Arthur Beetson - Citizendia

**Artie Beetson**
Personal information

Full name	Arthur Beetson
Date of birth	22 January 1945 (1945-01-22) (age 63)
Place of birth	Roma, Queensland,
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)^[1]
Weight	16 st 8 lb (105 kg)^[1]
Nickname(s)	Big Artie
Club information
Position(s)	Prop forward
Current club	Retired
Senior clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (points)
1964–1965 1966–1970 1971–1978 1979–1980 1981	Redcliffe Balmain Tigers Eastern Suburbs Parramatta Eels Redcliffe	74 (20) 131 (51) 16 (3)
Representative teams
1966–1977 1980–1981 1966–1977	New South Wales Queensland (Origin) Australia	18 (9) 3 (0) 14 (0)
Professional clubs coached
1977–1978 1981 1985–1988 1992–1993 1984	Eastern Suburbs Redcliffe Eastern Suburbs Cronulla Sharks Eastern Suburbs
Representative teams coached
1981–1984 1983 1989–1990	Queensland Australia Queensland
* Professional club appearances and points counted for domestic first grade only. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Roma ( is a town in the western Darling Downs area of Queensland, Australia, 515 km (318 miles by rail WNW of Brisbane. A typical Rugby league team consists of thirteen players on the field plus four substitutes on the bench The Redcliffe Dolphins are a Rugby league team from the city of Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The Balmain Tigers (also known as the Sydney Tigers from 1995-96 were one of the founding rugby league football clubs of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership The Sydney Roosters is a professional Rugby league club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional Rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Redcliffe Dolphins are a Rugby league team from the city of Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The New South Wales Rugby League team represents the state of New South Wales annually in the Rugby League State of Origin competition against arch-rivals Queensland The Queensland State of Origin team is a Rugby league team representing the state of Queensland that plays in Australia's annual three-match State of Origin The Sydney Roosters is a professional Rugby league club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The Redcliffe Dolphins are a Rugby league team from the city of Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The Sydney Roosters is a professional Rugby league club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla New South Wales in the Sutherland Shire, south of Sydney The Sydney Roosters is a professional Rugby league club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The Queensland State of Origin team is a Rugby league team representing the state of Queensland that plays in Australia's annual three-match State of Origin The Queensland State of Origin team is a Rugby league team representing the state of Queensland that plays in Australia's annual three-match State of Origin

Arthur Henry Beetson, OAM (born 22 January, 1945 in Roma, Queensland) is an Australian former rugby league player and coach. Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on 14 February 1975 "for the purpose of according recognition Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Roma ( is a town in the western Darling Downs area of Queensland, Australia, 515 km (318 miles by rail WNW of Brisbane. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games He represented Queensland and Australia from 1964 to 1981. The Queensland State of Origin team is a Rugby league team representing the state of Queensland that plays in Australia's annual three-match State of Origin His position was at prop. A typical Rugby league team consists of thirteen players on the field plus four substitutes on the bench Beetson became the first Aborigine to captain his country in any sport and is frequently cited as the best post-war forward in Australian rugby league history. Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands.

Beetson's career began with Redcliffe in the Brisbane Rugby League competition between 1964 and 1965. The Redcliffe Dolphins are a Rugby league team from the city of Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The Brisbane Rugby League (BRL premiership was a Rugby league competition held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 1922 to 1997 He then moved to Sydney to play in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the Balmain Tigers from 1966 to 1970, and later joined the Eastern Suburbs club from 1971 to 1978, where he captained the side to the 1974 and '75 premierships. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first Rugby league football club competition established in Australia The Balmain Tigers (also known as the Sydney Tigers from 1995-96 were one of the founding rugby league football clubs of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership The Sydney Roosters is a professional Rugby league club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. This Easts team would go down as one of the greatest club sides in rugby league history. During this period Beetson also played with distinction for Australia and in 1974 he was named as Rugby League Week's player of the year. Rugby League Week (frequently abbreviated to RLW) is one of the two major Australian Rugby league Magazines Big League

He possessed great strength and toughness, a surprising turn of speed for a big man and was unequalled as a ball player. His skill as a footballer was matched only by his skill as an eater, earning nicknames such as 'Meat Pie Artie'. He is known and immortalised by his performance of eating 11 hot dogs before a gala dinner for the Australian team in 1973.

His big frame, pure speed and brilliant ball skills won countless games for all his teams. His off-loading and attacking workrate broke the mould for front rowers and changed the way they played the game.

