South Queensland Crushers

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South Queensland
South Queensland Crushers.png
Club information
Full nameSouth Queensland Crushers
Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)The Crushers
ColoursAztec Gold, Navy Blue & Red
Founded30 November 1992;31 years ago (30 November 1992)
(first season 1995)
Exited1997;27 years ago (1997)
Former details
Ground(s)
Competition Australian Rugby League
Brisbane Rugby League
South Queensland Crushers home jersey 1995.svg
Team colours
Records
Premierships0
Runners-up0
Minor premierships 0
Wooden spoons 1.5 (1996, 1997 (ARL))

South Queensland Crushers was an Australian rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. In 1992 it was decided that the team would be admitted into the New South Wales Rugby League competition, along with three other teams, as part of the League's expansion plans for professional rugby league in Australia. The competition was re-branded the Australian Rugby League competition in 1995, which was the Crushers' first season.

Contents

The Crushers, whose whole existence was against the backdrop of the Super League war, were an unsuccessful club. They had to compete for support with the other Brisbane-based club, the Brisbane Broncos, who were already well-established. The Crushers only competed in the three seasons of the Australian Rugby League's premiership, winning the wooden spoon twice for being last in the competition. Despite the wealth of star players the Crushers managed to attract, they were financially unsustainable and competitively unsuccessful, which ultimately led to their demise at the end of 1997.

History

Formation

The New South Wales Rugby League competition (NSWRL) began in 1908 as a rugby league competition in the Sydney region of Australia. For the next 74 years, the league only included clubs in the New South Wales region. In 1982, the Canberra Raiders from the Australian Capital Territory, and in 1988, the two Queensland based teams, one from Brisbane and the other from Gold Coast were admitted into the NSWRL. The Brisbane club was the first NSWRL club to be privately owned and in1992 won their first premiership. On 30 November 1992, the NSWRL formally admitted a second Brisbane-based team into the competition, along with three others, from Townsville, Perth and New Zealand. The newly established Brisbane team was to be known as the South Queensland Crushers, and would enter the 1995 NSWRL competition, which had been renamed the Australian Rugby League competition (ARL). [1]

In September 1993, the Crushers chose Bill Gardner as the coach for the team, but after a poor off-season, he was replaced by former Australian international Bob Lindner. Darryl van der Velde, a former Brisbane player with experience coaching in England, was the club's inaugural chief executive. The club chose Lang Park, which had been abandoned by the Brisbane Broncos in favour of QE II Stadium in 1992, [1] as their home ground.

The Crushers signed Queensland representative players Trevor Gillmeister, Mark Hohn and Dale Shearer, as well as three rugby union international players, Garrick Morgan, Anthony Herbert and Fili Seru. The Crushers also attempted to lure former Australian international captain Mal Meninga out of retirement for one more season, but failed. By the beginning of the 1995 competition, the Crushers had also signed North Sydney forward Mario Fenech, who the club named as their captain. [1] The club's major sponsor was XXXX with Qantas announced as the sleeve sponsor.

The club competed in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1994 and 1995 to prepare for entry into the ARL.

1995 season – The first season

The Crushers' first match was against the previous season's premiers, Canberra which they lost along with their next three before winning their first match 16–12 against North Sydney in Round five. Trevor Gillmeister had the honour of scoring the Crusher's first ever try. [2] An injury to Dale Shearer and the difficulties for Garrick Morgan to adapt to rugby league saw the Crushers fail to utilise much of its attacking potential. Captain Fenech was dropped to the interchange bench and lost the captaincy which was passed on to Gillmeister. The season's end was dampened after coach Lindner and Fenech feuded, resulting in Fenech being released from the final year of his contract. [1]

In the 1995 season, the club had only won six and drew another in the twenty-two games played. In 1995, News Limited, a mass media company, began deliberating a rival rugby league competition, the Super League, and with the rival Broncos a key part of the plans for Super League, the Crushers remained loyal to the ARL competition. The Crushers believed that they would survive and be able to compete on their own. The ARL supported this despite the disappointing results of their first season because of the high home ground crowds, with supporters averaging over 21,000 a season. [1]

