South Queensland Crushers Explained

Clubname:South Queensland
Fullname:South Queensland Crushers
Rugby League Football Club
Nickname:The Crushers
Colours:Aztec Gold, Navy Blue & Red
Founded:
(first season 1995)
Ground:Suncorp Stadium
Capacity:52,500
League:Australian Rugby League
Brisbane Rugby League
Premierships:0
Runnerups:0
Minorpremierships:0
Spoons:1.5
Spoonyears:1996, 1997 (ARL)
Homejersey:South Queensland Crushers home jersey 1995.svg

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.

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]

--font-size:90%;--> text-align:center;" width=100%
width=2%Roundwidth=25%Homewidth=4%Scorewidth=25%Awaywidth=14%Datewidth=20%Venuewidth=10%Crowd
1align=left South Queensland Crushers6–24align=left Canberra RaidersLang Park21,102
2align=left Parramatta Eels26–2align=left South Queensland CrushersParramatta Stadium8,080
3align=left Penrith Panthers34–12align=left South Queensland CrushersPenrith Stadium8,024
4align=left Brisbane Broncos32–0align=left South Queensland CrushersQE II49,607
5align=left South Queensland Crushers16–12align=left North Sydney BearsLang Park19,233
6align=left Manly Sea Eagles38–10align=left South Queensland CrushersBrookvale Oval10,616
7align=left South Queensland Crushers24–24align=left Illawarra SteelersLang Park16,253
8align=left South Queensland Crushers33–14align=left Parramatta EelsLang Park19,421
9align=left Sydney City Roosters17–6align=left South Queensland CrushersSydney Football Stadium5,556
10align=left South Queensland Crushers28–18align=left Newcastle KnightsLang Park21,072
11align=left South Queensland Crushers4–20align=left Cronulla-Sutherland SharksLang Park22,258
12align=left Sydney Tigers16–12align=left South Queensland CrushersParramatta Stadium3,225
13align=left South Queensland Crushers28–8align=left Penrith PanthersLang Park19,753
14align=left Western Suburbs Magpies38–14align=left South Queensland CrushersCampbelltown Stadium4,707
15align=left South Queensland Crushers20–24align=left South Sydney RabbitohsLang Park19,288
16align=left Gold Coast Seagulls8–14align=left South Queensland CrushersSeagulls Stadium6,731
17align=left South Queensland Crushers10–22align=left Auckland WarriorsLang Park28,928
18align=left Western Reds22–14align=left South Queensland CrushersWACA9,103
19align=left South Queensland Crushers22–6align=left North Queensland CowboysLang Park17,105
20align=left St. George Dragons16–6align=left South Queensland CrushersKogarah Oval9,091
21align=left South Queensland Crushers18–25align=left Sydney BulldogsLang Park26,904
22align=left Canberra Raiders58–4align=left South Queensland CrushersBruce Stadium19,107

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.

--font-size:90%;--> text-align:center;" width=100%
width=2%Roundwidth=25%Homewidth=4%Scorewidth=25%Awaywidth=14%Datewidth=20%Venuewidth=10%Crowd
1align=left Canberra Raidersforfeitalign=left South Queensland Crushers
2align=left South Queensland Crushers24–20align=left Parramatta EelsLang Park12,704
3align=left South Queensland Crushers4–22align=left Penrith PanthersLang Park11,694
4align=left South Queensland Crushers8–28align=left Brisbane BroncosLang Park34,263
5align=left North Sydney Bears18–4align=left South Queensland CrushersNorth Sydney Oval7,871
6align=left South Queensland Crushers6–14align=left Manly Sea EaglesLang Park15,202
7align=left Illawarra Steelers18–14align=left South Queensland CrushersWollongong Stadium4,883
8align=left Parramatta Eels14–4align=left South Queensland CrushersParramatta Stadium9,621
9align=left South Queensland Crushers12–38align=left Sydney City RoostersLang Park10,107
10align=left Newcastle Knights22–6align=left South Queensland CrushersMarathon Stadium17,559
11align=left Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks28–4align=left South Queensland CrushersShark Park7,071
12align=left South Queensland Crushers2–12align=left Sydney TigersLang Park10,166
13align=left Penrith Panthers16–20align=left South Queensland CrushersPenrith Stadium4,215
14align=left South Queensland Crushers24–22align=left Western Suburbs MagpiesLang Park8,961
15align=left South Sydney Rabbitohs48–16align=left South Queensland CrushersRedfern Oval3,107
16align=left South Queensland Crushers4–52align=left Gold Coast ChargersLang Park8,776
17align=left Auckland Warriors16–12align=left South Queensland CrushersMt Smart Stadium17,000
18align=left South Queensland Crushers16–18align=left Western RedsLang Park7,789
19align=left North Queensland Cowboys11–6align=left South Queensland CrushersStockland Stadium24,989
20align=left South Queensland Crushers8–26align=left St. George DragonsLang Park9,567
21align=left Canterbury Bulldogs17–16align=left South Queensland CrushersBelmore Oval5,025
22align=left South Queensland Crushers10–36align=left Canberra RaidersLang Park13,945

