Burleigh and Brothers: worlds apart

Queensland Rugby League (QRL) broke new ground in 2004 when the Gold Coast?s Burleigh Bears won the Queensland Cup Grand Final in ?golden point? time, the result setting a new standard for football in the Sunshine State. It was the first time that the competition decider went into extra time with Easts Tigers and the Bears playing for 17 anxious minutes after the fulltime whistle.

With the scores locked up at 18-all, both teams played themselves to a standstill before Burleigh forward Shane O'Flanagan broke the deadlock with a premiership winning try.

The Bears celebrated their victory well into the night. But it was a different story at the other end of town with the Brothers Diehards languishing in last place, exposing a gulf between the Bears and the Diehards which extends well beyond their respective positions on the ladder.

The darkest hour

Formed as a joint venture in 2002, Brothers and the Valleys Diehards clubs have long and proud histories in the old Brisbane Rugby League competition and a combined heritage of 167 years. As expected, there were a few issues regarding identity. Brothers Valleys became the Brothers Valleys Blues and this gave way to the Brothers Diehards earlier this year.

In 2004, the ?Diehards? failed to win a match and finished with one point and last on the Queensland Cup ladder. Last August with their season in turmoil, the Diehards elected a new president following a club board dispute. But matters deteriorated further when last month, the QRL announced the 2005 Queensland Cup draw with one notable omission, the Brothers Diehards were no longer part of the competition.

To come to terms with this, the remnants of the club held an extraordinary annual general meeting on Sunday 28th November. Less than 20 interested persons showed up at O?Callaghan Park, in the northern Brisbane suburb of Zillmere.

It was a small turnout, perhaps not surprisingly, for a club which had reached the nadir of its fortunes. A little more surprising was the nature of the meeting. Conducted in front of the BBQ area, the members sat on rustic benches and upturned garbage bins while others stood in the sun adjacent to a gravel driveway. In full view was the empty clubhouse which overlooked the shared Aussie Rules and Rugby League pitch.

For an hour, the members fought over money, or lack thereof. The Diehards are in some debt with players being one of the main creditors. The financial despair has compounded the in-fighting and suspicion which has dogged the joint venture almost since its inception.

There are many reasons why the Diehards were struggling. But it emerged that an apparent withdrawal of support from the Brothers Confraternity and the rich St George Illawarra Dragons club were instrumental in Brothers Valleys being omitted from the QRL competition.

Brothers Confraternity, a co-operation supportive of League development in Queensland, were calling in a debt and this led to a bitter falling out with the current Diehards board.

Meanwhile in Sydney, Diehards? National Rugby League (NRL) affiliates St George were tentative about offering further support. Dragons Chief Executive Peter Doust explained they would take a wait-and-see approach and that money wasn?t the only issue.

?It?s more complicated than that.? Doust said.

?We?re guarantors for a bank overdraft and had contributed further funds to assist Brothers Valleys. Throwing more money at it isn?t the only answer.?

Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, the acting president stood down and a new president was elected unopposed. In what looked like an attempt to move forward, it was decided stay alive in next year?s lower tier Mixwell competitions, with the hope of re-entering the Queensland Cup by 2006.

However, days passed and the new club board were unable to meet the deadline to lodge their application into the Mixwell competitions.

Regardless of what pans out for the Diehards, there is no doubt that they have a hard road ahead. With no representation in the 2005 Queensland Cup or Mixwell competitions, the joint venture appears to have their backs to the wall.

Winners are grinners

On the Gold Coast, it was a different story. Sitting comfortably in the Burleigh Bears Leagues Club, Chief Executive Scott Clark was readying himself for a well earned holiday break.

With a stand alone heritage of 60 years, the Bears moved to Pizzey Park in 1971. One of the largest football clubs on the Gold Coast, Burleigh Bears is well attended with membership now topping some 10,000 locals. The air-conditioned Bistro area overlooks the rectangular field, exclusively marked for Rugby League. On the other side of the clubhouse work is underway with a $3 million upgrade.

The Bears are a QRL success story. Minor premiers in 2004, Burleigh went all the way when they defeated Easts Tigers 22-18 in a memorable grand final.

Clark was quick to point out that the Bears are well supported by the Leagues Club and have no association with the Brothers Confraternity. As a self-funded club, they simply do not require their support. The Bears boast a number of backers including main sponsor, Queensland firm ?Trades And Labour Hire?. In addition, Burleigh has NRL premiers, the Canterbury Bulldogs, as affiliates.

?And they?re winners as well,? a smiling Clark added.

Clark singles out half back Brent McConnell for special mention as his player of the year. Following an outstanding season with the Bears, McConnell came to the notice of NRL club North Queensland Cowboys, signing a deal with them for 2005.

Clark was philosophical about losing a key playmaker, electing to accept that McConnell?s career has blossomed thanks to his success in the QRL while with the Burleigh Bears.

With NRL players often earning six figure amounts, it?s a little difficult for QRL clubs to think otherwise.

?That?s what we?re here for.? Clark said.

?[In the Queensland Cup] it?s not unusual for a player to earn about $14,000 per year. Of course, we like to think we do more and help them out with other things? such as health needs and so on.?

Unlike the NRL, the Queensland Cup competition has no salary cap restrictions. This allows for a well-off clubs such as the Bears to open the cheque books when it comes to player retention and development. Clark however, was quick to point out that he would support of a salary cap being introduced.

New signings for the Bears for 2005 include Trent Lees from Redcliffe and Wayne Phillips, a 21-year-old Perth recruit. The Bears have also signed Australian Schoolboy representative Josh McCartney, a former Brothers Valleys player.

In addition, the Bears have 600 plus juniors amongst 25 local teams to draw on. They also have two teams in the Mixwell competitions.

Perhaps the most promising factor to come out of the 2004 QRL season is the public response to the final decider. A high class match with a nail-biting finish, the grand final captured the public?s imagination and brought Queensland Rugby League to everyone?s attention.

Scott Clark summed it up in his own words:

?I often get stopped by people who see me wearing my Burleigh Bears shirt.?

?They say things like ?Go Bears? and then, ?what a grand final!??