The Gold Coast Chargers were a professional rugby league club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998. They first played under the name Gold Coast-Tweed Giants (in silver, black and white colours) from 1988 to 1989, then Gold Coast Seagulls (wearing white, black and red) from 1990 to 1995, very briefly as the Gold Coast Gladiators and finally Gold Coast Chargers (in jade, black, purple and gold uniforms) from 1996 to 1998. The Gold Coast-Tweed Giants were admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the 1988 season, along with the Brisbane Broncos and Newcastle Knights. Due to a clause in Brisbane's licence, only one team (the Broncos) could play in South-East Queensland. As a result, the Giants played out of the now demolished Seagulls Stadium in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, just over the border, which was home to the Tweed Heads Seagulls RLFC. Gold Coast and Group 18 provided a nursery of young players in which the club was able to draw on for recruitment. The Giants were formed, swiftly, after the Internationals Syndicate Including, John Sattler, Peter Gallagher, Bob Hagan and Doug Ryan had missed out on their bid to win the contract to bring a Brisbane team into the Sydney competition. They were joined by veterans Bob McCarthy as coach, Graeme Langlands as team manager and Ken Irvine as sprint coach. The Giants were a team that spanned both New South Wales and Queensland but struggled for acceptance by league fans in either state. Gold Coast-Tweed Giants A key signing for the club was Ron Gibbs, forward who had won the 1987 Grand Final while playing for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. Other major recruits were: Chris Close (Manly), Mike Eden (Parramatta), Ben Gonzales (Penrith), Neil Hunt (Parramatta), Billy Johnstone (St George), and Tony Rampling (Eastern Suburbs). 1988 Season The Giants only won 4 matches during the 1988 NSWRL season. Their first victory was by 25–22 against the Brisbane Broncos in front of 13,423 at Seagulls Stadium, Ron Gibbs appeared in just 14 games during the season. Another major signing Tony Rampling only made one appearance. The Giants played their first premiership match at Seagulls Stadium on Saturday 5 March, against the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in which they were defeated 21