Brisbane Easts’ Queensland State of Origin winger, Steve Stacey stunned officials of Salford in England by walking out on the club and flying back to Australia.

Stacey and Englishman, Roby Muller were fined for their non-appearance at an away match against Welsh club, Bridgend the week before.

Muller patched up his differences with Salford and went on to play 22 matches for the club in the 1984-85 season. Stacey had played just seven games and scored six tries.

Around the same time, Halifax sacked Welshman, Colin Dixon as coach, replacing him with Chris Anderson from Australia.

Wigan signed Springbok rugby union international centre, Nick Du Toit, while former British Lions’ rugby union halfback, David Brynmor Williams announced his retirement from rugby league because of repeated injuries. Williams played halfback for the Welsh league side against the touring Kangaroos at Cardiff in 1982, describing the Frank Stanton coached outfit as the best he had seen in either rugby code, and he had played against the All Blacks and Wallabies.

Meantime BBC commentator, Ray French was banned by rugby union authorities from calling any of their games. French had represented England in union before his inevitable switch to league in his home town, St Helens, back in the 1960s.

And at Warrington, Paul Bishop, the son of former Great Britain halfback, Tommy Bishop, made national headlines when two doctors rushed onto the field to attend to him after he swallowed his tongue. Paul made a full recovery.