Introduction

In many ways, rivalries are the lifeblood of team sports competitions the world over – from professional leagues down to grassroots level. Matches between heated rivals line the coffers of the clubs and franchises involved by drawing the biggest crowds of the season, while also providing players and supporters alike with their most euphoric victories and crushing defeats.

Rivalries can be based on proximity, with local derbies providing some of the fieriest sporting battles on the planet; British rugby league clubs Hull KR and Hull FC, English football giants Manchester United and Manchester City, and Scottish football adversaries Rangers and Celtic (collectively referred to as the ‘Old Firm’) are prime examples.

A sustained battle for supremacy within a competition, league, division or premiership virtually ensures a permanent rivalry, as evidenced by NBA franchises Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, and La Liga powerhouses Barcelona FC and Real Madrid.

Certain flashpoint moments, controversies, hoodoos and player movement from one club to the other can aid the perpetuation of an unbreakable rivalry – factors that have all contributed to the intensification of arguably the greatest club rivalry in team sports, Major League Baseball foes New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

Class and socio-economic differences can also play a role, while contrasting ethos and ideologies are certain to put one club at odds with another. Often, the emotions that rivalries invoke cause tempers to boil over on and off the field, pitch, or court…but that intoxicating passion keeps us coming back for more, forever building on a rivalry’s tradition.

Premiership rugby league in Australia – which began in 1908 under the jurisdiction of the New South Wales Rugby League, before being controlled by the Australian Rugby League in 1995, and under the National Rugby League banner since 1998 – has produced myriad club rivalries, feuds and conflicts in 107 seasons, featuring all of the aforementioned elements.

Initially consisting exclusively of clubs from Sydney (and, for the first two seasons, Newcastle), derby rivalries quickly blossomed. Inner-city clubs South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs contested the inaugural premiership final, thus beginning the longest, and quite possibly the most storied and obsessive, rivalry in the code’s narrative.

In 1909, a sensational storm over the ‘forfeited’ final set a perpetual grudge between Souths and neighbouring Balmain in stone; the clubs featured in deciders in 1917, ’24 and ’69, before animosity spiked again during the 1980s.

The gradual expansion of the premiership opened up a plethora of new rivalry opportunities. Westward expansion via the admittance of Canterbury-Bankstown (1935) and Parramatta (1947) created competition with Western Suburbs courtesy of redrawn territorial boundaries and shared iconic figures. Manly-Warringah also joined the fray in 1947, marking the beginning of what would develop into one of the bitterest feuds in the code’s history with neighbours North Sydney.

South Sydney’s foundation rivalry with Western Suburbs experienced its flashpoint moment in the Magpies’ controversial 1952 Grand Final loss, while the club’s spirited inner-city battler competition with Newtown reached a crescendo as the Rabbitohs secured back-to-back Grand Final wins in 1954–55; Newtown, excluded by the NSWRL at the end of 1983, were fated never to win another title.

St George’s unprecedented dominance during the 1950s and ’60s saw rivalries with Manly, Wests, Balmain and Souths – hopeful, but ultimately unsuccessful, contenders to end the Dragons’ dynasty – emerge and, particularly in the case of the Magpies (who lost three straight deciders to the Saints) and Rabbitohs, maintain their lustre for decades to come.

Souths’ subsequent dominance in the late-1960s and early-1970s eventually saw their playing ranks plundered by Easts and Manly, stirring up an old rivalry and cementing a more recent one respectively.

The admission of Cronulla-Sutherland and Penrith in 1967 gave birth to another pair of local derbies – against St George and Parramatta respectively – that became among the competition’s most fervent and enduring.

As the Sea Eagles became established as the dominant team of the ’70s, they became embroiled in several ferocious, long-running club battles. Twin Grand Final triumphs over Cronulla set up the ‘Battle of the Beaches’ rivalry, while the ‘Fibros v Silvertails’ feud – built on supposed class warfare and spurred on by a succession of bloody and violent on-field skirmishes – became arguably the most explosive and wild rivalry of all time.

The Parramatta-Canterbury rivalry dominated the 1980s as the clubs claimed four premierships apiece during a nine-year period – including two classic Grand Final arm-wrestles against one another – around the time the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers were engaging in a lengthy stateside battle for NBA supremacy, and the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers were doing the same in the NFL.

One of the great individual rivalries accompanied the Eels-Bulldogs battle. The Celtics and Lakers had Larry Bird and ‘Magic’ Johnson; the Eels and Bulldogs had brilliant halfbacks Peter Sterling and Steve Mortimer. The animosity resurfaced between Canterbury and Parramatta again after a player poaching raid during the mid-1990s, followed by a game that became ingrained in the fabric of finals folklore in ’98.

