1. Tigers’ boycott
South Sydney v Balmain 1909
The code that was born in controversy in 1908 didn’t take long to have its biggest drama. The NSWRL scheduled the 1909 premiership decider to be played at Sydney’s agricultural ground (Souths’ home ground) as a curtain-raiser to a Kangaroos versus Wallabies match. Balmain protested over Souths’ home-ground advantage and also argued that the status of the match was being undermined by being played as a preliminary game. According to historian Sean Fagan on rl1908.com.au, Souths took the field against no opponents, kicked off, regathered the ball and scored to claim the title.

2. Darcy’s law
St George v Western Suburbs 1963
The match that produced the most iconic image in league - “The Gladiators” - would have been remembered for the performance by referee Darcy Lawler if not for that famous photo. Heavy rain had turned the ground into sludge as both teams slugged it out before St George won 8-3. Wests winger Peter Dimond appeared to have scored an early try after following through a kick, but it was denied by Lawler. Then Lawler awarded a try to St George’s Johnny King after he was tackled, but he got up and kept running to score. Lawler, who awarded St George the penalties 18-7, retired after the match.

3. Lay down, Tiger
Balmain v South Sydney 1969
South Sydney, with a team that included greats such as Bob McCarthy, Ron Coote, John O’Neill and John Sattler, were raging favourites against Balmain in the 1969 grand final. However, the Tigers were to produce what is still regarded as the greatest grand final upset of all, due partly to a contentious play-dead tactic. Playing mistake-free football when in possession and backing it up with desperate defence, the Tigers players also hit the deck pretending to be injured to slow down the pace of the game whenever Souths appeared to be gaining momentum. The Tigers won the match 11-2.

4. Final footbrawl
Manly v Cronulla 1973
This match is regarded as the most violent of the modern era of deciders - the traditional five-minute “softening up” period lasted the whole first half. Both teams’ forward packs included some of the hardest men to play in their time, and fights continually broke out during the match, with referee Keith Page giving two mass cautions to the teams in the first half. League immortal John Raper told Rugby League Week it was “the most disgusting game of football I have ever seen”. The brilliance of Manly’s Bob Fulton, who scored two tries, was the difference as the Sea Eagles won 10-7.

5. Hollywood in the spotlight
Manly v Cronulla 1978
Referee Greg “Hollywood” Hartley was at the centre of a number of controversies during the entire 1978 finals series and they continued through to the grand final replay. After Cronulla and Manly drew the first decider 11-all, the Sea Eagles easily won the replay 16-0. Hartley, a lightning rod for drama, was criticised when Manly scored one try on a seventh tackle and another from what many believed was a forward pass. Coaches Roy Masters, Jack Gibson and Terry Fearnley all appealed to the NSWRL to ban Hartley from officiating at their matches in 1979.

6. The AWOL grand finalist
Newtown v North Sydney 1943
This 1943 wartime decider between North Sydney and Newtown provided some of the most extraordinary scenes ever at the SCG. With thousands of servicemen in Sydney, more than 60,000 crammed into the ground, causing the gates to be locked at 1pm. Norths’ forward Harry Taylor was a member of the air force and away with his unit. Before the match, word spread that he’d gone AWOL in an attempt to play. The rumours were unfounded, and the legendary Frank “Bumper” Farrell (below) led Newtown to a 34-7 win - the last time they were to win the premiership.

7. Changa’s boots
Eastern Suburbs v St George 1975
Unlike today’s fluoro greens, yellows and pinks, rugby league boots only came in one colour in the 1970s - black. So by the time St George fullback Graeme Langlands ran onto the SCG in 1975 sporting a pair of bright white boots, he’d already caused a stir. But that was the least of the problems for the Dragons great; before the match he received a pain-killing injection that struck a nerve in his leg, rendering his limb useless. When he attempted a kick for touch early in the match, the ball lamely rolled off his boot. The Roosters won the match easily, 38-0.

8. Super men
Sydney Bulldogs v Manly 1995
Appropriately, the year the Super League War broke out finished in rancour. The Super League-aligned Bulldogs, which had been rocked by news that five of their team (Jason Smith, Dean Pay, Jim Dymock, Jarrod McCracken and Brett Dallas) would break ranks and join the ARL in 1996, were outsiders against the ARL-aligned Manly, which had lost just two matches all season. In the game, which the Bulldogs won 17-4, referee Eddie Ward awarded a try to Steve Price that came after a forward pass from Dymock to Simon Gillies (below), and Glen Hughes scored on a seventh tackle.

9. Hanley hammered
Canterbury v Balmain 1988
“Ellery eats celery!” was what Balmain - and probably rugby league’s - best-known fan Laurie Nicholls would yell from the sideline when Ellery Hanley received the ball during his guest stint with the Tigers. He may have eaten celery, but the Great Britain star was seeing stars after being hit with a high shot by Canterbury’s Terry Lamb in the 1988 grand final. Hanley, who had been in scintillating form during the Tigers’ run to the decider, was helped from the field suffering concussion before 30 minutes was completed and never returned. Lamb scored a try and kicked four goals in the 24-12 win.

10. Bluey’s blue
St George v Western Suburbs 1962
Wests forward Jim Cody put a savage hit on St George captain Norm Provan early in the 1962 decider. According to Ian Collis and Alan Whiticker in 100 Years of Rugby League, “At half-time … veteran forward [Billy] ‘Bluey’ Wilson address[ed] his muddied teammates … ‘We all know who got ‘Sticks’ [Provan] but don’t go back out there and square accounts,’ Wilson warned his players. ‘We want to win this one and we must finish with 13 men.’ Wilson [centre] was sent off in the first minute of the second half for his ‘get square’ on Cody.” Despite only having 12 players, the Dragons won 9-6.