December 31: Brown scores 27 as Roos thump England; Mariners sink

Brown (wearing No. 14 with his back to the camera) leaps like a veritable Kangaroo whilst performing the war cry in 1933.

Author: NRL.com
Timestamp: Fri 31 Dec 2021, 12:01 AM

On this day, Dave Brown piles up the points against England, the Hunter Mariners are disbanded and Kangaroos forward Bernie Purcell dies.

1933

The Kangaroos play England in the first rugby league match in France. Just two weeks after England complete a 3-0 whitewash in the Ashes series, they are stunned by a 63-13 defeat at Paris’s Stade Pershing.

Dave Brown is the hero for Australia with 27 points from three tries and nine goals.

1967

Paul McGregor was born. A Dapto junior, he made his first-grade debut with Illawarra in 1992 and was a key member of the Steelers' charge to the preliminary final. A talented centre, he played 158 matches for Illawarra and the merged St George Illawarra side. He retired after the 1999 grand final loss to the Storm but made a comeback in 2001.

McGregor replaced Steve Price as coach of the Dragons in early 2014 and helped the club rebuild to make the finals the following year. His tenure ended when he parted ways with the club late in the 2020 season.

Dragons captain Paul McGregor was forced into an early (and short-lived) retirement after the 1999 decider due to a shoulder injury, but returned for a final season in 2001. ©NRL Photos

1995

The Sun-Herald reports that Super League are investigating a “doomsday option” of cutting teams to 11 players, eradicating scrums and permitting forward passes on the sixth tackle in anticipation of a crushing legal defeat in the Federal Court.

1997

Super League club the Hunter Mariners is disbanded after merger talks with the Gold Coast Chargers break down.

1998

Balmain recruit, 20-year-old former Junior Kiwi representative, Tai Savea, dies in New Zealand while fishing.

2001

Former South Sydney and Australian second-rower Bernie Purcell dies at the age of 73.

2011

Speculation intensifies that dual international Sonny Bill Williams is headed back to the NRL after he is spotted with his manager in discussions with Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis and Channel Nine boss David Gyngell. NRL boss David Gallop says he would need to seek assurances from Williams that he would never again walk out on a contract before he could return to the NRL.

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