May 31: Petersen's four-try haul; Baby Broncos tame Tigers
On this day, Matt Petersen equalled an Eels club record, Ricky Stuart stormed out of a press conference, while a 'Baby' Broncos team missing nine Origin reps upset the Tigers.
1993
Queensland prevent a New South Wales clean sweep of the State of Origin series with a commanding 24-12 win in a spectacular contest at Lang Park. Referee Greg McCallum sends four players to the sin bin after a wild first half brawl. Bob Lindner bids a fond farewell to a decade of Origin football with a match-winning second-half try.
1995
Queensland claim victory in the State of Origin series with another against the odds victory over NSW. The Maroons win 20-12 in front of 52,994 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
1998
Melbourne record the biggest win by a debut team in premiership history when they thrash the Gold Coast 62-6 at Olympic Park. Also on this day Queensland selectors recall Brisbane forwards Brad Thorn and Gorden Tallis to the Maroons’ State of Origin side for the second match of the series. Canterbury forward Steve Price is dropped from the squad, while Peter Ryan is not considered because of injury.
2002
The Brisbane Broncos record one of their most remarkable victories when their second-string outfit downs the Wests Tigers 28-14 at Campbelltown. The Broncos were missing 15 regular first-graders, including nine State of Origin reps. Six players made their first grade debuts for the club. The team was prepared by Brisbane assistant coach Craig Bellamy.
2003
Parramatta winger Matt Petersen equals a club record by scoring four tries in the Eels’ 28-4 defeat of Souths.
2007
Canberra are fined $173,203 for breaching the salary cap in 2006. Another six clubs receive fines ranging from $74,975 (St George Illawarra) to $19,260 (Newcastle).
2010
Seven Toyota Cup players are charged with fighting after a wild brawl between North Queensland and Manly players at Dairy Farmers Stadium. All seven players accept early pleas and are suspended for a combined 19 weeks.
2012
Wests Tigers star and New Zealand captain Benji Marshall voices his concerns that a dramatic increase in payments to State of Origin players could tempt Kiwi-born players to turn their backs on New Zealand jerseys in order to pursue selection for New South Wales or Queensland. Auckland-born Canterbury prop Sam Kasiano reportedly becomes a target for Queensland coach Mal Meninga.
2013
Long-serving administrator Geoff Carr resigns as chief executive of the NSWRL and ARL.
2015
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart walks out on a media conference after 24 seconds following his team’s 24-12 loss to Brisbane, claiming he was too upset with match officials to continue. “Todd Greenberg (NRL’s head of football), he was at the game tonight, and I just really hope he saw what I saw,” Stuart said. “It’s a lot healthier for our club if I don’t go any further into this press conference.”
2017
New South Wales open the Origin series with a 28-4 triumph over the Maroons at Suncorp Stadium. It is Queensland’s heaviest defeat on home soil in the 37-year history of State of Origin. Blues prop Andrew Fifita earns man-of-the-match status after a performance that draws comparisons with Immortal Arthur Beetson.
2020
Newcastle legend Andrew Johns describes the Knights’ performance in a 14-all draw with Penrith as one of the most courageous performances in the club’s 32-year history. Already missing a swathe of top-line stars, the Knights lose playmakers Mitchell Pearce and Connor Watson in the opening 10 minutes but fight back from a 14-0 deficit to send the game to golden point. Substitute hooker Chris Randall finishes with an official tally of 71 tackles, a record for a player on NRL debut.
This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.
