140-709: The Gold Coast Chargers were a professional rugby league club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994 , the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997 , and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998 . They first played under the name Gold Coast-Tweed Giants (in silver, black and white colours) from 1988 to 1989, then Gold Coast Seagulls (wearing white, black and red) from 1990 to 1995, very briefly as
280-782: A 20 all draw with Newcastle. The victories over Penrith and Balmain were The Seagulls first over those sides. Along with a 12–10 defeat of Canberra in round six. Crowds at Seagulls Stadium rose 11 percent to an average of 9,468 per match. The club's leading point scorer for the season was Wayne Bartrim who scored 46 points (3 tries and 17 goals). The club's leading try scorers crossed 6 times. They were Danny Peacock and Steve Jackson. Rugby league Rugby league football , commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby XIII in non- Anglophone Europe and South America, and referred to colloquially as football , footy , rugby , or league in its heartlands,
420-617: A breakaway faction of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU). Both organisations played the game under the same rules at first, although the Northern Union began to modify rules almost immediately, thus creating a new simpler game that was intended to be a faster-paced form of rugby football. Similar breakaway factions split from RFU-affiliated unions in Australia and New Zealand in 1907 and 1908, renaming themselves "rugby football league s" and introducing Northern Union rules. In 1922,
560-521: A credible force in the Winfield Cup with many expecting a brighter future but things would soon be turned upside down. Super League hit in 1995 and the Steelers were in for a rough ride. The good work in becoming a credible force in the competition went out the window with the sacking of Graham Murray, which is the only incident where anyone in the competition lost their job as a direct result of
700-580: A decree by the RFU banning the playing of rugby at grounds where entrance fees were charged led to twenty-two clubs (including Stockport, who negotiated by telephone) meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield , on 29 August 1895 and forming the "Northern Rugby Football Union". Within fifteen years of that first meeting in Huddersfield, more than 200 RFU clubs had left to join the rugby league. In 1897,
840-451: A draw. The team's only wins for the season were a 16–8 home win over Parramatta at Seagulls Stadium in Round 5, while their last win for the year came in Round 9 with a 16–12 win over fellow 1988 team Newcastle at Marathon Stadium . The Seagulls then lost their final 13 games of the season, with their closest loss coming in Round 21 (the penultimate round) when they gallantly went down 18–20 to
980-405: A four-yearly cycle in the 2010s; as of 2023 , the holders are Australia . A short-sided version of the sport, rugby league nines , using modified rugby league rules also exists, and is comparable to rugby sevens . Wheelchair rugby league is a mixed-gender sport using heavily modified rugby league rules for disabled and able-bodied players. Unlike wheelchair rugby which adopted its name after
1120-539: A major restructure of its operations, the Steelers Club has been trading profitably through the 2010s. Twenty percent of the club premises were sold to Bermuda-based Billionaire and owner of WIN Corp, Bruce Gordon . The sale fetched 2.6 million dollars. The Illawarra Steelers played all their home games at the Wollongong Showground (currently named WIN Stadium). The ground for many years
1260-740: A memorable on. They went undefeated for four weeks drawing with Western Suburbs 12 all, and defeating; the Newcastle Knights 12–6, the North Sydney Bears 6–4, and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 29–6. The Victory against The Sea Eagles was the club's biggest win at the time. Young halfback Geoffrey "Geoff" Bagnall stood tall for The Giants during that period. Particularly playing well in the draw against The Magpies. The experience of players such as Ron Gibbs, Chris Close and Billy Johnstone proved invaluable to
1400-437: A mix of the two sports' rules. Much more so than rugby union, rugby league shares significant similarities with North American gridiron codes. Although described as evolving from both rugby and association football , the basic structures of American and Canadian football are remarkably similar to rugby league through a process of parallel evolution: a try-and-goal based scoring system, a set number of plays before handover of
1540-590: A player. Two of the better performances of the season came against the defending premiers, the Canberra Raiders . In the round four at Bruce Stadium , the Seagulls went down 20–18 to the Raiders who were missing Gary Belcher , Laurie Daley and Bradley Clyde . And in Round 19 played at Seagulls Stadium the Seagulls led 10–8 with only ten minutes to play, before the Raiders managed a late victory with
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#17327761358411680-633: A professional level. 45 national teams are ranked by the RLIF and a further 32 are officially recognized and unranked. The strongest rugby league nations are Australia , England , New Zealand , Samoa and Tonga . The Rugby League World Cup is the highest form of representative rugby league. Countries that have contested are Australia , Cook Islands , England , Fiji , France , Ireland , Italy , Jamaica , Lebanon , New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , Russia , Samoa , Scotland , South Africa , Tonga , US and Wales . The 2021 Rugby League World Cup, which
1820-476: A restructure in the competition. It was the first time since 2007 that a full St George Illawarra Dragons side featured in the reserve grade competition. The approach brought the club in line with the NRL's ‘whole of game’ strategy that also saw top-grade squads increased from 25 players to 30. Club director of rugby league pathways Ian Millward said of the change “There's obviously a lot of changes in rugby league at
1960-453: A result play stops much less frequently in rugby league, with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes compared to around 35 minutes for professional rugby union. Other differences include that there are fewer players in rugby league (13 compared to 15) and different rules for tackling . Rugby union has more detailed rules than rugby league and has changed less since the 1895 schism. Since rugby union turned professional in
2100-753: A result, the Giants played out of the now demolished Seagulls Stadium in Tweed Heads , New South Wales , just over the border, which was home to the Tweed Heads Seagulls RLFC . Gold Coast and Group 18 provided a nursery of young players in which the club was able to draw on for recruitment. The Giants were formed, swiftly, after the Internationals Syndicate Including, John Sattler , Peter Gallagher, Bob Hagan and Doug Ryan had missed out on their bid to win
2240-575: A scoreline of 9–0. This win was Gold Coast's first win away from Seagulls Stadium. Rampaging young forward Keith Neller , who was once touted as a potential State of Origin player, produced strong performances during the season. Most notably his round 17 performance in a 25–10 victory against the Illawarra Steelers . During the 1988 season Billy Johnstone and Ben Gonzales both appeared in 21 games. Mike Eden scored 79 points (1 try, 36 goals, 3 field goals) and Scott Mieni scored 8 tries to lead
2380-440: A song about the match. The 1989 season also saw Gregory's Wigan and Great Britain teammate, fullback Steve Hampson , playing for the Steelers. 1990 saw big improvements with the club finishing not too far away from the top five. The Steelers licensed club opened its doors thanks to the efforts of the local community and businesses. Whereas Sydney teams had huge financial support from their respective leagues clubs, Illawarra for
