1998 Illawarra Steelers season

November 2025 Illawarra Steelers 1998 AUS Bob Millward AUS Andrew Farrar AUS Paul McGregor NRL 12th (out of 20) Trent Barrett (18) Craig Fitzgibbon (84) 13,106 (vs Canterbury, 23 August 1998, WIN Stadium) 6,558 (vs North Queensland Cowboys, 25 June 1998, WIN Stadium) 9,248 (Season total: 110,975) 1997 n/a The 1998 Illawarra Steelers season was the club's seventeenth and final season, spanning across the three rugby league competitions of the NSWRL, ARL and NRL. A home loss by a field goal to the hands of the Craig Polla-Mounter and his Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs team, plus results going against them in the final round of the regular season saw the Steelers finish 12th. Andrew Farrar's team of hopefuls were unable to make the finals series and were put under pressure to merge or fold when the league was expected to cut the twenty-team competition down to fourteen for the 1999 season. The club would eventually form a joint-venture with the St. George Dragons for the start of the 1999 NRL season. Players Squad Australia FE Trent Barrett Australia SR Darren Bradstreet Australia LK Adam Bristow Australia WG Jonathan Britten Australia HK Dean Callaway Australia WG Wayne Clifford Australia PR Scott Cram Australia PR Andrew Hart Australia CE Jason Hooper Australia SR Terry Lamey Australia PR Chris Leikvoll Australia LK Brad Mackay Australia CE Paul McGregor(captain) Australia WG Dean Moon Australia HK Andrew Purcell Australia FB Brendon Reeves Australia HB Will Robinson Australia CE Craig Simon Australia PR Craig Smith Australia CE Shaun Timmins Australia SR Brendon Tunbridge Australia SR Craig Wilson Australia WG Rod Wishart Player Movements Gains Player Previous club Craig Wilson South Queensland Crushers Losses Player Joined Club John Cross Penrith PanthersFili Seru retired Ladder Draw and Results FFBBBB Round 1 14 March 1998 19:30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 12–14 Melbourne Melbourne Storm Tries: Craig Wilson Will Robinson Goals: Dean Moon 2/4 Tries: Scott Hill 2 Goals: Craig Smith 3/3 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 10,695 Sean Hampstead BBF3BB 22 March 1998 14:30 South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs 14–22 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Chris Caruana Troy Slattery Goals: Julian O'Neill 3/3 Tries: Rod Wishart Brad Mackay Paul McGregor Trent Barrett Goals: Rod Wishart 3/5 Aussie Stadium Sydney, New South Wales 8,708 Paul McBlane FFBBBB 28 March 1998 15:30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 18–37 Newcastle Newcastle Knights Tries: Trent Barrett 2 Andrew Hart Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 2/2 Tim Horan 1/1 Tries: Bill Peden 2 Owen Craigie Andrew Johns Robbie O'Davis Neil Piccinelli Goals: Andrew Johns 5/6 Owen Craigie 1/1 Field Goals: Andrew Johns 1 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 9,141 Steve Clark FFBBBB 3 April 1998 19:30 Easts Sydney City Roosters 30–16 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Andrew Walker 2 Nigel Gaffey Ivan Cleary Scott Gouley Goals: Ivan Cleary 5 Tries: Will Robinson Trent Barrett Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 4 Aussie Stadium Sydney, New South Wales 7,106 Paul McBlane FFBBBB 11 April 1998 00:00 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 12–19 St. George St. George Dragons Tries: Craig Wilson Shaun Timmins Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 2 Tries: Corey Pearson Jim Lenihan Jamie Ainscough Mark Coyne Goals: Lee Murphy 1 Field Goals: Jamie Ainscough 1 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 9,427 Brian Grant BBF3BB 18 April 1998 15:30 Canberra Canberra Raiders 20–22 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Jason Croker Ben Kennedy Luke Priddis Goals: David Furner 4 Tries: Shaun Timmins Brendon Reeves Andrew Purcell Craig Fitzgibbon Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 2 Darren Bradstreet 1 Bruce Stadium Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 8,238 Sean Hampstead BBF3BB 26 April 1998 14:30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 20–12 Parramatta Parramatta Eels Tries: Paul McGregor Trent Barrett Terry Lamey Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 4 Tries: Shane Whereat John Simon Goals: Clinton Schifcofske 2 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 9,119 Tim Mander BBF3BB 2 May 1998 00:00 Penrith Penrith Panthers 38–14 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Robbie Beckett 2 Andrew Hinson Ryan Girdler Gordon Falcon Peter Jorgensen Craig Wise Goals: Ryan Girdler 5 Tries: Jonathon Britten Craig Simon Paul McGregor Goals: Brendon Reeves 1 Penrith Stadium Penrith, New South Wales 6,154 Matt Hewitt BBF3BB 9 May 1998 19:30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 42–20 Western Suburbs Western Suburbs Magpies Tries: Craig Simon 2 Will Robinson Andrew Purcell Terry Lamey Paul McGregor Rod WishartGoals: Rod Wishart 7 Tries: Ken McGuiness Jared Mills Ron Jones Kevin McGuiness Goals: Brett Warton 2 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 7,636 Paul McBlane FFBBBB 16 May 1998 19:30 St. George St. George Dragons 32–16 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Goals: Tries: Goals: Kogarah Oval Kogarah, New South Wales 6,296 Sean Hampstead FFFFBB 24 May 1998 Melbourne Melbourne Storm 14–14 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Glenn Lazarus