A SHORT HISTORY OF...WARRIORS ONE-GAME WONDERS

Every player who made a solitary top-grade appearance for the club.

A total of 17 players make up the Warriors’ ‘One-game wonders’ – a group that have made just a solitary first grade premiership appearance for the club.

Here’s how it played out for each of them:

David Murray – v Manly, 1996

The club’s original one-game wonder, courageous fullback ‘Doc’ Murray (main image) was a star on the Auckland Rugby League scene with Ellerslie before picking a contract with the fledgling Auckland Warriors.

The court order preventing Super League from going ahead in 1996 scuppered John Monie’s fullback plans with Matthew Ridge not allowed to join the club, and the coach turned to Murray in Round 5 after underwhelming displays from Marc Ellis and Gene Ngamu in the key position.

But Murray was promptly dropped after the Warriors’ 22-10 loss to Manly, Greg Alexander eventually settling into the No.1 jumper. The 23-year-old was nevertheless a key member of the reserve grade side that qualified for a historic grand final, setting up Nigel Vagana for a late try in a 14-12 defeat to Cronulla.

Murray then starred in dual wins over Great Britain for New Zealand XIII and NZ Maori, and scored five tries in two games for the latter against the touring Papua New Guinea side. He played for Super League clubs Wigan and Warrington in 1997.