Bye ANZ, Thanks For The Memories
by
Saturday May 17, 2003

Sunday marks the end of an era for the Brisbane Broncos.  After 10 years, 123 first grade games and a handful of World Club Challenge and preseason games, the Broncos are vacating the premises, moving back to their original home of Lang Park, now with the sterile Suncorp-Metway Stadium title.

For many, leaving ANZ Stadium is good riddance to bad rubbish, but that doesn't do justice to a venue which, for all its faults, has seen some of the greatest - and lowest - memories and moments of the Broncos' history.  Afterall, the club has spent almost two thirds of its life at the ground - in many ways it's like leaving the nest.

The irony of the Broncos' move to ANZ Stadium in 1993 is that it was largely due to a dispute between the Broncos and the Lang Park Trust over then major sponsors, Power Brewing.  Lang Park had an exclusive agreement with XXXX, and refused to allow the sale of Powers at the ground, and even wanted to prevent any signage for the Broncos' major sponsor.

The Brisbane City Council came to the rescue, and the Broncos signed a lease to move to ANZ Stadium for the 1993 season.  Why is that ironic?  Power Brewing left as major sponsor at the end of 1993, Traveland taking over for 1994.  Even more ironic, XXXX came on board.

But the move was done, and thanks to just a little bit of gentle persuasion by the club in the form of free tickets, crowds flocked to the Nathan venue next door to the Griffith University. For their opening game against Parramatta - which the Eels spoiled 12-8 and went on to dominate encounters with the Broncos there, more than 51000 people were on hand.  The 50000+ crowd size was replicated numerous times that year, and the Broncos went on to win back-to-back premierships for the first time.

Speculation began about the prospect of a NSWRL Grand Final being played at ANZ Stadium down the track, due in total to the fact it could hold almost 20000 more people than the Sydney Football Stadium.  However, with Sydney gaining the Olympics for 2000 and subsequently planning a 110000 seat stadium for that event, there was never any serious hope of a Grand Final heading north.

At least, not until the outbreak of Super League in 1995.  As a result of the breakaway competition, ANZ Stadium hosted the 1997 Super League Grand Final, which was the Broncos' third premiership after a 26-8 win over Cronulla in front of almost 60000 people - a ground record.

So, as the current side and the old boys of that opening game in 1993 walk around the ground at full time on Sunday, think back to some of the famous, infamous, good, bad and ugly moments that have played out before our eyes on ANZ Stadium.

Here's some of my favourites.

1997 Tri-Series Final - Queensland vs New South Wales

With Super League desperate for some interstate rivalry to compete with State of Origin, they conceived an innovative Tri-Series with Queensland, New South Wales and New Zealand.  The two Australian sides met in the final at ANZ Stadium and what unfolded was one of the most remarkable games in the history of the sport.  The match ebbed and flowed throughout a pulsating 80 minutes, the scores remaining deadlocked at 22-all as the full time siren sounded.  Another 20 minutes of extra time resulted in no change to the score, and finally we had our first ever Golden Point game.  Sadly for Queensland fans, three minutes into the sudden death period Blues halfback Noel Goldthorpe piloted over a field goal and New South Wales won 23-22. For all the criticism Super League copped, this was an absolutely magnificent game of football - just a shame the result went the wrong way.

2001 - State of Origin 3

Lang Park was being demolished.  Queensland were suffering a crisis in the halves with Ben Ikin and Shaun Berrigan injured.  The Maroons needed a miracle.  He just happened to be a 5'5 blonde haired halfback who mysteriously arrived from Warrington to save his state.  Allan Langer's Origin return was one of the most memorable Australian sporting moments of all time. Could he handle it?  You bet he could.  Queensland dominated the match under his direction, Langer eventually scoring himself in the second half as Queensland pulverised New South Wales 40-14 to regain the trophy in front of 50000 delirious fans.

1994 - Broncos vs Canterbury

Brisbane were struggling in their premiership defence that year when they met premiership heavyweights the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium in round 12.  In an absorbing clash, the Broncos looked down and out when the Bulldogs gained a scrum feed 10 metres out with less than a minute to go, and trailing 10-8. In desperation, the Broncos' forwards pushed in the scrum, forcing a win against the feed and Peter Ryan ran onto an Allan Langer pass to score in the corner and steal victory against the odds.

1999 - Broncos vs Melbourne

Ironically it is the Storm who will be the Broncos' final opponent at ANZ Stadium who also inflicted the club's worst ever home defeat at the same venue in 1999.  The Broncos had lost their opening two games against Canberra and the Sharks, but nobody could have predicted the massacre that would attack the next week.  Melbourne led 18-6 at half time and it became the Brett Kimmorley show after the break as the Storm piled on 30 unanswered points to win 48-6. At the time it was the club's worst ever defeat, until Newcastle won 44-0 at Marathon Stadium in 2001.

2000 - Qualifying Final Broncos vs Sharks

Brisbane had won the minor premiership by a country mile, the Sharks falling into 8th place despite being summarily hammered by Penrith the week before.  Nobody expected the Sharks to get close - and it seemed, not even the Broncos.  At half time, Cronulla had stunned everybody and led 20-6.  Coach Wayne Bennett - along with the 20000 fans on hand to watch - was livid.  Inspired by Gorden Tallis and Ben Ikin, the Broncos snapped out of their slumber, running in 28 unanswered points to win 34-20.  They went on to win their fifth premiership.

2002 - Broncos vs Newcastle

Written off by almost all critics, the Broncos fought to maintain their unbeaten record against the Knights.  It didn't start well, the Knights leading for much of the game and the Broncos were getting increasingly frustrated with referee Paul Simpkins.  Eventually frustration turned to anger and Gorden Tallis was sin binned for advising Simpkins to put himself on report.  While Tallis was off the field, Michael De Vere scored one of the great individual tries. He regathered a tap on, juggled it, regained balance, chipped ahead, leapt high and with finger tip control regathered the ball and scored.  Darren Lockyer and Chris Walker combined moments later to prevail winners 18-12.

1998 - Broncos vs North Sydney

Two nights earlier Darren Lockyer had arguably the most horrific moment of his glittering career in his ARL Test debut against New Zealand.  Lockyer made four second half handling errors that resulted in tries as the Kiwis won against the odds.  Two days and endless criticisms later, Lockyer inspired the Broncos to a 60-6 thrashing of North Sydney - to this day the club's biggest ever win.  It was the attacking class of Brisbane at its best, and the stamp of approval on the man that is now regarded by many as the game's best ever fullback.

1993 - Broncos vs St George

It was a promoter's dream.  The final round of the 1993 premiership regular season began with a Friday night blockbuster between the previous years' Grand Finalists.  Such was the closeness of the premiership, a win could have resulted in either team finishing on top of the ladder, and a loss could have resulted in them finishing fifth. In front of almost 59000 fans despite inclement weather, St George won a gripping contest 16-10.  It left the Broncos in fifth place, and forced them to win four sudden death finals to win the premiership.  They did it - and they exacted their revenge on the Dragons in the Grand Final a month later.