Illawarra Steelers

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Template:Infobox defunct rl clubThe Illawarra Steelers were a top-level rugby league team based in the city of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. In 1982, along with the Canberra Raiders, they were admitted into the NSWRL.

Their first 8 seasons produced 3 wooden spoons, however a third placing was secured in 1992, and team narrowly missed out on a Grand Final appearance. In the game in which the Steelers would have qualified for the Grand Final, they lost to eventual merger partners St. George Dragons 4-0, despite contentious referee decisions to disallow tries by Illawarra on three separate occasions.

In 1997's stand-alone ARL competition, the Steelers finished sixth, again qualifying for the Finals series, only to bow out in the first week. 1998 saw the Steelers come agonisingly close to the finals, only missing out because of other results going against them.

The Illawarra Steelers produced some brilliant playing talent, most notably International representatives Rod Wishart and Paul McGregor. Former Steelers players Trent Barrett, Shaun Timmins and Craig Fitzgibbon have gone on to represent their country since the Steelers' final stand-alone season in 1998.

In the 1999 season, the Illawarra Steelers merged with the St. George Dragons to form the St George Illawarra Dragons. The Illawarra and St George contingents are equal stakeholders in the new club, and as such half of the new team’s home games are played at the Steelers' former home gound, WIN Stadium. The Illawarra provides the bulk of St George Illawarra's squad, including internationals Matt Cooper, Luke Bailey, Jason Ryles, Shaun Timmins, Trent Barrett and Ben Creagh.

While the Illawarra is represented in the NRL and New South Wales Rugby League by the St George Illawarra Dragons (in First Grade, Premier League and Jersey Flegg competitions), the Illawarra Steelers still participate as a single entity in junior competitions, most notably S.G. Ball and Harold Matthews Cup.

In early 2006, WIN Television Network bought a 25% share in the St. George Illawarra club for $6.5 million, erasing any debt Illawarra had to St. George.

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Coaches

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Notes

  1. This game was played using an obsoleted scoring system. Under current scoring guidelines, the score in this game would have been 54 - 0
  2. This game was played using an obsoleted scoring system. Under current scoring guidelines, the score in this game would have been 0 - 61
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