Arthur Beetson
Front Row/Second Row
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2010
- Date of Birth:
- 21 January 1945
- Birthplace:
- Roma, Queensland
- Nickname:
- Artie
- Debut Team:
- Eastern Suburbs 1971
- Date:
- 04 April 1971
- Opposition:
- Eastern Suburbs Roosters Debut vs Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
- Venue:
- Sydney Sports Ground
- Representative:
- 1 game for NSW City Seconds, 4 games for NSW City Firsts (whilst at the Roosters), 1 games as Captain of NSW City Firsts (whilst at the Roosters), 11 Interstate Matches for NSW (whilst at the Roosters), 1 Interstate Matches as Captain of NSW (whilst at the Roosters), 22 Test Matches for Australia (whilst at the Roosters), 9 Test Matches as captain of Australia (whilst at the Roosters)
- Clubs:
- Redcliffe Dolphins (1964 - 1965, 1981), Balmain Tigers (1966 - 1970), Hull Kingston Rovers (1968 -1 969), Eastern Suburbs Roosters (1971 - 1978), Parramatta Eels (1979 - 1980)
Career
Milestones
- First Indigenous Player to Captain Australia in Any Sport (1973)
- Eastern Suburbs Captain 1974 - 1978
- Clive Churchill Medal (1974)
- RLW Player of the Year (1974)
- NSW Sports Star of the Year (1975)
- NSWRL Player of the Year (1975)
- NSW Hall of Champions; 1970s (1981)
- NSWRL Coach of the Year (1987)
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame (1989)
- Sydney Roosters Team of the Century (2000)
- Australian Sports Medal (2000)
- Centenary Medal (2001)
- NRL Hall of Fame (2003)
- Rugby League Immortal (2003)
- Rugby League International Hall of Fame (2003)
- NRL Team of the 1970s (2005)
- NRL Team of the 1960s (2006)
- Australian Rugby League's 100 Greatest Players (2007)
- Sydney Roosters Centurions (2007)
- Queensland Team of the Century (2008)
- Australian Rugby League Team of the Century (2008)
- Indigenous Rugby League Team of the Century (2008)
- Queensland Sports Hall of Fame (2009)
- Queensland Sports Hall of Fame; Legend Status (2012)
- NSW Rugby League Hall of Fame (2017)
Biography
Arthur Beetson, Sydney Rooster #615, is one of Rugby League’s thirteen immortals and is often referred to as the best prop Australia has ever seen. He is also one of the code's most well respected and liked characters.
Arthur played 131 games for Easts between 1971 and 1978, captaining the 1974 and 1975 premiership-winning teams, and coached the club between 1985 and 1988, earning the ‘Coach of the Year’ award in 1987.
Hall Of Fame | Arthur Beetson
In 2003 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, and inducted as one of Rugby League's Immortals. In 2008, in Rugby League’s Centenary year, Beetson was retrospectively awarded the Clive Churchill Medal, for the best player on the field, for the 1974 Grand Final.
Beetson was also named in Rugby League’s Team of the Century, QLD’s Team of the Century and the Indigenous Team of the Century that same year.
Following his tragic passing in December of 2011, the Arthur Beetson Medal was introduced in his honour, awarded to the man of the match for the annual Indigenous All Stars match.
“He could do it all on the football field and he could sell tickets. He was an entertainer and a great player.”
Jack Gibson Former Roosters Coach
Hall of Fame Members
Sydney Roosters respect and honour 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.