2520-415: A team's creative unit or 'playmakers'. During the interactions between a team's 'key' players (five-eighth, half-back, fullback, lock forward, and hooker), the five-eighth and half-back will usually be involved in most passing moves. These two positions are commonly called the "halves". The forwards' two responsibilities can be broken into "normal play" and "scrum play". For information on a forward's role in
2660-592: A then club record 38–12 win in August, which was also the club's first win away from home. Brett French and Robert Grogan both scored 2 tries each. Gold Coast coach Bob McCarthy dealt with speculation over his future for most of the season. Although it wasn't until the final match of the season that he was told his services were no longer required. He was replaced for the 1991 season by reserve grade coach and former Canterbury-Bankstown (1973–77) and Leeds (1985) first grade coach Malcolm Clift . The Seagulls were happy with
2800-450: A tough personal duel, while Peter Smith, Chris Close and Mark Gee all turned in their best displays of the season for the Giants. Match score: Gold Coast 25 (Scott Mieni 2, Chris Close, Ron Gibbs tries; Troy McCarthy 4 goals; Mark Gee field Goal) defeated Brisbane 22 (Wally Lewis 2, Terry Matterson , Greg Cornescu tries; Terry Matterson 3 goals) The 1989 season saw the much heralded arrival of Bob Lindner . He would write his name into
2940-613: A try to Australian captain Mal Meninga . Young Brett Horsnell playing in his third season with The Seagulls proved to be one of the most consistent and durable players for the team in 1991. Playing centre and some lock. Horsnell appeared in 20 out of 22 matches and played solid football for the team. Former Balmain Tigers , NSW and Australian representative winger Larry Corowa made a surprise return to First Grade football after an absence of seven seasons. His return in Round 14 against
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#17327761358413080-401: A value of 2 points when kicked from beyond the 40 metre line. Field position is crucial in rugby league, achieved by running with or kicking the ball. Passing in rugby league may only be in a backward or sideways direction. Teammates, therefore, have to remain on-side by not moving ahead of the player with the ball. The ball may be kicked ahead, but if teammates are in front of the kicker when
3220-557: Is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 m (74 yd) wide and 112–122 m (122–133 yd) long with H-shaped posts at both ends. It is one of the two major codes of rugby football , the other being rugby union . It originated in 1895 in Huddersfield , Yorkshire , England, as the result of a split from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) over
3360-474: Is conducted under the direction of the Federation of International Touch (FIT). Though it shares similarities and history with rugby league , it is recognised as a sport in its own right due to its differences which have been developed over the sport's lifetime. Touch is a variation of rugby league with the tackling of opposing players replaced by a touch. As touches must be made with minimal force, touch
3500-685: Is still somewhat represented in the National Rugby League by the St George Illawarra Dragons, the Illawarra Steelers participated as a single entity in the NSW Cup until the end of 2017 (as the Illawarra Cutters from 2012 and then Illawarra RLFC in 2017, due to a sponsorship deal with Illawarra Coal ) and in the junior competitions, most notably S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup . The Steelers made
3640-483: Is that, on 18 April 2004 against Penrith at WIN Stadium , St George Illawarra introduced an alternate jersey which was predominantly red (with white stripes), this being recognisably similar to the former Steelers' jersey. This replaced the "blood and bandages" jersey of red-and-white horizontal stripes, which was also a former St George jersey. St George Illawarra have since reverted to the old St George "blood and bandages" design as their alternate jersey. While Illawarra
3780-432: Is the dominant winter sport in the eastern Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland . The game is also among the predominant sports of Tonga and is played in other Pacific nations such as Samoa and Fiji . Researchers have found that rugby league has been able to help with improving development in the islands. In Australia, and indeed the rest of the region, the annual State of Origin series ranks among
3920-555: Is therefore considered a limited-contact sport. The original basic rules of touch were established in the 1960s by members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club in Sydney, Australia . OzTag is a non-contact form of rugby league, and can be seen as a variation of British tag rugby. Cronulla Sharks and St George Dragons halfback Perry Haddock introduced the sport in Australia while coaching
4060-413: Is worth. One of the main differences is the rules of possession. When the ball goes into touch , possession in rugby union is contested through a line-out , while in rugby league a scrum restarts play. The lesser focus on contesting possession means that play focuses more on powerful running, hard tackling, forward progression and the contest for field position (commonly compared to an "arm wrestle"); as
4200-602: The 1953–54 Challenge Cup Final replay at Odsal Stadium , Bradford , England, setting a new record for attendance at a rugby football match of either code. Also in 1954, the Rugby League World Cup, the first for either code of rugby, was formed at the instigation of the French. In 1966, the International Board introduced a rule that a team in possession was allowed three play-the-balls and on
4340-650: The 1988 NSWRL season . Their first victory was by 25–22 against the Brisbane Broncos in front of 13,423 at Seagulls Stadium, Ron Gibbs appeared in just 14 games during the season. Another major signing Tony Rampling only made one appearance. The Giants played their first premiership match at Seagulls Stadium on Saturday 5 March, against the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in which they were defeated 21 points to 10. The team was: The Giants avoided coming last in their first season in
Gold Coast Chargers - Misplaced Pages Continue
4480-564: The 1999 NRL season . Figure shown is the total attendance which is officially counted for both games. ** The official attendance of the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay was 102,569. Unofficial estimates put the attendance as high as 150,000, Bradford Police confirming 120,000. Illawarra Steelers The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong , New South Wales . The club competed in Australia's top-level rugby league competition from 1982 until 1998 . On 13 December 1980, they were
4620-620: The 2016 against Mount Pritchard Mounties at Parramatta Stadium . This was the final game ever played at this venue. One week later, Illawarra claimed the NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day with an emphatic 54–12 win over Queensland Cup winners the Burleigh Bears at Stadium Australia . On 27 October 2017, it was announced that Illawarra would be replaced by The St George Illawarra Dragons for The 2018 Intrust Super Premiership NSW season as part of
4760-454: The ARL and NZRL . Since rugby league was introduced to Australia in 1908, it has become the largest television sport and 3rd most attended sport in Australia. Neighbouring Papua New Guinea is one of two countries to have rugby league as its national sport (with Cook Islands ). Australia's elite club competition also features a team from Auckland , New Zealand's biggest city. Rugby league
4900-611: The Australia national rugby league team . Following the Super League War and the NRL's intention the reduce the number of teams, the Steelers approached the St. George Dragons part way through the 1998 season to discuss forming a joint-venture and ensure the partial survival of both clubs. On 23 September 1998, Rugby League's first joint-venture, the St. George Illawarra Dragons , were officially announced. The Steelers share in
