I don’t know about you but I’m pleased to see the rugby league grand final going back to Brisbane after 24 years.
I can understand the AFL’s loyalty to Melbourne because the MCG really is the citadel for their decider (all but seven grand finals since 1902 have been played elsewhere – all in Melbourne).
In Sydney we’ve actually used fewer venues – the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Sydney Football Stadium and Homebush – but because Homebush is much newer than the MCG, it doesn’t feel like it has such a spiritual underpinning as the grand final venue.
The 1997 Super League grand final was held in Brisbane because of a belief – like many of the philosophies that became supercharged by Rupert Murdoch’s money – that things could and should be more American in the Australian sports market.
Why shouldn’t cities bid for the big games like they do in the States? There was a street parade and a gala dinner and in the end they had to put in extra seating to accommodate the 58,912 crowd. Steve Renouf scored three tries in the rain as the Broncos beat Cronulla 26-8.
(Photo by Duane Hart/Getty Images)
Of course, we have since learnt that some American sporting maxims do not work in Australasia. Suburban teams have become enshrined in popular culture and the geographical area they occupy is not as important as the psychological real estate they command in our heads.
But the NRL is actually quite a parochial organisation, pandering to the prejudices of its rusted-on fans by baiting the Aussie rules authorities from time to time and the decision to move the preliminary final kick-off time to accommodate their decider was actually something of a surprise to me.
So even if the current contract with NSW – which extends to 2046 – was to be superseded by events, you could not expect the NRL to sell off the grand final to the highest bidder. That would alienate too many people.
By the way, ‘superseded by events’ is not that unlikely given that the 2020 and 2021 deciders were supposed to be at the SCG and the 2022 one at the SFS before moving to a refurbished Stadium Australia in 2023.
Things do change.
In the case of more unforeseen circumstances, perhaps this year’s grand final being in the Sunshine State would make Melbourne or Auckland more palatable. Auckland certainly deserves some reward for the sacrifices the players and their fans have made to keep the competition going over the past two years.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Oh, one more thing…
By the way, if the first sentence of this column grates on you then that’s a good sign for someone like me, who is writing a book about 1997.
It’s absolutely fascinating that people still get emotional about the fact there were two grand finals that year and every time I argue about this on social media, pre-sales for Two Tribes go up.
A rebel comp that doesn’t count? We have seven teams from that competition currently competing in the NRL – and only five stand-alone teams from the 1997 ARL.
Being in that rebel comp, if you were a Sydney team, seems to have guaranteed you stand-alone existence into the next century.
The 1908 competition was a breakaway too, from rugby union. We acknowledge it because the rebellion stuck.
It’s an uncomfortable fact that this rebellion stuck too – the ARL was removed from outright control of the sport in this country.
(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
But to win you back as fans – the authorities in ’98 had to convince you the NRL was some sort of continuation of the ARL (even though News had to pay the ARL’s legal costs at the end of ’97, it was so broke).
The Super League War taught the game’s administrators it needed the rusted-on fans more than they thought and the game did not translate anywhere near well to new people as they thought.
So the NRL logo was very similar to the ARL logo, Neil Whittaker stayed on as CEO and expansion teams, the World Club Challenge and the Tri-Series were culled.
But behind the spin, the new competition was at least – at least, and that’s charitable – half Super League.
The 1997 grand final at Brisbane’s ANZ Stadium was not the aberration you were sold it as. It was the beginning of what we have today. Super League didn’t return but neither did the old ARL.
And with next December the 25th anniversary of the NRL’s formation, the return of the grand final to Brisbane reflects the truth of that.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
There were indeed 2 grand finals in 1997 and I think many would be in complete denial that the 1997 Broncos side would have dominated the 1997 Knights team. I'm no Broncos fan, and although the Knights '97 grand final win will go in in rugby league folklore, the Broncos are the real champs of '97, IMO. They won the world club challenge tournament as well.
