Former Greats - Arthur 'Pony' Halloway /

Arthur 'Pony' Halloway

Arthur ‘Pony’ Halloway won two of his seven first grade premierships as a player during his three-season stint as the Roosters half back. He is one of the all-time greats, named amongst the 100 greatest players of the first century of Australian rugby league.

However, Halloway’s contribution to Roosters history is best remembered for his four stints as a Roosters coach, spread over ten seasons. He had a win rate of 68.18% and during his time at the Club set the record for the longest undefeated streak as a coach in Australian rugby league history with 35 consecutive games unbeaten.

Of his record eight first grade premierships as a coach, four came at the Roosters, including three in succession between 1935 and 1937 during his second coaching stint at the Club, where his sides lost just one game in three years. 

Halloway’s third stint at the Club in 1945 brought another premiership with Easts winning the Decider the day before World War II ended. At the end of that third stint as Coach, his teams had lost just 28 matches from 136 games.

Apart from the four premiership titles he won at the Roosters as a coach, the club, under Halloway, also won 6 minor premierships and 7 club championships.

With eight premierships as a coach (four at Balmain and four at the Roosters) 'Pony' Halloway's record still stands today and his teams of 1935 - 1937 are not just one of the Roosters greatest sides, but one of the greatest in the game's history. After winning its third successive premiership in 1937 the Roosters were presented with Labour Daily Cup, which was given to the club, in recognition of their achievements over those three seasons.

For 85 years Arthur 'Pony' Halloway held the record for most first grade premiership games by a Roosters coach (154 games), until it was broken by Trent Robinson in 2018. He is regarded as one the game's greatest ever coaches.