The greatest Grand Final of all time in 1989 bound Canberra and Balmain together for eternity, while ensuing decider double-ups between Canberra and Penrith (1990–91), and Brisbane and St George (1992–93), have underpinned key rivalries that remain strong more than two decades later.

The Broncos and Raiders were the pre-eminent superpowers of the first half of the 1990s, and forged a titanic rivalry – complemented by an abundance of healthy individual rivalries across the two star-studded line-ups – although a dream Grand Final showdown never eventuated.

The Broncos’ sustained success saw them cultivate strong rivalries with a multitude of clubs, while their intrastate derbies against Gold Coast and North Queensland have grown to be some of the most anticipated clashes of each NRL season.

A fiery rivalry developed between Manly and Newcastle during the 1990s – encapsulated by the front-row war between enforcers Mark Carroll and Paul Harragon – and culminated in a classic decider in 1997 that bore witness to arguably the greatest finish in Grand Final history.

The premiership’s rationalisation in the late-1990s, brought about by economic necessity, saw long-time rivals – ‘big brother’ St George and ‘little brother’ Illawarra, foundation foes Balmain and Western Suburbs, and northern peninsula adversaries Manly and North Sydney – form joint ventures, with varying results. The inability of the Manly and Norths factions to cooperate was one of many reasons the Northern Eagles merger failed, but Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra Dragons have won premierships – and crafted a stellar joint venture rivalry along the way.

The Bulldogs-Roosters rivalry – which had flourished previously courtesy of premiership deciders in 1938, ’42, ’74 and ’80 – exploded in the first half of the 2000s, descending into a full-blown feud featuring salary cap scandals, crowd misbehaviour, personal beefs, a preliminary final, a Grand Final and a mass exodus from one club to the other.

The Brisbane-Melbourne rivalry has bubbled away zealously since the latter’s arrival in the premiership in 1998; after the Broncos’ Grand Final upset in 2006, the Storm proceeded to eliminate the northern superpower from the ensuing three finals series. But that was rapidly superseded by Melbourne’s grudge with Manly, which kicked off with Grand Finals in 2007–08 and reached a volatile climax in the infamous ‘Battle of Brookvale’ clash in 2011.

The premiership has come full circle in recent years in regards to which rivalry sits on the highest pedestal. South Sydney’s resurgence after effectively four decades in the doldrums saw the club’s ever-present animosity towards the regularly successful Sydney Roosters (formerly Easts) flare up to the extent that the only remaining foundation teams’ encounters are the most feverishly anticipated and best attended of the season.

New rivalries will emerge and then dissipate, and old ones will ebb and flow; some are destined to remain ablaze year in, year out. But every club rivalry has a story. Rugby League Rivalries chronicles the 100 greatest rivalries the premiership has ever seen.

Every controversy, conflict and bloody battle is covered, along with hundreds of finals matches (including every Grand Final in premiership history) and dozens of unforgettable regular season clashes, and the great individual rivalries framed within ferocious club competition.

Will Evans

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS

v

EASTERN SUBURBS/SYDNEY ROOSTERS

(1908–2014)

South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs (later Sydney Roosters), the only foundation clubs remaining in the NRL, boast the longest-running rivalry in premiership history – and arguably the most bitter and most storied. Animosity between the inner-city neighbours, regular finals combatants during the competition’s formative decades, has festered courtesy of player poaching, boundaries and junior territories, perceived class differences and contrasting financial positions, as much as anything that has happened in more than a century of on-field conflict. The clubs’ simultaneous rise to heavyweight status in recent seasons has arguably elevated the rivalry to its highest-ever pedestal.

Overall record: Played 210 – South Sydney won 110, Eastern Suburbs/Sydney Roosters won 95, draws 5; Eastern Suburbs/Sydney Roosters scored 3,263 points, South Sydney scored 3,247 points.

Biggest wins: Eastern Suburbs/Sydney Roosters – 62–0 at Sydney Football Stadium, 1996; South Sydney – 50–0 at Sydney Sports Ground, 1952.

Longest winning streaks: Eastern Suburbs/Sydney Roosters – 13 matches (1995–2005); South Sydney – 8 matches (1968–72).

Finals: Played 11 – South Sydney won 6, Eastern Suburbs/Sydney Roosters won 5.

Most appearances (1980–2014): Anthony Minichiello – (Sydney Roosters) – 23; John Sutton (South Sydney) – 22.

