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Rugby League Immortal

Statue of Arthur Beetson with Suncorp Stadium in the background.

Arthur Beetson achieved every major accolade in Rugby League both as a player and coach in a career that spanned more than a quarter of a century.

Beetson was born in Roma, Queensland on 22 January 1945, and died on 1 December 2011. He was regarded as the best post-war forward in Australian Rugby League history and the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport.

His record as a player included:

  • 54 first grade games for Redcliffe (1964-65 and 1981)

  • 223 first grade games in the NSWRL with Balmain, Eastern Suburbs and

  • Parramatta (1966-80)

  • 12 games for Hull Kingston Rovers (UK, 1968-69)

  • 2 NSWRL premierships with Eastern Suburbs – team captain (1974-75)

  • 1 State of Origin game for Queensland - team captain (1980)

  • 2 interstate games for Queensland (1981)

  • 17 interstate games for New South Wales (1966-77)

  • 1 game for New South Wales v Great Britain 1966

  • 28 Tests for Australia (1966-77)


His record as a coach included:

  • 196 games in the NSWRL with Eastern Suburbs (1977-78, 1985-88, and 1994) and Cronulla-Sutherland (1992-93)

  • 16 games Queensland State of Origin (1981-84 and 1989-90)

  • 1 Test for Australia (1983)

  • Redcliffe (1981-82)


He received the following recognitions:

  • Order of Australia in recognition of services to Rugby League (1987)

  • Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame (2003)

  • The 7th Australian Rugby League Immortal (2003)

  • Australian Rugby League Team of the Century, the Queensland Rugby League Team of the Century and the Indigenous Australians Rugby League Team of the Century (2008)