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The Newcastle Knights are a team that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top tier competition in 1988, 79 years after the previous Newcastle based team, the Newcastle Rebels had departed the Sydney competition with the formation of a separate league competition based in the Newcastle region.
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The Gold Coast Chargers were a professional rugby league club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998. They first played under the name Gold Coast-Tweed Giants from 1988 to 1989, then Gold Coast Seagulls from 1990 to 1995, very briefly as the Gold Coast Gladiators and finally Gold Coast Chargers from 1996 to 1998.
Adam "Mad Dog" MacDougall is an Australian author, businessman and former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative centre and wing, he could also play fullback and spent the majority of his career at the Newcastle Knights, with whom he won the 1997 and 2001 Premierships. He has also played for the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs. His brothers, Luke MacDougall, Ben MacDougall and Scott MacDougall have also played in the NRL. His father, Gil MacDougall, played for the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies NSWRFL.
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The St. George Illawarra Dragons are an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-venture was formed between the St. George Dragons and the Illawarra Steelers. The club officially formed as the game's first joint-venture club on 23 September 1998 and remains the only inter-city team in the NRL. The team has its headquarters and leagues clubs in both Wollongong and the Sydney suburb of Kogarah, and trains and plays games regularly at WIN Stadium in Wollongong, as well as at Jubilee Oval in Kogarah. From 1999 to 2006 the club was jointly owned by the St. George Dragons 50% and Illawarra Steelers 50%. In 2006 WIN Corporation purchased 50% of the Illawarra Steelers stake in the club before purchasing the rest of the Illawarra Steelers' share in August 2018.
Dean Schifilliti is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Primarily a hooker, Schifilliti played for the Illawarra Steelers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, North Queensland Cowboys, Adelaide Rams and Parramatta Eels throughout his career.
Brett Mullins is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, and early 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative back, he played his club football for Australian clubs the Canberra Raiders and Sydney Roosters, and for English club, the Leeds Rhinos. He was described as "one of the most exciting attacking weapons in rugby league."
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The history of the National Rugby League (NRL), the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia, goes back to December 1997, when it was formed in the aftermath of the Super League war of the mid-1990s. The NRL has, in its relatively brief history, enjoyed growth and record attendance figures.
Jason Demetriou is a professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL and a former professional rugby league footballer.
Craig Smith is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played as a prop in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Illawarra Steelers, St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Newcastle Knights as well as representing New Zealand, New Zealand Māori and Queensland.
Matt Parsons is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A Country New South Wales representative prop, he played his club football in the NRL for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Newcastle Knights with whom he won the 2001 NRL Premiership.
Brendan O'Meara is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Illawarra Steelers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition and the ARL and NRL competitions. O'Meara also played for the Dewsbury Rams, Rochdale Hornets and Featherstone Rovers in England.
References
- ↑ Rugby League Project
- ↑ Staff Reports (30 June 1998). "Rugby". The Augusta Chronicle . Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ "South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Player Report – Wayne Richards". www.ssralmanac.com.
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