Most tries: Johnny Graves (South Sydney) – 18; Nathan Merritt (South Sydney) – 17; Benny Wearing (South Sydney) – 17; Anthony Minichiello (Sydney Roosters) – 11; Bill Mullins (Eastern Suburbs) – 11; Rod O’Loan (Eastern Suburbs) – 11; Gordon Wright (Eastern Suburbs) – 11.

Most points: Bernie Purcell (South Sydney) – 146; Eric Simms (South Sydney) – 141; Johnny Graves (South Sydney) – 108; Craig Fitzgibbon (Sydney Roosters) – 102; Benny Wearing (South Sydney) – 101; Wally Messenger (Eastern Suburbs) – 81.

1908–14 – Inner-Sydney clubs dominate premiership’s early years

South Sydney formed on January 17, 1908, at a meeting at Redfern Town Hall. One week later, Eastern Suburbs was founded at Paddington Town Hall, roughly two kilometres east as the crow flies. The inner-city neighbours squared off for the first time in Round 3 of the inaugural 1908 premiership, with Easts winger Horrie Miller scoring two tries in a 13–12 eclipse of Souths at the Royal Agricultural Ground. It would be Souths’ only defeat of the season, with the clubs winning through to the NSWRL competition’s maiden final at the end of the year.

Final, 1908 – South Sydney crowned inaugural premiers

South Sydney overcame Eastern Suburbs 14–12 to win the NSWRL competition’s first premiership final at the Royal Agricultural Ground. With both sides significantly weakened by the departure of the pioneering Kangaroos to Britain, Souths opened the scoring through winger Leo Senior before Easts counterpart Horrie Miller responded with an 80-metre try. Easts led 7–3, but prop Tom Golden’s touchdown and Arthur Conlin’s kick from a mark gave Souths a one-point halftime advantage. Conlin and lock Harry Butler crossed to put Souths 14–9 ahead, while Miller’s second try in the latter stages went unconverted to see Souths awarded the inaugural Royal Agricultural Shield.

Souths’ triumph in the final was the first of four straight wins over Easts. But the Tricolours notched seven straight victories as they became the first team to secure a hat-trick of premierships from 1911–13.

Semi-Final, 1911 – Brilliant Messenger leads Easts to victory

The incomparable Dally Messenger led his Eastern Suburbs side to an emphatic 23–10 victory over neighbouring rivals South Sydney in the first semi-final at the Sydney Sports Ground, scoring two tries and kicking seven goals in one of his greatest performances. The skipper’s peerless kicking came to the fore as Easts built an 8–2 lead, before his breathtaking attacking skills in general play took over; Souths scored two late tries to mask the comprehensive nature of their defeat.

South Sydney stopped Eastern Suburbs’ run with a first-past-the-post premiership success in 1914, meaning the clubs had won three each of the first seven competitions; Newtown’s win in 1910 was the only diversion.

1915–32 – Souths gain upper hand

Souths won 27 of 39 local derbies with Easts from 1914–33, but the Tricolours enjoyed an unforgettable victory in the 1923 final to break a decade-long premiership drought.

Final, 1923 – Easts clinch title in final classic

The finals were abandoned between 1912 and 1925 in favour of a ‘first-past-the-post’ system of awarding the premiership to the club that finished the regular season on top of the ladder. But a deadlock between Easts and Souths at the conclusion of the premiership rounds in 1923 necessitated a final to decide Sydney rugby league supremacy. Champion Souths winger Benny Wearing opened the scoring with an unconverted try, before centre Les Steel crashed over for Easts’ first try to level the scores. Wearing nudged Souths two points in front with a penalty, but Easts took a 7–5 lead into halftime on the back of two Arthur Oxford goals. Wearing hared after a kick to claim his second try and converted for a 10–7 advantage, and despite Easts skipper Harry Caples snatching the ascendancy back with a converted try, Wearing squared the ledger with another penalty to set up a grandstand finish. Five-eighth Caples broke the impasse with his second try. Easts defended grimly to hang on for a 15–12 victory and the club’s fourth premiership.

The Rabbitohs won seven in a row from 1924–27, while the clubs engaged in a string of post-season encounters throughout the late-1920s and ’30s.

Semi-Final, 1926 – Rabbitohs power on to final

A dominant second-half display underpinned South Sydney’s convincing 21–5 semi-final defeat of Eastern Suburbs. The defending champs – who finished nine points clear of the field in the minor premiership race – led third-placed Easts 5–0 at the break, but romped to victory as prop Eddie Root scored two of the Rabbitohs’ five tries. Souths lock Ernie Lapham also crossed, before being sent off along with opposite number Bill Ives.