Robbie Ross Goals: Craig Smith 3 Tries: Trent Barrett 2 Brendon Reeves Goals: Rod Wishart 1 Olympic Park Melbourne, Victoria 9,018 Paul Simpkins BBF3BB 31 May 1998 14:30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 18–12 South Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs Tries: Trent Barrett Paul McGregor Andrew Hart Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 3 Tries: Tim Brasher Julian O'Neill Goals: Simon Forrest 2 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 8,174 Mogsheen Jadwat BBF3BB 6 June 1998 19:30 Gold Coast Chargers Gold Coast Chargers 10–32 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Jason Hudson Andrew King Goals: Scott Thorburn Tries: Trent Barrett 2 Rod Wishart Dean Callaway Will Robinson Craig Wilson Goals: Rod Wishart 4 Carrara Stadium Gold Coast, Queensland 3,762 Eddie Ward FFBBBB 14 June 1998 14:30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 16–38 Balmain Balmain Tigers Tries: Craig Simon Jonathon BrittenTrent Barrett Goals: Rod Wishart Craig Fitzgibbon Tries: Laloa Milford 3 Michael Gillett William Kennedy Brendan Magnus Jason Webber Goals: Shannon Nevin 5 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 10,076 Paul McBlane BBF3BB 20 June 1998 14:30 Adelaide Adelaide Rams 4–39 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: David KidwellGoals: Luke Williamson 0/1 Tries: Dean Callaway 2 Wayne Clifford 2 Andrew Hart Craig Fitzgibbon Luke Patten Goals: Brad Mackay 3/5 Craig Fitzgibbon 2/3 Field Goals: Trent Barrett 1 Bennett Oval Whyalla, South Australia 5,153 Steve Chiddy BBF3BB 28 June 1998 14:30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 24–18 North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys Tries: Andrew Purcell Jonathon BrittenTrent Barrett Shaun Timmins Goals: Brad Mackay 2 Craig Fitzgibbon 2 Tries: Josh Hannay 2 B Tabui Noa NadrukuGoals: Josh Hannay 1 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 6,558 Sean Hampstead BBF3BB 4 July 1998 Auckland Auckland Warriors 14–17 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Stephen Kearney Joe Vagana Syd Eru Goals: Stacey Jones 1 Tries: Wayne Clifford 2 Shaun Timmins Goals: Rod Wishart 1 Craig Fitzgibbon 1 Field Goals: Craig Wilson 1 Ericsson Stadium Auckland, New Zealand 8,000 Tim Mander FFBBBB 12 July 1998 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 12–18 Brisbane Brisbane Broncos Tries: Dean Callaway Paul McGregor Goals: Rod Wishart 2/2 Tries: Andrew Gee Wendell Sailor Darren Smith Gorden Tallis Goals: Michael De Vere 1/2 Darren Lockyer 0/2 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 12,018 FFBBBB 18 July 1998 Manly Manly 22-12 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Duncan 2 John Hopoate Steve Menzies Craig Hancock Goals: Duncan 1 Tries: Craig Simon Luke Patten Goals: Rod Wishart 1 Craig Fitzgibbon 1 Brookvale Oval Manly, New South Wales 5,631 FFBBBB 25 July 1998 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 6–32 North Sydney North Sydney Bears Tries: Craig Simon Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 1 Tries: Michael Buettner 3 Adam Muir Gary Larson Goals: Jason Taylor 6 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 6,847 BBF3BB 1 August 1998 Newcastle Newcastle Knights 26–28 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Jason Moodie Owen Craigie Andrew Johns Danny Buderus Peter Shiels Goals: Owen Craigie 2 Andrew Johns 1 Tries: Trent Barrett 3 Luke Patten Will Robinson Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 3 Rod Wishart 1 Marathon Stadium Newcastle, New South Wales 20,026 Steve Clark FFBBBB 9 August 1998 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 10–48 Easts Sydney City Roosters Tries: Shaun Timmins Andrew Purcell Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 1 Tries: Brad Fittler 2 B Miles 2 Matt Sing Ivan Cleary Adrian Lam Nat Wood Goals: Ivan Cleary 8 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 8,178 Sean Hampstead BBF3BB 15 August 1998 Cronulla Sharks Cronulla 22–30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers Tries: Russell Richardson 2 Mat Rogers Dean Treister Goals: Mat Rogers 3 Tries: Jonathon Britten 2 Shaun Timmins Trent Barrett Craig Simon Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 4 Rod Wishart 1 Shark Park Cronulla, New South Wales 6,487 Brian Grant FFBBBB 23 August 1998 14:30 Illawarra Illawarra Steelers 24–25 Canterbury Canterbury Tries: Luke Patten 2 Trent Barrett Adam Bristow Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 4 Tries: Rod Silva Gavin Lester Jason Hetherington Glen Hughes Goals: Daryl Halligan 4 Field-Goals: Craig Polla-Mounter 1 WIN Stadium Wollongong, New South Wales 13,016 Steve Clark Home Crowd Averages Round Opposition Venue Crowd Round 1 Melbourne Storm WIN Stadium 10,695 Round 3 Newcastle Knights WIN Stadium 9,141 Round 5 St. George Dragons WIN Stadium 9,427 Round 7 Parramatta Eels WIN Stadium 9,119 Round 9 Western Suburbs Magpies WIN Stadium 7,636 Round 12 South Sydney Rabbitohs WIN Stadium 8,174 Round 14 Balmain Tigers WIN Stadium 10,076 Round 16 North Queensland Cowboys WIN Stadium 6,558 Round 18 Brisbane Broncos WIN Stadium 12,018 Round 20 North Sydney Bears WIN Stadium 6,847 Round 22 Sydney City Roosters WIN Stadium 8,178 Round 24 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs WIN Stadium 13,106 Season Total 110,975 Season Average 9,248 References External links Category:Illawarra Steelers seasons Illawarra Steelers season