The 2013 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2013 NRL season. Played on Sunday, 6 October at Sydney's ANZ Stadium between the minor premiers Sydney Roosters and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. The Roosters won the match 26–18 to claim their 13th premiership title, and became the first team since the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2010 to win both the minor premiership and the premiership in the same season.
Background
The NRL premiership for the 2013 season was decided between two Sydney based clubs, the minor premiers Sydney Roosters and the 4th-placed Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. It was the first time in 41 years the two sides played for a premiership title, Manly being victorious on the previous occasion, claiming the 1972 title 19-14 in the then NSWRL competition. Both the Roosters and Manly-Warringah had featured prominently in grand finals since the turn of the new century, with the Roosters making the grand finals in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2010, whilst the Manly club had featured in 2007, 2008 and 2011 deciders. Despite making the most appearances in the past 14 seasons the Roosters had only been successful in one of their six previous appearances, when they defeated grand final debutants New Zealand Warriors 30 points to 8 in 2002. Manly's last premiership victory was also against the New Zealand Warriors when they defeated them in the 2011 decider 24 points to 10. It marked the first time since 2005 that neither Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy or Des Hasler will not coach a side to a grand final, as each had claimed a grand final victory during the previous seven seasons. Both Trent Robinson and Geoff Toovey were debutant grand final coaches in their first and second respective years in the NRL.
Team lists
Note: Both Boyd Cordner and Luke O'Donnell were late inclusions to the Roosters squad with Cordner replacing Frank-Paul Nuuausala at lock and both Nuuausala and O'Donnell replacing Isaac Liu and Dylan Napa on the interchange bench.
Milestones
Long standing Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello played his sixth grand final for his club after having previously featured in every premiership decider they have reached since 2000, although his only victory came from 2002. Were the Roosters to lose the game he would have been the first player in the history of Australian rugby league to lose five grand finals. Jamie Lyon, Brett Stewart, Glenn Stewart, Steve Matai, Brent Kite and Anthony Watmough all played their fourth grand final together, after having previously appeared in their past three appearances for Manly in 2007, 2008 and 2011.
Match details
1st half
Manly began strongly and had control early on. Pressure led to Roosters five-eighth James Maloney kicking out on the full, and a tackle from his opposing number Kieran Foran on back-rower Sonny-Bill Williams led to a dropped ball and possession for the Manly side, which quickly led to their first try, scored by winger Jorge Taufua. Captain Jamie Lyon missed the conversion, making it 4–0 to Manly-Warringah, however a penalty a few minutes later led to a scoreline of 6-0 by the 17th minute. The Roosters came back to score through winger Daniel Tupou on the back of a cross-field bomb from Maloney, and the 's sideline conversion brought the scoreline to 6–6. A few minutes later a contentious penalty to the Roosters gave them another two points, and they took the lead into the halftime break, 8–6.