Paul 'Mary' McGregor

Dapto centre played reserve grade with I’warra in 1989 but returned to the local competition the following year to play with his mates. McGregor was at first reluctant to return to grade but was finally lured back to the Steelers in 1991. Tall and solidly built, McGregor was selected for City Origin in 1991-92 before playing in all three matches of 1992’s State of Origin series. He continued to impress with his strong, sharp bursts during the Steelers' semi-final campaign that year but after being plagued by a calf muscle injury in 1993, the 1994 season started horrendously when his jaw was smashed in a tackle during a pre-season match. For a time McGregor contemplated retirement but he returned to his best form and joined Brad Fittler in the NSW centres. Regarded in most quarters to have played over the top of Australia's Test pair of Mal Meninga and Steve Renouf he was selected as a reserve back in Australia's Test team against France at P’matta Stadium. McGregor made the most of his opportunity and scored a try when he made it onto the field but the 1994 Kangaroo Tour was personally unrewarding. He made just three appearances before he was forced to return home early to treat a worsening hamstring injury. During the Super League war McGregor maintained his ranking as one of the best centres in the game but in the three years after the 1995 World Cup injury restricted his Test appearances to just one match (v. Rest of the World in 1997). In 1999 he was ruled out of the ANZac Test when he suffered a recurrence of a blood-clotting problem which required surgery on his legs but he finished the season by captaining the merged St George I’warra club in its grand final loss to Melbourne. Forced into retirement with a shoulder problem he returned to the Dragons after a year out of the game before finally retiring on his own terms at the end of 2001. McGregor was later an assistant coach to Nathan Brown with the Dragons.