Auckland Warriors - 1997

The Warriors were high-profile flops during the sole Super League season, with their foundation coach sent packing at the halfway point.

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Despite the destructive influence the war had on virtually every aspect of the game in the preceding two years, the allure of Super League’s glitz and promise of State of Origin-quality games on a weekly basis was difficult to resist – though the reality fell miles short of the rebel organisation’s unrealistic boasts.

But Warriors fans’ excitement centred around the belated sight of marquee recruit and new captain Matthew Ridge in their colours, particularly after his inspirational role in Manly’s 1996 premiership triumph, along with late-blooming front-row behemoth and recent Kiwis debutant Grant Young. Injuries kept wing speedster Lee Oudenryn – a widely-criticised acquisition from Gold Coast Chargers who shot to fame in 1992 as a Parramatta rookie when he beat Great Britain flyer Martin Offiah in a pre-match 100-metre race – on ice for most of the season, however. The departure of five first-grade regulars and several fringe players ate into the Warriors’ depth further.