The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level rugby league competition from 1982 until 1998. On 13 December 1980, they were the first non-Sydney based team to be admitted into the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, with the Canberra Raiders being admitted later ensuring an even number of teams in the competition for the start of their first season, 1982. Over their seventeen years in the top grade, the club received three wooden spoons, made the play-offs twice and had a total of three of its players (two New South Wales Blues and one Queensland Maroon) selected to play for the Australia national rugby league team.
Following the Super League War and the NRL's intention to reduce the number of teams, the Steelers approached the St. George Dragons part way through the 1998 season to discuss forming a joint-venture and ensure the partial survival of both clubs. On 23 September 1998, Rugby League's first joint-venture, the St. George Illawarra Dragons, were officially announced. The Steelers share in the club was privatised to Wollongong-based WIN Corporation in 2018.
Illawarra still field stand alone teams in the Lisa Fiaola Cup (women's under 17's) and Tarsha Gale Cup (women's under 18's), S. G. Ball Cup (under 18's) and Harold Matthews Cup (under 16's) competitions as the Steelers.
The 23,750 capacity WIN Stadium is the Steelers home stadium.
History
Formation The Illawarra Rugby League made several attempts to enter the NSWRL competition, the first major attempt was in the 1950s. It made a much more serious attempt for entry into the 1967 season but were blocked by the Country Rugby League (CRL) who used their constitution to prevent Illawarra's plans of playing in the Sydney competition. This was a crucial moment in the emergence of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, as it was after Illawarra were blocked and the NSWRL wanted a second new club to enter with Penrith, preferably in the South of Sydney due to continued success at that time of the St. George Dragons, to avoid the need for a bye that "the shire's" submission was successful.
In this unsuccessful bid, Illawarra were to be backed by the then wealthy Illawarra Leagues Club in Church Street, Wollongong. The club is the second oldest leagues club in the world. It was originally established to financially support top class rugby league and soccer in the region.
On 13 December 1980, the NSWRL voted almost unanimously for Illawarra to enter in the 1982 season. Only three dissenting votes were counted, which were the three CRL representatives present. Illawarra's organiser Bob Millward told those at the meeting that rugby league in the region depended on this bid getting the go ahead. Interest in the region had turned away from local football to the Sydney competition. The Illawarra Mercury daily newspaper was increasing its coverage of the Sydney premiership and Illawarra's inclusion was viewed as the best way of reviving the local league.
1980s
Illawarra entered the competition in 1982, with financial backing from many of the local leagues clubs. Their first captain was star fullback John Dorahy, and first coach Allan Fitzgibbon. Unfortunately, the recession hit hard and the leagues club money dried up and the Steelers were a new club in desperate financial trouble. In 1984, BHP Steel saved the club, signing on as the major sponsor. BHP stayed with the Steelers until they left the NRL at the end of the 1998 season.
Their first 8 seasons produced 3 wooden spoons, but things started to improve for the club. In the 1989 Panasonic Cup the club reached the final which was played against the Brisbane Broncos at Parramatta Stadium. The Broncos raced to a 16–0 lead and it seemed the Steelers much more fancied opponents would run away with the game. But Illawarra, inspired by eventual man-of-the-match, Great Britain international Andy Gregory, hit back. Young Illawarra Juniors such as Brett Rodwell and Rod Wishart made their mark in this game, players that would form the foundation of the club's improved performances in the early 1990s. Illawarra lost the match 22–20, however Brisbane scored a try off what appeared to be forward pass. The large Illawarra contingent at Parramatta Stadium booed the Broncos after their win, with Brisbane captain Wally Lewis gaining their ire by gesturing back. Illawarra's performance inspired Australian folk singer John Williamson to write a song about the match. The 1989 season also saw Gregory's Wigan and Great Britain teammate, Steve Hampson, playing for the Steelers.
1990s 1990 saw big improvements with the club finishing not too far away from the top five. The Steelers licensed club opened its doors thanks to the efforts of the local community and businesses. Whereas Sydney teams had huge financial support from their respective leagues clubs, Illawarra for the first time had its own small leagues club but with an enviable major sponsor (BHP Steel) and sleeve sponsor combination – The Steelers making Rugby League history as the first club to have a sleeve sponsor, with MMI Insurance getting on board.
A new coach by the name of Graham Murray turned Illawarra into an almost unbeatable force at the Wollongong Showground in 1991, losing only to the Penrith Panthers who went on to win the premiership. A crushing 44–4 win over Canterbury-Bankstown, an upset win over Manly in a Sunday match of the round as well as a big win over Brisbane, 19–2, were signs of things to come. A crucial refereeing decision by Bill Harrigan towards the end of the season in a game at Penrith Stadium put an end to their finals aspirations. Harrigan, much to his credit, apologised in the media after the game. Thus Illawarra missed out on a place in the finals by just two points, despite having a season points differential second only to eventual premiers, Penrith.