5040-544: The Gold Coast Chargers comprehensively in Wollongong in the final round, they put in shocking performance to lose to the same side they had just beaten the previous week. 1998 saw the Steelers come agonisingly close to the finals, missing out with other results going against them and a heartbreaking 1 point loss to eventual grand finalists Canterbury-Bankstown in their final match. During season 1998,
5180-663: The Gold Coast Gladiators and finally Gold Coast Chargers (in jade, black, purple and gold uniforms) from 1996 to 1998. The Gold Coast-Tweed Giants were admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the 1988 season , along with the Brisbane Broncos and Newcastle Knights . Due to a clause in Brisbane's licence, only one team (the Broncos) could play in South-East Queensland . As
5320-634: The International Rugby League . Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands and is a popular sport in countries such as England , Australia , New Zealand , France , Tonga , Fiji , Samoa , Lebanon , Jamaica , and Malta . The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954, the first World Cup of either rugby code, and has been held sporadically ever since, settling into
5460-658: The NSWRL competition, the first major attempt was in the 1950s. It made a much more serious attempt for entry into the 1967 season but were blocked by the Country Rugby League (CRL) who used their constitution to prevent Illawarra's plans of playing in the Sydney competition. This was a crucial moment in the emergence of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks , as it was after Illawarra were blocked and
5600-704: The New South Wales Rugby Football League was founded at Bateman's Hotel in George Street. Unlike in England, where both codes maintained their own geographic areas of dominance, in Australia rugby league went on to displace rugby union entirely as the primary football code in New South Wales and Queensland , while Australian rules football dominated the rest of Australia. On 5 May 1954, 102,569 spectators watched
5740-749: The Ottawa Aces were scheduled to join the English league pyramid, becoming the only Canadian team in the system after the Wolfpack were denied re-entry. The club subsequently relocated to Penryn, Cornwall , and are now known as Cornwall R.L.F.C. In 2021, the North American Rugby League announced an attempt to be North America's professional championship, with Canadian club Toronto Wolfpack joining several USA Rugby League clubs, New York Freedom and Cleveland Rugby League to form
Gold Coast Chargers - Misplaced Pages Continue
5880-598: The Rugby League European Federation and Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation expanding the game to new areas such as Chile , Canada , Ghana , Philippines , Czech Republic , Germany , The Netherlands , Sweden , Norway , Spain , Sri Lanka , Hungary , Turkey , Thailand and Brazil to name a few. The two most prominent full-time professional leagues are the Australian National Rugby League and
6020-562: The South Sydney Rabbitohs saw him playing fullback, he also scored a try in the match. 1991 saw the club farewell foundation players Geoff Bagnall , Chris Close , Ben Gonzales , and Robert Simpkins . These farewells were offset by the arrival of young goal kicking forward Wayne Bartrim who played at both hooker and lock for the club. The club's leading point scorer for the season was Wayne Bartrim who scored 38 points (4 tries and 11 goals). The club's leading try scorer
6160-556: The line-out was abolished and in 1898 professionalism introduced. In 1906, the Northern Union changed its rules, reducing teams from 15 to 13 a side and replacing the ruck formed after tackles with the play-the-ball . By this point, rule changes meant the game organised by the RFL was distinct as a sport from its union cousin. A similar schism to that which occurred in England took place in Sydney , Australia. There, on 8 August 1907
6300-528: The 1990s but Super League raised the financial bar too quickly and blew them out of the water at a crucial time in their development. Being classified as a Sydney metropolitan team during the NRL's criteria for entry into the 14 team competition for the year 2000 and measuring the club's performances through the devastating Super League period left Illawarra at a huge disadvantage compared with other non-Sydney based clubs such as Canberra, Newcastle, Melbourne and North Queensland. The only hope for Illawarra's return to
6440-526: The 1990s, when News Corporation paid for worldwide broadcasting rights. The media giant's "Super League" movement created changes for the traditional administrators of the game. In Europe, it resulted in a move from Rugby League being a winter sport to a summer one, as the new Super League competition tried to expand its market. In Australasia, the Super League war resulted in long and costly legal battles and changing loyalties, causing significant damage to
6580-518: The 1992 St George Jersey Flegg side. Together with Chris Parkes, the two took the sport to fields across Australia. Today, it is played by over 200,000 players in organised leagues across the country. League Tag replaces tackling with the removal of one of two tags carried on an opponent's hips, attached directly to specific League Tag shorts with Velcro patches, but otherwise retains almost all other rules of traditional rugby league (such as kicking). A number of additional rules are also added relating to
6720-515: The 2017 Kingstone Press League 1 in their inaugural season and earned promotion to the 2018 Rugby League Championship. In 2019 The Wolfpack won promotion to the Super League, lasting only a few months before having to withdraw due to the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic . New ownership is currently trying to revive the club with matches against amateur clubs in the US and Canada. Beginning in 2022,
6860-518: The ARL, though Steelers board member and then speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Stephen Martin , resigned from the club citing the need to join Super League for them to survive. Martin would be proved right within three years. 1996 was another year of disappointment, with players not seeing eye-to-eye with new coach Allan McMahon . A horror 54-4 thrashing at the hands of arch-rival Brisbane Broncos
7000-531: The Brisbane Broncos in front of 12,620 fans at home. While the arrival of Wally Lewis failed to bring the on field results, crowds rose 29 percent at Seagulls Stadium and 36 percent overall, a factor that could only be attributed to the arrival of Lewis. In all Lewis played only 14 of 22 matches for Gold Coast in 1991, also missing games while captaining Queensland to a 2–1 Origin series win over New South Wales in what would be his final Origin series as
7140-674: The British Super League (with teams from New Zealand and France respectively). Other professional and semi professional leagues include Australia's Queensland Cup (which includes a team from Papua New Guinea ) and NSW Cup , the British RFL Championship and RFL League 1 , the French Super XIII and Elite 2 . The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League operates as a semi-professional competition and enjoys nationwide media coverage, being
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#17327761358417280-555: The Dragons wore an alternate jersey based on the original Steelers' design. The colours scarlet and white were automatically chosen as they were long worn by Illawarra representative teams in several sports. Local miners uniforms in the early 20th century were scarlet and some associate this with the reason for it becoming the region's sporting colours. It is also the colour of the Illawarra Flame Tree , another symbol of
