Most Painful Losses

[Johnny Tobin]

I was hanging out with The Bondi Spy yesterday speaking about the most painful roosters losses over the years.

There were plenty of tear-jerkers remembered. The most obvious being the 2004GF.

There were the semi's against Parra in the early 80's. The Manly and Canberra ones in 1987. The 1980GF. There was all the times we bombed out in the mid-90's. The 2000GF. The 2010GF. The 1984 Panasonic Cup final. The Souffs semi in 2014. The "Barnhill" Brisbane semi in 1998. The Newcastle semi in 2001 then driving back listening to the other game only to have our season end in the final minutes.

But for mine (even though I don't get anywhere near as upset as I did when puberty came) the loss to the Broncos last season was right up there. Definitely top five. Maybe even top three. I was convinced we would win the comp last season.

I hate their coach. I hate most of their players. I hate their arrogant fans. And we saved our worst for last (as Freddy said about the 2004GF too).

[Thirteen]

At least in the 2004 GF we were beaten by quality. In the 2003 GF we lost to a rubbish side.
Losing hurts a lot more when you're good and you expect to win. I thought we had the best side in 2014 and 2015.

[player 1]

1972 GF - may Keith Page rot in hell......

[Maxy Walker]

We've certainly had our fair share over the years. All the early 80s losses sucked. 80 was bad but not even making the GF wirh such a gun side in 81 and 82 was probably even worse. I was there when we got caned in the mud by Parra in 82. No fun at all.

97, 98 & 99 all sucked. Such a gun side that just kept coming up short.

I would have to agree on 2003 as the worst though. I had not the slightest doubt we'd win that one. I'll never forget that incredulous feeling in the dying minutes when it dawned on me that we were going to lose it.

And then there's 2010, 2014, and 2015. No fun at all either. But 2003 takes the cake.

[Mickie Lane]

I have found this years losses pretty painful.

[Thirteen]

I have found this years losses pretty painful.

I did for the first half of the season. That's how long it took me to realise that we are just shit. Now I don't have much expectation so I don't get too disappointed.

[PeeGee]

I did for the first half of the season. That's how long it took me to realise that we are just shit. Now I don't have much expectation so I don't get too disappointed.

Yep Agree. I just shake my head as i look towards 2017. The light at the end of the tunnel is a train.

[Salvatori Grubber]

There's been a few. Losing on Anzac Day is shithouse every time it happens - fcuk Wayne Bartrim. 2010 really shat me (there's a pattern there - I hate losing to St George).

But losing to those scummy Bulldaogs in 2004 takes the cake for me. The way their fans booed Freddy when he was up on the dais says it all.

[Tommy Smith]

Geez it's a long list.

I was at the 2003 GF. Travelled from Townsville when I was 17. The whole trip was meant to be the coronation of the greatest team of the NRL era. Instead it became a horror story. The weather was shit, the Westies were vitriolic... it was a surreal nightmare.

2014 had an air of inevitability about it. It hurt but surprisingly not as much as others. Perhaps because I knew the NRL would stuff us. Or because it was over with 30min to go.

2015 really stung. Although I was probably just as gutted during the rnd 24 Broncos game when JWH and Pearce went down with serious injuries. I was absolutely gutted and sat their distraught, barely focusing on the rest of the game. I knew our season was over then. Up until those injuries we were steamrolling Brisbane and i thought "no one is stopping us... we're a ****ing juggernaught".

2010 probably comes in at no.2 just in front of the 2003 GF. The Dragons fans are a bunch of arrogant merkins. They still think its the late 50s esrly 60s. So being present for that was awful. We were so outnumbered which didn't help. I think the weight of a 3rd straight GF loss really stung. Made worse by the fact I thought we were going to win at 8-6 up. I also celebrated like crazy for our disallowed try which quickly followed. I thought it was given and I was like "this is ours!" What a let down. And again, the rain made it more miserable.

But no.1, and never to be displaced, is the 2004 GF. Thankfully i didn't attend. I can't imagine what that was like for you guys that did. Still, I was depressed for weeks after that. It's the worst I've ever felt. Freddy's final game and instead of the ultimate high of sending him out a winner and cementing that teams legendary status, we suffered the ultimate low. Freddy deserved better. **** Chris Walker and Justin Hodges for serving up the shit they did in that one. Tbh the whole team collapsed under the enormity of the moment in that 2nd half. And against our great rivals of the day, too. I can't imagine how a loss could be worse than that. It was a ****ing Doomsday Scenario defeat.

[Johnny Tobin]

At least in the 2004 GF we were beaten by quality. In the 2003 GF we lost to a rubbish side.
Losing hurts a lot more when you're good and you expect to win. I thought we had the best side in 2014 and 2015.

They were quality on paper but we gifted it to them. I have spoken to Braith about it. He said at half time he looked around the room and thought they were no chance. That second half was as bad as anything this year's team has dished up.

[Vasco]

Round 2 v Souffs in 1988.

Mavin scored on the bell in the corner right in front of me.

[Freddy]

2004 GF without a doubt. It took me years to get over.. I'd even be stopped at traffic lights a year after just thinking "if Andrew Ryan doesn't ankle tap Mick Crocker then we win the game.." It just meant so much to win that game more than any other and Chris Walker and Justin Hodges both had disgraceful games that cost us victory. That train ride home from Homebush was a very low feeling!

[easts4eva]

2001 semi against Newcastle was the most painful, I fell down the stairs at the league's club at half time running down to get beers. Done my shoulder and ankle, that game was hard to watch as well.

[Fairfax]

Tonight.

[Waerea-Beast!]

Tonight.

Was embarrassing, wouldn't say it hurt though!