Grand Final retrospective | Steve McNamara

There are only a select few people in Rugby League that can boast being part of a Super League Grand Final as both a player and coach – and Steve McNamara is one of them. From the early years of 'Bullmania' in 1999 to the rise of the Dragons in 2021 – Old Trafford has been an arena of mixed emotions for McNamara.

As we celebrate 25 years of Super League Grand Finals, we look back at some of the highs and lows of Grand Finals gone by, as told by the players and coaches that lived it.

For Steve McNamara, he has twice experienced the elation of reaching the promised land only to be met with the heartache of two narrow defeats.

Before his historic journey to Old Trafford with the Dragons last season, McNamara was part of the 1999 Bradford Bulls side that reached the second ever Super League Grand Final – although his trip to the Theatre of Dreams wasn't quite the fairy tale he would have hoped for.

“Unfortunately for me, the biggest thing I remember is being ill the night before the game,?? McNamara recalls.

“I only played about 30 minutes because I’d been ill with sickness and diarrhoea the night before. I remember going to the game and being sick on the bus, being sick in the dressing room and then I went out and played, so it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience for me!??

McNamara and the Bulls narrowly missed out on Grand Final glory that evening – losing to Ellery Hanley’s St Helens 8-6.

Back then, the Grand Final was still in its formative years as a spectacle – and most players were still familiarising themselves with full-time rugby league, after switching from part-time in 1996 following the creation of Super League.

With that came the formation of the Bulls – a club that quickly turned into one of the competitions juggernauts. Bradford's transition was firmly underway and Bullmania was beginning to take Super League by storm as McNamara headed into his final few years at the club.

“The shift to winter to summer was obviously a change in seasons but also a change for us going full time as well. There were some super experiences being at Bradford at that stage – Bullmania in 1996, 1997 and 1998 was right at the start of it kicking off and being fantastic – it was great. And we’d won the Super League with Bradford in 1997 – pre–Grand Final – so we had won it before that.

“But I just remember the excitement of it [Grand Final] around the place, being there second time around and getting the opportunity to play at a stadium like Old Trafford for what was and still is the biggest prize in the game.??

The 1999 Grand Final was just the start for Bradford. The foundations were set and the Bulls were quickly becoming the benchmark – and not just on the field either. Their matchday experience, stadium atmosphere and entertainment were unrivalled. They were the gold standard in Super League and their unique gameday experience is somewhat a reflection of what the Grand Final has become today.

The 80 minutes of action on the field is just one part of a wider fan experience. The chance to arrive early, enjoy the unique pre-match entertainment and soak up the unrivalled atmosphere is what the Bulls and Super League aimed to encapsulate.

“I think those were without doubt some of the best playing years of my career and enjoyable of my career going from winter to summer. We were a little bit sceptical going into it – none of us were sure. But certainly, playing at Odsal in those first summer seasons was probably the best experience in the competition – it was fantastic.

“The stadium lent itself to it as well - the Odsal bowl, the way it was situated, the huge crowds. It was the benchmark; it was what all the other clubs looked at in terms of trying to produce a gameday experience. And it was new – it was a little bit Americanised in some regards. In England, we usually just turn up to a game, watch it and go home. But it was completely different with all the bits going on in and around the stadium.

“I remember we used to kick off for home games at six o’clock Sunday late afternoon and it just worked, it worked brilliantly.??

The Bulls were immensely supported during their peak – up to 20,000 fans filled Odsal Stadium to create an unforgettable atmosphere. But that level of support was a stark contrast to what McNamara’s Catalans side experienced during their maiden Grand Final appearance last season.

Although it was a momentous year for the club which saw fans turn out in their thousands during their home Play-Off semi-final game, the world was still reeling from the Covid pandemic and that semi-final victory left just over a week for Dragons fans to organise their travel across the Channel ahead of the big dance. Nevertheless, the travelling support that made the journey to Old Trafford were vocal and their presence was felt and appreciated.

But ultimately, the 2021 Grand Final was a cauldron of Saints fans – the clubs travelling support far outweighed that of the Dragons and the neutrals, whose imaginations were captured at the possibility of Catalans creating history.

“We appreciated the effort our fans put in to get to Old Trafford and pay for that. This is a real working-class area [in Catalans] – people talk about the South of France and think of the glitz and glamour, but it’s not. It’s a working-class place. People sacrificed so many things to get across so although our numbers weren’t as great – and some neutrals came along with us – it was still an incredible experience to be a Catalans member of staff or a player on that day.

“We were close. It was a really hard, tough game. A two-point game which is how Grand Finals should be. Unfortunately for us we were just on the wrong side of that score line.

“Now, ultimately our aim is to be the only team outside the four teams that have won it since the Grand Final started – that’s the biggest challenge for everybody, not just ourselves. There are only four teams to have won it since 1998 and one of those teams is now in the Championship, so it’s not an easy job to wrestle it off Saints, Leeds or Wigan, but that’s what we’re all aiming to do.??

McNamara and the Dragons are beginning to develop quite the rivalry with the current Champions, too. From his Grand Final loss as a player way back in 1999 to their most recent battles, including a memorable Catalans victory in the 2018 Challenge Cup semi-final on their to winning their first piece of silverware, an intense new rivalry is building.

Saints have long been highly revered as a benchmark club and, over the past three years, dominated British Rugby League. But Catalans rise from Super League strugglers to genuine contenders under McNamara means they’re fast becoming a threat to the status quo.  

“I think the rivalry [with St Helens] is there; I think it’s real. I think Catalans used to be everyone’s second favourite club when we weren’t a threat and now, we’re a threat. We started to become a threat when we won the Challenge Cup and we got players like [Sam] Tomkins in after that, everyone starts to take notice and you become a real threat to the competition - and suddenly that second favourite tag starts to drift away. You start to create some stronger enemies.

“I think we’ve got a mutual respect between the two clubs – we certainly have for them in terms of the strength of their organisation over such a long period of time. But in terms of rivalry, I think the semi-final in 2018 [Challenge Cup] when we really made a mark on that competition and from then on, we’ve had some incredible tussles and hard fights against St Helens.??

Catalans and St Helens will hope to ignite their rivalry further by reaching this years Betfred Super League Grand Final. Super League celebrates its 25th Grand Final in 2022 and you can be there to experience it. Bring the noise at the Theatre of Dreams and purchase your tickets here.