January 31: Joey gets the Boot; Benji shows promise
On this day, Andrew Johns is presented with the Golden Boot and a young Benji Marshall provides a glimpse of the future.
1959
Former Newtown, Manly, Canterbury and Balmain player Phil Sigsworth was born. He is widely remembered for being sent off during the 1986 grand final. Sigsworth also played three matches for NSW in 1983.
1995
Top drawcard Martin Offiah withdraws from Great Britain's Sevens squad because of a knee injury. The prolific try-scorer clocked up almost 500 tries during his career.
1997
Super League's World Nines begins in Townsville. Super League's International Board chairman Maurice Lindsay announces business interests are prepared to invest $60 million into an eight-team competition in Japan.
2000
Parramatta name 21-year-old front-rower Nathan Cayless as their youngest ever first-grade captain.
2001
North Queensland and NSW fullback Tim Brasher is not expected to play in 2001 after it is discovered a knee injury he suffered in November is worse than first anticipated. Brasher would retire at the end of 2002.
2002
Rugby League Immortal Andrew Johns is presented with the Golden Boot award as the best player in the world at a function in Leeds.
2004
Teenage sensation Benji Marshall stars for the Wests Tigers in their 40-6 defeat of British Super League club Widnes at Forster.
2007
South Sydney part-owner Peter Holmes a Court meets with Canterbury ace Sonny Bill Williams to launch a bid aimed at signing the star Kiwi. He would remain with the Bulldogs until 2008 before departing for French rugby.
2008
Test centre Mark Gasnier is appointed captain of St George Illawarra for 2008, while Test prop Petero Civoniceva is named captain of Penrith.
2011
Wests Tigers and Parramatta transfer their February 19 trial from the Central Coast to Campbelltown in order to go head-to-head with AFL trials at Blacktown featuring the Sydney Swans, the Gold Coast Suns and the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
2015
An opening day crowd of 43,054 attends the Auckland Nines at Eden Park. Parramatta's Kaysa Pritchard suffers a torn pectoral muscle in the opening game.
This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.
