July 4: More history for Smith; King Wally makes Test debut
On this day, the Sharks and Panthers were born, Captain Cam made more history and The King made his Test debut.
1914
A 10-man England side scores an epic 14-6 victory over Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in a Test which was dubbed “Rorke’s Drift”. Rorke’s Drift in South Africa was the scene of one of England’s greatest against-all-odds military victories in 1879.
1966
The general committee of the NSWRL votes to include two new teams - Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Penrith Panthers - in the 1967 premiership.
1981
Wally Lewis makes his Test debut in Australia's 43-3 defeat of France at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Lewis went on to play 34 times for Australia, winning 29 of them, and scoring 11 tries.
2006
Manly land the sought-after signature of former Parramatta star Jamie Lyon. Lyon signs a $2 million, four-year deal.
2007
NSW avoid a State of Origin clean sweep with a hard-fought 18-4 victory over Queensland. But the Maroons produce one of the grittiest performances in Origin history after losing wingers Brent Tate and Greg Inglis to early injuries. Lock Dallas Johnson is knocked out in the first tackle of the game and misses the rest of the first half. He returns for the second.
2012
Queensland complete their seventh consecutive series win with a 21-20 victory over New South Wales in a classic State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium. A 41-metre field goal by Maroons halfback Cooper Cronk seals the win six minutes from full-time.
2019
Melbourne captain Cameron Smith lands a penalty goal to sink St George Illawarra 16-14 at WIN Stadium and become the first player in premiership history to score 2,500 points. The win hands coach Craig Bellamy his 300th victory since taking the helm of the Storm in 2003.
2020
Cronulla fullback Matt Moylan suffers yet another hamstring injury as the Sharks easily account for the Titans 40-10 at Cbus Super Stadium. It is the ninth time in three years that Moylan has been sidelined with hamstring trouble.
2021
Dragons prop Paul Vaughan and 12 team-mates are fined $1000 by police for breaching NSW health orders by attending a party at Vaughan's Shellharbour home on July 3. ARLC chairman Peter V'landys says the 'selfish act of stupidity' has the potential to put the entire NRL season at risk.
This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.
