NRL 2020: The 9 Brisbane Broncos who debuted in 2000
The world is a mess and the NRL isn’t much better. So let’s take a spell from all this virus talk and head back to the year 2000 to remember the Broncos who debuted for the club 20 years ago.
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IT’S been a somber 24 hours in rugby league across the country after the NRL’s decision to postpone the game indefinitely, so now more than ever, we thought it best to go back to a happier time in the sport.
Twenty years ago, there were just 14 teams in the competition (these were the days without South Sydney and the Titans).
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It was a time when the code’s biggest worry was having to play 20-minute quarters because the season started in the heat of February (to accommodate the Sydney Olympics in September).
And fans at Bruce Stadium (the old GIO Stadium) were subject to the first premiership game played in the snow, when Canberra played the Tigers on May 28.
It was also the year the Broncos claimed their fifth title in nine years – so we thought we’d take a look at the nine players who made their debut in Brisbane’s successful 2000 campaign.
HARVEY HOWARD
Debuted Round 1 (Broncos career: 14 games, 0 tries)
HE’S the hard-running Pommy forward who was given his first shot in the NRL by then-Broncos coach Wayne Bennett.
He spent four seasons with the Western Suburbs Magpies in a bid to crack into the Wests Tigers squad – but never got the chance.
According to some reports, it was during that time he received the nickname “Night Train” because of a song he tried to get the whole team to constantly listen to.
But his “Night Train” tagline seemed pretty relevant when Bennett used him as a barnstorming bench option.
He played in the No.14 jersey during Brisbane’s Grand Final match against the Roosters which he holds as one of his most cherished memories.
In December last year, Howard was appointed as the coaching co-ordinator of the Highland Storm – a newly formed club in country New South Wales.
BEN IKIN
Debuted Round 1 (Broncos career: 55 games, 5 seasons, 76 points)
IKIN was a pivotal part to Brisbane’s success in their 2000 season.
The then-23-year-old had already played five seasons of first grade rugby league for the Gold Coast and North Sydney before joining the Broncos in 2000.
He had already played for Queensland, including being part of the 3-0 whitewash of NSW in the 1995 series.
Ikin had wanted to shift north of the border for several years and after a bit of contract wrangling, was released to play for Brisbane in 2000.
When Bennett brought him back north of the border, Ikin shone in the five-eight role and helped steer the club to the 2000 minor premiership.
It was later revealed he had played the latter part of the season with a shoulder injury, which required surgery in the offseason.
Injury continued to plague the rest of his career, forcing him into retirement at the end of the 2004 season at the age of 27.
He has gone on to become one of the most recognised commentators in the game, built off his regular Fox League show NRL 360.
ASHLEY HARRISON
Debuted Round 3 (Broncos career: 52 games, 3 seasons, 64 points)
BEFORE Harrison became an Origin enforcer, he was Brisbane’s interchange workhorse.
The versatile forward began his NRL career with the Broncos in the 2000 season, when he was pitchforked into the side as part of their 28-10 win over the Warriors.
He became a mainstay in the latter part of the season playing off the bench and in the backrow.
Harrison even finished the year with a worthwhile seven tries to his name as part of the Broncos charge to taking out the premiership title.
His tenure with Brisbane saw him go on to become a South Sydney captain for a short period down at Redfern before joining the Titans from the 2008 season.
A neck injury eventually ended his playing career in 2014.
CARL WEBB
Debuted Round 6 (Broncos career: 66 games, 5 seasons, 84 points)
THE definition of a rugby league enforcer.
Webb ended up playing over 180 NRL games, 15 Origin clashes for Queensland and one Kangaroos Test.
If for some reason you don’t remember his name, the “Q” razored into his haircut on the side of his head is sure to prompt some memory of the hard hitting, hard running forward.
His debut year with the Broncos was one of huge success, having played in his first ever NRL Grand Final as a rookie.
It earned him the Brisbane Broncos Rookie of the Year award in 2001.
Injuries plagued his early career and in 2005 he moved north to join the North Queensland Cowboys, where he played 115 first-grade games.
It was only earlier this month that Webb was diagnosed with early onset motor neurone disease, at the age of just 38.
DARREN MAPP
Debuted Round 10 (Broncos career: 38 games, 4 seasons, 4 points)
HE played just three games for the Broncos in their 2000 season – all at a winless rate.
The prop forward was playing for the Central Comets in the Queensland Cup before being pitchforked into Rounds 10, 14 and 16 for the Broncos.
But he can still claim to have been a part of the premiership-winning squad consisting of Darren Lockyer, Shane Webcke and Gorden Tallis.
His brief stint in the NRL in 2000 allowed him to sign with the Raiders for the following two seasons, where he played 26 games.
In 2003, he returned back up north of the border where he played another 35 games across three seasons.
JUSTIN HODGES
Debuted Round 14 (Broncos career: 195 games, 12 seasons, 294 points)
ARGUABLY one of the best outside backs ever to pull on a Broncos jersey.
It’s a little bizarre to think Hodges made his NRL debut way back in the 2000 season, as a 17-year-old kid mind you, when he only just retired in 2015.
The Cairns product only played five games in his debut year, but had two tries under his belt and was well on his way to becoming one of the code’s most destructive centres.
After moving to Bondi to play for the Roosters from 2002 to 2004, the Broncos faithful accepted him back in 2005 where he lasted until his final game – the 2015 NRL Grand Final against the Cowboys.
His achievements include 24 Origin games for Queensland, 13 Tests for Australia, the 2007 Dally M Centre of the Year and three-time Brisbane Broncos Best Back award.
Hodges is still involved in his beloved rugby league, as a commentator for Fox League.
BRAD MEYERS
Debuted Round 14 (Broncos career: 102 games, 5 seasons, 28 points)
“BIG Red” as he was colloquially known, was Brisbane’s rampaging front rower.
He made his debuted late in 2000 season, the Broncos Round 14 clash with Canberra but went on to play 11 other games for Brisbane that year.
An injury ruled him out of the Grand Final against the Roosters, but it didn’t stop the red-headed enforcer from enjoying a successful rugby league career.
Meyers played three games for Queensland in the 2001 series, as well as four Test for Australia in the same year.
He finished his playing career with the Gold Coast Titans before retiring after the 2011 season.
DAMON KEATING
Debuted Round 18 (Broncos career: 4 games, 2 seasons, 0 points)
HE may not have had an illustrious career in the NRL, but Keating was a talented prop forward.
He played just the one game in 2000 – the Broncos historic 22-26 loss to Newcastle.
Keating then went on to play 24 games in the English Super League for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.
ADAM WARWICK
Debuted Round 18 (Broncos career: 1 game, 1 season, 0 points)
WARWICK didn’t enjoy too much success during his time at Red Hill.
The speedy winger played just the one game – their Round 18 loss to Newcastle – after being pitchforked into their side from their Queensland Cup feeder club the Toowoomba Clydesdales.
Warwick had already played 13 games for the Cowboys in the two seasons prior but his year with the Broncos spelled the end of his NRL career.
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