The legendary Steve Rogers' memory will inspire Cronulla against rivals Manly on Sunday afternoon as they strive to win back the silverware named in the Sharks Immortal's honour at 4 Pines Park.
As a mark of respect for a giant of the game, the Sharks and Sea Eagles have played for the Steve Rogers Memorial Trophy since his tragic passing in 2006 aged 51.
Rogers proudly represented Cronulla in several famous battles that lit the fuse for a longstanding rivalry with Manly. He made his first-grade debut as an 18-year-old in 1973 and featured in the brutal grand final loss to the Silvertails that year.
He captained the Sharks in the 1978 grand final and grand final replay against the Sea Eagles during a peerless career comprising 202 top-grade games for the club.
Rogers, a brilliant centre who was named a Sharks Immortal in 2003 and inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame in 2008, played 21 games for NSW, 24 Tests for Australia and won a Rothmans Medal and Dally M Player of the Year award.
Fittingly, he was named as one of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) in a list commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year.
With Rogers having forged close friendships with Manly greats including Bob Fulton, Max Krilich and Paul McCabe on Kangaroo touring teams, the Sharks and Sea Eagles came together with the idea for a trophy to enshrine his legacy.
Manly have won 21 of the 29 matches contested for the Steve Rogers Memorial Trophy, most recently beating Cronulla 30-26 in Round 21 last year. Prior to that, the Sharks had racked up three straight victories over the Sea Eagles.
The first game with the trophy on the line took place in March 2006, almost three months after Rogers' death. The prize was put up each time the teams met until the end of the 2010 season, after which it was contested just once a season at the current holders' home ground if the teams were drawn to play each other twice.
In May 2016, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Rogers' passing, Manly and Cronulla returned to the original format of playing for the trophy in each meeting.
Kick-off on Sunday is at 2pm.
Steve Rogers Memorial Trophy
Matches played 29: Manly 21, Cronulla 8
2023, Rd 11: Cronulla 20 d Manly 14, Rd 21: Manly 30 d Cronulla 26
2022, Rd 7: Cronulla 34 d Manly 22, Rd 23: Cronulla 40 d Manly 6
2021, Rd 20: Manly 40 d Cronulla 22
2020, Rd 7: Cronulla 40 d Manly 22
2019, Rd 10: Manly 24 d Cronulla 14
2018, Rd 21: Manly 33 d Cronulla 32
2017, Rd 16: Manly 35 d Cronulla 18
2016, Rd 3: Manly 22 d Cronulla 12, Rd 11: Cronulla 20 d Manly 12
2015, Rd 26: Manly 14 d Cronulla 12; Rd 17, Manly 28 d Cronulla 16.
2014, Rd 6: Manly 24 d Cronulla 4, Rd 15: Manly 26 d Cronulla 0
2013, Rd 6: Manly 25 d Cronulla 18; SF: Manly 24 d Cronulla 18
2012, Rd 3: Cronulla 17 d Manly 14
2011, Rd 5: Manly 19 d Cronulla 13
2010, Rd 5: Manly 40 d Cronulla 12; Rd 19: Manly 48 d Cronulla 18
2009, Rd 19: Manly 32 d Cronulla 26: Rd 25: Manly 18 d Cronulla 16
2008, Rd 1: Cronulla 16 d Manly 10, Rd 18: Manly 34 d Cronulla 6
2007, Rd 19: Manly 29 d Cronulla 22
2006, Rd 3: Manly 20 d Cronulla 18, Rd 16 Cronulla 15 d Manly 12