RoundHomeScoreAwayDateVenueCrowd
1South Queensland Crushers6–24 Canberra Raiders 11 March 1995 Lang Park 21,102
2 Parramatta Eels 26–2South Queensland Crushers18 March 1995 Parramatta Stadium 8,080
3 Penrith Panthers 34–12South Queensland Crushers26 March 1995 Penrith Stadium 8,024
4 Brisbane Broncos 32–0South Queensland Crushers31 March 1995 QE II 49,607
5South Queensland Crushers16–12 North Sydney Bears 9 April 1995 Lang Park 19,233
6 Manly Sea Eagles 38–10South Queensland Crushers16 April 1995 Brookvale Oval 10,616
7South Queensland Crushers24–24 Illawarra Steelers 23 April 1995 Lang Park 16,253
8South Queensland Crushers33–14 Parramatta Eels 30 April 1995 Lang Park 19,421
9 Sydney City Roosters 17–6South Queensland Crushers7 May 1995 Sydney Football Stadium 5,556
10South Queensland Crushers28–18 Newcastle Knights 21 May 1995 Lang Park 21,072
11South Queensland Crushers4–20 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 4 June 1995 Lang Park 22,258
12 Sydney Tigers 16–12South Queensland Crushers17 June 1995 Parramatta Stadium 3,225
13South Queensland Crushers28–8 Penrith Panthers 25 June 1995 Lang Park 19,753
14 Western Suburbs Magpies 38–14South Queensland Crushers1 July 1995 Campbelltown Stadium 4,707
15South Queensland Crushers20–24 South Sydney Rabbitohs 9 July 1995 Lang Park 19,288
16 Gold Coast Seagulls 8–14South Queensland Crushers15 July 1995 Seagulls Stadium 6,731
17South Queensland Crushers10–22 Auckland Warriors 23 July 1995 Lang Park 28,928
18 Western Reds 22–14South Queensland Crushers28 July 1995 WACA 9,103
19South Queensland Crushers22–6 North Queensland Cowboys 6 August 1995 Lang Park 17,105
20 St. George Dragons 16–6South Queensland Crushers13 August 1995 Kogarah Oval 9,091
21South Queensland Crushers18–25 Sydney Bulldogs 20 August 1995 Lang Park 26,904
22 Canberra Raiders 58–4South Queensland Crushers27 August 1995 Bruce Stadium 19,107

1996 season – The second season

The club had bought five players from the Sydney Roosters to help them improve from their inaugural season, and Queensland representative Tony Hearn also joined the club for the 1996 season. The opening round of the 1996 season the club gathered two points because of Canberra's forfeit but the club only recorded three more wins in the entire season gathering six points on the competition ladder and took the wooden spoon for being last on the ladder. The Crushers won the second round clash against Parramatta before losing ten in a row. The Crushers then won two in a row before plummeting to lose their last eight matches. [1]

Despite a record crowd of 34,263 that watched the Crushers take on the Brisbane Broncos in round 4, the Crushers home ground support only averaged over 13,000 each game. The diminishing crowd numbers and player payments meant the club was on the brink of bankruptcy. The ARL and a mystery supporter bailed the club out with over half a million dollars in financial relief. With first-grade rugby league divided between two competitions, it would be hard for the Crushers to recoup lost money in establishing the club as it ploughed further into debt. [1]

A glimmer of hope for the club came when the Crushers won the Under 21's premiership, defeating the Parramatta Eels in the Under 21's Grand Final. This was to be the only premiership of any competition or grade for the Crushers.

