Paul Sculthorpe MBE is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a loose forward, stand-off or second-row forward in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for England and Great Britain at international level, as well as representing Lancashire. He began his club career at the Warrington Wolves before joining St Helens, with whom he won a total of four Grand Finals, four Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges, as well as becoming the first player to win the Man of Steel Award on two consecutive occasions. He is the older brother of former player Danny Sculthorpe.
Sean Bernard Long, also known by the nickname of "Longy", is an English former professional rugby league footballer, who is the current head coach of Oldham RLFC in the RFL League 1. He has played in the 1990s and 2000s. An England and Great Britain international scrum-half, Long is regarded by many as one of the finest British players of his generation. He began his career with the Wigan Warriors, and also played for the Widnes Vikings and Hull FC, but is best known for his time playing for St Helens in the Super League with whom he won a total of four Super League championships and five Challenge Cups, as well as numerous individual accolades including the Man of Steel award, and three Lance Todd Trophies.
Luke Priddis is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative hooker, he played club football in the National Rugby League for the Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers and, finally, the St. George Illawarra Dragons with who he won the 2010 NRL Premiership.
The 1998 NRL season was the 91st season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the inaugural season of the newly formed National Rugby League (NRL). After the 1997 season, in which the Australian Rugby League and Super League organisations ran separate competitions parallel to each other, they joined to create a reunited competition in the NRL. The first professional rugby league club to be based in Victoria, the Melbourne Storm was introduced into the League, and with the closure of the Hunter Mariners, Western Reds and South Queensland Crushers, twenty teams competed for the premiership, which culminated in the 1998 NRL grand final between the Brisbane Broncos and Canterbury-Bankstown. It was also the final season for the Illawarra Steelers and the St. George Dragons as their own clubs prior to their merger into the St. George-Illawarra Dragons for the 1999 NRL season
Mark Edmondson, also known by the nickname of "Edmo", is an English former rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s.
Keiron Cunningham is a professional rugby league coach and former player. A Great Britain and Wales international representative hooker, he played his entire professional career at St Helens, making nearly 500 appearances for the club between 1994 and 2010 and winning numerous trophies. He has been frequently cited as being among the best players in the Super League history and is widely regarded to be one of St Helens' greatest players of all time.
Tonie Carroll is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian and New Zealand international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played for the Brisbane Broncos of the NRL and Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. Carroll retired from playing at the end of 2008, before making a brief mid-season comeback to the Broncos in 2009. Carroll was a utility player, appearing at centre, five-eighth, second-row, or lock.
Michael De Vere is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He represented Australia in four tests and New South Wales in five State of Origin matches. A goal-kicking outside back who could play centre, wing or fullback and also a skilful goal-kicker who ended his career having kicked at 76.62%, De Vere played club football for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL, with whom he won the 1997, 1998 and 2000 premierships. He later played with English club the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League, reaching the 2006 Challenge Cup final. In 2009, he instigated a comeback with the Brisbane Broncos, which only lasted one game before he retired.
Adrian Antonio Gardner is an English former professional rugby league footballer, who spent the vast majority of his career with St Helens in the Super League. He was an England and Great Britain representative winger.
Stuart Kelly is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Gold Coast Seagulls, Parramatta Eels and the Brisbane Broncos in the Australian first grade premiership competition. His position of choice was usually at centre or wing. Kelly was a member of The Parramatta side's that made 3 preliminary finals in a row but ultimately fell short of a grand final appearance.
Tetley's Bitter Super League was the official name for the year 2000's Super League championship season, the 106th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the fifth championship run by the Super League. The season culminated in the Grand Final between St Helens R.F.C. and Wigan Warriors, which St Helens won, claiming their second consecutive Championship.
Chris Joynt is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A Great Britain international representative prop, second-row and loose forward, he played his club football with St Helens, with whom he won numerous titles, as well as Oldham and a stint in Australia with the Newcastle Knights. He lifted many trophies throughout a glittering Knowsley Road career, including consecutive Super League championships in 1999 and 2000.
The 2007 Carnegie World Club Challenge was played between Super League XI champions, St. Helens and 2006 National Rugby League premiers, the Brisbane Broncos. It was a replay of the 2001 World Club Challenge, and both clubs' fifth WCC appearance. The match was played on the night of 23 February at Reebok Stadium, Bolton before a crowd of 23,207.
Benjamin Barba is an Australian former professional dual code rugby league & rugby union footballer who last played for St Helens in the Super League. He primarily played as a fullback or five-eighth.
The 2000 World Club Challenge was contested by 1999 NRL season premiers, the Melbourne Storm and 1999's Super League IV champions, St. Helens. The match was played on 22 January at JJB Stadium, Wigan before a crowd of 13,394. The Melbourne Storm defeated St Helens 44 - 6. This was the first World Club Challenge since 1997 and the Super League war.
The 2006 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding match of the NRL's 2006 Telstra Premiership season. It was played between the first-placed Melbourne Storm and the third-placed Brisbane Broncos clubs on the night of Sunday, 1 October. The 2006 grand final was the first ever to feature teams which were both from cities outside the borders of New South Wales, in this case the capitals of Queensland and Victoria, yet was played at the traditional venue of Sydney's Telstra Stadium. It was the first time the two sides had met in a grand final. They had played each other twice during the 2006 regular season, with Melbourne winning both times. The Melbourne side went into the grand final as heavy favorites, having won the minor premiership. Both teams were looking to keep their perfect grand final records intact: Brisbane with 5/5 and the Melbourne side with 1/1 heading into the game.
The 2002 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2002 NRL season. It took place on Sunday, 6 October 2002, at Sydney's Telstra Stadium. 80,130 people saw the Sydney Roosters beat the New Zealand Warriors 30–8. The Clive Churchill Medalist was Craig Fitzgibbon of the Sydney Roosters. The match was also broadcast live in the United States by Fox Sports World.
The 2000 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2000 NRL season. It was contested by the Brisbane Broncos, who had finished the season in 1st place, and the Sydney Roosters, who had finished the season in 2nd place. The Brisbane Broncos were favourites heading into the grand final with the Sydney Roosters as underdogs. Brisbane were premiership favourites for most of the season after leading the competition every round since round 4. It was their fifth grand final appearance in nine years, while it was the first for the Roosters in twenty years. The attendance of 94,277 was the third highest ever seen at a rugby league match in Australia. It was the first time that the Clive Churchill Medal was presented separately with a ribbon being worn around the neck, as previously it was presented in a case.
The 2015 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2015 NRL season and was played on Sunday 4 October at Sydney's ANZ Stadium between the Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys. North Queensland won the match 17–16 in golden point extra time, claiming their first premiership title in their twentieth year of competition. Due to its dramatic ending, the match has been regarded as one of the greatest grand finals in rugby league history, drawing comparisons with the 1989 NSWRL Grand Final and the 1997 ARL Grand Final. Cowboys co-captain Johnathan Thurston, who kicked the winning field goal for his team, was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the best player on the ground. Pre-match entertainment was headlined by Australian rock band Cold Chisel.
Brodie Croft is an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He plays for Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. He previously played for Salford Red Devils in the Super League and both Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos as a scrum-half in the NRL.