7420-643: The Grand Final. Illawarra's first semi-final was against future merger partner St George, beating "big-brother" 18–16. Next a loss to the Broncos 22–12 and their last chance against St George, losing 4–0. However, Illawarra were denied tries on several controversial occasions leaving the Steelers with a bitter end to their successful season. During the 1992 season, the Steelers hosted the touring Great Britain Lions . In front of 9,500 fans at Steelers Stadium with
7560-647: The Harold Matthews Cup grand final in 2011, losing 13–12 to the Canterbury Bulldogs . In early 2006, WIN Television Network (originating from and headquartered in Wollongong) bought a 25% share in the St. George Illawarra club for $ 6.5 million (half of Illawarra's share), erasing most of the debt Illawarra owed to St. George. This formalised the strong support the network has shown for
7700-504: The Illawarra Steelers remaining 25% stake in the joint venture [[St George Illawarra Dragons ]]club for a "commercially in confidence" sum. The St. George Dragons and the Illawarra-based WIN Corporation now have a 50% stake each. WIN Corporation has paid off the $ 6 million debt the St. George Illawarra Dragons owed the NRL. The name "Steelers" was chosen in reference to the local Port Kembla Steelworks, which
7840-643: The NSWRL wanted a second new club to enter with Penrith , preferably in the South of Sydney due to continued success at that time of the St George Dragons , to avoid the need for a bye that "the shire's" submission was successful. In this unsuccessful bid, Illawarra were to be backed by the then wealthy Illawarra Leagues Club in Church Street, Wollongong . The club is the second oldest leagues club in
7980-534: The National Rugby League, this was reduced to ten prior to the 2008 season and further reduced to eight prior to the 2016 season. If a team has to interchange a player due to the blood bin rule or due to injury, and this was the result of misconduct from the opposing team, the compromised team does not have to use one of its allocated interchanges to take the player in question off the field. The backs are generally smaller, faster and more agile than
8120-423: The Northern Union also changed its name to the Rugby Football League and thus over time the sport itself became known as "rugby league" football. In 1895, a schism in Rugby football resulted in the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU). The success of working class northern teams led to some compensating players who otherwise would be on their job and earning income on Saturdays. This led to
8260-411: The RFU reacting to enforce the amateur principle of the sport, preventing "broken time payments" to players who had taken time off work to play rugby. Northern teams typically had more working class players (coal miners, mill workers etc.) who could not afford to play without this compensation, in contrast to affluent southern teams who had other sources of income to sustain the amateur principle. In 1895,
8400-418: The South Coast. The Illawarra Steelers still field teams in the under-age NSWRL competitions of Harold Matthews Cup (U-16s) and S. G. Ball Cup (U-18s). In 2019, Illawarra won the S. G. Ball Cup defeating Manly 34–23 in the final at the new Western Sydney Stadium . Counted amongst the club's supporters is Olympic athlete Louise McPaul . The Illawarra Steelers club members voted unanimously to allow
8540-558: The Steelers in years gone by and ensured that Wollongong will continue to host top level rugby league. WIN Corp can only sell their stake back to the Steelers, should they wish to withdraw their involvement, thus ensuring Illawarra are always properly represented in the joint venture. In 2008, Illawarra's debt to St George was paid off, with the 20% sale of the Steelers Club building to a Bermuda-based company owned by Illawarra billionaire (and WIN Television boss) Bruce Gordon . In 2016, Illawarra won their first and only premiership title with
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#17327761358418680-410: The Steelers' final stand-alone season in 1998. The Illawarra Steelers decided to form a joint venture with the St. George Dragons for the 1999 NRL season to form the St. George Illawarra Dragons . The Illawarra and St George contingents are equal stakeholders in the new club, and until 2014, half of the new team's home games were played at WIN Stadium . The Illawarra Steelers have at times provided
8820-425: The Super League war. Murray was organising meetings between Illawarra players and Super League officials, as Super League had intentions of either getting the Steelers or possibly a new Illawarra club. Local club Wests Illawarra were reported in the Illawarra Mercury as being a potential Illawarra Super League club. Local league fans reacted angrily and nothing came of it. Illawarra and its supporters remained loyal to
8960-459: The United States. Roger responded to a competition published in the Illawarra Mercury Newspaper. Their mascot from 1982 to 1998 was the legendary "Stanley, the Steel Avenger", also commonly referred to as "Stanley the Steeler". Stanley holds the dubious honour of being the only team mascot in Rugby League history to be sent from the field. In Round 20 of the 1995 season, Illawarra hosted Balmain at Steelers Stadium. A fight between players spilled over
9100-508: The addition of "Illawarra" to the bottom of the emblem). Furthermore, Illawarra fans continue to be alienated by St George supporters who still chant "St George" at games and wave banners like "Great St George Team". The media and other rugby league fans also often leave out Illawarra and continue to call the joint venture entity "St George", much to the chagrin and dismay of those from the Illawarra side. St George Illawarra has sometimes taken token steps to acknowledge Illawarra. One example of this
9240-467: The anticipated wins. Shaw, who like Daley was a member of Manly's 1987 premiership side and had led Manly's reserve grade team to the 1988 premiership, joined the Seagulls looking for a permanent first grade spot after being stuck in reserve grade behind Geoff Toovey , Cliff Lyons and Des Hasler at Manly Brett French (21 games) and Mohr (20 games), rendered good service throughout the season, but 1986 Kangaroo tourist Daley, and Shaw failed to reproduce
9380-449: The arrival of these players didn't help the club avoid coming last in the NSWRL Premiership for the second consecutive season. Injury and Origin limited Shearer to just seven games, while former Canberra Raiders lower grade halfback Jason Gregory suffered a serious neck injury in the pre-season tournament ending his football career. A heroic twelve man victory against the Illawarra Steelers in round three at home should have ranked among
9520-447: The ball comes into contact with the ground. An attacking team gets a maximum of six tackles to progress up the field before possession is changed over. Once the tackle is completed, the ball-carrier must be allowed to get to his feet to ' play-the-ball '. Ball control is also important in rugby league, as a fumble of the ball on the ground forces a handover, unless the ball is fumbled backwards. The ball can also be turned over by going over
9660-421: The ball is kicked, they are deemed off-side. Tackling is a key component of rugby league play. Only the player holding the ball may be tackled. A tackle is complete, for example, when the player is held by one or more opposing players in such a manner that he can make no further progress and cannot part with the ball, or when the player is held by one or more opposing players and the ball or the hand or arm holding
9800-411: The big league would be to gain the backing of a wealthy 'white knight' or consortium who can see the potential of a stand-alone Illawarra Steelers - convince the NRL and invest significant money so they can keep their local talent and achieve the potential that they started to reveal in the early 1990s. In 2006 the Illawarra Steelers celebrated their 25th anniversary and named a "Team of Steel", including
