Battle for Brisbane (rugby league)
| Other names | Battle of Brisbane |
|---|---|
| Location |  Brisbane, Queensland |
| Teams |  Brisbane Broncos  Dolphins  South Queensland Crushers (former) |
| First meeting | Broncos 32 – 0 Crushers (31 March 1995) |
| Latest meeting | Broncos 28 – 14 Dolphins (12 April 2024) |
| Next meeting | 31 August 2024 |
| Stadiums | Suncorp Stadium The Gabba |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 3 |
| Most wins | Broncos (3) |
| Top scorer | Selwyn Cobbo (24) |
| All-time series | Broncos: 3 wins Dolphins: 0 wins |
| Largest victory | Broncos – 14 points (12 April 2023) |
The rugby league Battle for Brisbane is the name for the series of matches between the professional rugby league clubs in Brisbane.[1]
The original series was between the Brisbane Broncos and the South Queensland Crushers during the ARL competition in the mid-1990s. The Brisbane Broncos won both encounters.
In 2023, the new Dolphins franchise re-ignited the series,[2] with the teams striking a new Battle Medal as the player of the match award, as decided by prominent rugby league commentators.[3][4]
Results[edit]
Broncos vs Crushers[edit]
The Brisbane Broncos would meet the South Queensland Crushers just twice in the then ARL-controlled competition. The first meeting at Brisbane's ANZ Stadium came on the night the Super League war broke out in 1995.[5] The long-awaited clash between Brisbane's two teams ended up a bit of a non-event, with the Broncos having a glut of possession to race out to an early 12–0 lead, extending it further in the second half.[5] The Crushers lack of penetration in attack was their ultimate downfall, as they were held scoreless in just their fourth competition fixture.[6]
The second match between the teams came over a year later in the 1996 ARL season, with the Broncos again winners, in front of a then competition record crowd of 34,263 at Suncorp Stadium.[7] The Crushers would take an 8–6 lead into halftime, before the Broncos overwhelmed the Crushers in the final ten minutes with three tries.[7]
Due to the split caused by the Super League war, the two teams would not meet again before the Crushers' ultimate demise in December 1997.[8]
| Game | Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Broncos
|
32–0 | South Queensland Crushers
|
31 March 1995 | QE II | 49,607 |
| 2 | South Queensland Crushers
|
8–28 | Brisbane Broncos
|
12 April 1996 | Lang Park | 34,263 |
Broncos vs Dolphins[edit]
| Game | Home | Score | Away | Date | Round | Venue | Referee | Attendance | Battle Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dolphins
|
12–18 | Brisbane Broncos
|
24 March 2023 | Round 4 | Suncorp Stadium | Adam Gee | 51,047 | Payne Haas[9]
|
| 2 | Brisbane Broncos
|
24–16 | Dolphins
|
1 July 2023 | Round 18 | The Gabba | Peter Gough | 30,606 | Selwyn Cobbo[10]
|
| 3 | Brisbane Broncos
|
28–14 | Dolphins
|
12 April 2024 | Round 6 | Suncorp Stadium | Adam Gee | 46,224 | Selwyn Cobbo[11]
|
| 4 | Dolphins
|
Brisbane Broncos
|
31 August 2024 | Round 26 | Suncorp Stadium |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Walter, Brad (24 March 2023). "'We are the Broncos': Scene set for Battle of Brisbane". NRL.com. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "The Battle for Brisbane". dolphinsnrl.com.au. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ Crockford, Nick (24 March 2023). "Medal battle in Dolphins-Broncos blockbuster". moretondaily.com.au. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Battle medal unveiled". dolphinsnrl.com.au. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ a b Middleton, David, ed. (1996). Rugby League 1996. Surrey Hills: Harper Sports. pp. 87–89. ISBN 0732256720.
- ^ "South Queensland Crushers results". Rugby League Tables. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ a b Middleton, David, ed. (1997). Rugby League 1997. Sydney: Harper Sports. pp. 62–63. ISBN 0732257875.
- ^ Alan Whiticker; Ian Collis (2004). The History of Rugby League Clubs. New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd. ISBN 1741100755.
- ^ Gates, Zachary (24 March 2023). "Friday night NRL AS IT HAPPENED: Kotoni Staggs wins derby thriller, hits Dolphins with screaming message; Payne Haas wins inaugural 'Battle Medal'". Nine's Wide World of Sport. Nine Media. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Hat trick hero Cobbo ignites Broncos' win over Dolphins". espn.com.au. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Edwards, Colleen (13 April 2024). "Pearls of wisdom help guide Cobbo along a new path". NRL.com. Retrieved 13 April 2024.