1997 Super League (Australia) season

The 1997 Super League season (also known as the Telstra Cup due to sponsorship by Telstra Corporation) was a breakaway professional rugby league football competition in Australia and the only one to be run by the News Limited-controlled Super League organisation. Eight teams which had broken away from the existing Australian Rugby League, in addition to the newly created Hunter Mariners and Adelaide Rams, competed over eighteen weekly rounds of the regular season. The top five teams then played a series of knock-out finals which culminated in a September grand final played in Brisbane between the Brisbane Broncos and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

This article is about Super League (Australia)'s 1997 competition. For the Australian Rugby League-operated rival competition, see 1997 ARL season. For Europe's 1997 professional rugby league season, see Super League II.

1997 Super League
Teams10
Premiers Brisbane (3rd title)
Minor premiers Brisbane (2nd title)
Matches played96
Points scored4035
Attendance1251777
Top points scorer(s) Ryan Girdler (197)
Top try-scorer(s) Matthew Ryan (17)

Background
Main article: Super League (Australia)

Super League was a rugby league competition that was held in Australia in 1997. It was created by News Corporation after an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the pay television rights to Australian rugby league games. After two years of legal battles the competition was played for a single season in 1997 before merging with the rival Australian Rugby League competition in 1998 to form the National Rugby League.

Season summary

For this season video refereeing was introduced to rugby league for the first time.[1] The Telstra Cup premiership was held over eighteen rounds. The season was dominated by the minor premiers, the Brisbane Broncos, who won 14 of their 18 matches, losing only to the Penrith Panthers, the Hunter Mariners and eventual runners-up, the Cronulla Sharks. The Grand Final was played at Brisbane's ANZ Stadium in front of 58,912 people; the ground record for that venue. The Broncos defeated the Sharks 26-8 to win their third premiership. The Auckland Warriors had teams in both the reserve grade and under-19 Grand Finals but lost both.

The winners in all grades were:

  • First Grade: Brisbane Broncos
  • Reserve Grade: Canterbury Bulldogs
  • Under-19s Grade: Penrith Panthers
  • Under-17s Grade: Brisbane Broncos

At the end of the season, an Australian team was selected from the Telstra Cup Premiership's clubs to play in the Super League Test series against Great Britain in England.

Teams

The ten Super League-aligned clubs contested the premiership, only three of which were based in Sydney (none of which were NSWRFL foundation clubs), compared to seven in the rival Australian Rugby League competition, which was run at the same time. A further team from greater New South Wales, two teams from Queensland, and one each from the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand made up the Super League competition. The Western Reds re-named themselves the Perth Reds for the Super League competition. The Bulldogs reinstated 'Canterbury' to their name (but not Bankstown).

Adelaide Rams
1st season
Ground: Adelaide Oval
Coach: Rod Reddy
Captain: Kerrod Walters		 Auckland Warriors
3rd season
Ground: Ericsson Stadium
Coach: John Monie → Frank Endacott
Captain: Matthew Ridge		 Brisbane Broncos
10th season
Ground: ANZ Stadium
Coach: Wayne Bennett
Captain: Allan Langer		 Canberra Raiders
16th season
Ground: Bruce Stadium
Coach: Mal Meninga
Captain: Ricky Stuart
Canterbury Bulldogs
63rd season
Ground: Belmore Sports Ground
Coach: Chris Anderson
Captain: Simon Gillies		 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
31st season
Ground: Shark Park
Coach: John Lang
Captain: Andrew Ettinghausen		 Hunter Mariners
1st season
Ground: Topper Stadium
Coach: Graham Murray
Captain: Tony Iro		 North Queensland Cowboys
3rd season
Ground: Stockland Stadium
Coach: Tim Sheens
Captain: Ian Roberts & John Lomax
Perth Reds
3rd season
Ground: WACA Ground
Coach: Dean Lance
Captain: Mark Geyer		 Penrith Panthers
31st season
Ground: Penrith Stadium
Coach: Royce Simmons
Captain: Steve Carter
Locations of the participating clubs

Advertising

Teaser ads had been created by Mojo Sydney in 1996 around the theme of "Superleague: It's Coming". They featured Super League players performing superhuman feats. One notable execution included Canberra's Bradley Clyde inside a rodeo corral being stormed by a runaway bull with the suggestion that he is about to singlehandedly bring the bull to ground.

By season launch in 1997 Foxtel's ad agency Young and Rubicam Sydney had the Super League account and created a space-themed ad with players running through outer-space and the tag-line "Super League: It's out of this world".

