The Gardens
Newcastle-Maitland (Newcastle), New South Wales, Australia
The Gardens, Newcastle-Maitland (Newcastle), Australia — opened 1997, 21 rugby league games hosted, home of Hunter Mariners (1997 only).
Sourcing caveat: The exact date of the Mariners' win over Wigan was not identified in sources found.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1997 (The ground existed earlier, but 1997 marks its one season as Topper Stadium, home of the rebel Super League club Hunter Mariners.) |
| Home club | Hunter Mariners (1997 only) |
| Closed | 1997 (the Hunter Mariners' only season, before the club folded when Super League and the ARL reunified) |
| Site today | A greyhound racing venue (The Gardens, also known as Ladbrokes Gardens), redeveloped 2005-06, retaining the main grandstand from the Topper Stadium era; also used by Wallsend FC for soccer and rugby league |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 21 |
| Top recorded crowd | 7,719 (7,719 (opponent and exact date not identified in sources found)) |
| Capacity | Approximately 11,000 during the Mariners' tenure |
| World Club Challenge finals hosted | 1 |
| Years used | 1997–2008 |
| Location | Newcastle-Maitland (Newcastle), New South Wales |
Name history
- Topper Stadium — 1997, during the Hunter Mariners era
- The Gardens — later renamed following its conversion to greyhound racing
Rugby league history
The Hunter Mariners were a one-season rebel Super League club, set up by News Limited during the Super League War specifically to rival the Newcastle Knights for the Hunter region. They played their entire short history at Topper Stadium, spending over $1 million upgrading the ground, and pulled off a genuine upset by beating English champions Wigan in a 1997 World Club Challenge quarter-final before losing the final to Brisbane Broncos 36-12. The club folded at the end of that season when Super League and the ARL reunified.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 1997 World Club Challenge quarter-final — Hunter Mariners 22-18 Wigan Warriors, an upset win for the rebel Australian club
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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