RoundHomeScoreAwayDateVenueCrowd
1 Canberra Raiders forfeitSouth Queensland Crushers
2South Queensland Crushers24–20 Parramatta Eels 29 March 1996 Lang Park 12,704
3South Queensland Crushers4–22 Penrith Panthers 7 April 1996 Lang Park 11,694
4South Queensland Crushers8–28 Brisbane Broncos 12 April 1996 Lang Park 34,263
5 North Sydney Bears 18–4South Queensland Crushers21 April 1996 North Sydney Oval 7,871
6South Queensland Crushers6–14 Manly Sea Eagles 28 April 1996 Lang Park 15,202
7 Illawarra Steelers 18–14South Queensland Crushers5 May 1996 Wollongong Stadium 4,883
8 Parramatta Eels 14–4South Queensland Crushers11 May 1996 Parramatta Stadium 9,621
9South Queensland Crushers12–38 Sydney City Roosters 25 May 1996 Lang Park 10,107
10 Newcastle Knights 22–6South Queensland Crushers9 June 1996 Marathon Stadium 17,559
11 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 28–4South Queensland Crushers15 June 1996 Shark Park 7,071
12South Queensland Crushers2–12 Sydney Tigers 22 June 1996 Lang Park 10,166
13 Penrith Panthers 16–20South Queensland Crushers30 June 1996 Penrith Stadium 4,215
14South Queensland Crushers24–22 Western Suburbs Magpies 7 July 1996 Lang Park 8,961
15 South Sydney Rabbitohs 48–16South Queensland Crushers14 July 1996 Redfern Oval 3,107
16South Queensland Crushers4–52 Gold Coast Chargers 21 July 1996 Lang Park 8,776
17 Auckland Warriors 16–12South Queensland Crushers28 July 1996 Mt Smart Stadium 17,000
18South Queensland Crushers16–18 Western Reds 4 August 1996 Lang Park 7,789
19 North Queensland Cowboys 11–6South Queensland Crushers9 August 1996 Stockland Stadium 24,989
20South Queensland Crushers8–26 St. George Dragons 18 August 1996 Lang Park 9,567
21 Canterbury Bulldogs 17–16South Queensland Crushers25 August 1996 Belmore Oval 5,025
22South Queensland Crushers10–36 Canberra Raiders 1 September 1996 Lang Park 13,945

1997 season – The third and final season

The 1997 season was not much better for the Crushers, again taking the wooden spoon for the second year running. Major sponsor XXXX was replaced as the major sponsor by AVJennings. The club only won four games of the twenty-two match season. The 1997 season for the Crushers saw their home game attendances dwindle to an average of 7,000 and even with free days, which allowed supporters to come to the games free of charge, the club didn't gather support as it had in its inaugural season. The Crushers did however win their final match of the season convincingly 39–18 over the Western Suburbs Magpies and along with the North Sydney Bears and Newtown Jets, the South Queensland Crushers remain one of the few defunct clubs to have won their final game. [1]

RoundHomeScoreAwayDateVenueCrowd
1 Sydney City Roosters 34–10South Queensland Crushers9 March 1997 Sydney Football Stadium 8,475
2South Queensland Crushers23–6 Parramatta Eels 16 March 1997 Lang Park 9,523
3 Newcastle Knights 44–0South Queensland Crushers23 March 1997 Marathon Stadium 15,114
4South Queensland Crushers16–36 Manly Sea Eagles 29 March 1997 Lang Park 9,147
5 Illawarra Steelers 14–6South Queensland Crushers6 April 1997 WIN Stadium 6,144
6South Queensland Crushers14–22 Gold Coast Chargers 13 April 1997 Lang Park 5,290
7 South Sydney Rabbitohs 24–20South Queensland Crushers20 April 1997 Sydney Football Stadium 4,353
8South Queensland Crushers16–18 Balmain Tigers 25 April 1997 Lang Park 5,998
9 St. George Dragons 32–22South Queensland Crushers4 May 1997 Kogarah Oval 5,003
10South Queensland Crushers22–36 North Sydney Bears 10 May 1997 Lang Park 5,447
11 Western Suburbs Magpies 32–12South Queensland Crushers18 May 1997 Campbelltown Stadium 5,732
12South Queensland Crushers28–14 Sydney City Roosters 23 May 1997 Lang Park 5,518
13 Parramatta Eels 52–10South Queensland Crushers8 June 1997 Parramatta Stadium 10,009
14South Queensland Crushers6–24 Newcastle Knights 28 June 1997 Lang Park 4,769
15 Manly Sea Eagles 46–12South Queensland Crushers6 July 1997 Brookvale Oval 5,055
16South Queensland Crushers8–34 Illawarra Steelers 19 July 1997 Lang Park 2,364
17 Gold Coast Chargers 40–18South Queensland Crushers27 July 1997 Carrara Stadium 8,392
18South Queensland Crushers17–16 South Sydney Rabbitohs 3 August 1997 Lang Park 3,545
19 Balmain Tigers 32–14South Queensland Crushers10 August 1997 Leichhardt Oval 5,101
20South Queensland Crushers0–14 St. George Dragons 17 August 1997 Lang Park 13,845
21 North Sydney Bears 42–8South Queensland Crushers24 August 1997 North Sydney Oval 7,308
22South Queensland Crushers39–18 Western Suburbs Magpies 31 August 1997 Lang Park 11,588