Final, 1928 – Souths subdue Easts for fourth straight premiership

South Sydney broke the record co-held by Eastern Suburbs and Balmain by clinching its fourth consecutive premiership, downing the Tricolours 26–5 in a one-sided final. The Rabbitohs led 13–0 at halftime and went on with the job to build a 26–0 advantage, with ‘Mick’ Kadwell scoring two of their five tries, before the Tricolours finally landed on the scoreboard. Souths’ dominant forwards George Treweek, Oscar Quinlivan and Harry Cavanough – who all posted three-pointers – won most of the post-match plaudits.

Grand Final, 1931 – Arch-rivals produce thrilling decider

Souths claimed their sixth title in seven seasons with a 12–7 final triumph over Eastern Suburbs at the Sydney Sports Ground destined to be remembered as the venue’s finest match – and one of the great premiership deciders. An absorbing first half ended 4–0 in favour of minor premiers Easts after two goals by centre Jack Lynch. Souths posted the first try of the match five minutes into the second half, with brilliant winger Benny Wearing crossing out wide and then goaling from the sideline for a 5–4 lead. A scintillating 75-metre try finished off by winger Fred Tottey put the Tricolours back in front 7–5 before a long-range penalty by Albert Spillane levelled the scores. With only one minute of the pulsating clash remaining, Rabbitohs five-eighth Harry Eyers produced a stunning solo try from 25 metres out to clinch the premiership for the boys in cardinal and myrtle.

Semi-Final, 1932 – Rabbitohs trounce Tricolours

Premiers South Sydney marched into another final with a resounding 26–8 semi-final defeat of Eastern Suburbs. The Tricolours led 5–0 early, but the Rabbitohs clawed back to take an 8–5 advantage into halftime and dominated the second stanza, finishing with six tries – including doubles to prop Frank O’Connor and five-eighth Percy Williams. Souths had already stormed to a 21-point lead by the time brilliant young Easts centre Dave Brown crossed for a consolation try.

1933–48 – Easts juggernaut dominates

South Sydney earned a memorable 3–0 opening-round triumph over Easter Suburbs on Anzac Day 1934, with Harry Eyers’ try in the early stages the only points of a classic encounter; only four games in the 80 years since have produced three points or less. Easts responded with a 14–10 victory two months later on their way to the minor premiership, before an emphatic finals success.

Semi-Final, 1934 – Easts end finals hoodoo

After four finals defeats to South Sydney in the previous eight seasons, Eastern Suburbs broke its lengthy run of post-season outs with a 19–6 victory at the SCG. The magnificent centre pairing of captain Dave Brown and Jack Beaton both scored tries to give Easts a 6–4 halftime lead, while wingers John Lane and Harry Thompson, and second-rower Harry Pierce crossed in the second half as the Tricolours kept their tryline intact for the full 80 minutes.

Easts’ 18–11 loss to Souths was their only defeat as they romped to the title in 1935, while it was the Tricolours’ last loss against any team until Round 2 of 1938, when the Rabbitohs ended the three-time champs’ premiership record unbeaten run of 35 matches with a 21–14 victory.

Final, 1935 – Tricolours romp to premiership triumph

Runaway minor premiers Eastern Suburbs’ dominant season reached a fitting conclusion in the final, outclassing second-placed arch-rivals South Sydney 19–3 at the SCG. Despite the absence of injured centre genius Dave Brown, Easts’ attack was on song as wingers Rod O’Loan and Fred Tottey, and second-rower Harry Pierce scored tries to set up a 9–0 halftime lead. Centre Jack Beaton crossed in the second half and O’Loan completed his double to seal the Tricolours’ first premiership in 12 years.

Semi-Final, 1938 – Easts through to another final

Three-time premiers Eastern Suburbs progressed to a final showdown with Canterbury by subduing a South Sydney outfit making its first post-season appearance since the 1935 final. The 19–10 victory was underpinned by a powerful first-half display, leading 13–0 at the break after an 80-metre try to backrower Harry Pierce and subsequent three-pointers to prop Max Nixon and centre Dick Dunn. Outstanding lock Andy Norval scored both of Easts’ second-half tries – either side of a stirring 10-point fight-back by the Rabbtitohs – to help secure the result.

Second-rower Harry Pierce scored four tries in Easts’ 38–7 demolition of Souths in 1940. Rabbitohs winger Robin Smith matched that feat in a 39–5 success over the Tricolours in 1943. Easts lost just one of eight derbies from 1944–48, before Souths crafted a decade-long domination of the rivalry.

