Rod Maybon Adelaide Rams
AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union chief executive, John O’Neill predicted the death of rugby league following the demise of NRL clubs, Adelaide Rams and Gold Coast Chargers.
News Limited had withdrawn their funding of former Super League outfit, Adelaide Rams, forcing the club to close. The Chargers did not meet the criteria set by the Australian Rugby League, with Chairman, David Barnhill Snr announcing the club’s demise at a press conference on December 3.
Players from both clubs then scrambled to stitch up deals with other clubs with Kiwi, Terry Hermansson one of the first to find a new home – with the Auckland based Warriors. Damian Kennedy was the next Ram to secure his future, signing with Canberra, closely followed by Jason Ferris, who joined Cronulla. The Warriors released Quentin Pongia to Sydney Roosters and Stephen Kearney to Melbourne Storm. (Hermansson and Kennedy had signed with Adelaide from South Sydney and Wests Magpies, respectively, but did get to play a game).
O’Neill’s bold statement was in stark contrast to events in Australia late in 2023, with rugby union almost irrelevant on the sporting landscape after a failed World Cup campaign; a puny TV rights deal, and the defection to the Roosters of one of its only crowd pleasers, Mark Nawaqanitawase.
On December 23, 2023, News Limited’s Jamie Pandaram filed a story in which Rugby’s High Performance boss, Peter Horne urged players to remain in the 15-man code, because of the Internationa program.
But Horne conceded Rugby needed to have a good hard look at its talent pathways; players who were of interest to the code, and the means of securing them to long term deals.
I must confess to having been pessimistic about league’s future at the end of 1998, with Rugby Union approaching its fourth year of professionalism, armed with fat cheque books, ready to sign key players from League.
Rugby League attracted so many negative headlines during the three years of the Super League war (1995-97), and things did not miraculously brighten up with the first year of the unified (NRL) competition, 1998, although there were many positives, including dynamic football from Premiers; Brisbane; an absorbing State of Origin series (won by Queensland) and a competitive Trans-Tasman Test campaign, with Kangaroos winning 2-1.
NRL CEO, Neil Whittaker laughed off O’Neill’s claims in 1998, citing impressive television ratings; an “incredibly strong” grassroots system and a resurgent International component, as reasons to be optimistic about the future.
“The game may have suffered a knock or two in recent times, but it’s certainly back on its feet,” Whittaker said.
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