A Lookback - the 2003 Ashes Series
What was the first international Rugby League match you remember or attended? The first one I went to was the first test of the 2003 Ashes Series at Wigan. Little did I know that this would be the last such series for 22 years.
With us on the brink of the next Ashes series beginning, I decided to look back on that night from my own recollection.
It was the first time that I had been to the stadium formerly known as the JJB Stadium. In 2003, I was a child and went to the match with my Dad. He bought tickets as part of an organised trip with work.
One of his close friends from work, Geoff, was attending with his son, Nathan (who was a few years older than me) too. With the stadium being relatively new, we didn't know where to park so ended up parked outside Geoff's house. It wasn't far from the stadium, we were told.
Geoff wasn't waiting for us at his house when we arrived. He was at the pub with Nathan, several pints deep, or so his wife assumed. My adult reflections wonder whether my dad may have wished I was a few years older so we could have joined!
Despite reassurances to the contrary, we were quite a way from the stadium. Everything seems longer when you are a child but that walk from the outskirts of Standish Lower Ground to the stadium seemed to take a lifetime.
When we finally reached Stadium Way, I thought we must be here. How wrong I was. Another 10-15 minute walk down that road until we eventually arrived at the stadium. Stadium Way?! More like stadium, a bloody long way!
We had great seats for the match, in the South Stand, just to the left of the sticks, about 10 rows up.
I recall it being a clear evening as the game kicked off. The ball went up and in the blink of an eye, Robbie Kearns went down. There was a sharp intake of breath from crowd. "Gerrup yer soft Aussie shite!". The words that broke that momentary silence.
We had since met up with Geoff, in case you were wondering. I may have been a child but I was still able to tell when someone was three sheets to the wind.
We have all seen the tackle from Adrian Morley. Of course, it is what this test match is remembered for. I will leave it up to you to decide whether Robbie Kearns was knocked out by the stiffest of stiff arms. Or whether, indeed, he was just a soft Aussie shite.
Despite clearly being unconscious before hitting the ground, Robbie Kearns played on. Because that's what happened in those days. However unthinkable that would be now.
Poor Robbie Kearns. It is remembered nowhere near as well but he was also knocked out in the third test of this series courtesy of an appalling tackle by Terry Newton.
Robbie Kearns must hate us. Got KO'd by Morley in the first test in 2003. Got KO'd by Newton in the third test in 2003. https://t.co/ievLK5J0Mk pic.twitter.com/POWlBXxb9H
— The Tryline 🏉 (@TrylineUK) March 27, 2025
This match is remembered for *that* Adrian Morley moment, but there was so much more to it.
Britain were down to 12 men and down by 4 points by the 10 minute mark. Phil Bailey opened the scoring for Australia, ably assisted by a brilliant Brett Kimmorley break. Phil Bailey would end up signing for Wigan a few years later. Admittedly, he looked like a different bloke in cherry and white, as his long, flowing locks of hair were consigned to history by that point.
Leaving the glory of Phil Bailey's hair to one side, it was looking like it was going to be a long night for Britain.
It could have got longer still. In the modern game, you can't help but suspect that Terry Newton would have seen a card of some colour for this challenge in the early exchanges too.
If you kick a penalty goal when you are trailing in the modern game (unless it is the final minute of the first half), the doctor is likely to come onto the field to conduct a HIA. It is often the sensible choice but the fear of being branded as negative takes over logic.
That wasn't the case in 2003 (unless you are Leeds in the Challenge Cup Final of that same year). So nobody really batted an eyelid when Britain elected to kick for goal to reduce the deficit to two points. This was the kick that Sean Long had.
He missed. No, seriously. For reasons unbeknownst to anyone but David Waite, Andy Farrell wasn't kicking the goals that night. But I'm sure that miss wouldn't mean much in the grand scheme of things anyway (*gulps*).
Sean Long soon made up for it by sending a looping pass to Brian Carney, who crossed to level the scores a few minutes later.
With 12 men, it was always going to be tough. Thankfully for Britain, Steve Ganson positioned himself perfectly to make a try-saving intervention and deny Willie Mason.
Australia broke and Lockyer kicked through, the ball hitting Steve Ganson before Mason touched down. This led to the quite remarkable spectacle of Ganson referring the decision to the video referee to see if he had saved a try (he had).
Britain did go into half time behind by 4-8 through a Trent Waterhouse try. Shall I get to the biff? Do you want to see Sky Sports' own Brian Carney swinging punches? Of course you do. Only one player got sin binned here though, Australia's Michael Crocker! So the sides were playing with 12 men each for the next 10 minutes.
