<span;>So we play North Queensland in the preliminary final and it is the third meeting against them in the finals. Of course I remember the previous two matches because I attended them. I remember in 2005 we were minor premiers and belted Manly-Warringah in the first week to go straight to the preliminary final. Our opponent ended up being North Queensland, a side that were beaten by 50 points in the first week by the Wests Tigers.
<span;>We were overwhelming favourites to win the match which was played at Stadium Australia. Over 45,000 attended the game, around 44,500 were Parramatta fans. We saved our worst game of the season to last and were beaten 29-0, nothing went right, nothing. I remember the train ride back home, it was the quietest train ride I have been on in my life, nobody on the train said anything, it were dead silent like someone had died. What hurt even more was the Wests Tigers who won the premiership, had been beaten twice by us in the regular season. I still believe to this day if we had made the final, we would have won.
<span;>In 2017, we had a great season finishing fourth and lost very narrowly against the scum (Melbourne) 18-16 with the help of some very dubious calls. North Queensland had made the finals by default due to St. George losing. They were without a number of players and barely got past Cronulla-Sutherland in the first week. The match were once again at Stadium Australia and once again we were favourites to win. In the first half, we were not great but still lead 10-6 at half-time. Second half though, we capitulated which included Will Smith letting the ball bounce which John Asiata (a Parramatta junior) ripped out of Smith's hands and scored the game changing try. We would lose 24-16 in front of around 42,000 fans, and I am guessing 41,500 were Parramatta supporters. What annoyed me even more is NQ played against an Easts side the following week that had an awful game and they to lost against NQ, that could of been us beating Eastern Suburbs. I am not saying we could of won the premiership but we should of least made the grand final after how we played in week one.
<span;>It is now 2022 and this time the shoe is on the other foot, NQ are the overwhelming favourites with a home preliminary final up in Townsville. I hope it is third time lucky and for once we can ruin their hopes and dreams, just like they have done in the past. Our last time in a preliminary final back in 2009, we were not expected to win that game against Canterbury-Bankstown but we did. Ha Way Parramatta!!.
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Ahhh yes 2005, what a heart breaker that was,.... if my memory serves me correctly in which it usually does Nathan Hindmarsh was nursing a knee injury and was being rested for the Grand Final.
Right or wrong it was this day that I realised how he was the heart and soul of the club.
We were missing Hindmarsh and Moi Moi for the match. I read a story around 3-4 year ago from Hindmarsh who said that even If they made the GF he would not of played.
Yeah most people see 2001 and 2009 as our lost opportunities. Not me. 2001 we came up against the halfback of the century, always a challenge. In 2009 we came up against the best (illegal) assembled squad the game has probably seen. But 2005, that was different. That was a year we blew our best chance. Hindmarsh being out was huge. Daniel Wagon running out of the line leaving a gaping hole. He was such a good defensive player but for me that one stuff up is vivid in my memory. For me it's what I remember him for.
Didn't Tim Smith get a whack in the snoz and have a poor game after being fantastic all year?
That sums up Will Smith to a tee. Hence why BA hated him. He just always had that fuck up in his game about him.
Booooooobooooooooooooooooooooo
That's what the Hull fans said.
We really are the world's biggest chokers.
But not this year.
No more shit.
And let's not forget the regular season game about 10 years ago at Parra Stadium.
We had a 20+ lead with about 20mins to go.
We're Parra, so I don't need to tell you how that ended.
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