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]

--font-size:90%;--> text-align:center;" width=100%
width=2%Roundwidth=25%Homewidth=4%Scorewidth=25%Awaywidth=14%Datewidth=20%Venuewidth=10%Crowd
1align=left Sydney City Roosters34–10align=left South Queensland CrushersSydney Football Stadium8,475
2align=left South Queensland Crushers23–6align=left Parramatta EelsLang Park9,523
3align=left Newcastle Knights44–0align=left South Queensland CrushersMarathon Stadium15,114
4align=left South Queensland Crushers16–36align=left Manly Sea EaglesLang Park9,147
5align=left Illawarra Steelers14–6align=left South Queensland CrushersWIN Stadium6,144
6align=left South Queensland Crushers14–22align=left Gold Coast ChargersLang Park5,290
7align=left South Sydney Rabbitohs24–20align=left South Queensland CrushersSydney Football Stadium4,353
8align=left South Queensland Crushers16–18align=left Balmain TigersLang Park5,998
9align=left St. George Dragons32–22align=left South Queensland CrushersKogarah Oval5,003
10align=left South Queensland Crushers22–36align=left North Sydney BearsLang Park5,447
11align=left Western Suburbs Magpies32–12align=left South Queensland CrushersCampbelltown Stadium5,732
12align=left South Queensland Crushers28–14align=left Sydney City RoostersLang Park5,518
13align=left Parramatta Eels52–10align=left South Queensland CrushersParramatta Stadium10,009
14align=left South Queensland Crushers6–24align=left Newcastle KnightsLang Park4,769
15align=left Manly Sea Eagles46–12align=left South Queensland CrushersBrookvale Oval5,055
16align=left South Queensland Crushers8–34align=left Illawarra SteelersLang Park2,364
17align=left Gold Coast Chargers40–18align=left South Queensland CrushersCarrara Stadium8,392
18align=left South Queensland Crushers17–16align=left South Sydney RabbitohsLang Park3,545
19align=left Balmain Tigers32–14align=left South Queensland CrushersLeichhardt Oval5,101
20align=left South Queensland Crushers0–14align=left St. George DragonsLang Park13,845
21align=left North Sydney Bears42–8align=left South Queensland CrushersNorth Sydney Oval7,308
22align=left South Queensland Crushers39–18align=left Western Suburbs MagpiesLang Park11,588

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

width=250 Seasonwidth=20 abbr="Played" Pldwidth=20 abbr="Won" Wwidth=20 abbr="Drawn" Dwidth=20 abbr="Lost" Lwidth=20 abbr="Points for" PFwidth=20 abbr="Points against" PAwidth=25 abbr="Points difference" PDwidth=20 abbr="Win percentage" W%width=20 abbr="Position" Position
Australian Rugby League season 1995226115303502-19927.27%16/20
Australian Rugby League season 1996214018220496-27614.29%20/20
Australian Rugby League season 1997224018321630-30918.18%12/12
Total65131518441628-78420%

Notable players

See also: List of South Queensland Crushers 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

Margin Score Opponent Venue Date
2139–18Western Suburbs MagpiesLang Park31 August 1997
2028–8Penrith PanthersLang Park25 June 1995
1933–14Parramatta EelsLang Park30 April 1995

Biggest Losses

Margin Score Opponent Venue Date
544–58Canberra RaidersBruce Stadium25 August 1995
484–52Gold Coast ChargersLang Park21 July 1996
440–44Newcastle KnightsMarathon Stadium23 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

References

Notes
Sources

Notes and References

  1. Book: Whiticker, Alan & Collis, Ian . The History of Rugby League Clubs . New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd . 2004. 1-74110-075-5.
  2. Web site: About. Trevor Gillmeister. 2018-08-10.
  3. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/teams/south-queensland-crushers/records.html South Queensland Crushers at Rugby League Project

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