We crack open one of Aussie hoops’ spiciest grudge matches: Sydney vs Illawarra. Host Dan Boyce traces the rivalry back before the Kings even existed—into state-league days at the Snakepit—then follows it through the 1986 replay controversy, the Kings’ 1988 merger and rise, and the big-city v small-town energy that’s fuelled decades of heat.
Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Featuring first-hand stories from Bob Turner, Greg Hubbard and Chuck Harmison, this episode blends history, on-court flashpoints, and off-court theatre to show how the “Freeway Series” became must-watch basketball.
Listen now:
iTunes – Spotify – Libsyn – TuneIn
-
What this series is and why the rivalry matters (02:00)
-
How the feud predates the Kings: state-league roots and the Snakepit lore (04:19)
-
The 1986 “replay game” drama and why it still stings (12:38)
-
Remembering Robert Scrigni and the emotion of 1987 (20:19)
-
The Snakepit as a sixth man: noise, power cuts, and balcony bar tales (23:18, 26:59)
-
Birth of the Kings (’88): merger, marketing, and turning Sydney into a show (37:16, 43:51)
-
Early flashpoints and defections that super-charged the hate (49:28, 51:48)
-
What’s next in Parts 2 & 3: the 1990s escalation and modern fireworks (55:28)