Rugby League Immortal
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)