9940-425: The bulk of St George Illawarra's squad, including internationals Matt Cooper , Luke Bailey , Jason Ryles , Shaun Timmins , Trent Barrett , Brett Morris , Josh Morris and Ben Creagh . The joint venture is often seen as a takeover. Many supporters feel that the Illawarra is not appropriately acknowledged in St George Illawarra, as the logo and main jersey were taken directly from those of St George (albeit with
10080-465: The club during what was a very good season for the team. They were consistently among the best players and many of the younger players in the side benefited from their expertise. Keith Neller suffered several injuries during the 1989 campaign that limited his effectiveness for the Giants Home crowd attendances improved despite very poor weather. The club's leading points scorer for the 1989 season
10220-539: The club for the 1991 season after a falling out with the Brisbane Broncos and their coach Wayne Bennett . This news came upon a season where the club was expected to show further improvement. A buying program prior to the season landed the signatures of 1987 Manly premiership player, NSW Origin representative and Australian international Phil Daley , former Queensland State of Origin centre Brett French , Manly half Paul Shaw, and former St George outside back Clinton Mohr. However these players could not help deliver
10360-492: The club was privatised to Wollongong-based WIN Corporation in 2018. Illawarra still field stand alone teams in the Lisa Fiaola Cup (women's under 17's) and Tarsha Gale Cup (women's under 18's), S. G. Ball Cup (under 18's) and Harold Matthews Cup (under 16's) competitions as the Steelers. The 23,750 capacity WIN Stadium is the Steelers home stadium. The Illawarra Rugby League made several attempts to enter
10500-497: The club. In the 1989 Panasonic Cup the club reached the final which was played against the Brisbane Broncos at Parramatta Stadium . The Broncos raced to a 16–0 lead and it seemed the Steelers much more fancied opponents would run away with the game. But Illawarra, inspired by eventual man-of-the-match, Great Britain international halfback Andy Gregory , hit back. Young Illawarra Juniors such as Brett Rodwell and Rod Wishart made their mark in this game, players that would form
10640-469: The code in an extremely competitive sporting market. In 1997 two competitions were run alongside each other in Australia, after which a peace deal in the form of the National Rugby League was formed. The NRL has since become recognised as the sport's flagship competition and since that time has set record TV ratings and crowd figures. The objective in rugby league is to score more points through tries , goals and field goals (also known as drop goals) than
10780-669: The contract to bring a Brisbane team into the Sydney competition. They were joined by veterans Bob McCarthy as coach, Graeme Langlands as team manager and Ken Irvine as sprint coach. A key signing for the club was Ron Gibbs , Second-row forward who had won the 1987 Grand Final while playing for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles . Other major recruits were: Chris Close (Manly), Mike Eden ( Parramatta ), Ben Gonzales ( Penrith ), Neil Hunt ( Parramatta ), Billy Johnstone ( St George ), and Tony Rampling ( Eastern Suburbs ). The Giants only won 4 matches during
10920-528: The development of youngsters Tony Durheim, Eddie Fallins, Michael Searle and Brett Horsnell . However disappointment continued for two of their young stars. Halfback Geoffrey Bagnall , who was expected to help lift the struggling side, only made nine run on starts with the club, while veteran forward Keith Neller made only 10 appearances. Injury and some poor form cost Neller a chance to play State of Origin football for Queensland in 1990 . The Seagulls veteran hooker, Billy Johnstone announced his retirement at
11060-625: The end of the season. He appeared in 61 games for the club since its inception. Ron Gibbs also announced he would return to Sydney when he signed to play for Western Suburbs at the end of the season. The top point scorer for The Seagulls was Peter Benson with 44 points (1 Try, 19 goals). The leading try scorers for the team scoring 6 tries each were; Brett French , Clinton Mohr and three-quarter Mark Ross. The Seagulls showed steady improvement with their crowd figures. From an average home crowd of 5,495 in 1988 support grew to 6624 in 1990. Overall crowds had grown from 6,199 to 7,175. The 1991 season
11200-420: The first captain/coach of an NSWRL team since Bob Fulton with Eastern Suburbs in 1979 . However, on Saturday, 29 August 1992 in front of a crowd of 10,160 at Seagulls Stadium the team sent Lewis into retirement by defeating the defending premiers Penrith by 12 points to 8. Lewis capped off the match by scoring a try. Other highlights during the season were victories over South Sydney 20–6, Balmain 26-14 and
11340-473: The first non-Sydney based team to be admitted into the New South Wales Rugby League premiership , with the Canberra Raiders being admitted later ensuring an even number of teams in the competition for the start of their first season, 1982 . Over their seventeen years in the top grade, the club received three wooden spoons, made the play-offs twice and had a total of three of its players (two New South Wales Blues and one Queensland Maroon ) selected to play for
11480-504: The first time had its own small leagues club but with an enviable major sponsor (BHP Steel) and sleeve sponsor combination – The Steelers making Rugby League history as the first club to have a sleeve sponsor, with MMI Insurance getting on board. A new coach by the name of Graham Murray turned Illawarra into an almost unbeatable force at the Wollongong Showground in 1991, losing only to the Penrith Panthers who went on to win
11620-681: The five years prior to the Second World War , the sport's popularity increased as Frenchmen became disenchanted with the state of French rugby union in the 1930s. However, after the Allied Forces were defeated by Germany in June 1940, the Vichy regime in the south seized assets belonging to rugby league authorities and clubs and banned the sport for its association with the left-wing Popular Front government that had governed France before
11760-547: The football, each play restarting from a set piece position and ended by a tackle. Although the Canadian Football League in particular maintained the word 'rugby' in its name for many years, alluding to that shared past, the introduction of the forward pass and unlimited substitution in North American games created a fundamentally different species of game from either original rugby code. Although
11900-536: The form that earned a premiership playing together for Manly. The 1990 season started well with a round four victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs , but this was to be their last victory for three months. Their quest to ward off the Wooden Spoon looked forlorn for much of the season. But the Seagulls finished the season with three victories in their final six matches. And in doing so, leapfrogged 1989 minor premiers South Sydney. The Seagulls overtook Souths with
12040-407: The forwards. They are often the most creative and evasive players on the field, relying on running, kicking and handling skills, as well as tactics and set plays, to break the defensive line, instead of brute force. Generally forwards play a more collision oriented game, making ground by pure strength, and tackling near the play-the-ball. Usually, the stand-off/five-eighth and scrum-half/half-back are
12180-473: The foundation of the club's improved performances in the early 1990s. Illawarra lost the match 22–20, however Brisbane scored a try off what appeared to be forward pass. The large Illawarra contingent at Parramatta Stadium booed the Broncos after their win, with Brisbane captain Wally Lewis gaining their ire by gesturing back. Illawarra's performance inspired Australian folk singer John Williamson to write
