The Warriors’ emphatic 38-14 victory at AAMI Park last Saturday ended 11 years of pain at the hands of Melbourne Storm in spectacular style.
The Storm’s 17-match winning streak against the Warriors was the equal-sixth-longest in premiership history between two clubs, the longest in more than 50 years and three victories more than any other rivalry run in the NRL era.
Unsurprisingly, a deep sense of relief and elation washed over the Warriors’ fanbase after snuffing out the hoodoo. In honour of the milestone result, we’re reliving some of the most notable drought-breaking wins from down the decades.
University v South Sydney (1933)
The University club won just 20 percent of its games during its 1920-37 existence and never tasted victory against South Sydney in 31 attempts.
But the Students did snap the longest rivalry losing streak in premiership history (24 matches) with an unlikely draw in 1933. Souths had won seven of the previous eight premierships but were held to a 20-all draw in a late-season clash at Marrickville Oval.
Lock Gordon Favelle scored two tries for University, who would win just two more matches before folding four years later.
South Sydney v St George (1965)
After dominating the first half of the 1950s with five premierships in six seasons, Souths handed the baton over for St George to go on a record-shattering streak of 11 grand final wins from 1956.
The Rabbitohs also lost 15 straight matches to the Dragons from 1957-64, but an emerging group of generational talent helped turned the tables. Boasting a pack including tyro forwards Bob McCarthy, John O’Neill and John Sattler, Souths overpowered the Saints 14-4 at the SCG midway through 1965.
The Dragons fell to the Rabbitohs again in the penultimate round, before making it 10 consecutive titles with an epic 12-8 victory when the clubs met in that year’s grand final in front of a record Sydney Cricket Ground crowd.
Canterbury v St George (1967)
Canterbury lost 18 straight matches to St George from 1954-62, managed a draw in a try-less encounter in 1963 and lost another eight in a row to the Dragons juggernaut.
But an 18-14 late-season upset at the Sydney Sports Ground 1967 proved the forerunner to the end of rugby league’s greatest dynasty.
Four weeks later, Canterbury shocked St George 12-11 in the preliminary final, denying the Dragons a place in the decider for the first time in 12 years. After going winless in 27 games against the Red V, the Berries went on an eight-match unbeaten charge in the rivalry.
Newtown v St George (1973)
Newtown took the longest of any club to find some joy against the Saints after their iconic run ended, with the Bluebags’ losing streak in the rivalry extending from 1962-72 and 21 matches – the second-longest in history between two teams.
But the end of the hoodoo was ultimately secondary to historic scoreline. Coached by Jack Gibson (who had guided St George to a grand final two years earlier), Newtown prevailed in 1973 in what remains the only 1-0 result in a premiership match via young bench half Ken Wilson’s field goal.
Newtown well and truly buried the hoodoo later that season by beating the Saints 8-5 in the minor semi-final replay after the first encounter finished in a 12-all draw.
North Sydney v Manly (1979)
Watching enviously as bitter neighbouring rivals Manly dominated the 1970s courtesy of four premierships with line-ups featuring several of their former stars, long-suffering Norths’ chagrin was exacerbated by a brutal dry spell in the northern Sydney derby.
The Bears had lost 17 of 18 matches against the Sea Eagles – including the last nine straight – when they ventured to Brookvale Oval in 1979 to take on the defending champs.
Norths had not won at the venue since 1963, while the perennial battlers had started the season 0-4. But with Don McKinnon, Gordon West, John Vandenberg and Peter Schofield scoring tries, the Bears stunned a Sea Eagles side containing eight internationals 20-17.
It was one of just two wins North Sydney produced on its way to the 1979 wooden spoon.
Penrith v Parramatta (1984)
Long-term whipping boys Penrith came of age in 1984 under rookie coach and former front-row stalwart Tim Sheens, going within an ace of a maiden finals appearance in the club’s 18th season.
One of the ‘Chocolate Soldiers’’ most notable results that season was ending an 18-match winless run against derby rivals Parramatta.
The Panthers powered to a 22-10 win over the (albethey Origin-weakened) three-time defending premiers at Belmore Oval. The Panthers belatedly beat an Eels side containing Peter Sterling and Brett Kenny in 1986.
Canberra v Balmain (1988)
Canberra lost its first 12 fixtures against Balmain after entering the NSWRL premiership in 1982, routinely copping heavy beatings.
