September 5: Prince in rare air; Stuart honoured

On this day, the Illawarra Steelers win their first finals match, Ricky Stuart wins a Dally M Medal, GI says goodbye to the Storm and Scott Prince joins the 300 Club.

1992

Illawarra win their first semi-final 18-16 over St George. Allan McIndoe scores twice and Paul McGregor also crosses in a red-letter day for the club.

St George would get their revenge in a controversial win in the preliminary final two weeks later.

1993

NRL Hall of Fame member Ricky Stuart is awarded the Dally M Player of the Year award. In a stellar playing career, Stuart won three premierships (1989, 1990 and 1994), went on two Kangaroo tours and won a Clive Churchill Medal (1990). He has also enjoyed a highly successful coaching career.

1993

2003

Mark Riddell scores 18 points to lead St George Illawarra to a remarkable 26-25 win over Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium. Riddell lands a penalty goal from 41 metres out in the final minute to secure victory. 

2010  

The Storm farewell stars including Greg Inglis, Ryan Hoffman, Brett White, Jeff Lima and Aiden Tolman with a 34-4 thrashing of Newcastle. Inglis scores two tries in the comfortable win.

2013

Scott Prince becomes the 18th player to make 300 first-grade appearances as he helps the Broncos to a 16-11 victory over Canterbury at Suncorp Stadium. It is the final game of his career. Prince played for the Cowboys, Wests Tigers, Broncos  and Titans between 1998 and 2013.

2015    

Newcastle are left holding the wooden spoon for the first time since 2005 after falling 30-12 to Penrith at Pepper Stadium.

2017     

South Sydney’s board decide to end the tenure of coach Michael Maguire after six years with the club that included the Rabbitohs’ drought-breaking 2014 premiership victory.

2018    

Newcastle sensation Kalyn Ponga is named the club’s Danny Buderus Medal winner as player of the year.

2020

Sonny Bill Williams makes his much-hyped return to the NRL for the first time since 2014 in a 13-minute cameo for the Sydney Roosters at GIO Stadium. After a lengthy lay-off followed by two weeks in hotel quarantine, Williams makes a modest contribution to an 18-6 victory over the Raiders.

This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.