1981 1982 1983 1986 
Post by Electric Eel on Aug 8, 2020 14:56:05 GMT 10
By Neil Cadigan
March 31, 1993
Parramatta players sat huddled in their motel rooms last Sunday morning waiting for what everyone else in league saw as a slaughter...their slaughter. To while away the hours, several switched on the television and turned on Channel 7's League Today.
They watched as former Bronco Peter Jackson said succinctly: "I wouldn't like to be in Parramatta's shoes today." Others had joined the week-long chorus-"they'll go down by 30 or 40 points".
Darren Winmill, who had spent his senior career in the shadow of the Broncos at Brisbane Easts, turned to his room-mate John Fearnley and smiled.
"They don't give us a chance," he said. "It's as if we shouldn't turn up."
Two rooms away lively second-rower Dallas Weston, a two-match first grader, looked blankly at the screen.
"He was so overawed, he was almost shaking," said veteran Paul Dunn. "I turned to Dallas and Shane Flanagan and told them don't worry about it. These guys (the commentators) were paid to say what they like.
"The pressure was all on Brisbane. We had nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Coach Mick Cronin also saw the opportunity to turn pressure into points-psychological points.
"Some of you may never get the chance to play before a 50,000 crowd again," he told his band of underdogs. "This is a big chance for you. Use it."
The last words spoken before the Eels left their expansive dressing room-after the pop star performance, fireworks and speeches had finished-came from born-again Dunn.
"Look at it will ya, it's like one big party out there," he announced. "Let's go and stuff their party!" They did.
All those theories of Christians confronting lions were buried in the lush ANZ stadium turf. The script had the Eels as playing nothing but bit-parts in a Brisbane fairytale. Instead they became villains of an entire city. A celebration became a wake.
Who would of thought? Names like Muchmore, Bartolo, Winmill, Weston and Flanagan upstaging Langers, Walters, Lazarus, Carne and Renouf.
The only thing that stunned the Parramatta team was the number of Eels fans in the crowd. Many of them grouped in one corner. They made a point of saluting them after their 12-8 victory.
"Words can't describe how disappointed I feel," said Bronco Mark Hohn as he departed the dressing room. Fans couldn't find their words either. Thousands sat silent for 15 minutes after the match, as if waking from a nightmare.
When 19 year old Eel Michael Buettner lined up his first two pressure kicks at goal, the stamping of about 40,000 feet on aluminium floors was deafening and, you think, off-putting. For Buettner's last kick, the distracters had bowed to his accuracy and their own helplessness. He kicked the ball through the posts in silence.
Parramatta 12 (M.Buettner try, M.Buettner 4 goals) defeated Brisbane 8 (J.O'Neill try, T.Matterson 2 goals). Referee: B.Harrigan. Crowd: 51,517
March 31, 1993
Parramatta players sat huddled in their motel rooms last Sunday morning waiting for what everyone else in league saw as a slaughter...their slaughter. To while away the hours, several switched on the television and turned on Channel 7's League Today.
They watched as former Bronco Peter Jackson said succinctly: "I wouldn't like to be in Parramatta's shoes today." Others had joined the week-long chorus-"they'll go down by 30 or 40 points".
Darren Winmill, who had spent his senior career in the shadow of the Broncos at Brisbane Easts, turned to his room-mate John Fearnley and smiled.
"They don't give us a chance," he said. "It's as if we shouldn't turn up."
Two rooms away lively second-rower Dallas Weston, a two-match first grader, looked blankly at the screen.
"He was so overawed, he was almost shaking," said veteran Paul Dunn. "I turned to Dallas and Shane Flanagan and told them don't worry about it. These guys (the commentators) were paid to say what they like.
"The pressure was all on Brisbane. We had nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Coach Mick Cronin also saw the opportunity to turn pressure into points-psychological points.
"Some of you may never get the chance to play before a 50,000 crowd again," he told his band of underdogs. "This is a big chance for you. Use it."
The last words spoken before the Eels left their expansive dressing room-after the pop star performance, fireworks and speeches had finished-came from born-again Dunn.
"Look at it will ya, it's like one big party out there," he announced. "Let's go and stuff their party!" They did.
All those theories of Christians confronting lions were buried in the lush ANZ stadium turf. The script had the Eels as playing nothing but bit-parts in a Brisbane fairytale. Instead they became villains of an entire city. A celebration became a wake.
Who would of thought? Names like Muchmore, Bartolo, Winmill, Weston and Flanagan upstaging Langers, Walters, Lazarus, Carne and Renouf.
The only thing that stunned the Parramatta team was the number of Eels fans in the crowd. Many of them grouped in one corner. They made a point of saluting them after their 12-8 victory.
"Words can't describe how disappointed I feel," said Bronco Mark Hohn as he departed the dressing room. Fans couldn't find their words either. Thousands sat silent for 15 minutes after the match, as if waking from a nightmare.
When 19 year old Eel Michael Buettner lined up his first two pressure kicks at goal, the stamping of about 40,000 feet on aluminium floors was deafening and, you think, off-putting. For Buettner's last kick, the distracters had bowed to his accuracy and their own helplessness. He kicked the ball through the posts in silence.
Parramatta 12 (M.Buettner try, M.Buettner 4 goals) defeated Brisbane 8 (J.O'Neill try, T.Matterson 2 goals). Referee: B.Harrigan. Crowd: 51,517
