It remains the highest rugby league Grand Final margin in Australian sporting history that has stood for the past 15 years.
And it proudly belongs to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.
Today, October 5, 2023, marks 15 years to the day since the Sea Eagles crushed the Melbourne Storm 40-0 at ANZ Stadium in the 2008 NRL Grand Final front of a crowd of 80,388.
Under Coach Des Hasler and the captaincy of Matt Orford, the Sea Eagles ran in an incredible eight tries to create history.
The 40-0 scoreline is now a badge of honour for Sea Eagles supporters.
It was Manly's seventh premiership title following success in 1973, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1987, and 1996. Another premiership title was to come in 2011.
Manly Sea Eagles
1 Brett Stewart, 2 Michael Robertson, 3 Steven Bell, 4 Steve Matai, 5 David Williams, 6 Jamie Lyon, 7 Matt Orford (c), 8 Brent Kite, 9 Matt Ballin, 10 Josh Perry, 11 Anthony Watmough, 12 Glen Hall, 13 Glenn Stewart; interchange 14 Heath L'Estrange, 15 Mark Bryant, 16 Jason King, 17 Steve Menzies. Coach: Des Hasler.
Melbourne Storm
1 Billy Slater, 2 Steve Turner, 3 Matt Geyer, 4 Israel Folau, 5 Anthony Quinn, 6 Greg Inglis, 7 Cooper Cronk (c), 8 Jeff Lima, 9 Russ Aitken, 10 Brett White, 11 Michael Crocker, 12 Jeremy Smith, 13 Dallas Johnson; interchange: 14 Scott Anderson, 15 Adam Blair, 16 Sika Manu, 17 Antonio Kaufusi. Coach: Craig Bellamy.
Match Details
Sea Eagles 40 (Robertson 3, Ballin, Williams, Kite, Menzies, Bell tries; Matai 2, Lyon 2 goals) d Storm 0. Referee Tony Archer, ANZ Stadium, October 5, 2008. Clive Churchill Medal: Brent Kite.
2008 Manly season summary
Coach: Des Hasler
Captain: Matt Orford
Biggest home crowd: 17,942 vs Wests Tigers, Rd 5
Average home crowd: 13,593
Top pointscorer: Matt Orford (133)
Top tryscorer: David Williams (11)
