IT’S taken five years but Manly prop Darcy Lussick has finally talked about the ‘Battle of Brookvale’ and his part in one of the most notorious games of rugby league’s modern era.

On August 26, 2011, Manly and Melbourne engaged in a fiery Friday night clash still remembered for the wild all-in brawl which spilt over the sidelines.

As Lussick and his Manly side prepare meet Melbourne at Brookvale this Saturday night — which will likely be a less fiery affair — he opened up on his scuffle with then Storm forward Ryan Hinchcliffe that sparked the brawl and eventually cost Lussick a place in the Sea Eagles’ grand final-winning team.

Lussick was just a youngster in 2011. Source: News Limited

Round 20

“I don’t think we’ll ever see anything like it in rugby league again,” Lussick told The Daily Telegraph.

“It blew up. We are still talking about it five years later and we’ll still be talking about in five years. I am happy to leave it behind but a lot of people still bring it up with me today.

“I just remember the atmosphere and crowd. It was electric. It was a packed-out Brookvale and they were going berserk. I was young and running out there, I was all over-the-shop. I had a scuffle with Ryan Hinchcliffe and everyone just came running in. Back then you could throw punches ... well, you weren’t really allowed to but people did.

“There was so much emotion and adrenaline.”

Lussick took exception to an elbow from Hinchcliffe as the Manly player was getting up after making the tackle. In the resulting melee, Sea Eagle Glenn Stewart and Storm’s Adam Blair were sin-binned for each being third-man in but before they even reached the sideline both were throwing punches. That’s when things erupted. Players from both teams — and their benches — came running to get involved.

“It spilt over the sidelines, it was unbelievable to see. I remember running in — I probably shouldn’t have of. Everyone was running over, it was a bit of a blur,” Lussick said.

Then NRL CEO David Gallop declared: “The sight of so many players from both teams fighting, of people running in and leaving the bench area, was a horrendous look for the game.”

Ten players and two officials were charged by the NRL match review committee. Stewart and Blair were referred directly to the judiciary. Each club was fined $50,000.

A three-game suspension ended Lussick’s chances of playing in Manly’s 2011 grand final win over New Zealand Warriors.

The fight remains one of the most infamous in NRL history. Source: AAP

“It ended up costing me dearly,” Lussick said. “I missed a few weeks (through suspension) and a grand final. Des (Hasler, then Manly coach) made the decision to go with someone else. I thought for the majority of that week I was playing. But I don’t blame Des one bit. I hadn’t played for a while and had only played seven games all season.

“It was all my own fault. I still look back and it hurts me to think I could have played in a winning grand final in my first year of NRL. That’s the way it goes and hopefully I get another opportunity in the next few years.”

Hasler gave his premiership ring to Lussick.