This is the seventh article in a series looking at the 17 rugby league clubs that have come and gone in the last 113 years: who were they, what happened to them, who were their best players, what legacy did they leave behind, and what did they achieve?
With so many defunct teams to get through, we’ll work through them in the chronological order in which they departed the competition. In Parts 1 to 6 we looked at 12 clubs that disappeared from view up to 1998, including St George, who departed in the first merger. Today we’ll look at the Illawarra Steelers, the other victim of the first NRL merger.
Illawarra entered the competition in 1982 and departed at the end of 1998. The Illawarra region has always been a rugby league heartland and a breeding ground for some of the best players to play the game. Well before they entered the NSWRL, players from the area had been making their way to the Sydney clubs to seek their fame and fortune. Players of the calibre of Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands, Ian Moir, Steve Roach, Ron Costello, Harry Wells and Les Hanigan all hail from the Illawarra and all went on to represent Australia.
(Photo by Getty Images)
Illawarra made several unsuccessful attempts to join the NSWRL dating back as far as the 1950s, and they eventually got their way when they were admitted for the 1982 season along with Canberra. They initially encountered some financial difficulty but eventually secured the backing of BHP, which saved the club from early ruin.
Their first season saw them struggle under coach Allan Fitzgibbon, and they won just six games to finish in 13th place and just ahead of wooden spooners Canberra. They crept one place up the ladder to 12th in 1983 and then seemed to hit their straps in 1984, finishing just one win outside of the top six and a semi-finals berth. This turned out to be a false dawn, however, and they then won back-to-back wooden spoons in 1985 and 1986 and then their third wooden spoon in eight years in 1989.
Things picked up for the Steelers in the 1990s, particularly with the arrival of new coach Graeme Murray in 1991, when they lost only nine of 22 games to once again finish just one win away from a finals berth. Players of the calibre of David Riolo, Brett Rodwell, Alan McIndoe, Dean Schifilliti, Neil Piccinelli, Rod Wishart and Paul McGregor had emerged in what was now a more formidable Steelers team with a very good home-ground record.
Illawarra made the finals for the first time in 1992, finishing third on the ladder just behind St George and Brisbane. They defeated the Dragons 18-16 in Week 1 of the finals thanks to the boot of Wishart but then went down to Brisbane in Week 2 before controversially being eliminated 4-0 by the Dragons in the preliminary final, a Ricky Walford try being the sole points in the game.
Their next and last taste of semi-finals football came in 1997 under coach Andrew Farrar. They finished sixth only to be eliminated by the Gold Coast Chargers 25-14 in Week 1 of the finals.
Come the end of 1998 the club was struggling financially, and the NRL’s incentive to reduce clubs by mergers became too appealing for the Steelers to continue to stand alone. An offer to join the neighbouring St George club in rugby league’s first-ever joint venture was accepted at the end of the 1998 season, forming the St George Illawarra Dragons, and the Steelers were gone.
Some Illawarra Steelers facts:
- Their colours were scarlet and white.
- Brian Hetherington was the club’s first NSW representative when selected for NSW in the 1984 Origin series.
- Alan McIndoe was their first Australian representative when selected for the match between Australia and the Rest of the World in 1988.
- Rod Wishart holds the record for the most points and most tries for the club, with 1044 points and 68 tries.
- Hooker Michael Bolt holds the record for most games for the club, with 167.
Next we’ll take a look at the North Sydney Bears and the doomed Northern Eagles merger.
JennyfromPenny
Guest
From ‘67 onwards where the game changed from unlimited tackles, and much more resembles the current game, (and much less resembles rugby union pre-67), Manly would be in front on 8, Roosters, Broncos, Bulldogs all on 6, Souths 5, Storm with 6 (minus 2), Parra on 4, Panthers and Raiders on 3, Newcastle and St George Dragons 2, 1 for St George-Illawarra, Balmain 1, Wests Tigers 1, Cowboys 1, Sharks 1. Coast and Warriors nil.
