Arthur “Artie” Beetson, born on 22 January 1945, was an Australian rugby league football player and coach

Arthur Henry “Artie” Beetson, born on 22 January 1945, was an Australian rugby league football player and coach. From 1964-1981 he represented Australia, Queensland and NSW and played at prop position. He was the first native Australian to captain his country in any sports and is considered as the best post-war forward in Australian rugby league history. His extensive coaching career, spanning from 1970s to 1990s, saw him coach Australia, Eastern Suburbs, Queensland, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Redcliffe Dolphins.

Arthur’s rugby career began with Redcliffe in Brisbane Rugby League competition 1964-1965 season. Redcliffe won the Brisbane Rugby League Premiership in 1965 with Beetson winning the club’s player of the year award. He then moved to Sydney to play with Balmain Tigers in New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership.

In his first year with the Tigers Beetson played against St. George in the grand final and was also chosen for representative debut for Australia against England. He scored two tries in that match. Beetson stayed with Balmain Tigers till 1970 and he also had a spell with Hull Kingston Rovers in 1968. He then joined the Eastern Suburbs club in 1971 and stayed there till 1978. In 1974 and 1975 premiership seasons Beetson captained the Eastern Suberbs club. In 1976 NSWRFL season Beetson captained the side to victory against British Champions St. Helen in their unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge match played in Sydney. Eastern Suburbs club went down in history as the greatest clubs in rugby league history. Beetson also played with distinction for Australia and he was named as Rugby League Week’s player of the year during his time at the Eastern Suburbs.

Beetson was famous for possessing great toughness and strength. He had surprising speed for a big man and was unmatched as a ball player. He was also famous for his big appetite which earned him the nickname ‘Meat Pie Artie’. He is famous for eating 11 hot dogs before a gala dinner for the Australian team in 1973. He won countless games for the teams he played for owning to his brilliant ball skill, big frame and surprising speed. Front rowers changed the way they played the game due to Beetson’s attacking and offloading work rate.

He was capped off with the man of the match performance in the Eels 8-5 Tooth Cup Final win against Balmain after two years with Parramatta in 1979 and 1980. On 8th July 1980 Beetson captained Queensland in the inaugural 1980 State of Origin game where Queensland won 20-10. In 1981 he returned to Queensland for one final year with Redcliffe. In 1981 he was the captain of Queensland in the final ‘traditional’ interstate match and at the conclusion of the season; Southern Suburbs beat the Dolphins in the final minute of the grand final.

Beetson started his coaching career in 1977 while he was still playing with Fasts. He captained and coached Redcliff in 1981 and the same season he was appointed coach for the Queensland State of Origin. He took the team to repeated series victories over New South Wales from the year 1981 to 1984. His period coaching Australia in 1983 was brief and somewhat unsuccessful. He returned to his former club Eastern Suburbs as a coach from 1985 to 1988 where he was named Coach of the Year in 1987 and Cronulla-Sutherland for 1992 and 1993 seasons. He also spent considerable number of years as a recruitment officer for both Queensland and Eastern Suburbs. An Aboriginal side managed by Beetson beat the Papua New Guinean national team in the post 1999 NRL season.

Beetson was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and in 2001 he got the Century Medal “for service to Australian society through the sport of rugby”. In 2003 Beetson was inducted in the Australian Hall of Fame. His Autobiography was published in May 2004 and the same year he was selected the seventh selected post-war ‘immortal’ of the Australian game with Fulton, Langland, Wally Lewis, Gasnier, Reaper and Churchill. Beetson was named in Australia’s 100 Greatest Players (1908-2007) in February 2008. He was also named in front-row in Australia’s rugby league Team of the Century announced on 17 April 2008. Also in 2008 Beetson was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League’s Team of the Century at second row. He also enjoyed the life time member status at Sydney Cricket Ground and a plaque in the Walk of Honour commemorates his career. He also received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1987. He is remembered as Australia’s best ever forward. In 2008 Beetson was also awarded the Clive Churchill Medal of being the Man of the Match in the 1974 Grand final.

Beetson died on 1 December 2011 after a heart attack while he was riding his bicycle at Paradise Point on the Gold Coast. He was aged 66 at the time of his death.