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Immortal

Arthur Beetson

Prop, Second row

Player Bio

Honoured:
2003
Date of Birth:
21 January 1945
Birthplace:
Roma, Queensland
Nickname:
Artie
Debut Team:
Redcliffe
Date:
05 April 1964
Opposition:
Northern Suburbs
Venue:
Lang Park, Brisbane
Representative:
City, Sydney, New South Wales, Combined Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Clubs:
Roma Cities, Redcliffe, Balmain Tigers, Hull Kingston Rovers, Eastern Suburbs Roosters, Parramatta Eels

Career

Milestones

  • Premierships: 1965, 1974-75
  • Kangaroo Tour: 1973
  • Australian captain: 8 Tests
  • Courier-Mail Best and Fairest: 1965
  • NSWRL Player of the Year: 1976
  • Rugby League Week Player of the Year: 1974
  • Grand Final man of the match*: 1974
  • Australian Rugby League Team of the Century: 2008
  • Queensland Team of the Century: 2008
  • Immortal: 2003
  • Rated No. 16 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
  • Named in NRL Team of the 1960s: 2006
  • Named in NRL Team of the 1970s: 2005
  • Premierships: 1965 (BRL), 1974-75

Playing

First Class Games
438
Points
155
Tries
51

Biography

Arthur Beetson's future talents as a ball-playing front-rower were honed in his teenage years when he played at centre or five-eighth in his home-town of Roma in western Queensland.

It wasn't until he arrived in the big smoke of Brisbane in 1965 that coach Henry Holloway suggested a move into the forwards. There, Beetson established himself as arguably the finest ball-playing front-rower of a generation.

He headed to Sydney a year after claiming a premiership with Redcliffe and made his name at Balmain, where he was coached by Harry Bath.

Beetson represented Australia in his first season in Sydney, earning the nickname ''Half-a-game Artie'' after a marvellous cameo in the Ashes-deciding third Test against Great Britain.

Struggling with a shoulder injury, Beetson laid on tries for wingers Johnny King and Ken Irvine that helped to secure the Ashes for Australia.

Beetson switched to Eastern Suburbs in 1971 where he developed his skills further under coaches Don Furner and later Jack Gibson and led the Roosters to consecutive premiership wins.

In 1973 he became the first Aboriginal to captain Australia in any sport.

He captained Queensland in the inaugural State of Origin match in 1980, which ushered in a new era for the game. Beetson was named Rugby League Week's seventh Immortal in 2003. He passed away in 2011.

“Over 30 years I have never seen a more constructive or destructive player.”

Don Furner Former Kangaroo coach

72. Arthur Beetson - Hall of Fame

Career Stats

Club Career

Club
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Roma Cities 1963 1963 - - - - -
Redcliffe Brisbane Club Competition
1964
1981
1965
1981
56 13 - - 39
Redcliffe Official Pre-Season 1981 1981 4 - - - -
Balmain Tigers Premiership 1966 1970 74 6 1 - 20
Balmain Tigers Official Pre-Season
1966
1970
1968
1970
19 4 - - 12
Hull Kingston Rovers England First Class Games 1968 1969 12 1 - - 3
Eastern Suburbs Roosters Premiership 1971 1978 131 17 - - 51
Eastern Suburbs Roosters Official Pre-Season 1972 1977 22 1 - - 3
Eastern Suburbs Roosters Mid-Week Competitions 1974 1978 14 1 - - 3
Parramatta Eels Official Pre-Season 1980 1980 2 - - - -
Parramatta Eels Premiership 1979 1980 18 1 - - -
Parramatta Eels Mid-Week Competitions 1979 1980 5 - - - -

Representative Career

City - Country

City - Country
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
City Firsts Country Firsts
1966
1968
1970
1973
1977
1966
1968
1970
1975
1977
7 - - - -
City Seconds Country Seconds 1971 1971 1 - - - -
City Country
1967
1970
1967
1970
2 - - - -

Intercity

Intercity
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Combined Brisbane Tooth Cup 1981 1981 2 - - - -

State

State
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
New South Wales Interstate Series Queensland
1966
1968
1970
1972
1977
1966
1968
1970
1975
1977
17 3 - - 9
New South Wales Touring Sides 1966 1966 1 - - - -
Queensland State of Origin New South Wales 1980 1981 3 - - - -

International

International
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Australia Tests and World Cup
1966
1968
1970
1972
1977
1966
1968
1970
1975
1977
28 1 - - 3
Australia Tour Matches 1972 1975 19 3 - - 9

Other Representative

Other Representative
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Sydney Touring Teams 1966 1966 1 - - - -

Latest

Immortals

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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