1998 NRL season
| 1998 National Rugby League | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 20 |
| Premiers |  Brisbane (4th title) |
| Minor premiers | Brisbane (3rd title) |
| Matches played | 253 |
| Points scored | 10131 |
| Attendance | 2937741 |
| Top points scorer(s) |  Ivan Cleary (284) |
| Top try-scorer(s) | Darren Smith (23) |
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 Bulldogs.
Pre-season
The National Rugby League was formed after an agreement was reached between the two rivaling competitions from 1997, the Australian Rugby League and the Super League. In December 1997, the two parties formed a joint board to run the new Australian rugby league club competition. The vast majority of the 22 clubs that contested in 1997 across the split competitions also contested the first season of the National Rugby League, with the exception of the Hunter Mariners, the Western Reds and South Queensland.
The National Rugby League imposed a $3M salary cap on each of the clubs.[1]
Advertising
Super League's ad agency VCD in Sydney successfully kept the account post-reunification. The 1998 ad featured the song "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba with its theme of rising against adversity:
- I get knocked down! But I get up again; you're never gonna keep me down.
There was no visual performance of the song in the ad which returned to the standard rugby league imagery of big hits and crunching tackles to accompany the track.
Teams
The closure of the Hunter Mariners, Western Reds and South Queensland Crushers, and the introduction of the Melbourne Storm meant that a total of twenty clubs contested the 1998 Premiership. Eleven of these clubs were from Sydney, the traditional home of the competition, but an agreement between the Australian Rugby League and Super League meant that many of these clubs were in danger of being cut from the competition by the 2000 season when, it was decided, only 14 clubs would be invited to contest the premiership.
Regular season
Rounds 5 and 7: Brisbane Broncos set a new record for their biggest win, firstly 58-4 against North Queensland Cowboys, then 60-6 against North Sydney Bears, both games being played at Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.
Round 12: The record for the biggest comeback in premiership history was re-set by the North Queensland Cowboys who trailed 26–0 at half-time and came back to beat the Penrith Panthers 36–28.
Round 24: Ivan Cleary's tally of 284 points set a new individual record for most points scored in a season in Australian club rugby league history; it has since been beaten.
Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane
|
24 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 688 | 310 | +378 | 37 |
| 2 |  Newcastle
|
24 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 562 | 381 | +181 | 37 |
| 3 |  Melbourne
|
24 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 546 | 372 | +174 | 35 |
| 4 |  Parramatta
|
24 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 468 | 349 | +119 | 35 |
| 5 |  North Sydney
|
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 663 | 367 | +296 | 34 |
| 6 | Sydney City
|
24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 680 | 383 | +297 | 32 |
| 7 |  Canberra
|
24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 564 | 429 | +135 | 30 |
| 8 |  St. George
|
24 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 486 | 490 | -4 | 27 |
| 9 |  Canterbury
|
24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 489 | 411 | +78 | 26 |
| 10 |  Manly-Warringah
|
24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 503 | 473 | +30 | 26 |
| 11 |  Cronulla-Sutherland
|
24 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 438 | 387 | +51 | 25 |
| 12 |  Illawarra
|
24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 476 | 539 | -63 | 23 |
| 13 |  Balmain
|
24 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 381 | 463 | -82 | 19 |
| 14 |  Penrith
|
24 | 8 | 2 | 14 | 525 | 580 | -55 | 18 |
| 15 |  Auckland
|
24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 417 | 518 | -101 | 18 |
| 16 |  North Queensland
|
24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 361 | 556 | -195 | 18 |
| 17 |  Adelaide
|
24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 393 | 615 | -222 | 14 |
| 18 |  South Sydney
|
24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 339 | 560 | -221 | 10 |
| 19 |  Gold Coast
|
24 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 289 | 654 | -365 | 8 |
| 20 |  Western Suburbs
|
24 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 371 | 802 | -431 | 8 |
Ladder progression
- Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 10.
- Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
- Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished in last place on the ladder in that round
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Broncos
|
2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 37 |
| 2 | Newcastle Knights
|
2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 37 |
| 3 | Melbourne Storm
|
2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 35 |
| 4 | Parramatta Eels
|
2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 35 |
| 5 | North Sydney Bears
|
0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 |
| 6 | Sydney City Roosters
|
2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
| 7 | Canberra Raiders
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 30 |
| 8 | St George Dragons
|
2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 |
| 9 | Canterbury Bulldogs
|
2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 |
| 10 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
|
0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 |
| 11 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
|
0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 25 |
| 12 | Illawarra Steelers
|
0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 |
| 13 | Balmain Tigers
|
2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| 14 | Penrith Panthers
|
0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 |
| 15 | Auckland Warriors
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| 16 | North Queensland Cowboys
|
2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| 17 | Adelaide Rams
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| 18 | South Sydney Rabbitohs
|
2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 19 | Gold Coast Chargers
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 20 | Western Suburbs Magpies
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Finals series
The biggest surprise of the season was when the Melbourne Storm finished 3rd after the regular season in their first ever year, only to be knocked out by the Brisbane Broncos in the Semi Final. The Canterbury Bulldogs became the lowest placed team ever to make the Grand Final, after finishing 9th after the regular season. The Bulldogs did it tough though, coming from 16 points down twice in as many weeks. They came from 16-0 down to win 28-16 against the Newcastle Knights in the Semi Final, then 18-2 down with 11 minutes to go to make it 18-18 after regulation time, then going on to win 32-20 in extra time against the Parramatta Eels in the Preliminary Final.
Grand Final
27 September
|
| Brisbane Broncos Brisbane Broncos home jersey 1997.svg | 38 - 12[2] |  Canterbury Bulldogs
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Michael De Vere, Kevin Campion, Tonie Carroll, Wendell Sailor, Gorden Tallis, Phil Lee, Darren Smith Goals: Darren Lockyer (5/7) |
Tries: Tony Grimaldi, Willie Talau Goals: |
Sydney Football Stadium[3]
Attendance: 40,857[4] Referee: Bill Harrigan[5] Player of the Match: Gorden Tallis |
Post season
Brisbane's consistent dominance over other teams at this period of time contributed to the National Rugby League's plans to cut the number of teams down to 14 in order to ensure competitiveness and the long-term financial success of the game. [citation needed]
Despite the inclusion of "national" in the new competition's name, both the Gold Coast and Adelaide clubs folded at the end of the 1998 season.
1998 was the last season for the seventy-eight year old St. George Dragons and seventeen year old Illawarra Steelers clubs, who merged to form the NRL's first joint-venture team at the conclusion of the season, the St George Illawarra Dragons, for inclusion in the 1999 Premiership.
References
- ^ Toby Miller, Geoffrey A. Lawrence, Jim McKay (2001). Globalization and sport: playing the world. SAGE. p. 82. ISBN 0-7619-5969-6, 9780761959694.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: invalid character (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Harms, John (2005). The Pearl: Steve Renouf's Story. Australia: University of Queensland Press. p. 196. ISBN 0-7022-3536-9, 9780702235368.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: invalid character (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ NRL 1998 - Grand Final at rugbyleagueproject.org
- ^ Brisbane 38 v Canterbury 12 - Grand Final, 1998 at stats.rleague.com
- ^ 1998 National Rugby League Grand Final at rleague.com
- Rugby League Tables - Notes The World of Rugby League
- Rugby League Tables - Season 1998 The World of Rugby League
- Premiership History and Statistics RL1908
- 1998 - Broncos Take Inaugural NRL Competition RL1908