He played in the club's losing Grand final teams of 1954 and 1955, learning the ropes against the powerful early 1950s South Sydney sides.
After Clay spent the 1956 country season with Griffith in Group 20, Frank Facer offered him a contract with St George as a lock forward from 1957.
On field Clay ran stampeding, battering charges like an extra forward and would then set the wider backs in motion with precise passes.
In 1959 Clay played in the New South Wales loss to Queensland that attracted 35,261 spectators, smashing Brisbane's previous record for an interstate match of 22,817.
His 200th and last career game was the 1967 final against the Kevin Ryan led Canterbury Bulldogs where the ageing Dragons outfit went down 12-11 and the record breaking premiership run ended.
[4] Brian Clay stands in second place behind his St George team-mate Norm Provan for the highest number of grand final appearances ever, with ten (including two with Newtown).
[6] On 20 July 2022, Clay was named in the St. George Dragons District Rugby League Clubs team of the century at five-eighth.