Amid a host of flip-of-the-coin contests in first round of the 2022 NRL competition, Newcastle Knights and Wests Tigers are rank outsiders to topple big guns Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm, respectively.
But the Knights and Tigers can draw inspiration from the annals of premiership history, which has dished up a host of opening-week shocks.
Relive the best of the Round 1 boilovers from down the years.
Saints Shock Hard to Bear (1964)
St George, rugby league’s overlords of the 1950s and ’60s, crushed North Sydney 41-14 in the final of the 1964 pre-season competition – which made the hapless Bears’ 21-10 victory over the eight-time premiers a week later even more shocking.
Centre Denis Cubis scored all three of Norths’ tries and South African fullback Fred Griffiths booted six goals, while enforcer Billy ‘Captain Blood’ Wilson led from the front in the stunning upset of his former club.
The early hiccup did not stop the Saints from marching to a ninth straight title, however, while the long-suffering Bears went on to break a decade-long finals drought.
Lowly Steelers Belt Bunnies (1987)
Illawarra finished with its second straight wooden spoon in 1986. Souths finished one point off the minor premiership.
Reputations mattered little in the ’87 season-opener, however, as the no-name Steelers whipped the Rabbitohs – who boasted an all-star pack and Phil Blake and Craig Coleman in the halves – 25-2 at Redfern Oval.
Replacement half Peter Phillips came off the bench to score a memorable second-half double on debut, while Souths coach George Piggins labelled his side’s performance as “disgraceful”. The result represented the Steelers only Round 1 win in their first eight seasons.
Norths Throw Spanner in Green Machine’s Works (1991)
The word ‘dynasty’ was freely bandied about as 1989-90 premier Canberra set its sights on a third consecutive crown, but the Raiders didn’t count on an improving Norths outfit in the opening round of ’91.
Star recruit (and former Raider) Peter Jackson scored a try and kicked a field goal for the Bears, while debuting union convert Daryl Halligan came off the bench to kick three goals in the 11-6 boilover.
The Raiders denied the luckless Bears their first grand final berth in 48 years with a come-from-behind preliminary final victory later that season.
Steelers Caught in Eye of Debuting Storm (1998)
Expectations were low for the hastily assembled Melbourne Storm heading into their inaugural season, but they claimed a sizeable first-up scalp with a 14-12 upset of Illawarra on a wet Wollongong night.
Trailing by six at halftime and running into a stiff southerly in the second stanza, the Storm became just the second non-foundation club to win on debut away from home when Scott Hill crossed in the 77th minute.
The Steelers would ultimately merge with the Dragons at the end of 1998, while the Storm finished third in a phenomenal first season – and went on to become a pretty handy side over the ensuing 23 years.
Warriors Pluck Roosters After Send-off Sensation (1999)
Phil Gould’s Sydney City Roosters were a late-1990s powerhouse, heading into their 1999 season-opener against Auckland Warriors – 15th the previous year amid ownership upheaval – on the back of consecutive preliminary final appearances.
The Roosters fielded seven internationals, while the new-look Warriors had two players on debut and a rookie NRL coach in Mark Graham. This Monday night showdown was only meant to go down one way.
But a crazy flare-up with 14 minutes remaining at the SFS provided an unlikely platform for the Warriors to surge home. Brad Fittler and Ali Lauitiiti were sent off after the all-in brawl and the home side scored soon afterwards to grab the lead.
The Warriors showed uncustomary poise, however, with Stacey Jones and Matthew Ridge crossing for late tries to engineer a 26-16 uspet.
Wooden Spooners Spank Beleaguered Champs (2009)
Defending premier Manly was rocked in the lead-up to Round 1 by the fallout from their ill-fated season launch, which saw star fullback Brett Stewart stood down over an alleged off-field incident.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs fielded seven new faces and a new coach for the season opener, clearing the decks after the club’s disastrous ’08 wooden-spoon campaign.
The blue-and-whites began their new era in style by powering to a 34-12 victory, with Bryson Goodwin and Jamal Idris bagging doubles, and Hazem El Masri landing seven from seven to overtake Andrew Johns as the greatest point-scorer of all time.
Strife-torn Knights Bag Big Scalp (2010)
Newcastle was installed as wooden-spoon favourite after becoming embroiled in a drugs scandal during the 2010 pre-season that saw Danny Wicks and Chris Houston quit the club.
The Knights were expected to be cannon fodder for Canterbury – preliminary finalists the previous season – in the opening round following the injury withdrawals of Kurt Gidley, Isaac De Gois and Adam MacDougall.
But the $4 outsiders, inspired by veteran backrower Steve Simpson, raced to a 16-0 halftime lead and held on for a stirring 20-16 triumph. Coach Rick Stone declared it one of the best wins in the club’s history.
Warriors Revel Out West (2018)
The Warriors came into their first assignment of 2018 against Souths at the brand-spanking-new Optus Oval off a seven-win season, with an 0-9 record in Perth and without a Round 1 victory since 2009.
They left with a rousing 32-20 triumph over Greg Inglis and co. as skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and maligned playmakers Issac Luke and Shaun Johnson starred in the upset, while David Fusitu’a bagged a double.
The Stephen Kearney-coached Warriors won their first five games of the season and returned to the finals for the first time in eight years.
Tui Gets Tigers Home at the Death (2018)
Earlier that day, ex-Warrior Tuimoala Lolohea was the hero of $4 underdogs Wests Tigers’ shock 10-8 defeat of perennial heavyweights Sydney Roosters.
The Roosters appeared on course to win a helter-skelter low-scorer after Blake Ferguson crossed for the first try in the 65th minute. But Tigers winger Corey Thompson had other ideas in his first NRL match back from a two-year Super League sojourn.
The diminutive flyer scored a spectacular late equaliser and Lolohea buried the sideline conversion with 90 seconds left, glancing it in off the upright.
Inevitably, the Tigers would go on to finish ninth in 2018, while the Roosters powered to premiership glory.