Today I continue my series of naming all time teams to take part in a fantasy tournament. This edition will focus on the South Queensland Crushers who were established in 1995 and only lasted three years in the league.
Despite their short history, the Crushers have some handy players and form a decent squad for only being three years in existence.
1.Clinton Schifcofske – 2x Queensland, fullback of the year
Made his debut for the Crushers, he starred in Crushers’ last gave ever scoring a try and kicking seven goals. He kicked over 84 per cent in two seasons. His goal kicking skills also allowed him a successful union career.
2.St. John Ellis-3x Great Britain
Goal kicking winger from England who was one of 16 kids in his family , also known as the Singe he joined the Crushers after a successful career in the UK.
3.Jason Hudson
The leading try scorer in Crushers history in only 39 games. He spent two years there and won two wooden spoons but it was not his fault. He was one of their most consistent players.
4.Chris McKenna – 2x Australia, 8x Queensland
He had better days at different teams but he performed well in his short stint, could play in forwards as well. He is the only player to play first grade to be of Guyana decent.
5.Filli Seru- 4x Fiji
One of the first players to hail from Fiji Seru was a solid contributor and arrived to the Crushers after playing for Fiji in rugby union World Cup.
6.Tony Kemp – 25x New Zealand
Quality versatile player who can play anywhere in the backs. Large frame and hard running style made him a difficult players to contain. Coached the Warriors and famously took the NZRL to court for them blocking his move to Newcastle.
7.Craig Teevan – 3x Queensland
The record holder for most caps for this franchise with 58. He could also play hooker he had offered a spark in attack. He played in Crushers’ and Chargers’ last ever games.
8.Mark Hohn- 1x Australia, 9x Queensland
Played his last year for the Crushers, Hohn he was a big signing for Crushers first year and he broke the record for oldest forward making debut for Australia at 30.
9.Mario Fenech 2x NSW
The Falcon and Footy Show laughing stock Fenech brought some star power to the Crushers. His size and aggressive play style assured him he was the centre of many on-field altercations.
His most famous achievement was playing for Chargers while getting hit in head with the ball unexpectedly, thus the Falcon was born.
10.Mark Tookey
Large prop who wide body shape made his hard to tackle was a threat close to the line. He was a cult hero who was even more damaging as a super sub off the bench.
11.Terry Cook- three x Queensland
A legend in Queensland, Cook was a as tough as $2 steak. His iconic moment was a try assist he set up for Adrian Lam in 1995 Origin series where Queensland upset NSW 3-0.
12.Trevor Gillmister – 22x Queensland, 3x Australia
The Axe as he was known. Regardless how big you were, he would cut you in half in a textbook tackle.
Scorer of the Crushers’ first ever try in history and he is by far best player to don the Crushers Jersey.
13.Travis Norton – 5x Queensland
Crafty player who can play at 6, Norton was very for the Crushers and was easily one of their better players.
He even could goal kick he scored seven tries in 33 games for the Crushers, which is not bad for a lock.
Bench
Phillip Lee, Mark Protheroe, Danny Nutley, Scott Sattler
A solid line up with the back row being the obvious strengths while the halves of Teevan and Kemp combine hard running with smarts.
Add in Mario Fenech and a young Schifcofske and this team could be competitive. Tookey and Nutley are two huge props who set nice foundations for any attacking raids. Will however this team Crush other all-time teams?
ozziedude
Roar Rookie
no Garrick morgs?
Nat
Roar Guru
Hi Monorchid, I feel I wasn't quite clear. Clinton Schifcofske went on to have a great career. My reference was when he originally came across to league as a junior. My poor attempt at self-deprecating humour. I, too, caught the backend of the Crushers Leagues Club when I came to Brisbane. You are right, even polite to say it was uninspring. It was close to home so I thought I could catch the non Ch9 footy games there but I couldn't even get it on the TV. No wonder people didn't show up. It wasn't long after that it went through multiple hands and it's now a block of units.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
How do you include Fenech who was well over the hill, and not include Dale Shearer.
mushi
Roar Guru
Strangely no, think there was also a condition on the number which would be accepted which also never seemed to be an issue.
Tony
Roar Guru
Unbearable
Tony
Roar Guru
I give them credit for the "crusher" tackle
Nico
Roar Rookie
My best ever Crushers moments 1. In '95 knocking over the Joey and Matty-led Knights 28-18 off the back of a Chris McKenna double (in front of 20k+ fans) 2. Round 2 '96 vs Parra who were being hyped for a big year after recruiting 4 Bulldogs, Troy Pezet recovers a grubber that ricocheted off the upright in the dying stages to seal the win. Probably upset the apple cart on the Eels season, still remember the mc proudly announcing after the game that the Crushers were on top of the ladder (after 1 win and 1 forfeit - good times!), 3. Round 4 '96, the Brisbane derby, Crushers matched the Broncs, leading 8-6 till about 20 to go 4. Their last ever game vs Wests, Wests only had to win to make the finals but got trounced 39-18 (the scoreline probably flattered them in the end 5. The '97 win over high-flying Sydney Roosters, as Danny Nutley recounts: after losing seven straight, they opted to drink hard for two days and spend a third playing golf. "Then we called a rest day," Nutley laughs. "We only trained the night before the match and won, smashed the Roosters." And the next week? "We went back to normal and so did the results. We got flogged" heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/nutley-says-farewell-his-way/news-story/cf128218247936f95d16714db94fc5ef classic!
