In 1982 the Illawarra Steelers played their first season in the NSW Rugby League competition. It wasn't a great start for the club - they finished second-last on the ladder. The rest of the 1980s didn't bring much joy - the club picked up the wooden spoon three times, including a double in 1985 and '86.

But then the new decade brought with it the bright, shining season of 1992, where the Steelers - led by a crop of youngsters - finished in third place and found themselves in the finals for the first time. The side in scarlet and white went all the way to the final, where they were edged out by a 4-0 scoreline. While it didn't end the way many Steelers fans had hoped, that 1992 season is still remembered fondly. A time when the Steelers were alive in the five.