Super League Television commercials featured the song Two Tribes by Frankie goes to Hollywood

By mid season the account had moved again and Sydney agency VCD produced much of the game promotional and club fixture print ads that ran in newspapers throughout the season. This commenced VCD's association with Super League that would continue with the ARL post the re-unification.

Ladder
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Brisbane Broncos 181413481283+19829
2 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 181206403230+17324
3 Canberra Raiders 181107436337+9922
4 Canterbury Bulldogs 181008453447+620
5 Penrith Panthers 18909431462-3118
6 Hunter Mariners 187011350363-1314
7 Auckland Warriors 187011332406-7414
8 Perth Reds 187011321456-13514
9 Adelaide Rams 186111303402-9913
10 North Queensland Cowboys 185211328452-12412

Ladder progression
  • Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 5.
  • Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
  • Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished in last place on the ladder in that round
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
1 Brisbane 24681012141416181919192123252729
2 Cronulla-Sutherland 2466688810101214161618202224
3 Canberra 000022468101214141616182022
4 Canterbury 22444681010121414161618202020
5 Penrith 2468810101212121214161616161818
6 Hunter 0002224666810121414141414
7 Auckland 0222466666666810101214
8 Perth 022466888101012121212141414
9 Adelaide 002444468999111111111113
10 North Queensland 22224444678881012121212

Finals

Minor premiers the Brisbane Broncos only played two finals games (including the grand final), both against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks winning both convincingly.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Crowd
Preliminary Semi Finals
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 22–18 Canberra Raiders 30 August 1997 Endeavour Field Bill Harrigan 17,137
Canterbury Bulldogs 14–15 Penrith Panthers 1 September 1997 Belmore Oval Graham Annesley 10,492
Major Qualifying Finals
Brisbane Broncos 34–2 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 6 September 1997 Stockland Stadium Bill Harrigan 26,256
Canberra Raiders 32–12 Penrith Panthers 8 September 1997 Bruce Stadium Graham Annesley 10,153
Preliminary Final
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 10–4 Canberra Raiders 13 September 1997 Endeavour Field Bill Harrigan 17,638
Grand Final
Brisbane Broncos 26-8 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 20 September 1997 ANZ Stadium Bill Harrigan 58,912

Chart
 
  Qualifying/Elimination Final Major/Minor Semi Final Preliminary Final Grand Final
                                     
1 Brisbane 34  
    Cronulla 2         Brisbane 26
2 Cronulla 22     Cronulla 10   Cronulla 8
3 Canberra 18       Canberra 4  
Canberra 32
4 Canterbury 14   Penrith 12  
5 Penrith 15

Grand final

The Super League Grand Final crowned a week of festivities, including a ball, street parade and massive game-night fireworks display, of the sort the Broncos' management had wanted the ARL to bring to Brisbane before the code's big schism in 1995. The game was on 20 September and despite stormy weather, a record crowd in Queensland rugby league history was at ANZ Stadium for the first ever night grand final[2] and the only Australian top level grand final to be played outside Sydney. It attracted a ground record of 58,912 people,[3] the biggest crowd for a grand final since 65,959 attended the drawn 1977 NSWRFL Grand Final played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and the largest to any sporting event in Brisbane since 52,000 attended the opening ceremony of the 1982 Commonwealth Games, also held at the venue, then known as the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium.[4] Jon Stevens and Olivia Newton-John also performed in the pre-match entertainment.

The match was broadcast live by Australian Pay-TV channel Fox Sports with Greg Clark, Wally Lewis and Gary Freeman providing commentary, with Peter Jackson on the sideline.

20 September 1997
Brisbane Broncos 26 – 8 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Tries:
Steve Renouf (3)
Michael Hancock
Goals:
Darren Lockyer (5/6)		 Report Tries:
Russell Richardson