Emerging as a powerhouse by reaching the 1987 grand final, the Raiders broke their duck against the Tigers in forceful style the following season – romping to a 39-15 win at Leichhardt Oval.
Kevin Walters scored two tries from the centres, while Gary Belcher, Peter Jackson, John Ferguson and Craig Bellamy also dotted down.
The Tigers eliminated the Raiders from the 1988 playoffs on their way to the grand final, but the Green Machine took perpetual control of the rivalry via their unforgettable extra-time victory in the 1989 decider.
Warriors v Brisbane (2001)
The Broncos edged the Warriors in their memorable premiership debut in 1995 and maintained a stranglehold on the keen rivalry for another eight matches.
On the brink of extinction at the end of 2000, the revamped Warriors pulled off arguably the most significant win of their troubled existence in Round 6 of the 2001 campaign. A Stacey Jones field goal got them home 13-12 against the representative-stacked defending champs at Ericsson Stadium.
The Warriors went on to reach the finals for the first time that season and would leave the Broncos battered and shellshocked several more times as they established themselves as an NRL force in ensuing seasons.
North Queensland v Brisbane (2004)
North Queensland’s most prized scalp – that of ‘big brother’ Brisbane – remained tantalisingly out of reach for almost a decade after coming into the competition in 1995. A pair of 20-all draws was the best the Cowboys could muster from their first 16 derbies with the Broncos.
The Broncos generously allowed the Cowboys to host the teams’ 2004 semi-final (which was originally slated for Sydney), and a rabid 24,989-strong Townsville crowd rode the post-season novices to an iconic 10-0 victory over a team containing nine Kangaroos.
A maiden win at Suncorp Stadium would follow in the opening round of 2006.
South Sydney v Sydney Roosters (2005)
South Sydney’s longest losing streak against foundation nemesis Sydney Roosters lasted more than a decade and encompassed a two-year expulsion from the NRL. The 13-match run included eight defeats by 20 points or more.
Despite remaining very much in a cellar dweller category, the Rabbitohs’ hoodoo-busting win came in late-2005 against an ailing Roosters side that would miss the Top 8 after playing in the previous three grand finals.
The Rabbitohs recovered from a 12-0 deficit and grabbed a euphoric 17-16 result in a fiery encounter thanks to a Ben Walker field goal four minutes from fulltime. The win ultimately saw Souths avoid the wooden spoon.
Canberra v Melbourne (2009)
Until the Warriors’ recently-ended streak against Melbourne, the Raiders’ 14-match losing run at the hands of the Storm from 2003-09 was the longest of the NRL era.
There were few signs it was about to end in the capital in Round 16 of the 2009 season – the powerhouse Storm had trounced the also-ran Raiders 46-6 at Olympic Park six weeks earlier.
But the Raiders took advantage of several Storm stars’ short turnaround from Origin duty to carve out a 26-16 upset, with outside-backs Justin Carney and Joe Mongahan both picking up doubles.
St George Illawarra v Canberra (2014)
St George Illawarra’s bad juju against Canberra was one of the modern era’s more baffling rivalry phenomenon, winning just one of 17 matches between the clubs from 2002-13.
The Dragons had not won in Canberra in 14 years and had lost nine straight against the Raiders at all venues when they made the trip south in 2014 – and belatedly came away with a 34-18 victory.
The Saints’ wingers had a field day, with Brett Morris collecting a hat-trick and Jason Nightingale crossing for a double. Josh Dugan also scored a try against the club he had left in acrimonious circumstances a year earlier.
Brisbane v Melbourne (2023)
Brisbane was under Melbourne’s thumb virtually since winning the 2006 grand final showdown between the clubs, most notably losing 14 straight encounters from 2017-23 – then a record-equalling rivalry streak in the NRL era.
The Broncos picked an impressive stage to halt the run of outs. Just a week after the Storm won a final-run clash at Suncorp Stadium with both top-four teams resting a slew of stars, the Broncos romped to a 26-0 win at the same venue in the qualifying final.
Brisbane eventually chalked up back-to-back wins over the Storm for the first time since 2003 last year, producing a stirring 30-14 final-round win to bank a top-four finish and pulling off a Reece Walsh-powered 26-22 comeback win in the grand final.