After two years with Parramatta in 1979 and 1980, he returned to Queensland for one final year with his old Redcliffe team in 1981. The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional Rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent

Beetson achieved further immortality as captain of Queensland in the inaugural State of Origin game, won 20-10 by Queensland on 8 July 1980. State of Origin is an annual best-of-three series of Rugby league matches between the Maroons, representing the state of Queensland, and the Blues In 1987 he received the Medal of the Order of Australia "in recognition of service to the sport of Rugby League". Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on 14 February 1975 "for the purpose of according recognition

Arthur Beetson's coaching career is also extensive, spanning the 1970s, 80s and 90s. He coached the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, the Cronulla Sharks and the Queensland side for whom he is currently a selector. The Queensland State of Origin team is a Rugby league team representing the state of Queensland that plays in Australia's annual three-match State of Origin

Accolades

Beetson is often regarded as Australia's best ever forward, and in 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal, then in 2001 the Centenary Medal "for service to Australian society through the sport of rugby league". The Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport. The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. He was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2003. The Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Rugby league, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors In May 2004 his book, Big Artie: The Autobiography was published. Also that year he became the seventh selected post-war “Immortal” of the Australian game with Churchill, Raper, Gasnier, Fulton, Langlands and Wally Lewis. A major Australian rugby league magazine Rugby League Week in 1985 selected an exclusive group of players dubbed 'The Immortals' Clive Bernard Churchill AM ( 21 January 1927 &ndash 9 August 1985) was an Australian Rugby league footballer and coach John Raper MBE (born 12 April 1939 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian former Rugby league footballer Reginald William Gasnier AM (born 12 May, 1939 in Kogarah New South Wales) is an Australian former Rugby league Robert "Bob" Fulton AM (born 1 December 1947 in Warrington, England is an English-born Australian Rugby league identity Graeme 'Changa' Langlands is an Australian former Rugby league footballer and coach Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM (born 1 December 1959 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian former

In February 2008, Beetson was named in a list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. In late 2007 the Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League commissioned 130 experts to select the 100 best rugby league players in the game's 100-year history in The Australian Rugby League (ARL is the governing body for the Sport of Rugby league in Australia ^[2]^[3] Beetson went on to be named in the front-row in Australian rugby league's Team of the Century. In late 2007, the Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League commissioned a college of 130 experts to select the 100 best rugby league players in Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panel's majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[4]^[5] Beetson chose to boycott the presentation ceremony, stating that he did not agree with the direction rugby league is taking. ^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b "World Series" . Rugby League Week (1975–1976): pg 85. Rugby League Week (frequently abbreviated to RLW) is one of the two major Australian Rugby league Magazines Big League Rushcutters Bay, NSW: Rugby League Week Pty Ltd.
^ Centenary of Rugby League - The Players. NRL & ARL (2008-02-23). The Australian Rugby League (ARL is the governing body for the Sport of Rugby league in Australia 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Retrieved on 2008-02-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable
^ Peter Cassidy. "Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players", Macquarie National News, 2008-02-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Retrieved on 2008-02-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable
^ Todd Balym. "Johns, Meninga among Immortals", Fox Sports Australia, 2008-04-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Retrieved on 2008-04-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor.
^ Team of the Century Announced. NRL & ARL (2008-04-17). The Australian Rugby League (ARL is the governing body for the Sport of Rugby league in Australia 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Retrieved on 2008-04-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor.
^ Glenn Jackson. "Immortal Beetson boycotts centenary ball", Fairfax Digital, 2008-04-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Retrieved on 2008-04-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor.

Preceded by Jack Gibson 1974-76	Coach Eastern Suburbs Roosters 1977-1978	Succeeded by Bob Fulton 1979-1982
Preceded by Laurie Freier 1983-84	Coach Eastern Suburbs Roosters 1985-1988	Succeeded by Russell Fairfax 1989-1990
Preceded by Allan Fitzgibbon 1988-91	Coach Cronulla Sharks 1992-1993	Succeeded by John Lang 1994-2001
Preceded by Mark Murray 1991-94	Coach Eastern Suburbs Roosters 1994	Succeeded by Phil Gould 1995-1999

Preceded by John McDonald 1980	Coach Queensland State of Origin 1981-1984	Succeeded by Des Morris 1985
Preceded by Wayne Bennett 1986-1988	Coach Queensland State of Origin 1989-1990	Succeeded by Graham Lowe 1991-1992

Accolades

References

Further reading