1948–73 – Rabbitohs’ golden eras envelope Tricolours

From 1948 to ’59, South Sydney – premiers five times while the Tricolours made the finals just once – won 17 of 22 matches against Eastern Suburbs. Brilliant three-quarter Johnny Graves scored a record-equalling five tries and broke another club mark by adding six goals for 27 points in the Rabbitohs’ 12-try, 48–6 rout of wooden spooners Easts at Redfern Oval in 1949, while his centre partner Len Allmond notched four tries.

Graves beat his own record with a 29-point haul (three tries, 10 goals) in a 50–0 massacre at the Sydney Sports Ground – Easts’ worst-ever loss to that point, a mark that was eclipsed by Balmain less than three months later.

During the 1950s, South Sydney lobbied the NSWRL to change the clubs’ district boundaries, due to the industrialisation and de-population of the heartland of Redfern and Waterloo, and controversially acquired Eastern Suburbs’ territory including Randwick and Coogee. Iconic Souths administrator SG Ball played a key role in the redrawing of the boundaries as NSWRL secretary, and it remains a bone of contention to this day.

Eastern Suburbs, Grand finalists in 1960, enjoyed some respite against ailing South Sydney with an unbeaten run of eight matches from 1959–63. But this run preceded another barren decade. The Rabbitohs won 18 of 21 inner-city derbies from 1963–73, with the Tricolours only rarely coming close in the foundation clubs’ meetings.

Round 22, 1968 – Rabbitohs’ last-gasp win clinches minor premiership

Defending champs South Sydney entered the final regular season round of 1968 on top of the ladder, with a chasing pack of three clubs just one competition point adrift – including the Rabbitohs last-round opponents, Eastern Suburbs. The inner-city rivals produced a classic encounter in front of a bumper 39,933-strong Sydney Cricket Ground crowd. Chasing their first minor premiership since 1945, the Jack Gibson-coached Roosters led the Rabbitohs 22–19 as the clock wound down on the back of four goals to Allan McKean and two field goals to Kevin Ashley. But Souths five-eighth Denis Pittard crossed for his second try in the dying minutes to level the scores, and fullback sharpshooter Eric Simms slotted the conversion on fulltime to confirm a heart-stopping 24–22, four-tries-to-two victory – and the all-important minor premiership.

Souths won a record eight straight games from 1968–72 as they marched to five premierships in the space of six seasons.

1974–77 – Former Bunnies aid Easts’ rise

The Rabbitohs lost a succession of premiership-winning club greats to the Roosters during the first half of the 1970s. Front-rower Jim Morgan started the trend in 1970, Test winger Michael Cleary followed suit a year later, and then in a real body blow to the Redfern faithful, all-time great lock Ron Coote switched camps in 1972.

Coote captained an Easts side containing Morgan to a Grand Final loss at the hands of the Manly Sea Eagles (who featured ex-Souths starts John O’Neill and Ray Branighan) in ’72. Veteran Rabbitohs hooker Elwyn Walters joined the Roosters in 1974 and teamed up with Coote as the brilliant Arthur Beetson-led Tricolours powered to premiership success in ’74–75.

‘Souths fans used to love me – suddenly they hated me. I got a letter when I was leaving Souths to go to the Roosters. This lady wrote, ‘We used to have a pet rabbit and we called him ‘Ronnie Coote’. When you left we ate him for lunch’,’ Coote recalled for Rugby League Week.

Despite the resentment from his former fans, Coote became one of Easts’ greatest players, and the Rabbitohs and Roosters have played for the Ron Coote Cup since 2007.

1978–89 – Souths rule the inner-city

The Roosters won seven of eight matches from 1974–77, but Souths reclaimed control of the rivalry from 1978, winning 17 of 22 encounters to 1988 – including three wins in four matches against the dual minor-premiership-winning Roosters in 1980–81.

Souths won 10 of 11 games during a charmed run from 1983–88, with the clubs both taking up residence at the brand new Sydney Football Stadium – situated smack-bang between Redfern and Bondi – in ’88. The first Rabbitohs-Roosters clash at the SFS was a thriller, with flamboyant winger Steve Mavin’s try in the dying seconds snatching a 16–14 win for Souths in front of 20,685 supporters.

Easts notched a 14–0 shutout of Souths in the 1989 season opener, but the result offered few clues for the arch-rivals’ contrasting fortunes that season. The Rabbitohs surged the minor premiership with just two further losses – thumping Easts 30–12 along the way – while the Roosters finished a dismal 11th.

