Under his captaincy, the team registered a win in its very first game. He was quickly signed to Balmain in the National Rugby League where he established himself as formidable on the field. Keiron Lander, who was contracted to the Broncos and Cowboys and captained the Ipswich Jets to the 2015 Intrust Super Cup title, also spoke to the players about what it means to be an Indigenous leader. Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson OAM (21 January 1945[5] 1 December 2011[6]) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. A standout forward, Beetson was named club player of the year in 1965 when Redcliffe took out the Brisbane premiership. The 1966 NSWRFL season was his first and he gained selection for the New South Wales team and played in that season's grand final against St. George at second-row forward. "David Fifita, the nephew of Andrew, was our captain a couple of years ago and he's going to be a superstar so watch out for him," Brad said. On November 7, 1992, this iconic rugby player played the final game of his career against a South Australian team, held at Adelaide. In his lifetime Arthur was a leader and a larrikin. In the post-1999 NRL season an Aboriginal side managed by Arthur Beetson defeated the Papua New Guinean national team. Arthur Beetson (Artie) You were an inspirational indigenous Australian who will be missed bye all, especially your family and friends. Thu 10 Nov 2022, 01:31 PM. A passionate player, Beetson was sent off 12 times during his career, battled on and off with weight issues and racked up an impressive list of injuries, however both on and off the field he was adored by the fans and made news wherever he went. Lewis returned to Sydney after the spat with Brisbane Broncos and joined the team Gold Coast Seagulls in 1991. Lewis, who spoke of catching Beetson in his hotel room the night before an Origin game playing cards with rival NSW coach Jack Gibson, read out tributes from every player in the 1980 Origin side. The first Indigenous sports player to captain Australia in a major sport, Arthur Beetson emerged out of a sometimes rocky rugby league career as one of the eight Immortals of the game. Arthur Beetson was founded in 2010 in honour of Arthur Beetson by the Former Origin Greats through their Closing the Gap initiative. (age42in1968), Arthur Beetson OAM The Australian Rugby League chief executive, Geoff Carr, added his own tribute, recalling the 1980 Origin match. Not only did he receive two Man of the Match awards in the State of Origin series, but was also felicitated with the Golden Boot Award for being the Worlds Best international Player. Arthur Beetson and his legacy in league and in life | NITV Purchased 2019 Jack wanted to "just see how far I can go and try my hardest" with regards to his footy while making the point that the cultural aspects of the Murri 15s camp meant a lot to him. "He got to run out on the field before State of Origin the night Queensland returned dad's jersey and he is in tune with what dad achieved. "Dad taught me about culture and I have reiterated that with my continued involvement with the Foundation. Lighthearted yarn on all things NBA and NBL, Join Narelda Jacobs and John Paul Janke to get unique Indigenous perspectives and cutting-edge analysis of the biggest stories of the week. Rugby league great Arthur Beetson died this morning at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack. His father was a sportsperson who represented clubs like Western Suburb Panthers, known as Wests, as well as Souths Logan Magpies. [28] Mark Beetson also thanked The Daily Telegraph and its readers for lobbying for the change.[28]. Arthur Beetson playing his last game for the Parramatta Eels in 1980. 16 in Rugby League Weeks Top 100 players: 1992. "He is focused on that because it is more important than footy to start with.". Tom Raudonikis, Beetson's close friend and NSW foe in the first Origin battle, broke up the gathering when he said Beetson's Aboriginal heritage had not helped his sense of direction. It wasn't until he arrived in the big smoke of Brisbane in 1965 that coach Henry Holloway suggested a move into the forwards. He then pushed, unsuccessfully, for an Australia Day match against the Australian national team.[9]. The same year, he also helped Australia defeat New Zealand in the mid-season test series in consecutive games, achieving a clean sweep. His skill for off-loading seemingly impossible passes became infamous, and his maturity and dedication was unquestionable. Jack's father Brad Beetson, a director of the Arthur Beetson Foundation which runs the annual Murri Carnival from which the touring team was selected, was proud of his son's achievement. He captained Australia in France in 1973, and against Great Britain in the second Test of 1974. He started playing football in bare feet as a six-year-old and went on became a centre and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 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. Lewis mother was a renowned netball player of her time and even represented the team of Queensland. He was captain-coach of Redcliffe in 1981 and that season was appointed coach of the Queensland State of Origin side, taking them to repeated series victories over New South Wales from 1981 to 1984 .