From the Super League wars to Joey John's infamous 1997 Grand Final bender to Tina Turner's iconic anthem, Memories explores the greatest moments of footy from the 1990s.
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Join MemoriesThe 1990s had the most iconic pre-season advertising campaign of the sport’s history. Each year a promo would be cut using Tina Turner's "Simply The Best". The campaign was revamped each year through the 90s. Now, 30 years after it became the code’s anthem, the campaign has been used for the 2020 NRL season.
Memories Team From the Super League war to Joey Johns' infamous 1997 Grand Final celebrations to Tina Turner belting out ballads, the 1990s has long been considered the golden era of rugby league. Memories take you back to the glory days with the most memorable moments of rugby league from the 1990s. Create your own Memories Page for free: https://www.memories.net/
Memories Team One of the most memorable rugby league confrontations came in game two of the 1991 State of Origin series. Mark Geyer and Wally Lewis had it out just before halftime after QLD took exception to a ‘rabbit chop’ on Steve Walters. After a brief brouhaha broke out, the pair were called before the referee and snarled at each other like a pair of angry dogs.
Memories Team During the 1990s, Andrew Ettingshausen was a certified superstar of the game. ‘ET’ transitioned from a winger to a fullback/centre during the era, representing both NSW and Australia. The Cronulla star scored 96 tries over 176 games, including 18 in 1994 — a club record. He also claimed Dally M centre of the year in ’94 and ’96.
Memories Team For almost a decade from the 1990s to 2000s, the Queensland Maroons were just the Broncos with a bit of extra talent. It’s no surprise given the club’s domination of the era - Brisbane played the most finals during the decade. From 1990 to 2000, the team won back-to-back titles two different times (92/93 and 97/98).
Memories Team In his first full season as a 20-year-old in 1994, Steve Menzies scored 16 tries, was awarded Dally M rookie of the year, Dally M second-rower of the year and selection on the Kangaroos Tour. He went on to rack up a mind-blowing 104 tries from 150 games over the decade - including one in the Sea Eagles’ 1996 Grand Final win. His lethal partnership with Cliffy Lyons saw the back-rower change how the game was played. Beaver’s international career was just as outstanding, with the Manly forward bagging doubles in three successive matches in the 1995 World Cup.
Memories Team When Mal Meninga retired in 1994, he was still considered a colossus of the game. He led Canberra to premierships in 1990 and 1994. Meninga also captained his state and country, was two-time Dally M centre of the year during the 90s and was also named Dally M captain of the year in 1991 and 1994.
Memories Team The Winfield Cup was a trophy awarded to the winner of the New South Wales Rugby League Grand Final from 1982 to 1994. It was also carried over to the 1995 Grand Final of the newly-founded Australian Rugby League (ARL). The trophy was retired after the 1995 season when Winfield was forced to withdraw its sponsorship following legislation outlawing tobacco advertising in sports in Australia. Winfield were not the first tobacco company to sponsor the NSWRL Premiership, with W.D. & H.O. Wills sponsoring the competition from 1960 to 1981. A redesigned ARL premiership trophy, the Optus Cup, was introduced in 1996 and lasted until 1997 when the competition and Super League merged to form the NRL. Want more sport content? Visit out Michael Jordon Memories Page: https://bit.ly/2Bee59u
Before the biff was banned, the second game of the 1995 State of Origin series saw an infamous all-in melee that erupted in the fourth minute before a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground. “The day of the game I received a phone call from a mystery person that said he had mail out of the NSW camp that Gus (NSW coach Phil Gould) said the first person t...
Memories Team Andrew 'Joey' Johns made his debut for the Knights off the bench in the 1993 season. In just a few short years, Johns would be considered one of the best players in the world. One of his career highlights was setting up the try assist for Darren Albert to score the winning try in the 1997 Grand Final. The eighth Immortal famously broke into Sliverchair lead singer Daniel John’s house following the Grand Final win, dragging the teenager superstar out to join the Mad Monday celebrations. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/2Bee59u
A heated rivalry between Newcastle and Manly led to legendary battles between Knights big man Paul “The Chief” Harragon and Manly prop Mark “Spud” Carroll. Harragon was carted from the field after coming off second best in a collision with Carroll in 1995, but would ultimately have the last laugh beating Manly in the 1997 final with six seconds le...
Memories Team US chart topper Chubby Checker once performed as pre-game entertainment before an Adelaide Rams game in 1997.
