BACKS to the wall, a terrible year for the sport and look what happens - the best rugby league grand final in memory, incredible pre-match entertainment and world-class television coverage that puts Australia at the forefront of sports broadcasting around the globe.

All of this wonder came from a grand final between two teams that more than a few of us thought could not attract a capacity crowd to ANZ Stadium.

The 81,491 who attended, and the millions who watched at home, were left in no doubt that we witnessed — despite everything bad that has happened this year in rugby league — one of the great grand finals of all time.

Channel 9 took us to every nook and cranny of the 2013 grand final.

From the beginning of the day when Ray Warren’s son Chris called his first footy final (pray the next Rabs is with us), the rugby league network earned high praise for giving lounge-rooms around Australia a first-hand day out at the footy.

Outstanding panel chat, led by an up-and-coming star in Yvonne Sampson and the always reliable Cameron Williams, provided a seriously good lead-up to a match that delivered on every front.

If there is a sporting coverage in the world that offers another camera or better access to the players in dressing rooms, the video refs, the crowd, I am yet to see it.

Sunday night’s NRL grand final places Australia front and centre of live sport coverage in the world.

This was Origin-standard football, called by a living legend, capped off by footy that was torrid, tough and, mostly, just plain great.

In many ways, Nine has become a victim of its own success.

The coverage gives us so much that the need to go to the game is not nearly as urgent as it once was.

The 2013 grand final set new standards off the back of an annus horribilis that will soon throw up more badness in the form of an ASADA investigation.

For now, though, who cares.

The game is alive and well, the athletes are supreme and Tom Waterhouse, for what it’s worth, has all but disappeared into the never never during matches.

Things are looking up in the world of rugby league.