Dave Brown

Kingaroy junior Dave Brown is part of an exclusive club, having earned Origin selection while playing reserve grade.

It’s testament to the toughness of Brown that he remained an automatic selection in 1985, even as he recovered from a broken thumb, playing for Eastern Suburbs in the second tier of the New South Wales Rugby League.

Brown played 10 straight Origin matches as a prop, a remarkable effort, combined with five Tests for Australia, two against New Zealand in 1983, and three against the touring Great Britain side in 1984.

He represented Wide Bay against New South Wales Country as a 19-year-old in 1977.

We (Greg Conescu and Bryan Niebling) all knew each other so well. NSW have never had that. It matters.

Dave Brown FOG #33

Brown made his Queensland debut in 1979 from Brisbane Souths, under the residential rules. At Souths, he honed his front row skills, playing alongside former Australian skipper, Greg Veivers.

Brown joined Easts in Sydney in 1981, before switching to Manly-Warringah in 1983. He played for (Sydney) City against New South Wales Country that year, the selectors ignoring the fact he could not represent New South Wales.

That same year he made his Origin debut for Queensland, and also toured England with the Maroons. He returned to the Roosters for the 1985 and 1986 seasons, before moving back to Queensland to play for Redcliffe.

Brown played in three Brisbane grand finals - 1979 and 1980 with Souths, and 1987 with Redcliffe - only to be on the losing side each time.

He also had stints in England with Hull and Barrow, as well as a stint as a captain-coach in Perth.

In 1992, he coached Norths to the finals of the Brisbane competition.

Arguably Brown’s finest individual accolade was the 1983 Dally M Prop of the Year award.