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Immortal

Dave Brown

Centre

Player Bio

Honoured:
2018
Date of Birth:
04 April 1913
Birthplace:
Kogarah, NSW
Nickname:
-
Debut Team:
Eastern Suburbs
Date:
09 August 1930
Opposition:
St George
Venue:
Earl Park, Arncliffe
Representative:
City, New South Wales, Australia
Clubs:
Eastern Suburbs, Warrington

Career

Milestones

  • Premierships: 1935-37, 1940
  • Kangaroo Tour: 1933-34
  • Australian captain: 6 Tests
  • New South Wales Team of the Century: 2008
  • Rated No. 9 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
  • Premiership records for most points in a game (45) and most tries in a season (38 in 1935)
  • Immortal: 2018

Playing

First Class Games
264
Points
1600
Tries
196

Biography

Dave Brown was one of the most prolific point scorers in rugby league history. His star was at its zenith in the 1930s, the same time as another Australian was rewriting the records in another sphere, and his title as the ''Bradman of League'' was testament to his abilities.

As a youngster, Brown overcame a series of horrific injuries and mishaps to make his mark in the game. He had lost the top of a thumb as a toddler, broke an arm and dislocated his elbow in a schoolyard accident, and was badly scalded by water at home.

As an 18-year-old, he lost all of his bodily hair due to illness. But when he donned the brown leather headgear that was to become his trademark, Brown developed into one of rugby league's greatest champions.

He smashed the Kangaroo tour point-scoring record in 1933–34 with 285 points, a tally that is not likely to be approached.

And in the mid-1930s he was a giant figure in Eastern Suburbs' premiership wins in 1935-37. His premiership records of 38 tries in a season and 45 points in one match, both achieved in 1935, stand to this day. In all games that year he scored 385 points, and was captain in every game he played, at age 22.

Frank Hyde wrote of Brown: ''He was a master at backing up. If a ball was dropped he'd swoop on it like a shark homing in on a mackerel''.

“The greatest positional player I have seen.” 

Sidney "Joe" Pearce Team-mate and two-time Kangaroo

Dave Brown - Immortal

Career Stats

Club Career

Club
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Eastern Suburbs Premiership
1930
1939
1936
1941
94 93 194 - 667
Eastern Suburbs State Championship
1939
1941
1939
1941
4 3 16 - 41
Warrington England First Class Games 1936 1939 93 48 91 - 326

Representative Career

City - Country

City - Country
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
City Firsts Country Firsts
1932
1934
1932
1936
4 1 6 - 15
City Seconds Country Seconds 1933 1933 1 - 1 - 2

State

State
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
New South Wales Interstate Series Queensland 1931 1936 19 9 45 - 117
New South Wales Touring Teams
1932
1936
1932
1936
2 1 - - 3
New South Wales Tour Matches
1932
1935
1932
1935
3 8 2 - 28

International

International
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Australia Tests
1933
1935
1933
1936
9 7 26 - 73
Australia Tour Matches 1933 1935 31 24 117 - 306

Other Representative

Other Representative
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Metropolis England 1932 1932 1 - - - -
Metropolis England 1932 1932 1 - - - -
Kangaroos The Rest 1934 1934 1 1 7 - 17
Sydney England 1936 1936 1 1 1 - 5

Latest

Immortals

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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