life’s WILL EVANS relives the most unlikely and memorable fight-backs since 1998👇

6. North Queensland v Penrith (1998)

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