And there are no words to explain the emotions I witnessed in the minutes and hours afterwards. I want to share what I saw from a privileged position – on the halfway line at the end of the tunnel where the players run out.

I arrived there with around 10 minutes remaining in the game. I spent the first half watching the game with my family in the crowd and the second in the media box.

I ventured down to field level to capture the emotion of what appeared to be a certain Broncos win. The Thurston fairytale appeared to be dead – cue the Hodges farewell.

This was always a grand final about those two stories. The NRL were readying themselves for what most people in Sydney viewed as the second-best story.

It was so far down the track that Hodges' wife Gyanne and dad Roy were in the tunnel with NRL minders getting ready to be ushered on to the field. Roy was cheering and screaming as the final seconds were counting down – he didn't have a clear view of the Michael Morgan flick pass that was thrown with one second left on the clock. Neither did Gyanne.

Roy was wearing a Broncos jumper with a No.4 on its back. The name "Hodgo" was emblazoned across the top. He was wearing a sponsored cap and was craning to see the action in what is now known as Kyle Feldt's corner: "Hit him, hit him ... yeah".

He clearly misread the situation. He leapt and hugged his daughter-in-law. It was a moment of pure joy ... ruined when a security guard in a bright yellow vest interrupted their moment to tell them the Cowboys had scored.

Gyanne's jaw dropped and stayed that way for a few seconds. An NRL official grabbed her and told her to stay in the tunnel and they moved beside ASADA officials in the tunnel to await the video referee's assessment. At that point Dave Smith came down the tunnel at pace. Like most of the game's dignitaries they were coming down in the lifts just before the siren.

When the try was awarded Roy just looked to the sky and shook his head. He knew his son was not going to get the finish he craved.

At that point John Grant approached me and asked what had just happened.

The shorter half of the Provan-Summons trophy asked me the same question – when he heard the reply Summons said "it's going to be Thurston's night."

The reaction

What followed next was sporting theatre at its best. From the moment Feldt scored in the corner the tension started to build.

Amanda Green – wife of Cowboys coach Paul – held her hands under her chin half in prayer, but was clapping them together slowly at the time. Bench hooker Rory Kostjasyn said a prayer and was looking to the heavens. Scott Bolton had a towel in his hands and was pulling it so hard it looked like he was trying to tear it up. Brooke Winterstein, the heavily pregnant wife of Antonio, had tears in her eyes and was holding her stomach. "I thought the baby was coming," she later joked to me.

Samantha Lynch, Johnathan Thurston's partner, was cradling their two-year-old daughter Frankie trying to protect her from the noise and also occupying herself as Thurston took his time in composing himself.

It was four minutes and 34 seconds between Feldt touching down and Thurston striking the ball for a kick that missed. When he struck a field goal, despite releasing the ball from his hand poorly, his career was complete.

Holding back tears with Frankie in her arms Samantha talked about the hug with Johnathan.

"Frankie told daddy that he was dirty and he should go and have a wash," she said. "Johnathan said to me that 'we did it and I love you so much'. I had a really good feeling all game but with about six minutes to go I thought we really have to let it go. "The last couple of minutes were just surreal. When the kick hit the post I didn't want to go home ... I knew that he would be so hard on himself and blame himself if they lost the game. Thankfully that didn't happen. It was always in the plan. Like a fairytale ending."

Thurston knew who had been there through the tough days.

"She has ridden the rollercoaster with me," he said. "Samantha is my rock. I love her so much. This was a long time coming."

Asked about being an Immortal he said: "That stuff goes in one ear, out the other."

Green's words

We all saw the on-field scenes: Thurston comforting Ben Hunt and the outpouring of joy from the Cowboys.

What everyone didn't see or hear was Paul Green's address to the team straight after the game.

He was still dripping wet after James Tamou and Jason Taumalolo had dunked him with Powerade.

As Green sat down in the dressing room to address his players in private, the Provan-Summons trophy was placed on a Powerade esky.

Sitting in his chair, Green, a former halfback, couldn't see over the trophy to talk to his players. To take the mickey out of himself and his height, he put the trophy on the ground for a moment before replacing it.

He then started with a joke. "Review is on Tuesday," referring to a video session where the players' games are picked over.

He wasn't Churchillian in his words but he hit the mark. "Look boys, like with you there are so many emotions going through everyone's head at the moment. It was typical of us to leave it to the last minute. I'm a bit stuck for words because I'm just so proud of you boys.

"So proud of the way that you have stuck together in the year and met the challenges. And the way we won the game tonight ... yeah we could have played a little bit better in different patches. We just hung in there and kept fighting and when we got our opportunity we just iced it. "So I'm not going to say too much more other than I'm proud of what you have done for yourselves, each other and your families. And for the whole region back there. I'll talk more about that later. Let's enjoy this boys, you have put your names in the history books. Boys, I'm just really proud to say that I am your coach. Let's enjoy the night."

The celebration

With that, footy manager Peter Parr entered the scene with the wheelie bin that he traditionally bangs on.

Kostjasyn was called forward by Green calling him "Russian" and he led the spraying of champagne and singing.

He was made to skol two cans with the chant of "back to back" being led by Gavin Cooper.

With champagne stinging the cut above his left eye Thurston paid tribute to his teammates.

"Finally, finally ... it's been a long time coming," he said. "I see the sacrifices the boys make and they deserve this."

And there will be no more replayed try than the one that Michael Morgan laid on after great work on the inside from Thurston – who stayed alive by running backward to create some space for Morgan.

Until now the Benji Marshall flick pass was the most famous in grand finals: Morgan may have swallowed that up.

"It's my proudest moment in my career and I think that will take some beating down the track," he said. "When I passed the ball I thought it was going to go into touch ... I was just hoping that Feldtsy [Kyle Feldt] would catch it."

Feldt said: "I was never dropping that. It was an amazing pass – Morgo has a nickname – The Wonder Kid – for a reason. That corner was asking for me to go in there and I put it down with one hand. I look forward to telling that story every time."

Man in demand

Not surprisingly Johnathan Thurston is in huge demand from corporations – his next television deal will be an interesting one. Right now he has arrangements with Fox Sports and Channel Nine but because of his time constraints he is aiming to just do one deal. He is off-contract now. Thurston will be touring around servicing his other major sponsors Skins, Asics, Madison and Toyota and wants to give them good value at a time when he is hot property.

In the wars: James Tamou. Photo: James Brickwood

Tamou in stitches

James Tamou had his celebrations interrupted on Tuesday when he smashed his head open while partying with his teammates at a pool. He banged his head and had to go to hospital where he had 15 stitches.

He was nursing a headache the next day, and not just because of the head knock. Nothing could take away from the joy he felt after winning.

"This is a defining moment in my career," he said. "I'll be able to tell my kids and grandkids that I made history with the Cowboys and helped bring the club its first title."

Danny Weidler is a Nine reporter