Who is arthur beetson

I was out of condition and disgracefully so'. After missing selection in the Round 1 team, the hulking forward scored a try in his first match for the Club the week after, coming in as a late replacement in the no. He could do it all on a football field and he could sell season tickets. He was an entertainer and a great player. With Beetson, things came so naturally to him that we had to restrict him. There just weren't the people who could match his skills. He represented Australia and Queensland from to His position was at prop.

Beetson became the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport and is frequently cited as the best post-war forward in Australian rugby league history.

He also had an extensive coaching career, spanning the s to the s, coaching Australia, Queensland, Eastern Suburbs, Redcliffe Dolphins and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

On 1 December , Beetson died after a heart attack, aged In , he joined his old club, Redcliffe Dolphins, as captain-coach and went into the hotel business. He was also appointed coach of the Queensland side, helping them to victories over NSW in and After a stint in as the Australian coach, which was less than successful, he returned to Eastern Suburbs as coach and stayed with them for three years.

In , he scored another Origin victory for Queensland. He was named coach of the year and he received an OAM for his services to the game in In , darker clouds loomed. Beetson was embroiled in a dispute with the owner of the Big House Hotel, the Maritime Services Board, and he lost his licence after police claimed he was not a fit and proper person.

His Queens Arms Hotel in Brisbane was put into the hands of receivers in The following year, he began the first of two seasons as coach of Cronulla-Sutherland, but the venture was not successful and he lost the job.

In , friends were rallying around to help him from financial ruin. But he was a Queensland panel selector for Australia and he had many accolades, including a place in the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame. The next year, , was one of mixed fortunes, and harsh decision making. At the end of , looking to rejuvenate his career, Beetson left Balmain to join Easts Roosters. With a new beginning, and thanks to the influence of coach Don Furner, it was a fitter and more committed Beetson who returned to the Australian team for the World Cup, and toured with the Kangaroos in His skill for off-loading seemingly impossible passes became infamous, and his maturity and dedication was unquestionable.