Memories Team After unsuccessful attempts to purchase the pay television rights to rugby league in Australia, News Corp launched the Super League competition alongside the ARL for the 1997 season. The Auckland Warriors, Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders, Canterbury Bulldogs, Cronulla Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Western Reds and Penrith all joined Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp-backed Super League. Kerry Packer’s Optus-backed Australian Rugby League had Balmain Tigers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Newcastle Knights, Gold Coast Chargers North Sydney Bears, St George Dragons, Parramatta Eels, Sydney City Roosters, Illawarra Steelers, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, South Queensland Crushers and Western Suburbs Magpies. A messy battle was fought inside and outside of court over broadcasting rights for the top-level professional rugby league football competition of Australasia. Super League ran one premiership season parallel to the ARL's in 1997 after signing enough clubs disenchanted with the traditional administration to do so. At the conclusion of the 1997 season, a peace deal was reached and both competitions united to form the National Rugby League of today.
Memories Team When the NRL was formed in 1998, it was negotiated the competition would have 20 teams. With the Melbourne Storm added for the 1998 season, the NRL had to remove the WA Reds, South Queensland Crushers and Hunter Mariners. The following year, the Adelaide Rams and Gold Coast Chargers were removed from competition. After being ousted from the NRL league competition after the 1999 season, the Rabbitohs were granted readmission in 2002.
Canterbury Bulldogs might have lost the 1998 Grand Final against the Brisbane Broncos, but the club's two come-from-behind wins in the qualifying matches will forever remain in rugby league folklore. The first was against the Newcastle Knights in the third week of the finals. Behind 16–0 in the second half, the Bulldogs fought back to draw the ga...
Memories Team John Howard downing a XXXX Gold tinny with Brisbane Broncos player Kevin Walters after their NRL Grand Final win in 1998.
Memories Team The NRL achieved further reduction in the number teams through mergers of established clubs from Sydney and regional NSW. The first merger was between St George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers in 1999. A year later, the Western Suburbs Magpies merged with Balmain Tigers, and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles merged with North Sydney Bears.
By the end of the 1990s, Nine's Footy Show was dominating the ratings, with fans tuning in to see the antics of the panel.
Memories Team Love him or hate him, Anthony ‘The Man’ Mundine was one of the most notable names of the late 90s. On the field, Mundine was a naturally talented ballplayer with plenty of creativity and a penchant for post-try backflips. His outspoken opinions off the field would regularly create controversy, with Mundine gracing the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Mundine left rugby league halfway through the 2000 season, with the player opting to try his hand at professional boxing. During the 1998 season, he was the victim of racial vilification from Barry Ward, who was fined $10,000 for the taunt. In 1999, Mundine assisted the Dragons' run to the Grand Final, with a hat-trick against the Sharks in the major semi-final. The following week, the Dragons lost to the Melbourne Storm in the Grand Final. He was disappointed to have not been picked for the Kangaroos after the season, attributing racism as the reason for his representative snub.
Memories Team When western Sydney wonder boy Brad Fittler burst onto the scene, he quickly earned a reputation as one of the game’s most devastating attacking players. Fittler notched six Origin games, four test matches and a premiership all before he was 21. Fittler’s illustrious career ended up spanning 16 years, which included 336 first-grade games, 40 test matches and 31 Origins for the Blues. The loveable larrikin was also known for his wild ways. In 1999, Fittler was found passed out in front of the Glebe police station, with a source describing the incoherent football star as “the drunkest human being ever”. Unable to communicate, police allowed him to remain on the premises for three hours until he was sober enough to supply his home address to be taxied home. Panther’s coach Phil Gould said: "He's gone where we tell all our kids to go when they've got a problem: to their nearest friendly police station. He showed good sense to get help."
Memories Team Thanks to iconic commentators like Roy and HG, rugby league players were handed some terrific nicknames during the 90s. These included: The Black Pearl (Steve Renouf) The Brick (Glenn Lazarus) Cement (David Gillespie) The Axe (Trevor Gillmeister). The Raging Bull (Gorden Tallis). Big Mal (Mal Meninga) Baa Baa (Terry Lamb) Sticky (Ricky Stuart) Beaver (Steve Menzies) Brandy (Greg Alexander) Freddy (Brad Fittler) Loz (Laurie Daley) Joey (Andrew Johns) Boxhead (Steve Walters) Alfie (Allan Langer)