The 1986 rugby league season was disastrous, marked by a poor grand final and struggles for Canberra.
For a variety of reasons the 1986 year - yes, 39 long years ago! - was an annus horribilis for rugby league.
Parramatta beat Canterbury 4-2 in an ugly, tryless grand final.
It was an awful year for the Canberra Raiders as well. What could go wrong, did. Virtually no one back then, inside or outside the club, could possibly have anticipated the year that followed. The reinvention and reinvigoration of the code were about to be ignited.