Sports photographer Brendan Esposito knew he had “something very, very special” when he snapped Benji Marshall’s flick pass in the 2005 Grand Final.

And 20 years on he’s recalled to foxsports.com.au the “gut feeling” that convinced him to stay put — while other photographers ran the other way — to capture one of the most iconic moments in NRL history.

Esposito was 40-years old when he worked at the ‘05 Grand Final. An experienced photo journalist who covered everything from conflict to documentary work, but always had a soft spot for sport.

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He had covered many grand finals before, as well as State of Origins, Test matches and even the 2000 Olympic Games. So getting rostered on to cover the ‘05 NRL decider for The Sydney Morning Herald was just another day in the office.

Esposito took his place on the sideline in the first half of the Tigers-Cowboys clash and snapped away as Matt Bowen and Bryce Gibbs scored the first two tries.

As the clock wound down for the first half, the Tigers produced a passage of play that still gets spoken about to this day.

Cowboys half Johnathan Thurston kicked down field and Tigers fullback Brett Hodgson scooped up the ball. He found Marshall on his inside and passed it to the flamboyant five-eighth, who ran over 50 metres and beat several defenders along the way.

“All of the photographers had run to the middle of the field to follow the play,” said Esposito, who was planted 10 metres out from the Tigers’ tryline.

“I distinctly remember that I made a decision to stay on the Tigers’ tryline because I had noticed that there was a change in momentum.

“I could feel that it was building. There was a gut feeling because it’s not just clicking away — you need to understand the rhythm of the game.

“I’m taking a chance here but I’m backing myself. I learnt through photo journalism and years in the game that you’ve got to back yourself. If you make a decision you go for it and sometimes it comes off.”

Esposito ended up being in “prime position” because of his decision to not follow the play earlier. He thought to himself ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen’ but he knew there would be something worth capturing.

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“He gets the ball and then Benji does what Benji does. He took off like a dart and he beat two or three players but he had to beat Matt Bowen,” Esposito recalled.

“Benji, god love him, was never going to beat Bowen. Benji was like a dart but Bowen was like a rocket.

“I remember thinking ‘it’s on here… stay on him Esposito’ and I start shooting Benji as he comes up the field, he’s getting closer and closer and I see out the corner of my eye Bowen sprinting across the field trying to catch Benji.

“Benji does a goose step and then just pulls this magic flick pass out. Bowen gets him, Benji can’t out-run him so he does a flick pass. But the beauty was that flick pass was timed perfectly and Pat Richards grabs the ball.

“I realised in the moment that this was special.”

20 years on and Esposito jumped at the opportunity to share his take on one of rugby league’s favourite moments.

“It’s a really great memory… Over the years friends and family have asked me about the photo,” he said.

Esposito has been a photo journalist for 38 years. He captured the photo of the Socceroos celebrating after John Aloisi’s penalty goal secured their maiden World Cup berth.

But he’s a rugby league nut at heart — a Dragons fan, actually — which is why another iconic grand final moment sticks out to him.

“I photographed Sam Burgess (in the 2014 Grand Final). First minute of the game he breaks his cheekbone and eye socket,” Esposito said.

“All the photographers run off but I stay on Burgess because I said to myself ‘that’s a Sattler moment… stay on him’,” he added, referencing John Sattler’s broken jaw in the 1970 grand final.

“I stayed and the rest of the photographers all run up the field and cover the game. So I’m missing pictures but I backed myself because I knew if the Rabbitohs win that’s going to be the moment — that’s my Sattler moment.

“And it turned out it was.

“You make those decisions. So like Benji’s flick pass, I knew I had something very, very special.

“They stood the test of time — and that’s what you want.”

Marshall’s pass, Burgess’ broken face and the Socceroos’ glory all sit “really high” on Esposito’s list of favourite moments from his career.

He went on to leave the Herald in 2015 and freelanced for the NRL. Now 60-year-old Esposito is the ABC’s chief photographer and one of the most experienced and accomplished snappers in Australian media.

“You don’t aim for those moments but you create your own luck and you have to be in the right position,” he said.

“In sport you identify the rhythm of the game and the change of the game. Photographers follow the game, we run up and down the sideline, so much so that from the start to the finish of the NRL season I would often lose about 10 kilos!”