1990–94 – Also-rans maintain rivalry’s spirit

Both clubs endured a disastrous 1990 campaign, and they finished in the bottom three together for the first time since 1963. Matches were split evenly, with Souths holding a narrow 5–4 advantage from 1990–94. Most were exciting, close-fought affairs between young, unfancied line-ups – although Easts racked up a 56–16 thrashing in the final round of 1992, with rookie fullback David Seidenkamp scoring a hat-trick. The Rabbitohs’ 38–20 victory during 1993 was their 100th over the Roosters.

1995–2005 – Rampant Roosters

Eastern Suburbs became Sydney City in 1995 (and later Sydney Roosters in 2000) and, along with South Sydney, sided with the ARL establishment after the Super League war broke out. But relations between the clubs had rarely been more strained. The cashed-up Roosters recruited heavily and built a side that rocketed back into premiership contention, while the Rabbitohs were running on the smell of an oily rag and could afford to buy few quality players. The disparity between the white-collar, affluent Eastern Suburbs and, on the other side of the Anzac Parade boundary, working-class South Sydney had rarely been more pronounced.

With a reduction in the number of clubs in Sydney inevitable, the neighbouring clubs were viewed as obvious candidates to amalgamate. The Roosters had money but few juniors; the Rabbitohs boasted a rich junior nursery but were almost broke. The animosity between the clubs and their desire to remain standalone outfits scuppered any potential merger, however.

On the field, the Roosters began a long period of dominance, winning 13 straight derbies from 1995–2005. They inflicted a club record 62–0 loss on Souths in 1996, with Peter Jorgensen scoring three tries and Ivan Cleary 22 points in one of the darkest days in the Rabbitohs’ history. The Roosters scored 40 or more points in five of their next six matches against the Rabbitohs.

When the Rabbitohs were excluded from the competition at the end of 1999, brilliant young utility Craig Wing – the most promising South Sydney junior to emerge in years – joined the Roosters and played in four Grand Finals for the club over the ensuing five seasons.

Souths won readmission to the NRL in 2002, but were thumped 40–6 by the Roosters in their first match back in the premiership; the clubs began an annual opening-round clash in 2004 which continued until their showdown was switched to Round 2 in 2015.

2005–11 – Rabbitohs claw back

The Rabbitohs ended an 11-year drought late in the 2005 season, with a Ben Walker field goal four minutes from fulltime securing a 17–16 defeat of the Roosters. Three players were sin-binned in a fiery clash, while Souths centre Luke MacDougall received a 10-match dangerous throw suspension.

In the first Ron Coote Cup clash, Souths prevailed 18–6 in front of Monday night crowd of 24,127 in the opening round of 2007, but the Roosters took possession of the prize later in the season with a 26–12 win – narrowly finishing ahead on aggregate in the two matches for the year.

During the ’07 season, South Sydney co-owner Russell Crowe had commissioned Mark Courtney to write The Book of Feuds – with the liveliest chapter reserved for the Rabbitohs’ rivalry with the Roosters – and the publicity garnered by that publication ratcheted up the rivalry another notch.

The Rabbitohs enjoyed a 52–12 thrashing of the Roosters in Round 1 of 2009 as Nathan Merritt blazed over for a hat-trick, while young winger Jamie Simpson scored three tries in Souths’ 40–20 win later in the year – the first time since 1988 they had downed the Roosters twice in the same season. In one of the great golden point moments, Souths halfback Chris Sandow nailed a 49-metre field goal to clinch a 21–20 triumph during a 2011 derby. The clubs had become the first in history to face off in 200 premiership matches during 2010.

2012–14 – Rivalry hits modern-day peak

The clubs staged a pair of thrillers during 2012, featuring two of the most extraordinary finishes in premiership history.

Round 1, 2012 – ‘Mini’ grabs miracle match-winner for Roosters

Arch-rivals Souths and Sydney Roosters produced two of the most stunning last-minute match-winners of all time in the same season, with each club stealing a miraculous victory over the other in 2012. In the opening round, the Roosters trailed 20–12 but clung to a sliver of hope when Jared Waerea-Hargreaves crashed over with two minutes and 20 seconds to go. From the restart, the Roosters spread the ball from their 30-metre line on the third tackle. Mitch Aubusson found space and passed inside on halfway to backrower Boyd Cordner, who kicked ahead. Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello outpaced the cover to latch onto the ball and score with 20 seconds remaining.

