It was an instant NRL classic, an extra time finals rollercoaster iced by Brisbane Broncos halfback Ben Hunt after 94 breathtaking minutes at Canberra’s GIO Stadium.
Yet as tumultuous and dramatic as the Raiders-Broncos qualifying final was, it wasn’t the longest finals match the NRL has delivered.
That epic honour still belongs to the Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters who played out an extraordinary 100-minute marathon in week one of the 2010 NRL finals series.
With scores locked at 15-15 after regular time, the Roosters eventually prevailed 19-15 that night courtesy of a 60-metre Shaun Kenny‑Dowall intercept ‘golden point’ try.
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As euphoric for one set of NRL fans as it was heart-breaking for others, there were many similarities between the two matches.
Just like the Raiders, the Wests Tigers of 2010 seemed certain to open their finals campaign with victory, leading the Roosters into the final minute of the match.
But following a calamitous scrum error by the Tigers in the dying seconds, the Roosters regained possession and, from the ensuing scramble, Braith Anasta slotted a desperate last-gasp field goal to send the game into a tense and extended period of extra time.
Despite the harrowing circumstances of the loss, the Tigers lived to fight another day in 2010, bouncing back to win their week two final and march into the preliminary finals.
Ricky Stuart and the 2025 Raiders will now be hoping to repeat that feat as they host the Cronulla Sharks in a sudden-death clash on Saturday night at a heaving GIO Stadium.
Viking claps at the ready.