NEWS Building the Broncos: Threats, fights and wooing Wayne

[Gaz]

​

Behind-the-scenes of the Brisbane Broncos’ entry into the NSWRL 30 years ago

February 5, 2018



Source: Foxsports.com.au

 

[1910]

Should have been a team 12 months earlier but the QRL clubs voted five for it. 59 players left Brisbane for Sydney for the 1987 season.

The next time the bid came up McAuliffe was on the Norwood-MacKay syndicate. Livermore was going to be CEO of the new club if they got up.

Van der Velde was heading up the other bid. Then when Maranta and Williams got together pulled in Balkin and Morgan and became a bid team. The- fourth was John Sattler and Bob Hagan.

Wally supported the McAuliffe bid and that made it the favourite.

March 23 was the day- vote was lost again so no Sydney team.

Norwood-Mackay knew they had to get the BRL clubs on side so offered them 2 million to share amongst the 8 of them. Sattler and Van der Velde dropped off now.

The write up is right, the Senator was on the nose with the QRL clubs, the Broncos four had strong ties with the clubs and offered them 30% of the profits from the Broncos. They offered to match the QRL club's sponsorship too up to $10k.

And two seats on the new club's board.

April 5th it was voted on to admit a team and then 14th voted 7-3 that it was the Maranta group. They had 11 months to get a side together.

Bennett cost them $100k to the Raiders to break his four year deal. Langer cost them 20K to get out of his Jets' deal.

 

[Revivous]

Fantastic write up!

 

[Gaz]

Thank you my son.

 

[Huge]

I remember some weird shit that went down when the QRL were doing everything in their power to undermine the Broncos. My memories are distorted but I think it was akin to a couple hiring a hall for a wedding reception and being told by the hall owners what brand beer the couple had to serve their guests ! I think I even remember them huddling around at half time surrounded by a Powers Bitter banner, a beer the QRL told the Broncos they couldn't sell to the Broncos own fans

 

[1910]

I remember some weird shit that went down when the QRL were doing everything in their power to undermine the Broncos. My memories are distorted but I think it was akin to a couple hiring a hall for a wedding reception and being told by the hall owners what brand beer the couple had to serve their guests ! I think I even remember them huddling around at half time surrounded by a Powers Bitter banner, a beer the QRL told the Broncos they couldn't sell to the Broncos own fans

Yeah against the Dragons. XXXX had the exclusive rights to Lang Park a deal the QRL was obviously keen to preserve and part of the Broncos' deal was no signage of Power's no serving of Power's beer.

That's why the first jumper only has POWER not Power's.

The Dragons' game got to half time and out came the Power's banner made into a makeshift shed on half way, players sat inside the square and that was half time.

QRL and XXXX were not happy.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Yeah against the Dragons. XXXX had the exclusive rights to Lang Park a deal the QRL was obviously keen to preserve and part of the Broncos' deal was no signage of Power's no serving of Power's beer.

That's why the first jumper only has POWER not Power's.

The Dragons' game got to half time and out came the Power's banner made into a makeshift shed on half way, players sat inside the square and that was half time.

QRL and XXXX were not happy.

Yeah I remember that when watching a Broncos VHS special video about the birth of the Broncos upto when the Broncos won their first premiership in 1992, I think it's Born to Win? Got it around here somewhere I'm sure.

 

[GCBRONCO]

That is the one I'm thinking of.

 

[GCBRONCO]

https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/da...vpYY30DleA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJKNBJ4MJBJNC6NLQ
Read on pages 44-48 it will give you a more detailed account of what occured. A great book to read BTW

 

[Huge]

https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/da...vpYY30DleA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJKNBJ4MJBJNC6NLQ
Read on pages 47-48 it will give you a more detailed account of what occured. A great book to read BTW

Thanks, I will do that and refresh my memory.

 

[GCBRONCO]

You may get confused, it's chapter 4 in the book and go by the page number in the book, not by the page scans.

 

[Huge]

Yeah against the Dragons. XXXX had the exclusive rights to Lang Park a deal the QRL was obviously keen to preserve and part of the Broncos' deal was no signage of Power's no serving of Power's beer.

That's why the first jumper only has POWER not Power's.

The Dragons' game got to half time and out came the Power's banner made into a makeshift shed on half way, players sat inside the square and that was half time.

QRL and XXXX were not happy.

Can you tell me if I'm recollecting correctly but my thought was that they were selling Power's for some time before the dishonest QRL enforced the ban( or ensured it was part of a new sponsorship deal with xxxx )
I say dishonest because I'm sure I remember the QRL being asked directly, several times if they had anything to do with the Crushers....and they totally denied any connection with them, a claim later proven false.