The Bulldogs faithful did not merely arrive at Stadium Australia for their clash against Manly, they descended upon it.
It takes a mighty effort to give the Olympic venue a soul but the Dogs fans can manage it. The drums were beating, literally, as they have in so many games this season.
It’s what has made Canterbury’s resurrection this season so compelling. This is a mighty tribe and they don’t mind letting you know about it.
For the Dogs fans, every win is a parade and why shouldn't it be given every joy can be our last? Some might say it's a bit much but when it leads to a crowd of 50,741 — which is the biggest Sydney finals crowd other than grand finals in the past 10 years — the sport feels better for it.
The Bulldogs fans have come out of the woodwork this year. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer )
You never know when you might miss out on the finals eight years in a row, so you may as well live it up now.
Loading...They have all year and they did for much of Sunday until slowly, bit by agonising bit, they were silenced by a Manly team who refused to collapse under the pressure of the scoreboard, the will of the blue and white horde or the furious efforts of Canterbury.
Gradually, the pockets of maroon and white in the crowd came more into focus.
Daly Cherry-Evans finished off an intricate set play to score right in front of one. Tolu Koula raced past another as he ran in the match-winning try.
And in the end, it was the Manly fans who lingered long after full-time to soak up the feelings of an epic 24-22 win that rates as one of the matches of the year.
On a technical level, the match swung between two absolute truths.
The Sea Eagles were the bigger, more muscular side – they demonstrated the value of having a bit more meat up front when they bludgeoned Canterbury into submission just two weeks ago.
The Bulldogs, much like their fans, find strength in their numbers. Their rise this season has been built on their hustle, energy and mobility, especially when it comes to defence.
They quite literally punch above their weight and for 60 minutes it looked like it would be enough.
Matt Burton and Toby Sexton used their kicking games to exploit Tom Trbojevic positionally, Stephen Crichton came up with big plays as he invariably seems to find in big games and Connor Tracey played a fine and busy match at the back.
Even in defeat, Viliame Kikau deserves special praise. His attacking skills have always been first class, as he showed with a 40-metre run for a try and a tip-on pass for another, but when he plays his best his defensive efforts are just as thrilling as anything he does with the ball.
For a team as spirited and defensively sound as Canterbury, a 10-point lead and a big home crowd should be enough to get home.
But the match turned as the Sea Eagles called upon their giants.
Haumole Olakau’atu got more involved as the game went on and Taniela Paseka’s second stint was a mighty one.
The two man mountains were large and in charge through the back end of the match – Manly’s comeback couldn’t have happened without the ruck speed and yardage they generated.
The set play for the Cherry-Evans try was precise enough it wouldn’t have looked out of place inside a Swiss watch and their veteran halfback’s composure shone through at key times throughout the afternoon, especially in the moments his side was on the backfoot.
Without his booming 80-metre drop out that relieved the pressure in the first half, or the precise bomb he hoisted in the lead-up to the Ethan Bullemor try just before the break, there’s every chance Manly would have left themselves with too much to do.
His composure was crucial and Canterbury lacked a similar poise as the minutes waned.
Their furious effort never faltered, but when the blood runs hottest a cool head goes a long way because there are some problems effort cannot solve.
That was never more apparent than the winning try to Koula.
It can be forgotten in the exhilaration of watching the young speedster leave a host of defenders grasping at the space he left behind, but the try came after a last tackle rush from inside Manly’s half following a strong defensive set from the Bulldogs.
Trbojevic was clearly hampered by his shoulder injury and was not able to find his best, but he made the big play when it counted as he combined with Cherry-Evans to knife through the middle and create the space Koula used so brilliantly.
After the match, Cherry-Evans explained how the Canterbury often push out hard from marker on the last to pressure the kicker, so he knew there could be space there.
In a cruel twist of fate, Manly found a way to use Canterbury’s own hustle against them.
It was not until that try that it seemed to dawn on the Dogs and their fans just what was happening as oblivion loomed.
They’d had the better of much of the match, but Manly had the better of it when it counted the most. It’s the most maddening way to lose, but at this time of year it can be the difference between living and dying.
Not all minutes are created equal in finals footy and the Sea Eagles have players who know it, which is why they're in with a big shot at toppling the Roosters next week.
Right at the end, things got scratchy. A couple of basic errors deep in Canterbury’s half cost them dearly. The set-up for both of Burton’s two-point field goal attempts were not precise.
The atmosphere turned nervous then desperate as the crowd howled for a winner which never came.
Burton’s second shot at an equaliser, right on full-time, seemed to hang in the air forever as the heaving crowd begged for it to find the legs.
Once it fell short, the crowd went quiet as their dreams died with it. The call of the Sea Eagle rang out and the drums fell silent. Cheering loud is great, but it’s not as good as cheering last.