Nico
Roar Rookie
There's a few players there - Schifcofske, Nutley, McKenna, Sattler, Aaron Moule, Tookey, P Lee, Norton, Clinton O'Brien- who went on to bigger things elsewhere. If they'd managed to keep those guys together they could've had the foundations for a decent side. I would've included Matt Toshack and Craig Wilson (both from Norths) in the best ever side who I remember as consistently solid in the Crushers tumultuous last season over guys like Fenech and Sattler who were either ineffective or played a minor role
Nico
Roar Rookie
Schifcofske, Tookey, Sattler, McKenna, Norton, Philip Lee, Aaron Moule, Nutley - for a club that managed a brief 3-year stint they actually had a number of decent players who went on to bigger things elsewhere. Shame they couldn't keep those guys together as they would've made a pretty decent side. I would also add John Jones and Craig Wilson to the best ever side - both consistently solid performers in their tumultuous last 2 years. My 3 favourite Crushers moments are as follows: 1. Upsetting a Johns brothers-led Newcastle Knights 28-18 before 20k fans in their first season on the back of a 1st half double from Chris McKenna. (In fact the Crushers averaged 20k+ in their first season, despite winning only 6 games and all the SL awfulness - which really just goes to show how much it could've worked in another reality) 2. Round 2 '96 - They knocked off the Parramatta Eels who were supposed to be destined for big things after recruiting the Canterbury 4. Troy Pezet recovered a grubber that ricocheted off the upright in the dying stages to seal the win. The loss probably upset the applecart in a season where the Eels where expected to excel. Can still remember the mc at the ground at fulltime announcing that the SQLD Crushers were on top of the table (after one win and a forfeit! - good times). 3. Their final ever outing vs Wests. Wests only had to win to make the top 7 but they totally underestimated the Crushers who smashed them 39-18 (in fairness the 21 point margin was probably flattering to the Magpies on the final wash-up), the result setting in chain a Steven Bradbury-esque moment which allowed the Chargers to scrape into the finals
Michael_1984
Roar Rookie
Although after reading the comments, I wonder if my statement that they would be reasonably competitive in any given years competition is a bit too generous. On paper this team looks like it could be a relatively competitive team in any given year of the competition (but certainly not in a dream team competition), but when you consider that this team would be pretty similar to the Crushers team in any single particular specified year of their existence (1995, 1996, and 1997) and that they did not do well in any of those years, then I was probably a bit too hasty with my comment. With all due respect to the players themselves, I think this team would struggle in many years of hypothetically competing in.
Michael_1984
Roar Rookie
This team would be reasonably competitive if it were fielded in any given year of a competition - e.g. hypothetically fielding it in the 1992 competition, the 2005 competition, the 2021 competition, the 1974 competition, the 1986 competition etc etc - but it (with all due respect to the players) would be on the end of some pretty big hidings in an all-time club dream teams competition and would have no realistic chance of being up at the top end of the table come the end of the competition. Again, I'm saying this with all due respect to the players, but what can you realistically expect from a best-of team with a club that only contested three seasons.
Redcap
Roar Guru
There's been a lot of North Sydney content around here lately with all the talk about expansion. Maybe it's Norths fatigue.
Monorchid
Roar Rookie
I recall the Crushers quite well. Firstly TB, congratulations on spelling Schifcofske's Polish name correctly. The Crushers took over the Brother's ground in Windsor in Brisbane. I went to a few functions at the clubhouse, and it wasn't a very inspiring place. Garrick Morgan from rugby union was a great hope but never made the transition to league all that well despite willing performances. Some of the "name" players never performed because they were at the very end of their careers. Poor recruitment and a shallow purse was a problem. Nat is a bit harsh with his assessment of Schifcofske. All right, he never made the top tier. But I saw him playing club rugby union at the end of his career, possibly with GPS at Ashgrove. He sliced through a channel that no-one else could see, and scored a fine individual try completely untouched. If anything, the Crushers' experiment showed then, and shows now, that lots of money is needed in professional sport, and that success on the field really starts in the board room.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
The story was up for 8 minutes and then taken down never to be seen or heard of again! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
When is the article about Cumberland's all time best team coming out?
The Boss
Roar Guru
I find it funny that the article for the North Sydney Bears who won 2 premierships and existed for 90 years had less comments and views then the South Queensland Crushers article who had been in league for 3 years wining 2 wooden spoons.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
From what I could gather about Cumberland they were only a blip on the radar. They only played 1 season, just 8 games for 1 win and 7 losses and then pulled up stumps. Founded in 21 April 1908 they folded only a few months later. As Wiki says: Cumberland's dismal winning percentage and the inability to field a team led to their disbanding at the end of the season. After only playing eight first-grade matches and one trial match, Cumberland ceased to exist and passed into history.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Annandale Snails Annandale Epic Fails
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Obviously no one had beaten you to it.
Redcap
Roar Guru
The '96 Crushers were also the worst attacking team in the ARL/NRL era, with 10.48 points per game. There was a time this season when the Bulldogs looked like they might break the Crushers record. In the end the Dogs finished as the third worst, behind the Crushers and one of those awful Newcastle teams (can't remember which year exactly). Obviously, there were worse attacking teams back in the early years. The 1909 Magpies are the worst of all time with 4.2 points per game (5 PPG if you adjust for four point tries).