February 16: A cult hero was born

On this day, a playing and coaching cult hero is born and Parramatta Leagues Club announces plans to expand into a rival code.

1949

Test prop Bob O'Reilly was born. As well as playing 16 Test matches between 1970-74, O'Reilly is best remembered for being an Eels prop when the club won its first premiership in 1981.  

1961

Australia, NSW, Penrith, Manly and Western Suburbs utility Des Hasler was born. After a career that included 12 Test matches,12 State of Origin appearances and 289 first-grade matches, Hasler moved into coaching. He has coached in excess of 430 NRL matches.

1978

St George, St George Illawarra and Cronulla forward Lance Thompson was born. The popular figure played 239 matches between 1995 and 2008. Thompson died in 2018.

1994

Torrential rain, lightning and 80km/hr winds delay the second half of the Tooheys Challenge match between Easts and Parramatta at Marathon Stadium. Balmain's Wayne Pearce achieves his first taste of coaching success with an 11-6 win over Newcastle.

2001

The Parramatta Leagues Club formally announces its intention to bid for a rugby union Super 12 franchise.

2002

South Sydney make their long-awaited return to big-time rugby league when they take the field against St George Illawarra at Aussie Stadium. A crowd of 36,804 turns out for the Charity Shield, which ends in a 20-all draw.

2003

Newcastle coach Michael Hagan names utility back Kurt Gidley as the player to fill in at halfback when Andrew Johns is unavailable in 2003.

2004

The RLPA indicates it is prepared to accept a three-year freeze on the salary cap in return for a significant increase in allowances for long-serving players.

2006

St George Illawarra veteran Shaun Timmins declares his intention to quit the club at the end of the season and play out his career in England.

2009

Rising Melbourne centre Will Chambers signs a two-year deal to play rugby union with the Queensland Reds, starting in 2010.

2014

The North Queensland Cowboys capture the club's first piece of silverware after overpowering Brisbane 16-7 in the final of the Nines. The club wins $370,000 for the two-day event played before 89,003 spectators. 

2018

NRL premiers Melbourne sweep aside English champions Leeds 38-4 in the World Club Challenge at AAMI Park. Halfback Brodie Croft stars in the Storm's first game of the post-Cooper Cronk era. 

This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.