There was a major casualty from the fiery test between the Kiwis and Great Britain in Dunedin in 1928 - the referee.
In an era when referees were selected from the local areas rather than from a national appointment, Dunedin man Sam Devereux was given the job of officiating the second test at the Caledonian Ground.
Originally from the north of England, Devereux was born in 1880 and had been a fine rugby league player in his own right at the time when the game was known as Northern Union Rules.
After beginning with the St Joseph's Leigh club in Lancashire, Devereux was purchased by the St Helens club for the then princely sum of 100. A pacy utility outside back, he appeared in eight games for the Saints in 1904.
Although he tried hard, Devereux was soon on the outer at St Helen's before going back to Leigh and playing for the Leigh Shamrocks Club.
One of his grandsons, Gerard Devereux, remembered hearing of his grandfather being a teetotal publican in Leigh before coming out to New Zealand, where some members of his family had already settled, in 1912.
Later, Sam Devereux became the plumbing chief inspector for the Dunedin City Council.
In 1924, the Otago Rugby League was formed following the inaugural test at Tahuna Park, and Devereux was among the first men to referee club games as well as being a coach for Christian Brothers junior teams.
After four years of controlling senior games, Devereux was given his call-up to control the 1928 test at the Caledonian Ground.
The test was marred by constant fighting, which led to Devereux sending off well-known English forward, Bill Burgess, a decision for which he was lambasted by the media.
''Although the English side won that brutal test, they never forgave Granddad for letting the game get into that situation,'' Gerard Devereux said.
Sam Devereux quit refereeing after that test and withdrew from rugby league.
''He never spoke about it at all and only in recent times has our family been able to find out more of what he achieved in the game,'' his grandson said.
''He has been very much a forgotten name in the history of rugby league.''
Devereux remained in Dunedin and was an avid member of the Kaikorai Valley Bowling Club.
He died in 1961 aged 81.
