The Newcastle Knights Archive.

2001 Grand Final vs Parramatta Eels:

The pre-match entertainment gets the crowd buzzing. Bill Peden crashes across ... ... in the fourth minute ... ... for the opening try. Bill Peden celebrates opening the scoring. Ben Kennedy gets excited at the 6-0 lead. Players all over the place as the Knights make a great start. Matthew Gidley is tackled by Daniel Wagon and Nathan Hindmarsh. Does someone you know deserve the big finger? Ben Kennedy makes a great start to the game. A brilliant Sean Rudder pass ... ... puts Steve Simpson across for try number two!!! Steve Simpson is ecstatic. Matthew Gidley and Steve Simpson embrace, while Parramatta try to regroup. Newcastle celebrate a 10-0 scoreline. Matt Parsons providing a brilliant platform for Newcastle. Matthew Gidley makes a brilliant run, right before Bill Peden's second try. Ben Kennedy charges forward like never before. Andrew Ryan dives across ... ... but Steve Simpson comes up with one of the greatest held ups of all time to deny the try!!! Adam MacDougall shuts down Jason Moodie, who catches a bomb. Andrew Johns makes a darting run, almost getting a try. From the quick play the ball, Ben Kennedy gets into dummy half ... ... and crashes over to score the Knights fourth try! Kennedy's try puts the seal on one of the great halves of grand final football by the Knights. The boys celebrate ... ... the Ben Kennedy try! Andrew Johns ... ... celebrates the try ... ... behind the main ... ... festivities ... ... with Timana Tahu. Parramatta are mighty angry. Poor old Parra - a fan doing it tough. Jason Moodie sparks a Parramatta attacking raid late in the first half ... ... but despite Mark Hughes' missed tackle, it is eventually shut down. The old hands - Michael Buettner is tackled by Bill Peden. Andrew Johns is swamped by defence. Grand Final hero Bill Peden is wedged by Michael Buettner and Jamie Lyon. Adam MacDougall gets past Michael Vella. Ben Kennedy is taken down. Steve Simpson dives across for a try ... ... but amazingly Bill Harrigan says no try without checking with the video referee. Brett Hodgson crosses for Parramatta's first try, shortly afterwards. Adam MacDougall played strongly as usual. Andrew Johns tackles Peter John Marsh. Timana Tahu wraps up David Vaealiki. Jason Moodie doing his best to create something for the Eels. Jason Taylor watching the game getting away ... ... spending most of the second half on the bench. Matt Parsons steamrolls Parramatta. Timana Tahu chases an Andrew Johns kick ... ... he deflects the ball as it bounces up ... ... regathers it on the way down ... ... and it is try-time!!! Timana Tahu celebrates ... ... along with Matthew Gidley - 28-6!!! The crowd goes off at Newcastle's fifth try. Brett Hodgson takes a grubber over the dead ball line. Andrew Johns shuts down PJ Marsh. Ben Kennedy cleans up a Parramatta grubber. Timana Tahu almost gets past some Parramatta defenders. The Parramatta bench continues to watch on, nervously. Sean Rudder fends off Michael Buettner. Jamie Lyon is cut in half by Mark Hughes. Timana Tahu wraps up a Parramatta bomb. Andrew Johns kicks downfield ... ... despite Nathan Hindmarsh's attentions. Woohoo - fulltime!!! Fulltime is blown, and pandemonium brakes loose on the bench. Danny Buderus and Ben Kennedy about to embrace at fulltime. Plenty of this on Sunday - Newcastle win the Grand Final of 2001 30-24. Tryscorers Ben Kennedy and Bill Peden have a hug. Fulltime, and Newcastle run out 30-24 winners!

2001 Grand Final Celebrations:

The reaction on the sideline at full-time. Full time - and let the celebrations begin! Andrew Johns and Matthew Gidley ... ... lap it up. Bill Peden and Adam MacDougall embrace. Andrew Johns and Michael Hagan embrace. Robbie O'Davis with his daughter. The other side of the coin - Parramatta are distraught. Brian Smith tries to cheer up his team. Brian Smith and Rod Reddy congratulate Parramatta players on a great season. Parramatta look like a bomb hit them. 'One day we'll look back on this and laugh!' says Jason Taylor and Brian Smith. Jason Taylor and son after the match. Michael Hagan and Brian Smith exchange words. Poor old Brian Smith, eh? Brian Smith and Michael Hagan still having a chat. Andrew Johns has a few words with Brian Smith. Andrew Johns finds his parents. Andrew Johns accepts the Cilve Churchill medal for player of the match. Andrew Johns makes his way down the stand ... ... Clive Churchill medal safely around the neck. Parramatta collect their runner up medals. Newcastle are presented with the trophy up in the stand. Andrew Johns lifts up the NRL trophy. Andrew Johns hoists the trophy - WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!! Glenn Grief is happy as Larry as Andrew Johns holds up the NRL trophy. Andrew Johns lifts it up for all to see. The winning team photos ... ... in all their ... ... multiple ... ... different ... ... angle ... ... GLORY!!! The Knights have done it for premiership number two! Only one word to describe this: 'WOOHOO!!!' Timana Tahu, Danny Buderus, Andrew Johns, Mark Hughes and Josh Perry ... ... with what it's all about (erm ... that's the trophy). Andrew Johns gets started on the lap of honour. Timana Tahu and Andrew Johns with the NRL trophy, Timana Tahu raises the trophy. Danny Buderus, Matt Parsons and Sean Rudder with the cup. Ben Kennedy and Steve Simpson celebrate. Showing off the spoils to the crowd. Josh Perry finds some family ... ... and gets totally mobbed by the crowd! Steve Simpson lifts up the trophy. Try scorer Steve Simpson with the cup. Paul Marquet celebrates winning the competition in his final game in the NRL. Bill Peden celebrates his with his other great moment of 2001. Sean Rudder (who had a blinder) lifts up the trophy. Andrew Johns, doing the lap of honour ... ... salutes the crowd. Michael Hagan enjoys the moment with his family. Michael Hagan does the lap of honour. Michael Hagan with his daughter. Andrew Johns with the Dally M medal around his neck. Andrew Johns in the dressing room ... ... John Howard with and Kim Beazley. Bill Peden after the game in the dressing room. Ben Kennedy is super happy. Matthew Gidley and Mark Hughes with Tony Butterfield. Someone breaks out the drink! The Knights go wild in the dressing room! Michael Hagan and Andrew Johns return to Marathon Stadium with the NRL trophy.