The Broncos all but destroyed the BRL.
They were only ever about money and early on even Arko regretted the antagonistic and avaricious approach the Broncos took towards Brisbane and the NSWRL.
When they didn't get their way, they created Super League.
Due to SL we saw the deaths of Perth, Adelaide (including the hard work put in to those expansion markets over a number years by the NSWRL). Then because of the war corporates AND fans walked from the game. Whilst Lachy and News Ltd bankrolled the Broncos, the $$$ dried up for others. Gold Coast, Illawarra and Sth Qld folded and Norths, Manly, St George, Wests and Balmain were all forced to merge and Souths culled due to a criteria News Ltd helped to set. Meanwhile News Ltd dictated TV revenue too..
Forgive me if I don't particularly like the Broncos.
Then because of the war the Broncos started and encouraged, AFL and Rugby managed to get a foothold. In 1994 the game was at a peak. And yes, some Sydney teams were "dying" but tv, crowds, media and engagement was at a high. Expansion was on the horizon. Adelaide and Melbourne just down the track. Pay tv was coming and the bounty would have bern good. The NSWRL were proposing to build and own the future Olympic Stadium. To be honest AFL currently is in a position the RL should be in but for the war.
So because of the Broncos and their News Ltd owners, the game collapsed, suffered and was stymied. It is slowly recovering after 20 years. But you say how much are the Bronx worth to the NRL now...but how much more would RL be worth if not for the Broncos?
The Broncos have had the best of it since the war that disenfranchised and embittered many rank and file members and fans. They got to monopolize a city to themselves where there should be at least 3-4 teams, got everything they wanted via News Ltd and signed the best players they could at the expense of places like Nth Qld.
You can hardly blame RL fans for "picking on" or "trolling" the Broncos when they cop some bad luck or act like the rest of us plebby teams.
And never forget this.
Your team ain't worth a pinch of shit without the rest of us. Which is what you should have learned in 1997.