Goals:
Mat Rogers (2/2)
ANZ Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 58,912
Referee: Bill Harrigan
Man of the Match: Steve Renouf[5]
Brisbane Broncos Position Cronulla-Sutherland
Sharks
1. Darren LockyerFB21. David Peachey
18. Michael De VereWG45. Mat Rogers
3. Steve RenoufCE3. Andrew Ettingshausen (c)
4. Anthony MundineCE33. Russell Richardson
5. Wendell SailorWG17. Geoff Bell
6. Kevin WaltersFE6. Mitch Healey
7. Allan Langer (c)HB7. Paul Green
10. Brad ThornPR8. Danny Lee
23. Andrew GeeHK9. Dean Treister
21. Shane WebckePR40. Jason Stevens
11. Gorden TallisSR11. Craig Greenhill
12. Peter RyanSR31. Chris McKenna
13. Darren SmithLK13. Tawera Nikau
15. Tonie CarrollBench18. Adam Dykes
9. John PlathBench24. Sean Ryan
2. Michael HancockBench38. Les Davidson
16. Ben WalkerBench12. Nathan Long
Wayne BennettCoachJohn Lang

The game was refereed by Bill Harrigan. The talented Brisbane side, featuring young up-and-coming stars in Darren Lockyer, Gorden Tallis and Shane Webcke overwhelmed a game Cronulla-Sutherland side. No points were scored until Lockyer's penalty kick in the eighth minute. In the twenty-second minute Mat Rogers equalised with another penalty kick. About three minutes later the next points came from yet another penalty kick by Lockyer, making the score 4-2 in favour of the home side. With just under seven minutes of the first half remaining, Allan Langer put a bomb up and into the Sharks left-hand corner which a leaping Rogers failed to secure and Steve Renouf picked up the ball and dived over for the first try of the match. Lockyer's conversion put the Broncos in front 10 - 2 which is what the score remained at for half-time.[6]

The Sharks scored after less than four minutes of the second half when Wendell Sailor, returning the ball from a kick deep into his side's territory, passed the ball to nobody and it was chipped ahead by a Cronulla chaser and dived on by Russell Richardson. Mat Rogers converted the try successfully bringing the deficit back to two points at 10 - 8. In the fifty-fifth minute, The Broncos were on the attack and moved the ball out to the left for Renouf to score his second try of the match. Lockyer's kick, a metre in from the sideline was successful, making Brisbane's lead 16 - 8. About ten minutes later, Renouf scored close to the same spot, becoming only the third player in history to score a hat-trick in a grand final. Lockyer missed the kick so the Broncos lead 20 - 8 with fourteen minutes of the match remaining. An attempted field-goal kick by Lockyer in the seventy-eighth minute was charged down but Brisbane re-gathered the ball and one tackle later it was put through the hands out to the right wing, for replacement Michael Hancock to score the final try of the game. Lockyer kicked the extra two points with only seconds of the game remaining, so the final score was 26 - 8.[7]

The win meant the Broncos were undefeated at ANZ Stadium all year[8] and it kept the Broncos' 100% record intact in grand finals making it three from three, while the Sharks remained bridesmaids, at the time yet to score a grand final victory with zero from three. They would remain without a grand final win for another 20 years until their drought was finally broken in 2016.

Post game

A Super Bowl style match between the Brisbane Broncos and Newcastle Knights, the 1997 ARL season's premiers was mooted, but did not eventuate.[9]

National Rugby League
Main article: National Rugby League

With twenty-two teams playing in two competitions in 1997 crowd attendances and corporate sponsorships were spread very thinly, and many teams found themselves in financial difficulty by the end of the season. On 23 September 1997 the ARL announced that it was forming a new company to control the competition in 1998 and invited Super League clubs to participate. On 7 October Rupert Murdoch announced that he was confident that there would be a single competition in 1998 and in the following months the National Rugby League, jointly owned by the ARL and News Limited, was formed.

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See also

References
  1. Middleton, David (2008). League of Legends: 100 Years of Rugby League in Australia (PDF). National Museum of Australia. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-876944-64-3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2010.
  2. NRL Grand Final History Archived 9 February 2010 at Archive.today at rl1908.com
  3. Koslowski, Michael (25 September 1997). "Field of teams". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia: Fairfax Media. p. 6. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  4. "Grand final simply super". Illawarra Mercury. Fairfax Digital. 21 September 1997. p. 26. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  5. D'Souza, Miguel. "Grand Final History". wwos.ninemsn.com.au. AAP. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  6. Sean Fagan. "Brisbane Broncos". RL1908.com. Australia. Archived from the original on 21 June 2002. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  7. "Premiership Records". NRL. Australia: Sportsdata Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  8. Drzyzga, Ben (17 September 1997). "GRAND FINAL SUPER LEAGUE TEAMS". Newcastle Herald. Australia: Fairfax Media. p. 16. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  9. "Broncos: Super Bowl no go". Illawarra Mercury. Fairfax Media. 19 September 1997. p. 85. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
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