The Steelers were able to avenge their 1989 Panasonic Cup Final loss to Brisbane by beating them in the 1992 pre-season Tooheys Challenge Cup, in a try-less final at Dubbo, 4–2. This sparked their successful 1992 Winfield Cup campaign, going to within one game from the Grand Final. Illawarra's first semi-final was against future merger partner St. George, beating "big-brother" 18–16. Next a loss to the Broncos 22–12 and their last chance against St. George, losing 4–0. However, Illawarra were denied tries on several controversial occasions leaving the Steelers with a bitter end to their successful season.
During the 1992 season, the Steelers hosted the touring Great Britain Lions. In front of 9,500 fans at Steelers Stadium with the tourists winning a tight game 11–10, Illawarra resting several star players.
1993 was a season met by Steelers fans with high expectations, but crucial tight losses and games they were expected to win saw the side finish just outside the top 5.
In 1994, the club finished in 6th place, 2 points behind Brisbane. Following these results, the club was considered a competitor in the Winfield Cup.
Super League hit in 1995 and the Steelers were in for a rough ride. The good work in becoming a credible force in the competition went out the window with the sacking of Graham Murray, which is the only incident where anyone in the competition lost their job as a direct result of the Super League war. Murray was organising meetings between Illawarra players and Super League officials, as Super League had intentions of either getting the Steelers or possibly a new Illawarra club. Local club Wests Illawarra were reported in the Illawarra Mercury as being a potential Illawarra Super League club. Local league fans reacted angrily and nothing came of it. Illawarra and its supporters remained loyal to the ARL, though Steelers board member and then speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Stephen Martin, resigned from the club citing the need to join Super League for them to survive. Martin would be proved right within three years.
1996 was another year of disappointment, with players not seeing eye-to-eye with new coach Allan McMahon. A horror 54–4 thrashing at the hands of arch-rival Brisbane Broncos was the low point. McMahon, despite signing a three-year contract, was sacked at the end of the season and was replaced the next season by former player and then reserve grade coach Andrew Farrar.
In 1997's stand-alone Australian Rugby League competition, the Steelers finished sixth, qualifying for the Finals series, only to bow out in the first week at a rain sodden and sparsely populated Parramatta Stadium. Having beaten the Gold Coast Chargers comprehensively in Wollongong in the final round, they put in shocking performance to lose to the same side they had just beaten the previous week.
1998 saw the Steelers come agonisingly close to the finals, missing out with other results going against them and a heartbreaking 1 point loss to eventual grand finalists Canterbury-Bankstown in their final match.
During season 1998, the newly established NRL administration announced the entry criteria for teams to compete from the year 2000, with clubs offered incentives to form joint ventures. A controversial aspect of the criteria for the Illawarra region was the classification of the Steelers as a Sydney club. Additionally, Newcastle, Canberra and Auckland would be given automatic entry, with Illawarra believing they too were an important regional centre that should stand alone.
Alas, with the possibility of not making the cut, Illawarra approached St. George and initiated joint venture talks midway through 1998. Western Suburbs (whom Illawarra were rumoured to be merging with in the 1980s) and Cronulla both expressed interest but Steelers CEO Bob Millward claimed that the club's preferred partner was always St. George. The joint venture was officially announced at the end of the season, and would be named St. George Illawarra Dragons, playing 50% of their home games in Sydney and 50% in Wollongong in 1999.
Notable players produced by the Illawarra Steelers include international representatives Rod Wishart and Paul McGregor. Former Steelers players Trent Barrett, Shaun Timmins and Craig Fitzgibbon went on to represent their country after the Steelers' final stand-alone season in 1998.
Season summaries + P=Premiers, R=Runners-up, M=Minor Premierships, F=Finals Appearance, W=Wooden Spoons (Brackets Represent Finals Games) Competition GamesPlayed GamesWon GamesDrawn GamesLost LadderPosition P R M F W Coach Captain Details 26 6 0 20 13 / 14 Allan Fitzgibbon John Dorahy 26 8 0 18 12 / 14 24 12 0 12 9 / 13 24 5 0 19 13 / 13 24 7 0 17 13 / 13 24 8 0 16 11 / 13 Perry Haddock 22 6 1 15 13 / 16 Terry Fearnley 22 2 1 19 16 / 16 Ron Hilditch 22 11 1 10 9 / 16 22 12 1 9 8 / 16 22 (3) 13 (1) 1 (0) 8 (2) 3 / 16 22 12 0 10 7 / 16 22 11 3 8 6 / 16 22 10 1 11 12 / 20 22 8 0 14 14 / 20 22 (1) 10 (0) 3 (0) 9 (1) 6 / 12 24 11 1 12 12 / 20
Joint venture The Illawarra Steelers decided to form a joint venture with the St. George Dragons for the 1999 NRL season to form the St. George Illawarra Dragons. The Illawarra and St. George contingents are equal stakeholders in the new club, and until 2014, half of the new team's home games were played at WIN Stadium. The Illawarra Steelers have at times provided the bulk of St. George Illawarra's squad, including internationals Matt Cooper, Luke Bailey, Jason Ryles, Shaun Timmins, Trent Barrett, Brett Morris, Josh Morris and Ben Creagh.