Britain took advantage. Keith Senior scored. Long converted. Long added a penalty. Somehow, despite having a man sent off after 12 seconds, Britain were winning. This couldn't happen could it?
Time ticked by. Australia were looking wasteful. Australia were looking frustrated. It was on. But we've seen this movie before haven't we? Australia always find a way. And as the game entered its final 10 minutes, Craig Gower crossed. A two point lead became a two point deficit in the blink of an eye.
But, hang on?! What just happened? Australia knocked on from the kick off. This is Australia. That just doesn't happen! There was hope. Britain flung the ball wildly from left to right and back again and then it opened up.
Paul Sculthorpe nailed the pass. Brian Carney had the line at his mercy. Several Australian defenders were haring across. This was a foot race. A almighty collision of bodies! Did Carney get there? He raised his arm triumphantly. The video referee was called upon.
It looked as though the ball was dropped. Then again, we were in an era of Rugby League where it your hand was even faintly near the ball a try would be given.
Here's the key angle of the key decision. Isn't it amazing that 22 years old, the quality of replays that our video referees have today are just as blurry as this?
The decision was made. The stadium held its breath. "It's a tryyyyyyyy" bellowed Eddie and Stevo in unison and barely disguised delight. Brian Carney had done it for Britain. Sorry Brian if your reading, I mean Great Britain and Ireland.
Ah, Eddie and Stevo. You complained about them at the time, but be honest, you miss them now, don't you? If you were to here Stevo call for a 'something different, like a little chip over the top' or a 'one pointer' at a moment when one was really not called for, it would be hard not to raise a smile.
They were in their element covering internationals. Eddie Hemmings' excitement when we came close followed by palpable frustration when we inevitably lost again was a routine feature.
The stirring guitar riff of Feeder's Pushing the Senses as the soundtrack to international coverage. Having Chris Warren as a sideline reporter to try and give the faint whiff of balance in the form of an Australian accent. Those were the days.
If you didn't have Sky Sports you may have been following the BBC's live text commentary of the match. Here, you were informed that Stuart Fielden kicked a touchline conversion to extend Britain's lead to four points.
Now, Stuart Fielden was a fine player. Maybe he could have been a great goalkicker. Frankly, we will never know since he never actually attempted a goal kick in his 391 career appearances. The reality was that his Bradford team mate, introduced from the bench, Paul Deacon kicked the conversion.
In celebration of this try in the South Stand at the JJB Stadium, Geoff planted my dad with a Dublin Kiss. A tribute to Brian Carney's Irish roots maybe? More realistically, he was that pissed by this point he could barely stand.
The game resumed at 72:30. By 74:14 seconds, Darren Lockyer touched down under the posts and British hearts (and one Irish heart) were broken. And that was all she wrote. It finished Great Britain 18-20 Australia.
At least Sean Long's missed penalty in the first half wasn't important!
And that was my in-person introduction to a lifetime of heartbreak following Great Britain or latterly England.
Geoff and Nathan went back to the pub to drown their sorrows (if they were not already drowned enough). Me and my dad began the long walk back to the car. It felt even longer on the way back.
As we got close to the car, we realised that if we went down a dark embankment, we would save walking all the way around and maybe save ourselves five minutes. It sounded like a great idea until we both stumbled, landing in a heap at the bottom of the embankment.
The patch of mud we landed in made it look like we had played in the game, let alone watched it.
It was only the best part of 10 years later than I realised you could walk along the canal path to get to where we parked and save a significant amount of time and on this occasion, soreness.
In the second test, Australia kicked a winning drop goal on 74 minutes and secured the win with a late penalty.
In the third test, Britain led 12-6 after 75 minutes. They conspired to lose 12-18.
The next time Britain played Australia was in the 2004 Tri Nations, in which we also lost to a last second try. We did beat them in that series though (if you bring yourself to read about the final, take a look at this!)
Britain may have come close but managed to lose the 2003 Ashes series 3-0. If the Ashes series of 2025 can bring as much entertainment and drama as the last one, then we are in for a treat.
History tells us not to get excited as the most likely outcome is an Australia win and a comfortable one.
And that was my in-person introduction to a lifetime of heartbreak following Great Britain or latterly England. But there is something about sport that drags you in and keeps you coming back for more. There's that little flicker that just wonders, is it our turn to get the late winners this time?
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