July 24: 'Chook' Halligan's day out; Ton up for Ricky
On this day, a Dragons legend hits a hundred, Daryl Halligan has a day out and a Maroons flyer is born.
1972
Peter Jones was born. A foundation member of North Queensland's 1995 squad, he played 131 NRL matches for the Cowboys, mainly in the second row, before retiring at the end of 2003.
1993
Winger Ricky Walford scores his 100th first-grade try in St George’s 18-16 win over Balmain. The former Roosters and Bears flyer finished his career in 1996 with 116.
1995
Valentine Holmes was born in Townsville. A winger with blistering pace, he broke into the NRL ranks with Cronulla in 2014 and was a key member of their premiership-winning team two years later. After starring at fullback in 2018, he announced he would try to make it in the NFL and was signed by the New York Jets. In 2020 he returned to the NRL with the North Queensland Cowboys.
1998
Daryl Halligan racks up 28 points from two tries and 10 goals as Canterbury thumped Western Suburbs 56-16 at Campbelltown in what would be the Magpies' final season in the premiership as a stand-alone entity.
2008
St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown launches an extraordinary attack on the Melbourne Storm and their wrestling tactics following the spiteful round 19 clash at Olympic Park. Brown warns of a “bloodbath” unless the NRL polices Melbourne’s use of illegal wrestling ploys. He says winger Jason Nightingale and prop Jason Ryles, accused of head-butting and kicking, were entitled to go further in reacting to fierce Storm provocation. Brown escapes censure from the NRL over his comments.
2009
Former NSW captain Danny Buderus suffers a broken leg playing for Leeds in the English Super League.
2020
Parramatta agree to loan prop Daniel Alvaro and winger George Jennings to the Warriors as the New Zealand club prepares to farewell wingers Ken Maumalo and David Fusitu'a and forwards Agnatius Paasi and King Vuniyayawa. The quartet were allowed to return home on compassionate grounds.
This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.
