Saturday night's Wests Tigers-Sydney Roosters qualifying final was a classic in every sense of the word. It was an epic of '89 Grand Final proportions, historic and enlivening and an encounter that had everything any rugby league fan could ever want.

There was starpower with the likes of Benji Marshall, Todd Carney, Mitchell Pearce and Lote Tuqiri. There was meaning, with either a week off or a knockout final beckoning. There was intensity with hits so hard the foundations of the Sydney Football Stadium needed to be checked. There was a clear momentum shift with the Tigers having all the running until midway through the second half when the Roosters launched their stirring comeback. There was controversy, calamity and cut-throat tension.

There is no doubt it was the game of the season, and a great advertisement for a code which has endured its share of problems this year. So here's my list of 2010's top 10 matches:

10. Qualifying Final: Canberra 24-Penrith 22 at Penrith Park

The Raiders became the first team all season to win six in a row when downing Penrith to win their first finals match in a decade. Canberra dominated the game thanks to the brilliance of five-eighth Terry Campese but Penrith clawed their way back into the match thanks to a sensationally athletic try from Sandor Earl. Michael Gordon missed a conversion though and the Raiders now have a home final.

9. Round 1: St George-Illawarra 18-Parramatta 12 at Parramatta Stadium

There could not have been a better match to open the season with the 2009 minor premiers taking on the 2009 losing Grand Finalist. The Dragons had revenge on the brain after the Eels rolled them in the 2009 finals series and revenge was what was had with the Dragons grinding out an 18-12 win on the back of Jamie Soward's accurate boot.

8. Round 13: Parramatta 24-Melbourne 10 at Parramatta Stadium

This was not the Grand Final replay either expected after Melbourne had been thrown out of premiership contention by the salary cap scandal and many Parramatta fans declaring themselves rightful reigning premiers but the match did not disappoint. Parramatta stole the match 24-10 but the ongoing clash between fullbacks Billy Slater and Jarryd Hayne was the real tale of the match.

7. Round 22: South Sydney 34-Wests Tigers 30 at ANZ Stadium

Debutant Dylan Farrell had the most memorable first game imaginable, scoring three tries including the match-winner in the 90th minute when finishing off a break started by Rhys Wesser. Missing 12 first graders, Souths trailed 28-12 after 50 minutes but launched an amazing comeback to roll their hated rivals with some enterprising and brilliant attacking rugby league.

6. Round 6: Manly 18-Melbourne 16 at Docklands

Few realised at the time that Melbourne's season was about to crash down around them so excitement was high as Melbourne and Manly, who had met in two of the previous three Grand Finals, squared off in one of the first blockbusters of the season. A Michael Robertson double inside of 16 minutes had the Eagles up 16-0 and they ground out a tough 18-16 victory in what would be Melbourne's last competitive match of 2010.

5. Round 19: Sydney Roosters 36-Canterbury 32 at the SFS

On a sun drenched Sunday afternoon in a match that celebrated Brett Kimmorley's 300th game and Braith Anasta's 200th, the Roosters and Bulldogs turned on a try scoring classic in which the Roosters beat some bad refereeing to get the points in the last five minutes thanks to a bustling Mitch Aubusson try. The highlight of the match was Mitch Pearce breaking free before grubbering for a Todd Carney try.

4. Round 24: Wests Tigers 20-Parramatta 18 at Parramatta Stadium

Parramatta Stadium was sold out as the Eels and Tigers once again met in a monster clash with mammoth finals implications. It was end-to-end footy all day as the Eels pulled back a 20-6 deficit with eleven minutes remaining to 20-18. Renowned Eels marksman Luke Burt had a penalty shot next to the uprights after the siren to send the match to golden point but to the surprise of everybody missed.

3. Round 22: St George-Illawarra 19-Sydney Roosters 12 at the SCG

This match shaped as a classic with the Dragons the premiership favourites and the Roosters winning five straight and it did disappoint as a packed Sydney Cricket Ground went for a trip down nostalgia lane watching these two rivals belt each other silly. The Roosters had the ascendancy early but a beautiful Ben Creagh inside run from 50 metres out resulted in a try and catapulted the Dragons to a 19-12 win. It had the feeling of a Grand Final and it may well prove to be the case.

2. Round 19: Parramatta 34-Penrith 28 at Penrith Park

The Panthers bolted from the blocks and led 22-0 after 20 minutes against their arch-rivals but thanks to a truly remarkable performance from Jarryd Hayne that involved four try assists and a length-of-the-field solo try, the Eels fought back to win 34-28. The comeback was the high watermark of a disappointing season for Parramatta.

1. Qualifying Final: Sydney Roosters 19-Wests Tigers 15 at the SFS

There were so many great moments in this 100 minute classic, the first ever golden-point NRL final, that it is being compared to the 1989 Grand Final, widely regarded as the best club match played on Australian soil. The match may have been won in the 100th minute when Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall ran 70 metres to score the match-winning try but the defining image of the match will be the Roosters celebrating Braith Anasta's astonishing field goal to send the match to extra-time while Benji Marshall sits on the sideline, forlorn, with his leg wrapped in ice.