The Broncos joined the NSWRL in 1988. They were the first team to be included from outside of NSW.
They came with the promise that they would be the only team in Queensland’s south-east region. Soon the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants were announced. However, they played out of NSW. The Broncos weren’t happy, but fortunately for them, this did not hinder their progress.
Many felt early that the Broncos would dominate. They had the State of Queensland behind them. They had the best young coach going around in Wayne Bennett. They had the King Wally Lewis, and the junior development base was the whole state. They could cherry pick the best. Their future was bright.
Success does not come easy. The ingredients for success are many: hard work, dedication, persistence, knowledge, skill and luck are needed. Fortunately for the Broncos, they have all these ingredients.
They won their inaugural grand final in 1992 and followed it up again in 1993. They dominated everyone. 1994 didn’t start to flash for them with an upset loss to South Sydney in the pre-season Toohey’s Cup, but really, the Premiership is where it counts, and there would be more to follow.
(AAP Image/Dan Peled)
The competition was looking to expand, and the Broncos were furious. Another team in Brisbane, another in North Queensland. They could see their grip on the state and their influence diminishing. A side in Perth and Auckland took the competition to 20 teams. Brisbane knew this was ridiculous.
Brisbane believed that there were far too many teams that were not economically viable. They felt that there were far too many Sydney teams and there was not enough talent for a 20 team competition. They were right on all accounts.
They also knew that Murdoch was going to be bringing cable television to Australia and saw a chance to streamline the competition. They wanted a league with only the best teams. They wanted a Super League.
The Super League war from 1995–1997 crippled the game. The game survived, but tradition was lost, friendships were broken, and the popularity of the sport declined dramatically. Who knows, if this war had not taken place maybe rugby league would be the number one sport in Australia, not Aussie rules.
Yes, there are two sides to every conflict and the Brisbane Broncos were only a pawn in the battle between Murchoch and Packer. Both wanted rugby league on their television sets. They both got it.
At the end of the 1997 season peace was achieved. By the 2000 season, the compromised structure of the NRL took place. A 14 team completion with every team playing home-and-away. Perth, Adelaide, South Queensland, Gold Coast, Hunter Mariners and South Sydney were gone. Wests merged with Balmain, St George with Illawarra and Manly with North Sydney. It was chaos.
The Broncos had won the 1997 Super League title. It gets counted in the record books, but ask anyone about the 1997 grand final and people remember the Newcastle versus Manly game. This is not to deny the Broncos as Newcastle won a split competition; also, it’s just that this game breathed new life into the game. The game was really on its knees by this point. The Broncos win over the Sharks was more a formality.
All debate about the 1997 season can pushed aside because the Broncos showed their prowess in 1998 running away with the title against the Bulldogs. They confirmed their place as the number one team. In 2000, they reaffirmed their point. The Broncos were the team to beat. They were the Manchester United of rugby league.
After this, something strange happened. The Broncos stopped making grand finals. Their next appearance was in 2006. Yes, they won, but they had some fortunate calls. Before Bronco fans react with outrage at such a comment or Melbourne fans complain about the result, remember, that’s the nature of the game. On this day, the Broncos got the rub of the green.
Digital image by Colin Whelan © nrlphotos.com
The absence of Wayne can best describe the next few years. He left and then he came back. The time in between was not the club’s better years.
In 2015, the club made the grand final again. They were chasing another title. A classic and up until the final couple of seconds they had it won. We all know what happened. Try on the sideline. Missed conversion. Ben Hunt dropped the ball. Thurston field goal. Classic contest. Right up there with the 1989 Balmain versus Canberra grand final and the 1997 Manly versus Newcastle grand final.
The club has gone close since and will do again in the future. The club continues to do well. They have the most memberships 36,220. They have the highest crowd averages with just short of 32,000 people attending their games. The club makes a profit every year.
It is important to note, that they are a one team town. One may suggest that they should have more members. The crowds although the best in the league are not as good as they should want. Though, having regular Friday Night and Thursday night games is a curse. Ask South Sydney, and they would agree. If the Broncos get more Sunday games, expect the crowd averages to climb.
Apart from a complete and utter failure in their administration, the Brisbane Broncos will remain dominant. Even if expansion brings in the Brisbane Bombers, the club will still be successful. Success, it seems is part of the Brisbane Broncos DNA.
Brisbane Broncos
First Season: 1988
Titles: 6* (1992, 1993, 1997*, 1998, 2000 and 2006)
Note: * The 1997 win is the Super League title.