At work
Roar Rookie
Wollongong's stadium is 100x better than Kogarah Oval though. At least the gong is a rectangle and 3 grandstands that provide decent views. Plus pre and post match entertainment options are by far superior in Wollongong compared to Kogarah.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
The Western grandstand is the only one that has been upgraded recently. When were the other two done? Apart from an new paint job on the southern stand it looks the same
Max power
Guest
Upgrade ? There’s 2 new grandstands
Succhi
Roar Rookie
I was probably sitting a few feet away from you Don. I went overseas, worked and travelled, l lost touch with the game and when I returned I just couldn’t quite click into following the Dragons. Nothing against the team or the club - just no historical or geographical connection there for me anymore.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
& the Tigers are still spewin bout that
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Dwanye, thanks for replying . I think some fans definitely hold onto the history of the club . Nothing wrong with that and while that's okay it will never change what is going to happen in the future . I for one was a Wests Magpies fan but could never get my head around the merger so decided to go left field and become a Broncos supporter . The worst scenario was probably Tigers who completely self destructed and had no other option than to merge . The other two I think we're more political as both are now owned by private owners . At least North's do have the tier 2 team to follow while the other 2 are virtually non existent . Wests have made an effort to have their own identity with teams in NSW cup and also Ron Massey cup.
Tony
Roar Guru
:laughing:
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
St George won 13 Grand Finals, most of South's premierships were before they became mandatory. On one occasion they simply turned up and won via forfeit.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
I started watching league in 1996 so don't have too many memories of the Steelers. They seemed to be a real working class club with not a lot of success or money. They would have almost certainly folded of they decided to go it alone. The Saints should bring back the Steelers jersey as an away strip instead of the god awful thing they make them wear these days. As a Wollongong local it's great to live close to the Stadium and watch the Dragons play although I think WIN Stadium is badly in need of an upgrade someone give the Gordons a ring
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Northern Eagles must've had their honeymoon sleeping under a bridge in Baghdad.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
1992 Panasonic Cup I think it was, beaten in the final
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
All they needed in the last round of 1994 to get a playoff for 5th was to beat Newcastle at home on the Friday night, and for Balmain, that year's wooden spooners, to go up to Lang Park and beat the Broncos on the Sunday. The dream was alive for over 24 hours at least.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Big Daddy. It definitely seems to go that way doesn’t it. Do you think it hurts the new entity because they still hold on to these affiliations and may be stronger if they’d merge and create a new thing? They should never be forgetting their history, but having new name or mascot, but joining all colours maybe, or maybe all totally new? It seems the ‘old heads’ and ties can’t help burning their own house
Tony
Roar Guru
Sounds familiar
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Malo. Not sure it ‘deathnell’ but it is tough. What are the percentage of clubs that merged having died compared to total clubs amd clubs dieing? I don’t think anyone opinion is right or wrong. For me and my team I’d follow them to merge or move or if they died of still follow the sport.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
But might it also come down to (and I know nothing) a club contract sort of thing and the NRL not giving either club from divorce a spot to play in the national comp?
Succhi
Roar Rookie
It was a sad day when that merger happened. The Steelers had the player talent, but just not the business smarts to run a professional club and at the time, St George had the money. I’m not a fan of mergers. There seems to be a honeymoon period when they do well with an abundance of talent from two teams, then they slowly lose their soul as they try and share grounds, fans, etc. then struggle to keep juniors and attract players.
Don
Guest
Great article thank you. As a boy the Steelers were my team, with my fondest memories being sitting on the Southern Hill at the old Wollongong Showground on a Sunday afternoon lamenting another try scored against the Steelers. The era of 1989-1992 was Illawarra’s golden age with great players like Wishart, Mcindoe, schiffilliti, pincinelli, Ian Russell, Paul Macgregor,Jeff Hardy, Riolo, John Simon, Brett Rodwell, Ryan Girdler, even Graeme “Penguin” Bradley….a real shame they were dudded in the 1992 Preliminary Final. I found the merger with St George to be very unsatisfactory having always hated the Dragons for taking our good players….I stopped following league for 10 years until I moved to Canberra and slowly started following the Raiders. Now that familiar weekly feeling of angst and frustration at another loss is back….just like old times
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
exactly, and i see the Bunnies increasing that gap before StGI close it