1998 NRL season | |
Teams | 20 |
Premiers | Brisbane (4th title) |
Minor premiers | Brisbane (3rd title) |
Matches played | 253 |
Points scored | 10131 (total) 40.043 (per match) |
Attendance | 2,937,741 (total) 11,612 (per match) |
Top point 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. After the Australian Rugby League and Super League organisations ran separate competitions parallel to each other in 1997, they joined to create a reunited competition in the NRL. The first professional rugby league club to be based in Melbourne, 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.
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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]
In all, 20 clubs contested in 1998 after the addition of a new club, Melbourne. 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.
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:
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.
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.
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 |
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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
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.
27 September | Brisbane Broncos | 38 - 12[2] | Canterbury Bulldogs | Sydney Football Stadium Attendance: 40,857 Referee/s: Bill Harrigan Man of the Match: Gorden Tallis |
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: Darryl Halligan (2/3) |
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.
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.
The long-serving St. George team, existent since 1921, and the Illawarra team merged to form the first joint-venture side at the conclusion of the season, St. George Illawarra for inclusion in the 1999 Premiership.
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