Chris Joynt’s voluntary tackle (2002)
The 2002 Super League Grand Final is still talked about today, for one reason. Chris Joynt’s voluntary tackle.
After a magnificent match that saw St Helens lead Bradford 19-18 thanks to a decisive Sean Long drop goal, it appeared that Saints would simply take the tackles until the final hooter sounded in a game worthy of closing any season.
However, rather than taking the tackle Joynt took a blatant dive, seconds before the hooter sounded, only for referee Russell Smith to inexplicably allow play to carry on. Had he blown, Bradford would have had a penalty 40-metres from goal in a relatively central position to win the match. Words struggle to describe how Bradford’s players and supporters must have felt.