Round 19, 2012 – Rabbitoh revenge in another mind-blowing finish

In a carbon copy – with the clubs’ roles reversed – towards the end of the 2012 season, Souths seemed headed for defeat when Mitchell Pearce scored with five minutes left to put the Roosters ahead 22–12. But Chris McQueen sent Nathan Merritt over to finish a 50-metre movement with less than two minutes on the clock, setting up another – even more unlikely – grandstand finish. The timepiece read 79:12 when the Roosters restarted, but Dave Taylor veered wide after accepting the kick-off and passed to McQueen, who strode up to halfway and linked again with Merritt. The winger found Issac Luke, and the hooker flung the ball back for Adam Reynolds to scoop it up and dive over next to the posts, finishing a 95-metre match-winning try.

Sonny Bill Williams’ much-hyped return to the NRL with the Roosters in 2013 set up a mouth-watering season opener against the Rabbitohs, with British forward superstar Sam Burgess taking the code-hopper head-on in the first of a succession of fascinating one-on-one duels as Souths prevailed 28–10. Williams was a resounding man-of-the-match in a pulsating 24–12 final-round win in front of 59,708 supporters at Stadium Australia that saw the Roosters eclipse the Rabbitohs for the minor premiership.

South Sydney fans unfurled a giant, controversial banner that read ‘SCUM: FOREVER IN OUR SHADOW’, directed at the Sydney Roosters; the inflammatory sign was condemned by Rabbitohs officials. But Souths’ crushing preliminary final defeat to Manly, combined with the Roosters’ eventual Grand Final triumph – the fourth premiership since the Rabbitohs’ last in 1971 – escalated the feud yet again.

A powerful Greg Inglis hat-trick saw South Sydney thump the defending champs 28–8 as the fierce 106-year rivals kicked off the 2014 competition. The Round 26 showdown was effectively a playoff for the minor premiership for the second straight season – and again it was the Roosters that claimed the prize with a 22–18 victory after building a 22–2 lead. But the Rabbitohs secured their most important victory in 43 years in a dream preliminary final showdown with the Roosters just three weeks later.

Preliminary Final, 2014 – Rabbitohs end Grand Final drought

South Sydney advanced to its first Grand Final appearance in 43 years with a euphoric 32–22 triumph over defending champs and bitter rivals Sydney Roosters in front of 52,592 fervent supporters at Stadium Australia. Incredibly, it was the foundation clubs’ first finals clash in 76 years, while it was the Roosters that took the early ascendancy courtesy of a brilliant 35-metre solo try by in-form halfback Mitchell Pearce after just four minutes. The Rabbitohs’ preliminary final nightmares of the previous two seasons looked set to recur when retiring captain Anthony Minichiello, who took sole ownership of the Roosters’ appearance record with his 302nd in the marquee clash, climbed over opposing fullback Greg Inglis to take a James Maloney bomb and score.

But rattled Souths regrouped and had levelled at 12-all by the end of a fiery first half after tries to wingers Lote Tuqiri and Alex Johnston. Second-rower Ben Te’o gave the Rabbitohs their first lead when he powered over in the 44th minute, while a subsequent double to Inglis extended the advantage to 30–12. Sharpshooter Adam Reynolds’ 73rd-minute penalty goal put the match out of the Roosters’ reach, before Aidan Guerra and Minichiello crossed for the vanquished premiers inside the last three minutes. The refrain of ‘Glory, Glory to South Sydney’ boomed out over the sound system as delirious Rabbitohs fans turned their focus to the decider at the same venue nine days later – and the prospect of more than four decades of premiership pain coming to an end.

Prominent players for both clubs

Arthur Hennessy: Regarded as Souths’ founding father, pioneering legend ‘Ash’ Hennessy led the club to the premiership in 1908 and captained Australia against New Zealand in a historic Test series before touring with the Kangaroos. He joined Easts after the 1909 season commenced and captained them to the finals, before returning to Souths for another two seasons.

Ray Norman: Five-eighth Norman joined Souths from Annandale in 1914 – making his Test debut that year – and played 48 games for the Rabbitohs. He moved to Easts in 1917 and returned to the Australian side two years later, retiring in 1922 after 51 games for the Tricolours.

Rex Norman: Rex Norman joined older brother Ray at Souths from Annandale in 1915 and played 40 games in the red and green. The winger/centre moved to Easts (again joining Ray) in 1920 and toured with the Kangaroos the following season, although he did not play a Test.