12320-406: The fourth tackle a scrum was to be formed. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover. 1967 saw the first professional Sunday matches of rugby league played. The first sponsors, Joshua Tetley and John Player , entered the game for the 1971–72 Northern Rugby Football League season . Television had an enormous impact on the sport of rugby league in
12460-441: The game. Thus Illawarra missed out on a place in the finals by just two points, despite having a season points differential second only to eventual premiers, Penrith. The Steelers were able to avenge their 1989 Panasonic Cup Final loss to Brisbane by beating them in the 1992 pre-season Tooheys Challenge Cup , in a try-less final at Dubbo , 4–2. This sparked their successful 1992 Winfield Cup campaign, going to within one game from
12600-404: The go ahead. Interest in the region had turned away from local football to the Sydney competition. The Illawarra Mercury daily newspaper was increasing its coverage of the Sydney premiership and Illawarra's inclusion was viewed as the best way of reviving the local league. Illawarra entered the competition in 1982, with financial backing from many of the local leagues clubs. Their first captain
12740-513: The ground, with the ball usually set in a kicking tee , and the opposing team not allowed to directly challenge the kicker. The Super League in Europe and the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australasia are the world's premier club competitions. Globally, rugby league is played internationally , predominantly by European , Australasian , and Pacific Island countries, and is governed by
12880-411: The historic link between the codes continues to be acknowledged, neither Canadian or American football is commonly considered a rugby code today except in the broadest sense, and are more commonly referred to collectively as gridiron codes, or simply as 'football' within their respective countries. Players on the pitch are divided into forwards and backs , although the game's rules apply to all players
13020-440: The invention of the sport previously called murderball and is not directly linked to rugby union, wheelchair rugby league has grown out of the parent sport, and retains key aspects of that sport such as an egg shaped ball, the forward-pass rule and conversions. While not a Paralympic sport, the sport has its own Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup . A further variation for ambulatory disabled players, physical disability rugby league ,
13160-412: The issue of payments to players. The rules of the game governed by the new Northern Rugby Football Union progressively changed from those of the RFU with the specific aim of producing a faster and more entertaining game to appeal to spectators, on whose income the new organisation and its members depended. In rugby league, points are scored by carrying an oval ball and touching it to the ground beyond
13300-511: The league's inaugural season. Several brand new clubs from Western USA were scheduled to join in 2022 but never played. The new competition is sanctioned by Canada Rugby League , but not yet by the United States governing body. Unfortunately, while some exhibition matches were played in 2021 and 2022, NARL was defunct by 2023 The early 21st century has seen other countries take up the game and compete in international rugby league with
13440-453: The mid-1990s, it has increasingly borrowed techniques, tactics and even laws from rugby league, while high-profile players and coaches from the league game have increasingly gone on to success in the union code in those countries where both codes are popular (e.g. Andy Farrell , Jason Robinson and Henry Paul ). The inherent similarities between rugby league and rugby union have at times led to experimental hybrid games being played that use
13580-489: The middle of the City Beach precinct, the Steelers Club is located adjacent to WIN Entertainment Centre and WIN Stadium . It is directly across the road from the grounds Western Grandstand. Established in 1990, the club has struggled in comparison to the much larger and more popular leagues clubs in the region, such as Collegians, Dapto Leagues Club, Wests Illawarra Leagues Club, and Shellharbour Workers Club. However, after
13720-437: The moment, one of the changes we’ve made is that the reserve grade team is St George Illawarra,” Millward said. “What it gives us is a clear pathway where younger players aspire to be Dragons right through to our first grade squad. There's a clear acknowledgment for coaches, training staff and players that when they're in our environment they are a part of the St George Illawarra Dragons". In August 2018 WIN Corporation purchased
13860-487: The most courageous wins in Gold Coast's short history. New Zealand test prop Brent Todd was sent off in the opening minutes, but the club battled on to win the match 18–8. However the joy was short lived as the NSWRL stripped the Seagulls of their two competition points for fielding an illegal replacement. Gold Coast had used Ken Jackson as a fifth replacement instead of using only the maximum of four. Gold Coast finished
14000-537: The most popular sporting events. The Rugby League European Federation are responsible for developing rugby league in Europe . In England, rugby league has traditionally been associated with the historic northern counties of Yorkshire , Lancashire , and Cumberland , where the game originated, especially in towns and cities along the M62 corridor . Its popularity has also increased elsewhere. As of 2024 , only two of
14140-413: The national sport of the country. Five main variant sports of rugby league exist worldwide; Touch , OzTag , League tag , Nines , and Sevens . Touch, OzTag, and League Tag are all non-contact versions of the sport, where as Nines and Sevens are both reduced form (shorter match times and smaller teams) of the sport. Touch (also known as touch football or touch rugby) is a variant of rugby league that
14280-506: The new Super League, although the club was dissolved in 1997. In 2006, the Super League admitted the Catalans Dragons, a team from Perpignan in the southern Languedoc-Roussillon region. They have subsequently reached the 2007 Challenge Cup Final and made the playoffs of the 2008 Super League XIII season. The success of the Dragons in Super League has initiated a renaissance in French rugby league, with new-found enthusiasm for
14420-527: The newly established NRL administration announced the entry criteria for teams to compete from the year 2000, with clubs offered incentives to form joint ventures. A controversial aspect of the criteria for the Illawarra region was the classification of the Steelers as a Sydney club. Additionally, Newcastle, Canberra and Auckland would be given automatic entry, with Illawarra believing they too were an important regional centre that should stand alone. Alas, with
14560-460: The north of England there have been complaints about its lack of profile in the British media. On the eve of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup final where England would face Australia, English amateur rugby league coach Ben Dawson stated, "we're in the final of a World Cup. First time in more than 30 years and there's no coverage anywhere". France first played rugby league as late as 1934, where in
14700-404: The opposing team's goal line; this is called a try , and is the primary method of scoring, worth four points. The opposing team attempts to stop the attacking side scoring points by tackling the player carrying the ball and denying forward progress. On occasion, where a clear try scoring opportunity has been thwarted by foul play, a penalty try may be awarded without the ball being grounded over
14840-475: The opposition within the 80 minutes of play. If after two-halves of play, each consisting of forty minutes, the two teams are drawing , a draw may be declared, or the game may enter extra time under the golden point rule, depending on the relevant competition's format. The try is the most common form of scoring, and a team will usually attempt to score one by running and kicking the ball further upfield or passing from player-to-player in order to manoeuvre around
