2004 NRL Grand Final
| 2004 NRL Grand Final | |||||||||||||
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| Date | 3 October 2004 | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Telstra Stadium | ||||||||||||
| Location | Sydney, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Clive Churchill Medal | Willie Mason (BUL) | ||||||||||||
| Referees | Tim Mander | ||||||||||||
| Attendance | 82,127 | ||||||||||||
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The 2004 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2004 NRL season. It was contested by the Bulldogs, who had finished the regular season in 2nd place, and the Sydney Roosters, who had finished the regular season in 1st place. After both sides eliminated the rest of 2004's top eight teams over the finals series, they faced each other in a grand final for the first time since the 1980 NSWRFL season's decider.
For the second consecutive year, the NRL grand final featured two Sydney-based teams.
The Sydney Roosters finished the 2004 regular season in 1st place, taking out the minor premiership. They subsequently won their two finals matches against the Canberra Raiders 38–12 and then the North Queensland Cowboys 19–16 to make their third consecutive grand final and their fourth in five seasons.
The Bulldogs finished the 2004 regular season 2nd (out of 15). They lost their first match of the finals series against the North Queensland Cowboys 22–30 but won their next two against the Melbourne Storm 43–18 and the Penrith Panthers 30–14 to reach their first grand final since 1998.
Pre-match entertainment included a performance by Australian rock band Grinspoon.
After thirteen minutes, Sydney took the first try of the game with Chris Walker scoring the try and Craig Fitzgibbon converting giving Sydney a 6–0 lead. Ten minutes later Canterbury winger Matt Utai scored the first try with Hazem El Masri failing to convert bringing the score back to 6–4. A few minutes later El Masri levelled the scores at 6–6 with a penalty goal. Just after the 30 minute mark, Brett Finch kicked a field goal to give Sydney a narrow 7–6 lead. Two minutes later Anthony Tupou made a 30-metre break for Sydney before passing to teammate Anthony Minichiello to cross under the posts with Fitzgibbon converting to give Sydney a 13–6 lead. At the 37th minute, Minichiello looked to have his second try, but was penalised for an obstruction.
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