2003: Cessnock end a 26-year wait, 22-20 over Raymond Terrace
Cessnock won the 2003 Newcastle Rugby League grand final 22-20 against Raymond Terrace at No. 1 Sportsground, their first premiership since 1977, with fullback Lance Lennard scoring the winning try.
By Craig Dunstan · First published
Cessnock won the 2003 Newcastle Rugby League premiership with a 22-20 grand final win over Raymond Terrace at No. 1 Sportsground in Newcastle, their first title since Henry Tatana’s 1977 side.
The Cessnock Advertiser’s match report called it “a drama-filled match” and said the crowd of supporters from “two blue-collar teams” had Newcastle officials “over the moon”.
18-4, then 18-20
Cessnock led 12-0 after tries to wingers Daniel Forder and Daniel Spiteri, both from loose passes by Raymond Terrace. Another Magpies error, a winger losing the ball in a tackle, let five-eighth Steve Storrie pick it up and dive over, and Cessnock led 18-4 at half-time.
Raymond Terrace then scored three unanswered tries and went ahead 20-18 with minutes left. “A truly inspiring 40-metre run from his own line by Andrew Taylor lifted Cessnock for one last effort,” the Advertiser wrote, “that resulted in the fullback Lance Lennard crashing over for a memorable 22-20 victory.”
Taylor was named man of the match and won the club’s Don Schofield Medal for the best player in a grand final. The side was coached by its captain, Daniel Smailes.
For Raymond Terrace
It was the biggest day in Raymond Terrace’s first-grade history. Writing in 2008, the Newcastle Herald recalled that the Magpies, promoted to the top grade in 2001, “achieved their greatest honour in 2003 when they were narrowly beaten 22-20 by Cessnock in the grand final”.
The date
The records disagree on the day. Wikipedia’s grand final table dates the decider Sunday 31 August 2003. The Advertiser’s report, printed on Wednesday 10 September 2003, says the match was played “on Saturday”, which would be 6 September. We give the year only until a third source settles it.
Cessnock lost six grand finals over the next 16 years, in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2019, before the next premiership: 2020, at Maitland.
Sources
- Flashback Friday: Cessnock Goannas win 2003 grand final, Cessnock Advertiser, 15 October 2020, reprinting the match report from The Advertiser, 10 September 2003.
- Raymond Terrace withdraw from NRL top grade, Newcastle Herald, 8 October 2008.
- Wikipedia, Newcastle Rugby League, grand final table (date and venue).
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