KenW
Roar Rookie
Not necessarily meaning a decade when I said era. Manly won the minor premiership and made both GFs in the 2 seasons preceding the split - coming into '97 as the current premiers. Brisbane were pretty strong but were knocked out in week 2 of the finals in both the seasons before the split. As you say, '98 flipped the script. Manly didn't do anything, Brisbane won. No other SL teams made it to the Top 6 in '98 though, so it's hard to say that the '97 Broncos mettle was particularly tested.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
It was GC management that let them down, infighting, poor vision not taking up Mariners offer. Money helps, could hold back a club merge or collapse but if the club run foolishly it a strong chance.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Gray. Raiders big early 90’s and hanging around close. Never got the powerhouse bronco’s raider’s GF before raiders star’s had passed.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Yeah I think would have got pretty turbulent also. I think people are in a dream world thinking it wouldn’t or just have read the stuff on it. I think it be pretty similar in the way we wouldn’t still have those 20 clubs from 1995, but maybe that it. The teams outside Sydney, the ones they introduced 1995 would still be in (if successful and not good, cause the ARL picked stupid groups to run it). Auckland warriors, broncos, raiders, Gold Coast, Illawarra, knights, north Qld, south Qld, western reds makes nine from the 20. I think the ARL would have pressured hard for teams to move or merge, using the contract before super league (that broncos hated so much), with the point at the bottom, ‘you won’t be invited into the ‘new comp’. I don’t think ARL went about it in a way to ‘cut up Sydney’ in a location sense way, probably more last team standing survival of fittest, through maybe the criteria they had also looked at in past. Again, such and such team didn’t make criteria, you not invited. Not sure how that ends up, it would end in courts like always and some fans saying they’ll never watch another game. They’d talked of five or so Sydney teams since 70’s. Five plus the nine has 14, can’t remember the number they always thought ‘perfect’. Surely they’d start to look to Melbourne within with ten years of 1995. Adelaide still not there though, maybe that makes it to 16. People will bring up south’s git kicked and the courts let em back in showing it wrong. I’m not legal brain, I just going on ‘some people’ in the know (I’m not one) at the time independent legal on media saying News can appeal this and it a good chance (much like Super league’s other appeal), I also remember it being said in media that they (News) wouldn’t go down this road realising the fan disruption the way had already caused hurting their bottom dollar.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
The Broncos were easily the dominant team of the 90s. Daylight second. They were clearly the best team in either comp in 1997 and were even more dominant in 1998. Manly had a few good years from 1995-1997, but they had been eclipsed by Brisbane already by 1997 and they got knocked out of the finals by Brisbane in 1994. So the era of Manly supremacy could only be said to have lasted 2 years at most. And even in 1995, they failed to score a try in the Grand Final. In 1998, they finished 10th.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Okay, but Steve said it was prudent to join Super League to survive, and it clearly was.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
My response went missing, but I meant to say they were tested just before the game, leaving (presumably) too small of a window to take anything that would actually work in time.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Actually, I got it wrong. The full sides of both squads were tested in the 24 hours before the gf. I don't know how quickly steroids can take effect, but surely it would require longer than that.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
When I wrote my series about the war, I left out what direction that the ARL would have taken if Superleague never happened, but I think we would've ended up somewhere similar to now, though on a similarly turbulent path. Initially, I agree that Super League wanted the rich clubs, but in the end they approached every single club except Souths. The Gold Coast were at least financially sound, with money in the bank, and they did make it to week 2 of the finals the year before they were kicked out. More to add to this, but I'll have to come back. A difficult time in the game's history, but a very interesting one.
MUCK
Roar Rookie
Im sure they did . Like I said , it would be crazy to juice up to win a GF and only makes sense to start taking it after becoming the best . Like Cronulla only being over the cap before and after they won their GF , never the year they won . Of course we must never forget that terrible club from outside Sydney called the Storm and how they cheated. Just like we must never question the great Newcastle GF win with Joey Johns , NSWs great mesiah at the helm .What did he get in trouble for a few years later and admit to doing his whole career? Crazy times that Super League , one great team from outside nsw whose GF doesnt count and one dodgey side in nsw whose GF is celebrated . I wonder if 1997 Manly players feel the same as 2009 Parramatta players do.
josh
Roar Rookie
That's a different argument. As too how silly the merger was, the Gold Coast Chargers folded with $3M in the bank.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
All of them?? That must’ve taken a good long time. Given that all of them were out on the cans for a week seconds after the final hooter (source:Johns M&A endlessly) I’m wondering when they may have fitted those tests in
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Tim. Eels and Easts only real rich teamsk I’ll ARL had. I think SL really only looked at the richer clubs to join. A rich club then getting the extra money from joining would have helped keep them thinking of merging. It interesting and a thing many forget or don’t realised, before the war the ARL wanted less Sydney teams. This didn’t just come about as a war truce. The ARL agreed to remove South’s. Both have to give up something to merge ARL and SL. The SL new team folded. That meant less money for the broadcast wise, (bar Mariners). The knights stay cause they a one city team with ‘support’ from that city. Crusher go because, ‘1’ both ARL and SL really want a smaller comp. ‘2’ powerful bronco’s say ‘we want Brisbane to ourselves. ‘3’ Their management was a joke, not have the money or power like Bronco’s. Gold Coast go for same reasons as ‘1’ and ‘3’. I never read stuff about the Red’s or Ram’s being as poorly run, losing money yes, to be expected, but not as poorly run as crushers and GC team. Reds did say ‘they pay all teams cost to travel over’, that can be seen as dumb but to me it dumb business sense from ARL, they didn’t think I new team would be struggling to begin with? They don’t think they should help a new team for benefit of ‘their’ comp?
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Lol. I ‘liked’ that series. Not ‘irked’
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
They all got tested after the gf and came up negative.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
But joining Super League virtually guaranteed your survival. 8 clubs joined, and of those, only Perth didn't make it to the 14 team competition (and they were going to go broke even if the war didn't happen). On the ARL side only the Knights, Eels and Roosters made it to the 14 team competition in their original form. Souths were excluded for 2 years, the Dragons, Steelers, Tigers, Magpies, Sea Eagles and Bears formed joint ventures, and the Crushers and and Seagulls/Chargers were culled.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
9th (10 team finals)
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Parramatta make it 50%
Nico
Roar Rookie
The '97 Broncos saw Lockyer nail down the fullback spot which gave them another attacking dimension. They also added Tallis and Mundine, Webcke emerged as one of league's preeminent props and they discovered Mick De Vere on top of all that while shedding a few stars who were past their prime in Willie Carne, Kerrod Walters, Alan Cann and Michael Hancock (although he stayed on to fight for his position). The '97 Broncos were a cut above the '96 side