Firehawks boss says Redcliffe have had turn and calls for fresh approach
FIREHAWKS bid chief Shane Richardson has ignited the expansion battle by claiming bid rivals the Dolphins have already failed once before with the ill-fated South Queensland Crushers venture.
The Dolphins are favourites to win the NRL’s 17th licence with the Redcliffe-backed organisation possessing assets of $100 million, plus 40,000 members via a Leagues Club that turns over $30m annually. But Richardson urged the ARL Commission to be mindful of Redcliffe’s history with expansion via the Crushers, who lasted just three seasons in 1995-97 before being killed off as part of Super LeagueARL peace talks to launch the NRL in 1998.
The Crushers’ playing jersey featured a red-and-white trim as a tribute to Redcliffe’s colours.
Their inaugural chairman was Redcliffe legend and Queensland Origin godfather ‘Dick’ Tosser Turner. After a promising first season, South Queensland were not helped by the Super League war and eventually drowned in a $3 million debt crisis in 1997. Richardson said the NRL’s exploration into a second Brisbane team for 2023 or 2024 to coexist with the Broncos should give the code a chance to start afresh with a new brand such as the Firehawks.
“The ARL Commission must realise the history of the South Queensland Crushers,” Richardson said.
“Who ran them? It was a Redcliffe club. ‘Tosser’ Turner was the (Crusher) chairman. He was in charge of the Crushers from day one.
“It’s a fact that Redcliffe had one turn already in the big league and failed. The western corridor of Brisbane is the fastest growing part of Queensland, not Redcliffe. If you are going to attract new people and new fans, that’s the corridor to attack.”
Redcliffe have come a long way in the past two decades. Dolphin Stadium has undergone a $6.5 million facelift that has seen the venue host NRL games this season, including a ManlyBulldogs and Penrith-Tigers double header on Sunday.
“If the Dolphins were given a licence tomorrow, we would be ready to go,” bid chief Terry Reader said.