Two premiership triumphs for the ages - the dramatic fairytale of 1997 and the stunning upset of 2001. Two great sides who grabbed a besotted city and took it for the most wonderful of rides in the space of just four years.

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Was one win better than the other? Some will argue '97 was because it was the Knights' first, it was over arch-rivals Manly and because of the sheer drama and jubilation at the death after Darren Albert's brilliant match-winning try that left the Sydney Football Stadium a sea of emotion.

But what about 2001 when the competition wasn't split by the Super League-ARL war and the Knights blew a Parramatta side off the park with sheer brilliance after the Eels had lost just four games all season and were one of the hottest favourites in grand final history.

When we posed the question to Andrew Johns of who would win if the two premiership-winning sides, at the peak of their powers, were pitted against each other, the Eighth Immortal responded with: "It's like asking me who is my favourite kid," Johns said.

Statistics don't make it any easier to come up with an answer.

The '97 side under Mal Reilly played 22 games during the regular season, scoring 103 tries in their 512 points and conceding 320 with Albert leading the try-scoring list with 18.

In 2001 under Michael Hagan, the Knights crossed for 148 tries in 26 games, scoring 782 points for and 639 against. Timana Tahu led the way with 18 tries from Ben Kennedy [17] and Albert [16].

About all that tells us is we have the ARL competition's best defensive team in '97 up against the potent attacking threat of the 2001 side.

Even the five players uniquely connected to both teams because they are the only ones to play in both grand finals - Johns, Adam MacDougall, Robbie O'Davis, Mark Hughes and Billy Peden - struggled when we asked them for their thoughts on it.

ANDREW JOHNS:

"It's like asking me who is my favourite kid. If you put a gun to my head, I'd probably say 2001, slightly. I just think that side had more strike and more points in it but if it came down to trench warfare and a blood and guts type of game, then the '97 side led by Chief [Paul Harragon] and Butts [Tony Butterfield] would be damn hard to beat. Another reason I'm probably leaning towards the 2001 side is Ben Kennedy. If you put BK in the '97 side, I'd pick them. He was just so influential and made such a huge impact in '01 and the same with Bedsy [Danny Buderus] and Matt Gidley."

ADAM MacDOUGALL:

"That is a really tough question to try and answer. If I'm talking the premiership-winning teams, probably the '97 side is my favourite. It was a team full of guys who were able to squeeze the absolute best out of themselves when the odds were stacked against them. The '97 squad just had a real special quality about them and was a team who could just find a way to get the job done. The 2001 team probably had a bit more talent but not as much character in some regards at that time because while we had the best player in the game in Andrew Johns and the best forward at the time in Ben Kennedy, it was probably more a team of future stars. The other thing too was just this mental presence in '97 with guys like Chief, Tony Butterfield and Marc Glanville. I think there was more grit and more toughness in that side. There were players there who had endured a lot to get to the big stage, who had really bled for the jersey much more than maybe the 2001 side and deep down, they probably wanted it a bit more."

ROBBIE O'DAVIS:

"If you force me to pick one, I'd probably go with the '97 team but when you stack the players from each team up against each other, gee it's bloody hard to come up with a winner. If Matty Gidley was in the '97 side, I'd probably be more confident in saying them because he was such a great player and the best centre the club ever had. But with him only playing in the 2001 side, there is hardly anything in it."

MARK HUGHES:

"What a horrible question. I'm not getting paid enough to come up with the right answer to that. I'll say this, I guess the outside backs were more seasoned and a few years older with big match experience in 2001 but the forward leadership of Harragon, Butterfield and Glanville in '97 is hard to match and you have the Johns' brothers working in tandem and Robbie O at his peak. It would be a great battle, that's for sure. We had the Australian hooker and halfback in '01 and Joey was four years older than in '97. But look, when you weigh everything up, how do you pick a winner? I don't think I can to be honest."

BILLY PEDEN:

"Winning that first one in '97 was extra special but in terms of putting them against each other, I'd really struggle to come up with a winner. On the back of the number of future internationals we had in '01 and the fact there was no split competition, that's a positive towards that side I suppose but when you look at the character of guys like Butsy, MG, Chief - the forward pack of '97 was pretty gritty without the flashness that we had in '01. So for sheer class 2001 but in the grit stakes, it's '97."