April 14: Rogers emulates Dad; Badger makes history
On this day, Brett Papworth's run of bad luck continued, Mat Rogers equalled his father's record and Kasey Badger made history.
1991
Alan Jones launches a scathing attack on referee Chris Ward after Balmain’s fifth match without a win. His tirade costs him $10,000 for “bringing the game into disrepute”. Meanwhile, the game’s unluckiest player, Roosters back Brett Papworth, is injured yet again in a match at Newcastle. He sustains ligament damage in his right knee and is ruled out for the season.
1992
Gold Coast are stripped of two competition points and Cronulla fined $10,000 after both are found guilty of breaching the replacement rule.
1994
Michael Hancock rejects an offer from the South Queensland Crushers to re-sign for two seasons with the Broncos. Mark Geyer confirms he will join the Western Reds in 1995.
2000
Cronulla Sharks winger Mat Rogers equals his father Steve's club record for points in a single game when he chalks up 26 in a 42-16 home win over Newcastle.
2001
St George Illawarra hooker Wayne Bartrim is sent off for attempting to kick an opponent as his team goes down 24-6 to Parramatta at WIN Stadium.
2002
The Northern Eagles slump to a record 68-10 thrashing at the hands of the Warriors at Ericsson Stadium. Warriors’ fullback Ivan Cleary scores 28 points, equalling Gene Ngamu's club record. The record is also equalled by James Maloney in 2010.
2003
St George Illawarra are fined $5000 by the NRL after coach Nathan Brown slapped captain Trent Barrett in the face on the sideline at WIN Stadium. The Sydney Roosters re-sign back-rower Craig Fitzgibbon.
2008
South Sydney coach Jason Taylor breaches NRL rules by confronting his players on the sideline during his team’s 12-10 loss to Cronulla. Taylor’s actions could have cost the Rabbitohs two competition points if they had won the game. “I understand that now,” Taylor said after the game. “I just wanted to get a message to the team and I knew I wasn’t allowed to approach the sideline so I got the boys to come to me. But then I found out you can’t do that either.”
2012
Whistle-blower Kasey Badger makes history by becoming the first female to referee a Toyota Cup match when she takes control of the Manly-Gold Coast fixture at Brookvale Oval.
2013
St George Illawarra five-eighth Jamie Soward kicks a late field goal to steer the Dragons to a 13-12 win over Wests Tigers in a feature match of the NRL’s Heritage Round at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The game commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1963 grand final, won 8-3 by St George over Wests and which spawned the famous Gladiators photograph featuring rival captains Norm Provan and Arthur Summons.
2014
The Melbourne Storm score a stunning last-gasp try to sink the Dragons 28-24 at AAMI Park after they trailed 24-10 with 14 minutes to play. St George Illawarra players complain that the siren had sounded before Storm winger Young Tonumaipea played the ball on the final play. The NRL investigate and determine that referee Matt Cecchin was technically incorrect to allow play to continue. St George Illawarra’s demands that that the NRL award them two competition points fall on deaf ears.
This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.