14980-400: The opposition's defence. A try involves touching the ball to the ground on or beyond the defending team's goal-line and is worth four points. A goal is worth two points and may be gained from a conversion or a penalty . A field goal, or drop goal, is only worth one point and is gained by dropping and then kicking the ball on the half volley between the uprights in open play. A field goal has
15120-542: The position they play, similarly to association football . Substitutes (generally referred to as "the bench") are allowed in the sport, and are typically used when a player gets tired or injured , although they can also be used tactically. Each team is currently allowed four substitutes, and in Australia and New Zealand, these players occupy shirt numbers 14 to 22. There are no limitations on which players must occupy these interchangeable slots. Generally, twelve interchanges are allowed in any game from each team, although in
15260-795: The possibility of not making the cut, Illawarra approached St George and initiated joint venture talks midway through 1998. Western Suburbs (whom Illawarra were rumoured to be merging with in the 1980s) and Cronulla both expressed interest but Steelers CEO Bob Millward claimed that the club's preferred partner was always St George. The joint venture was officially announced at the end of the season, and would be named St George Illawarra Dragons , playing 50% of their home games in Sydney and 50% in Wollongong in 1999. The Illawarra Steelers produced some brilliant playing talent, most notably International representatives Rod Wishart and Paul McGregor . Former Steelers players Trent Barrett , Shaun Timmins and Craig Fitzgibbon have gone on to represent their country since
15400-400: The premiership. A crushing 44–4 win over Canterbury-Bankstown , an upset win over Manly in a Sunday match of the round as well as a big win over Brisbane, 19–2, were signs of things to come. A crucial refereeing decision by Bill Harrigan towards the end of the season in a game at Penrith Stadium put an end to their finals aspirations. Harrigan, much to his credit, apologised in the media after
15540-486: The premiership. Lack of playing depth and financial concerns hung over the club for the season. The Giants showcased some of the games emerging young talent halfback Geoffrey "Geoff" Bagnall . Bagnall the former Brisbane Norths showed class in attack and handled the transition to "big time" football with distinction. Bagnall was the architect of a Giants victory over fellow newcomers the Newcastle Knights with
15680-431: The record books by becoming the club's first State of Origin representative when he played for Queensland in the first State of Origin match in 1989. Unfortunately Lindner's appearances for the Giants were limited to only 10 games. Lindner would leave the club after only one season. The Giants won seven games and drew one in the 1989 season which was a great improvement on their first season. The month of June proved to be
15820-481: The region. The Illawarra Cutters wore a kit similar to that of the club's 1980s and early 1990s design. Many of the current NRL clubs are reverting to more simplistic jerseys, such as Illawarra's fellow 1982 entrants Canberra. The junior Illawarra sides such as the Harold Matthews Cup and S. G. Ball Cup sides currently wear the 1980s design. The Illawarra Steelers Leagues Club is situated in
15960-653: The sale of 20% of the club premises to a company owned by Bermuda-based Wollongong billionaire Bruce Gordon . The sale fetched the club $ 2.6 million, allowing Illawarra to clear all debts to St George. Whilst the Steelers Club is improving its financial position, and now trading profitably, the club still finds itself struggling against the larger and more popular of other Leagues Clubs in Wollongong such as Collegians, The Builders Club, Wests Illawarra and Illawarra Leagues, and also Shellharbour Workers Club in Shellharbour. The Steelers were competitive with Sydney Clubs by
16100-520: The same design for the scarlet jersey in 1997. The Steelers simplistic design compared well with the many "space-aged" designs of several other clubs that came and went each season throughout the Super League period and into the 2000s. For the Steelers heritage days in 2005 and 2010, the Dragons wore an Illawarra heritage jersey, which was the same as the original Steelers jumper. This move proved very popular amongst former Illawarra fans. From 2011 to 2013,
16240-501: The same way. Each position has a designated number to identify himself from other players. These numbers help to identify which position a person is playing. The system of numbering players is different depending on which country the match is played in. In Australia and New Zealand, each player is usually given a number corresponding to their playing position on the field. However, since 1996 European teams have been able to grant players specific squad numbers, which they keep without regard to
16380-496: The scrum see rugby league scrummage . Forward positions are traditionally named after the player's position in the scrum yet are equal with respect to "normal play" with the exception of the hooker. Forward positions are traditionally assigned as follows: Rugby league is played in over 70 nations throughout the world. Papua New Guinea is the only country to have rugby league as its national sport . Four countries – Australia, England, France, and New Zealand – have teams that play at
16520-568: The season with eleven points from twenty two games, finishing last. However, if The Seagulls had retained the points the club would have finished ahead of Parramatta on percentage. Finishing with the Wooden Spoon was an inglorious end for Wally Lewis. During the season Lewis showed the qualities that elevated him to among the games greats. However, age and injury had caught up to the 32-year-old, and he also lacked support from his mostly inexperienced teammates. Lewis also made history by becoming
16660-440: The sideline, with Stanley reaching in to separate players. The referee instantly sent Stanley off, whilst the fight ensued. The original Steelers jersey was all scarlet with two white hooped stripes on each sleeve. The alternate design was the same colours in reverse. The club kept this design until 1995, adding a third stripe on each sleeve and three hoops around the middle of the jersey to the white alternate jersey, then adopting
16800-524: The sideline. Rugby league and rugby union are distinct sports with many similarities and a shared origin. Both have the same fundamental rules, are played for 80 minutes and feature an oval-shaped ball and H-shaped goalposts. Both have rules that the ball cannot be passed forward, and dropping it forwards leads to a scrum. Both use tries as the central scoring method and conversion kicks , penalty goals and drop goals as additional scoring methods. However, there are differences in how many points each method
16940-526: The specific issues associated with a tag based game. Rugby League played with nine players per team with nine minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. Rugby League played with seven players per team with seven minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. The top five attendances for rugby league test matches (International) are: The top five attendances for domestic based rugby league matches are: * NRL double header played to open Round 1 of
17080-663: The sport in the south of the country where most of the Super XIII teams are based. In other parts of Europe, the game is played at semi-professional and amateur level. As of 2023, there is no professional rugby league in North America. From 2017 to 2020, the Toronto Wolfpack were North America 's only active professional Rugby League team, competing in the English Rugby League system. They won
