The split competitions
Super League teams
Brisbane, Cronulla, Canberra, Canterbury, Penrith, Hunter, Auckland, Western Reds, Adelaide, North Queensland
ARL teams
Newcastle, Manly, Parramatta, North Sydney, Sydney City (Eastern Suburbs), Illawarra, Gold Coast, Balmain, Western Suburbs, St George, South Sydney, South Queensland
Teams that played in the 1997 seasons.
Yet the game is now far more professional and sophisticated than it was in 1995, made so by the financial outcomes of the Super League war. Players are full-time and gain a fair commercial return from the code’s TV contracts and sponsorships. Each club has a support staff which caters for their medical, dietary and welfare needs, as well as a highly resourced football department.
When the ARL and Super League consolidated at the end of the war to produce common rules, the ARL introduced the 40:20 rule which breaks the game’s “you have it for six tackles, we have it for six tackles” nexus. Super League brought in video replay, assisting officials in on field decision-making. (The Bunker, which complicates and delays decisions came later).
Andrew Ettingshausen, Lachlan Murdoch and Ken Cowley at a Super League launch.Credit:Fairfax Media
It can be argued this progress was inevitable but Super League also brought innovations and ideas - a mix of the fertile and foolish – which were trialled and refined.
The 1997 World Club Challenge between News Ltd’s ten Australian and ten English clubs, with its lop sided scorelines and massive expenses, was abandoned but persists as a one game final between the winners of the NRL and English competitions.
Super League also agitated for a new judiciary system where players could avoid a hearing by pleading guilty and a graded points system creates consistency. Their 1997 night grand final in Brisbane led to the NRL switching its final decider to the evening with its higher TV ratings. Super League also argued for an October representative window.
On the negative side, the Super League war killed traditional international competition with the northern hemisphere. News Ltd funded the English competition which switched to a summer season, meaning domestic competitions in the two major playing nations are held at the same time.
In October/November this year, the Kangaroos will play a three-Test series against Great Britain in London, Liverpool and Leeds for the first time in 22 years. The Kangaroos will obviously not meet English clubs, such as Wigan and St Helens, or play in France.
However, the southern hemisphere has become stronger with the emergence of Samoa and Tonga, finalists and semi-finalists in World Cups.
Super League chief executive John Ribot describes the rise of Pasifika as “Super League’s greatest legacy,” explaining, “When it appeared inevitable that there would be two competitions - ARL and Super League - I went to Ken Cowley (News Ltd chair) and said, ‘We will need more players.’ So News invested millions of dollars in Pasifika pathways for players and their families and we see that today with Pasifika players comprising half the NRL.”
Ribot explained that the News Ltd money gave him entree to heads of state in the Pacific, with the king of Tonga gifting him a painting and a senior Fijian government official presenting him with an ancient war tool used to pin down the necks of captives prior to decapitating them.
They hang on the wall of his apartment as a reminder of a conflict which was ultimately futile because its principal object was pay TV rights and Packer and Murdoch ended up splitting them.
The Fijian war tool is also a reminder that at times during the bitter conflict where friendships were destroyed and careers ended, and Ribot feared for his own head.
Murdoch plunders League
The Sydney Morning Herald's page 1 story from April 1, 1995
Mr Rupert Murdoch yesterday began his boldest move to hijack rugby league, with the signing of some of the game's best players and coaches, and one administrator.
Signed up to join the News Ltd super league for salaries ranging from $200,000 to $700,000 are:
PLAYERS: Brad Clyde, Terry Lamb, Dean Pay, Laurie Daley, Allan Langer, Steve Renouf and Alan Cann.
COACHES: Wayne Bennett (Brisbane), Tim Sheens (Canberra), Chris Anderson (Bulldogs), and John Lang (Cronulla).
Brisbane's chief executive officer, Mr John Ribot, will run the breakaway competition. Many other players have signed, but no other coaches or officials.
The media group is understood to have signed 10 Sydney Bulldog players and players from other clubs are also expected to make the switch.
The super league contracts for players and coaches come into play as soon as their current Australian Rugby League (ARL) contracts expire - between the end of this year and 1998.
News Ltd is counting on quickly winning a Trade Practices-related Federal Court action so that it can begin its super league next year.
It now appears to be focusing on destabilising the League's control of the sport by driving a wedge between players, coaches, administrators and clubs.
The six clubs named in News Ltd's court action, most of which are sympathetic to its plan, are Brisbane, Canberra, Newcastle, Canterbury, Cronulla and the Western Reds.
The new Auckland team is next on the hit-list and talks begin today between super league officials and the club.
The ARL chief executive, Mr John Quayle, was stunned last night by the magnitude of the raid.
"We have gathered information that a significant number of leading players and coaches have signed agreements with News Ltd. We have had it confirmed that Canterbury is one of the clubs involved. This raid on our game is of enormous proportions; we are looking at a long and lengthy legal battle."
Mr Quayle said the League's lawyers had not seen any contracts, but he added: "If it is considered the players are in breach of their existing contracts we will look at suing each and every player.
"We would suggest that each player talk to his lawyer and his club before signing any further agreements. The League has not changed its stance on challenging News Ltd in its attempt to hijack the game.
"I have had talks with Channel Nine owner Kerry Packer this evening and his organisation will be entering into the fight with the League."
The chief executive of Australian Consolidated Press, Mr Brian Powers, supported Mr Quayle, saying: "Channel Nine remains fully committed to supporting the League and retaining control of the game.
Mr Murdoch is understood to have promised to deliver Telstra, his pay TV partner, a major sport subscribers to the venture's new channels.
In other developments yesterday:
* Representatives of several of the clubs which fear they will be isolated if the super league goes ahead called for the six clubs named in the News Ltd court action to be kicked out of the premiership.
* The ARL chairman, Mr Ken Arthurson, said last night that Kerry Packer was set to take legal action aimed at thwarting News Ltd's super league court challenge.
Mr Packer's son, James, is a director of the Sydney Roosters and his club recently offered Clyde $300,000 a season.
However, News Ltd will pay Clyde $500,000 a year, with Canberra - heavily backed by the News subsidiary Ansett - contributing $200,000.
Mr Quayle said News was chasing the game's elite players and conceded: "Our clubs can't compete with Mr Murdoch."
The signing of players adds another dimension to the fight between Mr Murdoch and Mr Packer for control of League.
Clyde, who was in Sydney for contract talks last week, returned to the city yesterday where it is believed he signed the News-Raiders contract.
The ARL was plunged into this new crisis late on Thursday when News Ltd launched its legal action challenging the League's power to stop it approaching clubs.
ARL officials anticipated the raid on the elite players as each came off contract - a fact the Herald reported exclusively the day following Mr Packer's February victory over the rebel clubs at League headquarters.
PART 2
