Illawarra Steelers v Brisbane Broncos | Round 3, 1995 | Classic Match Highlights | NRL
Вставка
- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- The Illawarra Steelers host the Brisbane Broncos in a cracking Sunday afternoon clash at Steelers Stadium early in the 1995 season.
Subscribe for more NRL Throwback content: / @nrlthrowback
Now that is a high tackle
I recently did a video on Illawarra's 1992 season. Unfortunately they never hit those heights again.
Illawarra is like north Sydney. Dearly loved but never seemed to hit the same heights their neighbours did
This match was the turning point downwards for the Steelers. I was there that day, amazing atmosphere, packed house, and we thought we'd knock the Broncos off again. Instead Martin Marsala decided to knock Willie Carne's head off, which meant the game was lost just after starting. They still put up a good fight. This match was the last "normal" home game before all the drama hurt the club. It was Graham Murray's last home game coaching the Steelers - he'd be sacked for organising meetings between News Ltd and Steelers players not long after. Key players left to follow Murray. House of Reps Speaker and Steelers board member Dr Stephen Martin resigned in protest, saying they should have signed with Super League.
What's frustrating looking back on all that, is knowing that after a struggle in the region in the 80s when the steelworks downsized and the leagues club money dried up, the Steelers started to come good in the 90s. Their own leagues club opened its doors in 1990. 1991-1994 were 5 seasons in row that would have been finals football every year if it were a top 8 instead of top 5, only playing the finals in 1992 (and should have played in the grand final!). Crowds were big. The Steelers owned the town, with banners and stickers on display, businesses displaying their sponsors badge, even David Riolo was a sports reporter on WIN News haha!
Things were looking good, then Super League totally and royally stuffed everything up. And during this time the stadium wasn't given funding to complete the northern end, leaving the capacity reduced at a crucial time. The NRL criteria applied to things like crowds but would only apply from seasons 1995 onwards - the worst timing for the Steelers. The final insult was not being given a more favourable "regional city" status that Newcastle and Canberra were afforded, meaning an easier criteria.
Basically, we were rorted as it was just convenient we be swallowed up. This game is a nice historic capture of the support of a one town team that existed before everything went south :(
@@daveb3987 Aye the criteria was very controversial and made no sense in some parts. I read that Illawarra didn't get classed as regional and were classed as a "Sydney Club" which is total nonsense.
@@RugbyLeagueHistory yep. It’s very obvious why they did that. Same reason they wouldn’t let Kimmorley sign with the Steelers in 1998 (Ribot wanted him at Melbourne and made him only go to a News Ltd club, even though the war was supposedly over). Deals were done well in advance on who’d be protected and rewarded by News and the ARL clubs were left with nothing.
Classic match calling from Rabs & Blocker👍
Alfie Langer, the little genius!
Should be an immortal already. I literally can’t think of a thing he could have done more.
He wasn't always a starter for the Kangaroos, Stuart was usually called in to replace him.@@troystaunton254
Later in the season the Steelers beat Brisbane at ANZ. Would really love to see a full replay of that one… otherwise I’ll start to think that this channel is deliberately picking Steelers losses! 😢
Top 5 in all time worst tackles, legend has it that Willie Carne is still snapped in half at that oart of the ground