17220-555: The team in try scoring. In February 1989 the Giants were taken over by the Seagulls Leagues Club. This assured the club's financial future. Two and a half months and eight losses after entering the NSWRL the Gold Coast Giant's scored their historic victory over their rivals the Brisbane Broncos. In front of their biggest crowd and against competition heavyweights the Giants scored a famous 25–22 victory. It
17360-458: The tourists winning a tight game 11–10, Illawarra resting several star players. 1993 was a season met by Steelers fans with high expectations, but crucial tight losses and games they were expected to win saw the side finish just outside the top 5. 1994 was better with the club putting together some great performances but three draws would end up costly, the Steelers finishing in 6th place, 2 points behind Brisbane. The club had established itself as
17500-482: The try line. In addition to tries, points can be scored by kicking goals. Drop goals (or field goals) can be attempted from the hand at any time for a single point. Following a successful try, the scoring team gains a free kick to try at goal with a conversion worth a further two points. Penalty kicks at goal, known simply as penalties, may also be awarded for general foul play, and are also worth two points. Unlike drop goals, penalty kicks and conversions are taken from
17640-571: The twelve Super League teams are based outside of these traditional counties: Catalans Dragons and London Broncos . One other team from outside the United Kingdom, Toulouse Olympique , competes in the British rugby league system , although not at the highest tier Super League level, but rather in the second tier Championship . Super League average attendances are in the 8,000 to 9,500 range. The average Super League match attendance in 2014
17780-527: The war. The sport was unbanned after the Liberation of Paris in August 1944 and the collapse of the Vichy regime, although it was still actively marginalised by the French authorities until the 1990s. Despite this, the national side appeared in the finals of the 1954 and 1968 World Cups, and the country hosted the 1954 event. In 1996, a French team, Paris Saint-Germain was one of eleven teams which formed
17920-427: The world. It was originally established to financially support top class rugby league and soccer in the region. On 13 December 1980, the NSWRL voted almost unanimously for Illawarra to enter in the 1982 season. Only three dissenting votes were counted, which were the three CRL representatives present. Illawarra's organiser Bob Millward told those at the meeting that rugby league in the region depended on this bid getting
18060-472: Was 8,365. In 2018 average Super League match attendance was 8,547. Ranked the eighth most popular sport in the UK overall, rugby league is the 27th most popular participation sport in England according to figures released by Sport England ; the total number of rugby league participants in England aged 16 and over was 44,900 in 2017. This is a 39% drop from 10 years ago. While the sport is largely concentrated in
18200-418: Was Brett French with 5. The 1992 season for The Seagulls saw the arrival of Canberra Raiders trio Brent Todd , Paul Martin and Jason Gregory, Queensland State of Origin representative Steve Jackson , Australian and Queensland star Dale Shearer (yet another Manly premiership player from 1987), Queensland and Newcastle Knights forward Mike McLean , and utility player Peter Gill from St George. However
18340-494: Was a grand final for the Giants, pumped up as never before – and they showed remarkable resilience and determination to defy a late Broncos challenge. The match was close and thoroughly exciting throughout with the lead changing five times during the game. The Giants were deserving winners, and ended nine weeks of frustration and misery where they had come so close to winning but had only a draw to show for their toil. Billy Johnstone outplayed State of Origin hooker Greg Conescu in
18480-462: Was again Mike Eden who scored a mere 63 points (3 tries, 25 goals, 1 field goal). The leading try scorer was Peter Benson who scored 7 tries. The worrying aspect for the club overall was that the team could only score 34 tries, 3 fewer than in 1988. Although the club showed great improvement in defense conceding 101 fewer points than the previous season. Major Sponsor The Gold Coast Giants' name
18620-474: Was also named Steelers Stadium, which many still affectionately call the ground. The Steelers record attendance in Wollongong was against St. George on 21 May 1993 at 17,527. The lowest crowd record was against Cronulla on 6 July 1985 at 3,433. The Illawarra sides in lower grades still the play the bulk of home games at WIN Stadium. On rare occasions, the Illawarra Cutters move home games to WIN Jubilee Oval to coincide with NRL fixtures and to also other venues on
18760-485: Was changed to Gold Coast Seagulls , but although the Tweed reference was dropped from the name, they continued to play out of Seagulls Stadium. Along with a change of name came a change of colours to black, white, and red. The biggest news in the history of Gold Coast followed the Seagulls most traumatic year in the NSWRL. The revelation that former Australian captain and State of Origin player Wally Lewis , would be joining
18900-635: Was created and had its first world cup in 2022 to coincide with the rescheduled 2021 Rugby League World Cup competitions. Rugby league football takes its name from the bodies that split to create a new form of rugby, distinct from that run by the Rugby Football Unions, in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand between 1895 and 1908. The first of these, the Northern Rugby Football Union , was established in 1895 as
19040-479: Was hosted by England during October and November 2022, staged the Men's , Women's and Wheelchair competitions together for the first time. The competition formerly featured 16 teams, but has been cut down to 10 for the upcoming 2026 Rugby League World Cup . The Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation 's purpose is to spread the sport of rugby league throughout their region along with other governing bodies such as
19180-448: Was star fullback John Dorahy , and first coach Allan Fitzgibbon . Unfortunately, the recession hit hard and the leagues club money dried up and the Steelers were a new club in desperate financial trouble. In 1984, BHP Steel saved the club, signing on as the major sponsor. BHP stayed with the Steelers until they left the NRL at the end of the 1998 season. Their first 8 seasons produced 3 wooden spoons , but things started to improve for
19320-477: Was the Illawarra region's largest economy employer. ( BHP , who owned the steelworks, eventually sponsored the team for most of their existence.) Other names considered were "Lions" and "Steelies". The actual 'Steelers' name came after a competition was run to choose a name. The name was chosen by Dapto High School student Roger White, who was also a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers NFL team in
19460-489: Was the low point. McMahon, despite signing a three-year contract, was sacked at the end of the season and was replaced the next season by former player and then reserve grade coach Andrew Farrar . In 1997 's stand-alone Australian Rugby League competition, the Steelers finished sixth, qualifying for the Finals series, only to bow out in the first week at a rain sodden and sparsely populated Parramatta Stadium . Having beaten
19600-403: Was the worst season to that point for Gold Coast in their club's history. However, the club produced its first international player when Wally Lewis was selected for the first test of the 1991 Trans-Tasman Test series against New Zealand , while the reserve grade team made the finals series for the first time. The club's on field results were the worst in its short history, with just two wins and
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