Profile

Local lad Edgar Brooks signed from the Watersheddings junior club in the summer of 1933, becoming the successor to Yorkshire born Jack Scaife as the Oldham hooker.

His debut was something of a baptism of fire on January 10th, 1934 against the touring Australians. This was the second time Oldham played the “Kangaroos” on the tour and they were walloped both times (6 – 38 & 5 – 38).

A consistent and reliable “striker”, he was to suffer from recurring knee problems, which first came to light in the match against Wigan on October 5th, 1935. That injury would put him out of action for a year, but the next season he was happily back in the team and by 1939 he had won the first of three England caps. The Second World War meant the cancellation of the 1940 tour, for which Edgar was an almost certain choice, and the Lancashire county call he received in the same year was scant consolation. The Rugby League did announce a “shadow” squad and staged a match for “probables” against the 1936 tour squad played at Salford on February 10th, 1940, Edgar played for the former giving an impressive display and scoring a try.

After being demobbed by the army, he returned to the Oldham team, but the knee went again in early 1947 and another spell out of the game followed. His determination to keep on playing despite the set back was realised and he would go on to captain the club in the 1948-49 season. He played his last match in a first round cup tie at Leeds on February 10th, 1951, with almost 300 appearances for the club under his belt, a remarkable figure considering his injuries and the war time disruption.