After five years of frustration and near-misses, the Wests Tigers entered their maiden Finals series in 2005 with little expectation from the outside world.
By the end of September, they were the talk of rugby league; a fearless young side playing with joy, daring and belief.
QUALIFYING FINAL vs COWBOYS
The club’s first Finals match will forever stand as one of its greatest.
In front of more than 25,000 fans, the Tigers tore North Queensland apart with an exhilarating brand of football.
Shane Elford grabbed the opener, before Marshall's clever scrum play sent Hodgson straight through the line for the first of his three tries.
Richards produced one of his trademark power runs to help set up Hodgson’s second, and the Tigers were in full control.
Fitzhenry, Whatuira and Fulton all added their names to the scoresheet, while Richards finished a sweeping move with another try.
Hodgson was unstoppable, scoring three tries and kicking nine goals for a Finals-record 30 points.
The 50–6 victory was a statement: the Wests Tigers were here to play.
Wests Tigers 50 (Hodgson 3, Elford, Fitzhenry, Fulton, Richards, Whatuira tries; Hodgson 9/9 goals) defeated Cowboys 6 (Sing try; Hannay goal) at Stadium Australia.
SEMI FINAL vs BRONCOS
Under the old McIntyre system, the Tigers’ “reward” for their big win was a sudden-death clash with Brisbane.
The Broncos started strong, but two moments of Benji Marshall brilliance swung the game.
First, his desperate tackle held Darren Smith up over the line.
Moments later, he picked off a Smith pass and sprinted nearly the length of the field for a stunning intercept try.
Right on half-time, Whatuira’s kick produced a scramble that Fitzhenry won to give the Tigers a 10-6 lead at the break.
Prince extended the advantage after Hodgson broke clear, before club captain Mark O’Neill crossed for a fitting semi-final try in one of his final NRL appearances.
The Broncos, battered and bruised, couldn’t keep pace with the youthful Tigers.
Fitzhenry added another late, and Hodgson capped the night with a try of his own.
The 34–6 win sent the Tigers to within 80 minutes of a Grand Final.
Wests Tigers 34 (Fitzhenry 2, Hodgson, Marshall, O'Neill, Prince tries; Hodgson 5/6 goals) defeated Broncos 6 (Lockyer try; Seymour goal) at Sydney Football Stadium.
PRELIMINARY FINAL vs DRAGONS
Facing the red-hot premiership favourites in front of a 40,000-strong crowd, the Tigers produced one of the most memorable performances in club history.
Marshall struck first, beating Mark Gasnier all ends up as he stepped through from a scrum inside three minutes, before Halatau stormed over for two tries — the first an incredible solo effort that silenced the Saints fans.
Chris Heighington also crossed from close range, furthering his outstanding season.
When the full-time siren sounded, it confirmed the joint venture’s first ever Grand Final berth.
Players embraced in disbelief, fans roared in celebration, and the dream was alive.
Wests Tigers 20 (Halatau 2, Heighington, Marshall tries; Hodgson 2/4 goals) defeated Dragons 12 (Barrett, Naiqama tries; Ennis 2/2 goals) at Sydney Football Stadium.
GRAND FINAL vs COWBOYS
On the biggest stage of all, the Tigers delivered the performance that would etch their names into rugby league history.
After an early Cowboys try, Bryce Gibbs pounced on a wayward Cowboys pass in their own in-goal to level the scores before Richards fumbled in the corner.
Then came the moment: Benji Marshall fielded a kick in his own half, weaved through defenders, and produced his immortal flick pass for Richards to score a length-of-the-field try; a play still replayed 20 years later.
Laffranchi powered over to extend the lead, before Fitzhenry touched down in the corner to make it 22-12.
Hodgson’s steady boot pushed the margin clear, and in the final minute Todd Payten dived on his fullback's grubber kick to seal the Tigers’ first ever premiership.
As captain Scott Prince lifted the trophy, Tim Sheens’ young entertainers had completed one of rugby league’s greatest fairytales.
For fans, it was a night of pure euphoria - the moment black, gold and white became champions.
Wests Tigers 30 (Fitzhenry, Gibbs, Laffranchi, Payten, Richards tries; Hodgson 5/6 goals) defeated Cowboys 16 (Bowen, Norton, Sing tries; Hannay 2/3 goals) at Stadium Australia.
