In rugby league, the story of great club dynasties is the story of great halves. Parramatta and Canterbury dominated the 1980s on the backs of Peter Sterling and Steve Mortimer. Canberra and Brisbane’s rise in the early 1990s came with the emergence of Ricky Stuart and Allan Langer as the two great No 7s in the game. Andrew Johns led Newcastle’s only sustained period of contention. Brad Fittler carried the Roosters to three straight grand finals in the early 2000s. Cooper Cronk kept Melbourne at the top of the premiership for more than a decade before shifting to the Sydney Roosters and winning two titles in his two seasons at Bondi.
There is much that goes into winning a premiership and rising to title contention. The need for a very good coach, organisational stability, a clear development strategy, astute salary-cap management and a fair share of luck. But few teams win a premiership without a dominant half, and none manage a sustained run without a truly elite playmaker.
