After finishing the previous two seasons in the bottom eight, the Roosters looked to former assistant coach Trent Robinson to take the reins in 2013 to reinvent the Club and bring them back into Premiership contention.
Robinson’s signature, coupled with a recruitment drive that included superstar Sonny Bill Williams, mercurial five-eighth James Maloney, representative centre Michael Jennings as well as journeyman front rower Sam Moa and veteran forward Luke O'Donnell was exactly what the Club needed.
In his first year as a Head Coach, Robinson’s Roosters reinvented themselves as a defensive powerhouse of the competition - going on to become the first team in history to shut out six opponents through the season - with the 'Bondi Wall' moniker highlighting the side's resolve on their own try-line.
10 Years On | The 2013 Premiership
Built on the foundations of hard work and belief, the Red, White and Blue started the 2013 season on the front foot, recording three wins in the first five rounds.
Led by new Captain Anthony Minichiello, the team grew in strength as the season progressed, bouncing back from a two-point loss to the Raiders in Round 5 to keep Canterbury-Bankstown scoreless the following week.
With James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce on representative duties during the State of Origin period, Robinson looked to none other than Williams and to partner Daniel Mortimer in the halves, despite being a specialist second-rower.
The towering forward’s inclusion in the halves helped the Tricolours overcome his former Club for the second time in a season, with his ball-playing ability a true highlight in the Round 15 contest.
Nonetheless, the State of Origin period proved to be challenging for Robinson’s Roosters, yet they persevered, claiming eight straight wins starting with their 20-18 downing of the Bulldogs.
Easts notched promising victories against Manly, St George, Cronulla, Newcastle, Penrith, Canberra and Wests before the Sharks made the Tricolours pay for their lack of discipline in Round 24, converting four penalty goals to end their winning streak at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
Another disappointing loss to the Titans the following week gave the team a wake-up call before their final-round clash with arch-rivals South Sydney.
In front of a record 59,708 crowd at ANZ Stadium, the Roosters rose to the occasion to secure the Minor Premiership for the first time since 2004, with a game-defining tackle by Minichiello on Rabbitohs’ winger Nathan Merritt epitomising the team’s defensive fortitude that day.
One of the grittiest, hard-fought victories which typified the season occurred in the first week of the finals against eventual Grand Final opponents Manly, with a Roger Tuivasa-Sheck try in the 9th minute providing the only points as the Roosters clawed their way to the Preliminary Final with a 4-nil victory.
A dominant 40-14 Preliminary Final win over Newcastle set up a rematch with the Sea Eagles in the Grand Final - the first between the two clubs since the 1972 decider.
Match: Roosters v Sea Eagles
Grand Final -
home Team
Roosters
away Team
Sea Eagles
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Roosters is number 1 Anthony MinichielloFullback for Sea Eagles is number 1 Brett Stewart
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Winger for Roosters is number 2 Daniel TupouWinger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Jorge Taufua
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Centre for Roosters is number 3 Michael JenningsCentre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Jamie Lyon
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Centre for Roosters is number 4 Shaun Kenny-DowallCentre for Sea Eagles is number 4 Steve Matai
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Winger for Roosters is number 5 Roger Tuivasa-SheckWinger for Sea Eagles is number 5 David Williams
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Five-Eighth for Roosters is number 6 James MaloneyFive-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Kieran Foran
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Halfback for Roosters is number 7 Mitchell PearceHalfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Daly Cherry-Evans
Forwards
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Prop for Roosters is number 8 Jared Waerea-HargreavesProp for Sea Eagles is number 8 Brenton Lawrence
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Hooker for Roosters is number 9 Jake FriendHooker for Sea Eagles is number 9 Matt Ballin
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Prop for Roosters is number 10 Sam MoaProp for Sea Eagles is number 10 Brent Kite
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2nd Row for Roosters is number 11 Aidan Guerra2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 11 Anthony Watmough
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2nd Row for Roosters is number 12 Sonny Bill Williams2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 12 Justin Horo
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Lock for Roosters is number 18 Boyd CordnerLock for Sea Eagles is number 13 Glenn Stewart
Interchange
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Interchange for Roosters is number 13 Frank-Paul NuuausalaInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 David Gower
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Interchange for Roosters is number 14 Daniel MortimerInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 15 Jamie Buhrer
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Interchange for Roosters is number 15 Mitchell AubussonInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 16 Tom Symonds
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Interchange for Roosters is number 23 Luke O'DonnellInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 17 George Rose
Match Officials
- Referee: Ben Cummins
- Video Referee: Ashley Klein
Last updated:
Under the pump early, young winger Daniel Tupou rose high above David Williams to snatch a chip kick from Maloney out of the air and score the Roosters’ first try of the match in the 24th minute, with the crafty five-eighth converting to lock the scores up at six-apiece.
Leading by two at half-time courtesy of a Maloney penalty goal, the Roosters were put to the test early in the second half after Manly secured consecutive tries through Jamie Lyon (penalty try) and Steve Matai.
Aiden Guerra touched down in the 54th minute, after exposing a hole in the Sea Eagles defence and from then, it was one-way traffic.
Williams unleashed Maloney up the middle with an offload only five minutes later before Minichiello lobbed the ball to gladiator Shaun Kenny-Dowall, who played 75 minutes of the match with a fractured jaw, for a score-levelling try.
In arguably the play of the game, Michael Jennings came from nowhere to plant a Maloney grubber millimetres inside the in-goal, effectively sealing the Club’s 13th Premiership and Robinson’s first as Head Coach.
Sydney Roosters 26 (Daniel Tupou, Aidan Guerra, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Michael Jennings tries; James Maloney 4 goals and 1 penalty goal) def Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 18.