Arthur Oxford: A goalkicking forward who played five Tests in 1919 and ’24, Oxford scored 276 points in 62 games for Souths (1915–21) and 568 points in 103 games for Easts (1922–29). He featured in Souths’ 1918 premiership and Easts’ success in 1923.

Jim Morgan: Maitland prop Morgan played 58 games for Souths (1965–69) and won a premiership in 1968, before joining Easts and making his Test debut in 1970. The fiery front-rower left Sydney after the Tricolours’ ’72 Grand Final loss.

Michael Cleary: A former Wallaby and Commonwealth Games sprinter, Cleary scored 88 tries in 140 games for Souths from 1962–70, featuring in five Grand Finals for three wins and playing eight Tests for Australia. A move to Easts in 1971 garnered just 13 first grade appearances.

Ron Coote: A legend of both clubs, brilliant lock Coote became just the second player ever to make 100 appearances for two teams – 148 for Souths (1964–71) and 109 for Easts (1972–78). The 23-Test great featured in nine Grand Finals for six premiership successes, and was named as a second-rower in the Australian Team of the Century in 2008 – the year after the Rabbitohs and Roosters began playing for the Ron Coote Cup.

Elwyn Walters: The dominant hooker of his era, Walters played 129 games for Souths (1969–73) and 61 games for Easts (1974–76), featuring in five Grand Final triumphs and representing Australia in 20 Tests.

Russell Fairfax: Former Wallaby Fairfax was an instant hit at fullback for Easts, starring in the 1974 Grand Final win. But injuries curtailed his progress and his ambitions of becoming a dual international. After 113 games for the Roosters, Fairfax spent a season with Souths in 1981 but was largely restricted to reserve grade.

Terry Fahey: Making his Test debut from Wellington (NSW) in 1975, blockbusting winger Fahey joined Souths the following season and scored 46 tries in 90 games for the club over four seasons. He made the last of six Test appearances during a 1981–82 stint with Easts that garnered 23 tries in 47 games, before finishing his career at Canberra.

Sean Garlick: Wily hooker Garlick played 96 games in two stints with Souths (1990–93 and ’98–99) either side of a 64-game stay with the Roosters (1994–97), captaining both clubs.

Terry Hermansson: Rock-solid Kiwi prop Hermansson made his Test debut from Souths in 1994 but was snapped up by the Roosters and played 66 games for the club from 1995–97. After one season back at Souths in 1998, Hermansson finished his NRL career with the Warriors.

Craig Salvatori: Skilful but short-fused Easts prop Salvatori’s 117-game tenure (1986–94) peaked with two Tests for Australia in 1991 and five Origins for NSW from 1991–93. The Roosters’ captain from 1992–94, Salvatori finished his career at Souths in 1996 and skippered the club for most of the season.

Craig Wing: A brilliant, versatile teenage star for Souths in 1998–99, Wing joined the Roosters after the Rabbitohs were excluded from the compe­tition. Wing, predominantly at hooker or in the halves, played 185 games for the Roosters – including four Grand Finals – and played 16 Tests and 12 Origins. The utility rejoined Souths in 2007, finishing with 71 appearances in red and green before switching to Japanese rugby.

Bryan Fletcher: Late-blooming backrow ball-player Fletcher enjoyed a rapid rise after debuting for the Roosters aged 23 in 1997. He became a NSW and Australian regular in 1999, while his 125th and last game for the Roosters was the 2002 Grand Final victory. Fletcher joined Souths in ’03, making the last of his 13 Test and 14 Origin appearances, and cap­tained the battling club in 40 of his 45 appearances over three seasons.

Shannon Hegarty: Elusive three-quarter Hegarty played 109 games for the Roosters (1999–2004) including four Grand Finals, peaking in 2003 by representing Queensland and Australia. He joined Souths in 2005, making 59 appearances over four injury-interrupted seasons before finishing up at North Queensland.

Ashley Harrison: Former Broncos lock Harrison was a rare highlight for the struggling Rabbitohs during his 66-game stint (2003–05), captaining the club 22 times and debuting for Queensland in 2005. He was a highly touted signing for the Roosters – his two seasons at Bondi underwhelmed – before becoming an Origin regular at the Titans.

Coached both clubs

Jack Gibson: Former Easts and Wests prop Gibson famously led the Tricolours to the 1967 finals in his debut year as coach – after the club finished winless the year before – and returned after fruitful stints with St George and Newtown to steer the Roosters to premierships in 1974–75. The innovative Gibson, named the ARL’s Coach of the Century in 2008, enjoyed only moderate mid-table success with South Sydney during two seasons with the club (1978–79).