by Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

(article written to coincide with 2002 Grand Final)
The New Zealand Warriors securing of a place in the 2002 NRL Grand Final marked a rapidly increasing trend of Kiwis playing in the final game of the season.

Twenty-five Kiwis had already played in Grand Finals before the Warriors made the 2002 decider - 14 of them enjoying victory. What started as a very slow trickle, has grown quickly over recent seasons.

Way back in 1915, Bill Kelly captained the undefeated Balmain Tigers side that won the premiership. There was no Final or Grand Final required in 1915 and it was 60 seasons before a Kiwi would finally appear in one.

The first "Grand Final Kiwi" was not seen until 1974 when Bill Noonan took his place in the Canterbury side who lost to Easts by 19-4. The stoic Henry Tatana was the next to make it - but he became part of the 1975 Dragons thrashed by Easts 38-0.

Darrell Williams was the first Kiwi to win a Grand Final. The classy Kiwi Test centre was a part of the Manly Sea Eagles side that won the 1987 Grand Final over Canberra. In the Raiders side was a youthful Brent Todd.

Gary Freeman made back-to-back appearances in the Balmain team that lost 24-12 to Canterbury in 1988 and 19-14 to Canberra in 1989. In the 1989 Grand Final Brent Todd became the second Kiwi to win a premiership when he played for the Raiders. Todd backed up yet again in 1991, but fell to the Panthers by 18-14.

When the Canberra side returned in 1994 to dismiss a Canterbury team featuring Daryl Halligan, Jarrod McCracken and Jason Williams, it included two other New Zealanders in Quentin Pongia and Ruben Wiki.

Every season since has seen at least one Kiwi in the Grand Final.

1995 saw Williams and Halligan make another Grand Final visit, and they were joined by John Timu. The Bulldogs beat Matthew Ridge's Manly 17-4.

Ridge and former All Black Craig Innes were key men in the Manly side that beat the St George Dragons 20-8 in 1996. Innes was again in the Grand Final in 1997 in the Manly team that lost 22-16 to Newcastle. Meanwhile in the Super League decider Tawera Nikau (Cronulla) and Tonie Carroll (Brisbane) were opposed with the Broncos coming out on top.

Daryl Halligan and Willie Talau featured in the Canterbury side when they lost 38-12 to the Broncos in 1998, with Carroll getting another premiership ring. (The Brisbane side also included Kevin Campion who would later join the Warriors.)

The Melbourne Storm side of 1999 had a host of Kiwis in Richard Swain, Matt Rua, Stephen Kearney and Tawera Nikau when they beat St George Illawarra by 20-18. The Dragons front rower was Test prop Craig Smith.

The 2000 Broncos again included Tonie Carroll when they defeated the Sydney Roosters, who had David Solomona in their outfit. Solomona moved to Parramatta in 2001 and along with Alex Chan, Nathan Cayless and David Vaealiki was in the team defeated by Newcastle. (2002 Warrior P.J. Marsh also played in that Eels side.)

Given how many New Zealanders have been taking part in the Grand Final over the last decade, perhaps the rise of the Warriors should not have been a surprise to anyone. New Zealand rugby league has definitely come of age.