John Locke
Guest
Cowboys are now the premier qld team. Their culture is far superior to the broncos and will build on their success over the coming years.
Paul C
Guest
It's the "Offseason" & little to write about Mark? Maybe stir the possum by writing such an article to bring out the "Bronco Haters"? You are right about too many teams in Sydney but who do you "cull" from a group of suburban clubs that find it hard to average 15,000 attendance for the year. Drop all the Sydney teams back to the NSW cup & then franchise 4 new clubs into a truly national competition with teams out of Perth & Adelaide? These are the questions to be debated not stirring the possum over the Broncos.
Gaz
Roar Rookie
And Bellamy.
Gaz
Roar Rookie
Yes agreed, obviously cocked up big time and paid a hefty price. But tell me what did he achieve?
Squidward
Roar Rookie
Passing on Smith, Slater and Cronk was a DNA mishap
Squidward
Roar Rookie
The ones that made Andrew gee quit his job and be banned from the NRL
Nat
Roar Guru
So you've offered me "Luck" twice now in consecutive posts with reference to highlighting the BS you come out with re the refs. So it was you champ - You. My point about Foran is that it goes both ways. Could a GF be decided by a bad call, possibly. As long as the game is officiated by humans there are going to be mistakes. Luckily they have a video review system which picks up 95% of try scoring discrepancies. You've been pushing this wagon for nearly 4 months and now you reference the 06 GF, which you cannot recollect, to make a point about the refs. In a 50/50 situation one lot of fans are going get upset but then get over it. Since you won't, what is your solution?
Greg Ambrose
Guest
Who mentioned anything about luck? You're just highlighting my point. What on earth are you talking about? The hand of Foran just highlights my point, it was a wrong call and the same thing could decide this years Grand final. If you don't think that is an issue then I don't care. Calling someone salty means nothing. Why would anyone one gloat over a wrong call which favors their team? End of story mate if you wish to keep going on with fiction good luck but count me out.
Nat
Roar Guru
Direct quotations directly referenced and dated from your many acronyms Greg/George/Wild Eagle you can hardly call it misquoting or mind reading now can you? That's not luck, it's paying attention. Just wondering, if you stay salty about a bad call for so long, did you gloat for months after the 'Hand of Foran' moment?
Greg Ambrose
Guest
Embarrass me again? You have to do something a first time before you can repeat it. You're not learning much are you? If you think misquoting and very poor mind reading is embarrassing to the imaginary victim then best of luck to you.
Gaz
Roar Rookie
Refer to Grobelaar above - what TPA success do you refer too I wonder! The ones that kept Hunt from going to the Dragons or Ese and Moga to the Knights or perhaps Arrow to the Titans. To mention a few. With all due respect. When talking about accuracy please be a bit more accurate.
Gaz
Roar Rookie
And the 'one town advantage'?
PanthertillIdie
Guest
No doubt a very well run club with enviable facilities and supporter base. They are still producing young talent regularly and you get the feeling they will continue to do the same. As they should. If this is ‘DNA’ then the Broncos have it. This is of course due to their unique circumstances as much as efficient administration. In regards to their succes, they are underachievers. From their position of great strength they should have gathered a few more titles and probably strung a few more together like 92 and 93 to be truly regarded as the dominant team of the last three decades. The 97 title shouldn’t be recognised and neither should the ARL equivalent. Nothing should be celebrated from the darkest time in this great game.
Nat
Roar Guru
I've proven the massive contradictions in your statements before, would you like me to embarrass you again?
Nat
Roar Guru
Like most of your comments, you have no idea.
steven
Guest
jezz paul you didn't do your research very good when you made the comment about the bronco forwards not having much depth in fact they have the 4 most promising young forwards in the NRL coming through their ranks ie andre savelio from England who many are tipping to be the a very good 2nd row payne haas who at 19 has already been put in NSW emerging origin squad by brad fittler david fafita the cousin of he older david fafita is touted to be better player than Andrew and mat lodge who killed them in the qld cup so I think there forward depth is very good
Greg Ambrose
Guest
I can't remember the calls which favored the Broncos but it was my clear impression at the time that the Storm got the wrong end of the Pineapple. I didn't favor either team. Same thing could happen in next years GF but I'm told refs and bunkers don't influence the result. Head back in the sand until it happens again I'm afraid.
BigMick0001
Guest
looks like someone sprinkled some salt all over the "guru"
Paul
Roar Guru
A bad or a good New Years Eve Glen, depending how you look at it! At least the keys are close together.
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
Perhaps a more accurate title would be: Success is in the TPA's of the Brisbane Broncos!