Demise

With the unification of the Australian Rugby League and Super League competitions following the 1997 season, the new National Rugby League competition was formed. This meant that three of the twenty-two teams participating in 1997 would be axed as part of the rationalisation process aimed at reducing teams to an optimal number. With the introduction of the Melbourne Storm and the fact that the agreement between the Australian Rugby League and Super League was to have a fourteen-team competition in 2000, the future for the Crushers was inevitably demise. [1]

In late 1997, the club's only option of survival was to merge, with the most likely contender the Gold Coast Chargers, who like the Crushers, were struggling to be able to compete in the competition with the hugely successful Brisbane Broncos being the dominant team in south-east Queensland. However, the National Rugby League approved the Gold Coast team for the 1998 season, and they went alone into the re-unified competition. The South Queensland Crushers were liquidated in December 1997 with debts totalling over A$3 million. [1]

Season Summaries

SeasonPldWDLPFPAPDW%Position
Australian Rugby League season 1995 226115303502-19927.27%16/20
Australian Rugby League season 1996 214018220496-27614.29%20/20
Australian Rugby League season 1997 224018321630-30918.18%12/12
Total65131518441628-78420%

Notable players

Over their three-year presence in the Australian Rugby League premiership, the club managed to produce one Australian international player, Trevor Gillmeister.

Other notable players include Dale Shearer, Mark Hohn, Craig Teevan, Mario Fenech, William David Gressly, Nigel Gaffey, John Jones, Tony Kemp, Phillip Lee, Danny Nutley, Mark Protheroe and Kurt Wrigley. Players who went on to be successful with other clubs include Clinton Schifcofske, Mark Tookey, Scott Sattler, Travis Norton, Chris McKenna, St John Ellis, Steele Retchless and Danny Nutley, Grant Young.

Records

Club records from 1995–1997. [3]

Premierships

Biggest Wins

MarginScoreOpponentVenueDate
2139–18 Western Suburbs Magpies Lang Park 31 August 1997
2028–8 Penrith Panthers Lang Park 25 June 1995
1933–14 Parramatta Eels Lang Park 30 April 1995

Biggest Losses

MarginScoreOpponentVenueDate
544–58 Canberra Raiders Bruce Stadium 25 August 1995
484–52 Gold Coast Chargers Lang Park 21 July 1996
440–44 Newcastle Knights Marathon Stadium 23 March 1997

Most games for club

Most points for club

Most tries for club

Most goals for club

Most points in a season

Most tries in a season

Most goals in a season

Longest Winning Streak

2 matches, 30 June – 7 July 1996.

Longest Losing Streak

10 matches, 7 April – 22 June 1996.

Largest Attendance (home)

34,263 vs Brisbane Broncos, Round 4, 1996

Smallest Attendance (home)

2,364 vs Illawarra Steelers, Round 16, 1997

Largest Attendance (away)

49,607 vs Brisbane Broncos at ANZ Stadium, Round 4, 1995

Smallest Attendance (away)

3,107 vs South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval, Round 15, 1996

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References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Whiticker, Alan & Collis, Ian (2004). The History of Rugby League Clubs. New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd. ISBN   1-74110-075-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "About". Trevor Gillmeister. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  3. ↑ South Queensland Crushers at Rugby League Project
Sources
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