December 6: French rugby chases Big Mal; Noddy joins Sharks

On this day, Noddy swims with Sharks, French rugby chase Big Mal and the Steelers snare Brad Mackay.

1994   

Mal Meninga receives an approach from former French Rugby Union coach Jacques Fouroux to play in a proposed French Super League.

1995   

Illawarra sign former Test player Brad Mackay for three seasons. The classy lock plays 56 games for the Steelers between 1996-98 and then helps the merged entity St George Illawarra to the 1999 grand final in their debut season before retiring.

1999   

Retired St George Illawarra captain Paul McGregor hints that he may make a comeback in 2000.

2001   

North Queensland centre Julian O’Neill signs a two-year deal with Wigan.

2002   

Brett Kimmorley signs a five-year deal with the Sharks worth more than $1.5 million. The man they call 'Noddy' would go on to play 140 games for the Sharks between 2002-08 and then spend two seasons with the Bulldogs before bringing down the curtain on a decorated 307-game career.

2007   

Parramatta Stadium Trust insult club legend Ray Price by announcing the abolition of the Ray Price Lounge inside Parramatta Stadium. Price is informed that the decision was made because of a change in the Trust’s “business strategy”.

A week later, in the face of a major backlash from supporters and sponsors, the Trust executes an astonishing backflip, admitting that Price was deserving of a much higher honour and announcing that a statue of Price would be erected outside the stadium.

2017   

The NRL announces a six-team women’s NRL competition will kick off during the finals series in 2018. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that up to 14 clubs are interested in bidding for the six franchises. ARL Chairman John Grant predicts that the Women’s NRL competition will rival the AFLW in four years.

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