The NRL Tweet

🇳🇿 "The Kiwis are in again!" An absolute beauty of a try from New Zealand puts them ahead of Australia in the one-off Test Match at Lang Park in '87. Dean Bell makes the big break (and great pass), and Gary Mercer turns Dale Shearer inside out to score. Well, what about that! 📺 Australia v New Zealand 🗓 1st Test, 1987 #WinfieldCup #NRL #RugbyLeague

🇳🇿 Kiwi second rower Sam Stewart plays the whistle, weaves through the Australian defence and sends prop Ross Taylor running away for New Zealand's first try! 🗣️ "Well the Australian defence, I think they were all staring at their big toe..." comments from the Super Coach. Great work from big Sammy, but he got away with a little knock on there. 📺 Australia v New Zealand 🗓 1st Test, 1987 #WinfieldCup #NRL #RugbyLeague

🦘 "Sterling for Australia and he's in!" "That was a beauty!" Australia draw first blood in the '87 Test v New Zealand at Lang Park - with Wally Lewis and Peter Sterling handling twice, and Sterlo finishing things off. 📺 Australia v New Zealand 🗓 1st Test, 1987 #WinfieldCup #NRL #RugbyLeague

💥 "Punches being thrown! Here it comes, it's on!" Kiwi prop Ross Taylor and halfback Clayton Friend take liberties on Australian prop Peter Tunks, and the Australian pack responds in earnest at Lang Park in '87. New Zealand had a clear tactic in defence to start this one-off Test, and it clearly made an impression on the Australians. 📺 Australia v New Zealand 🗓 1st Test Match, 1987 #WinfieldCup #NRL #RugbyLeague

📺 Australia v New Zealand at Lang Park - the game introduction for the only Test Match Australia would play in '87. This featured one of the longest pre-game buildups you'll see through to the Haka - and I cut out both anthems as it is! - leads to the game eventually kicking off. But there's some good action to come in the next videos I promise, and there's something about watching Australian players wandering around aimlessly waiting for the Kiwis to come out. Australia were riding a winning streak of 9 Tests in a row and this game was played in July of '87, turning out to be the final Test for Brett Kenny, Royce Simmons, Greg Dowling, Bryan Niebling, Peter Tunks, Les Davidson and Test debutant Brian Johnston. The Kiwis debuted 5 players a week earlier v PNG (Kevin Iro, Ross Taylor, Mark Horo, Dean Lonergan and Gary Mercer) in a Test, so they entered this one off Test firmly as underdogs v an Australian team coming off an undefeated '86 Kangaroo Tour. Australia were expected to win and win well (just listen to Mike Gibson's opening line), but the Kiwis had other ideas... 📺 Australia v New Zealand 🗓 1st Test Match, 1987 #WinfieldCup #NRL #RugbyLeague

THE LONE WINFIELD CUPS 🏆 Across the 14 Winfield Cup Seasons from '82 to '95 - there were 6 clubs that claimed Premierships. Despite appearing in a combined 6 Grand Finals during this defined era, Manly and Penrith were only able to win a single Premiership. Manly-Warringah defeated Canberra 18-8 in '87 Grand Final, and then in '91, the Penrith Panthers defeated Canberra 19-12 in the decider. Manly's 4 Grand Finals ('82-83, '87, '95) put them even with Parramatta ('82-84, '86) and behind only Canterbury ('84-86, '88, '94-95) with 6 Grand Finals and Canberra ('87, '89-91, '94) with 5 on the total GF list. St George made 3 ('85, '92-93) and Balmain ('88-89), Penrith ('90-91) and Brisbane ('92-93) all played in 2, to round out the Grand Finalists' tally. Meaning St George and Balmain were the two clubs of the Winfield Cup era to make multiple Grand Finals but not win a Premiership. And for those wondering, the other 4 teams with Winfield Cups were - Canterbury with 4 Winfield Cups, Canberra and Parramatta with 3 and Brisbane with 2. 🗓 1987 & 1991 #WinfieldCup #NRLGF #NRL