December 31, 1996: Our most popular 10 posts covering 1996

Our installation is now 16 months old!

10. IT’S TIME TO DELIVER

Super League had more than one ‘launch’. This was my coverage of the media launch.

9. SUPER LEAGUE BANNED!

Justice James Burchett seemed to slam the door shut on Super League in February 1996 by handing down Draconian orders outlawing the breakaway.

8. SAME SHIT, DIFFERENT COUNTRY

The chaos surrounding the World Cup last year showed not much had changed in the quarter-century since Great Britain’s disastrous South Pacific tour.

7. STATE OF DENIAL

Officially, Super League players weren’t banned from representative football in 1996. Unofficially, they most definitely were.

6. JOHN LOMAX BANNED SIX WEEKS FOR HIT ON ADAM RITSON

The Raider’s hit on the young Parramatta forward may have actually saved his life.

5. THE WORST ‘TEAMS TUESDAY’ IN HISTORY

It’s only ever happened once - and that was once too often. In round one, 1996, teams forfeited their games, refusing to play under the ARL.

4. PLAYERS FLOOD BACK TO THE ARL

A big moment in rugby league history: Justice Burchett outlaws Super League and players flood back to the ARL competition.

3. SEVENS AND NINES

A subtext to the battle between the ARL and Super League was the parallel battle between rival abbreviated versions of the sport. In this battle, Super League definitely won.

2. TAKING THE MORAL HIGH GROUND

This was a column in which we point out that many of the things rugby union has done to league over the years, league did to itself during the Super League War.

1. THE WORLD OF IAN

It seems everyone forgot about the faux comedy series starring Paul Sironen! Happy to remind them.