August 30: El Magic's grand farewell
On this day, two champion forwards dead heat in the Rothmans Medal, Hazem El Masri is given a rousing farewell at ANZ Stadium and the Burgess boys grab a little slice of history.
1969
St George legend Johnny Raper plays his last match for the club in a 19-10 minor semi-final loss to Manly.
The future Immortal was an integral part of the club's glory run of 11 straight premierships from 1959 onwards after beginning his career at Newtown.
1989
Sharks second-rower Gavin Miller and Newcastle prop Mark Sargent make history by sharing the Rothmans Medal in a presentation at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel.
1999
Western Suburbs finish the season with the worst defensive record of any team in premiership history. In their final match as a stand-alone club, they are thumped 60-16 by Auckland.
2009
The biggest crowd for a regular season match in Sydney since 1974 – 41,835 – turns out to pay homage to Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri in his last home club game at ANZ Stadium.
El Masri lands eight goals from eight attempts in a 40-20 defeat of the Warriors.
2010
Penrith captain Petero Civoniceva becomes the first player dismissed from the field in 2010 when he is marched for a high tackle on Canterbury second-rower Gary Warburton by referee Steve Lyons. It is the first time in his 266-game NRL career that Civoniceva is sent off.
2013
The four Burgess brothers equal a 103-year-old record when they help the Rabbitohs to a 32-18 comeback victory over Wests Tigers at Allianz Stadium. It is the first time since 1910 that four brothers have appeared in the same first grade team.
Sutton busts through to set up Johnston
2018
Marshall reads the defence perfectly
2019
Roosters halfback Cooper Cronk is ruled out of his team’s clash with Penrith with an eye injury sustained when his one-year-old son Lennox struck him with the corner of a book.
This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.
