Every rivalry has its beginnings, and on Sunday, Canterbury and Parramatta will enter another chapter in their story over 40 years on from its initial ignition.
After near misses in the 1970s (Canterbury in 1974 and 1979 and Parramatta in 1976 and 1977), it was hardly a surprise to see both clubs rise to prominence in the decade of decadence.
Canterbury and Parramatta shared the spoils with four Premierships apiece from 1980 to 1988 in one of the greatest eras in the game’s history.
It was a hell of a time to be wearing Blue and White, or blue and gold.
While it has been nearly four decades since the last meeting in a decider, there have been plenty of unforgettable matches since.
We kick-started the Multicultural Day concept with a big win at Belmore in 1993, and who could forget Daryl Halligan’s heroics in the 1998 Preliminary Final?
Season 2004 couldn’t have started on a better note for Steve Folkes’ men with a 48-16 thumping of the Eels, which included a double from a little-known youngster by the name of Sonny Bill Williams.
And we all remember how that year ended.
The 2024 King's Birthday clash cements itself as one of the great last-gasp victories in modern times – with Blake Wilson’s game-winning try sending the Accor Stadium crowd into raptures.
But it was the 1984 season that stands out as the moment of impact that really kick-started one of the game's greatest rivalries.
Canterbury and Parramatta finally met in that year’s Grand Final after dominating the first four years of the decade.
Bulldogs Hall of Famer and multiple Premiership-winner Terry Lamb - a key figure of the 1980s - sat down to talk through one of the fiercest rivalries in the game’s history.
The New Brigade
In a bid to reclaim the JJ Giltinan Shield, Secretary Peter Moore and co brought in a new wave of recruits headlined by Lamb, who won the previous year's Dally M Medal in a last-placed Wests outfit.
Joining the dynamic five-eighth was impressive forward trio Peter Kelly, Peter Tunks and Darryl Brohman among a group of thirteen new faces who would go on to make their club debut that season.
With a cast already featuring the likes of the Mortimer brothers and remaining members of 'The Entertainers' from 1980, revolutionist Head Coach Warren Ryan was the final piece of the puzzle.
“I was a young kid coming to a new Club, and all I wanted to do was to win a Grand Final,” Lamb said of his first year at Belmore.
“Peter Kelly came in, Peter Tunks came in, we probably had about four or five new players at the Club and a new coach in Warren Ryan.
“We needed to win a comp. We had a good team; the three Mortimer brothers, (David) Gillespie, (Paul) Langmack and Steve Folkes, who is now a Hall of Fame Inductee.
“They were the best for the previous three years and everyone wants to beat the best. And we were the team to do that.”
The Rivalry
It could be argued that the greatest rivalries are berthed from three aspects.
Those being geographical location, success and player transfers.
While Canterbury and Parramatta's famous feud could technically fall into all three, Lamb believes that the rivalry came about from something else.
Mutual respect.
“The respect came because we played with and against each other for so long,” he explained.
“We were the best teams in the competition and when we went on the Kangaroo Tour in 1986, there was probably ten people in the group that played for either Canterbury or Parramatta.
“Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny, Ray Price, (Mick) Cronin, (John) Muggleton, they were in the same teams as us that played Origin for NSW.
“Sterlo and Turvey (Steve Mortimer) went against each other in City vs Country for a spot in the NSW team as well.
We got along very well together, and that’s what the rivalry was about. We wanted to win a game, but the respect was there as well.
“Even though they haven’t played in Grand Finals against one another since, the rivalry will continue for a long time.”
The Grand Final
The rivalry reached its apex in the decider.
After being beaten twice in the finals in 1983 by the Eels, the Bulldogs got their vengeance in a 16-8 win in the major semi.
The teams had their first Grand Final meeting on September 23 after Parramatta scraped past St George by a single point.
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Bugden Scores in the 1984 Grand Final
What followed was one of the most defensively centred Grand Finals of all time.
However, that didn't mean there was plenty of action happening on the field.
A looping pass from Lamb early on to Peter Mortimer was ruled forward, denying the Bulldogs of first points, before Parramatta's Eric Grothe dropped a sitter at the line.
The opposition would get first points through Michael Cronin, leading 4-nil at the break.
However, it was Mark Bugden - who suffered an asthma attack in the sheds - that scored a try just minutes into the second half that ultimately sealed the result.
Catching everyone off guard - even his teammates - the new recruit charged over from dummy half, with Mortimer's goal being the difference.
“There was basically no points in that game, we won 6-4,” Lamb recalled.
“Those big games back then, it was more about controlling the game than throwing the ball around.
“Both teams were very good defensively as well and there were no blues. No one knew Bugden was going for that. It just happened.
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1984 Grand Final Highlights: Bulldogs vs Parramatta
“They had a classy team, they could throw the ball around and do all kinds of stuff and they were very good at it. We were a team that prided itself on our defence. It was the best in the competition.
“Both of our teams were together for about four or five years without many changes. We brought half a dozen players in 1984 and kept them until 1988. You need to keep those teams together.
“As for the forward pass - it might have floated forward but it did go back from my hands!"
Kel, The Big Marn and ‘Sobby’
In an era dominated by tough as teak forwards, it’s no surprise to see that two of the standout players from the victory were Peter Kelly and Darryl Brohman.
Kelly took home Man of the Match honours with a dominant performance, becoming the first front rower to be retrospectively awarded the Clive Churchill Medal, while Brohman’s sleight of hand sent the Dogs downfield and kept the Eels on their toes throughout the match.
Meanwhile, youngster Steve ‘Sobby’ O’Brien was one of the shining lights, making one of the biggest plays of the game with a try-saving intercept in the dying stages of just his sixth first-grade match.
“Kel wasn't a big man, but he was a very tough man. I was scared of him even though he was on our team,” Lamb laughed.
You probably don’t get too many front rowers winning man of the match. It’s more of your halfbacks, wingers, centres that win it these days, so it was a real credit to his performance.
“The only real ball player in the side was actually Darryl Brohman. He was a very good ball player, Darryl.
“He was a big man, and he could stand in the tackle and offload on both his right and left. He could really read a game of football as well. That’s why he has become commentator.
“Sobby was only a kid. He was nineteen and he got that intercept by his fingertips. I honestly didn’t remember when he came into the side, but he did a great job for us.”
The Aftermath
The famous 6-4 victory – a fourth Premiership title for the Club in their 50th season – kicked off the ‘Dogs of War’ era in Belmore.
Warren Ryan’s side defended their crown the following year in an even narrower win, 7-6 over St George, before falling agonisingly short of a third consecutive title in 1986 – ironically against the Eels.
But for Lamb, who picked up the Rothman’s Medal that season and won a further two Premierships (only missing the 1985 decider through injury), it remains as one of the most memorable moments of his career.
“It was my first one,” he smiled.
“I came here to win a competition. That’s what Canterbury gave me and it's a big reason why I stayed here for thirteen years as a footballer and over 40 years all up.”
