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 first grade premiership games for the Roosters between 1971 and 1978, captaining both the 1974 and 1975 premiership sides. He was captain/coach between 1977 and 1978, Head Coach between 1985 and 1988 and also served as an interim Head Coach in 1994. Beetson was named NSWRL Coach of the Year for the 1987 season.
Hall Of Fame | Arthur Beetson
In 2003 he became Australian rugby league’s seventh ‘Immortal’ and was amongst the initial inductees into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2008. In Rugby League’s Centenary year of 2008, Beetson was retrospectively awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for Player of the Match in the 1974 Grand Final.
Arthur Beetson was also named in the Australian Team of the Century, Queensland’s Team of the Century and the Indigenous Team of the Century.
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.
