21 Facts About Brian Clay

Brian Joseph 'Poppa' Clay was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s.

Brian Clay was a five-eighth with the St George Dragons during their 11-year consecutive premiership winning run from 1956 to 1966.

Brian Clay was a representative in the Australian national team in 1957 and from 1959 to 1960 earning five Test caps plus three World Cup appearances.

Brian Clay is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.

Brian Clay played schoolboy football for Newtown Technical School and captained a New South Wales Schoolboys side.

Brian Clay began losing his hair as a teenager and early in his football career became known as 'Poppa'.

Brian Clay played in the club's losing Grand final teams of 1954 and 1955, learning the ropes against the powerful early 1950s South Sydney sides.

Brian Clay made his State and International debut in 1957 and played a major role in Australia's success in the 1957 World Cup.

Outside the game Brian Clay was a dour, cautious man, highly principled and loyal.

On field Brian Clay ran stampeding, battering charges like an extra forward and would then set the wider backs in motion with precise passes.

In 1959 Brian Clay played in the New South Wales loss to Queensland that attracted 35,261 spectators, smashing Brisbane's previous record for an interstate match of 22,817.

Brian Clay went on the 1959 Kangaroo Tour of Britain and France appearing in five test matches and sixteen minor Tour games.

Brian Clay is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No 332.

Brian Clay played 200 club games for the St George Dragons between 1957 and 1967 and played in eight of the famous Grand Final victories.

Brian Clay missed the 1962 and 1963 Grand Finals with broken arm injuries.

Brian Clay stands in second place behind his St George team-mate Norm Provan for the highest number of grand final appearances ever, with ten.

Brian Clay played in an 8 grand final victories and was regarded as one of the greatest players to ever represent the St George Dragons.

Brian Clay was awarded Life Membership of the St George Dragons club in 1967.

Brian Clay was buried at the Woronora Cemetery, Sutherland, New South Wales.

In February 2008, Brian Clay was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.

On 20 July 2022, Brian Clay was named in the St George Dragons District Rugby League Clubs team of the century at five-eighth.