Souths and Roosters legend Ron Coote named rugby league’s 14th Immortal

The 14th rugby league legend has been elevated to Immortal status with one of the greats on and off the field honoured.

South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs legend Ron Coote has been named the NRL’s 14th Immortal.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a mad South Sydney fan, was on hand to announce Coote’s induction with a standing ovation for the 79-year-old legend.

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Coote shed some tears over the honour, saying: “I’m a bit taken for words at the moment,” before taking a second to compose himself.

“I never thought I’d be crying when I was 80 but I am,” he added.

“To me it’s just sensational. I never thought it would happen, I’ve been at this function a few times and this time I got the gong. That’s really good to me and I really appreciate it.”

Ron Coote is the NRL's 14th Immortal. Photo: Fox Sports

Coote played 148 games for South Sydney between 1964 and 1971, before moving to Eastern Suburbs, playing 109 matches for the Tricolours, finishing his career in 1978 after suffering an arm injury.

His incredible grand final record is something to behold — between 1965 and 1975, he played in nine of the 11 Grand Finals, winning four for Souths and another two for the Roosters.

Playing lock, Coote played often in the shadow of one of the first Immortals in John Raper when it came to national team selection.

Raper held the lock position for Australia until 1968, with Coote making the jersey his own from 1969.

While he represented Australia before that, he truly owned the jersey from there, even representing the Kangaroos as captain in the 1970 World Cup.

Coote also represented NSW 15 times in the pre-Origin era.

But Coote was also an incredible figure off the field, founding the Men of League program, which has become the Family of League, in 2000 to help support former players, officials and referees who have fallen on hard times.

Captain Ron Coote kisses World Cup trophy after defeating England in final at Leeds.

In 2005, Coote was inducted into the ARL Hall of Fame and was named on a list of Australia’s 100 greatest players, as well as being named a second rower in Australian rugby league’s Team of the Century.

When asked what he was most proud of, Coote said: “I suppose I’d have to say my family, I’ve got a wonderful family and I’ve always put them first and then I’ve been lucky in business — I’ve had to work hard but I’ve always had a lot of luck with it.

“I really appreciate everything rugby league has done for me.

“I’ve had a great life and I put that down to the opportunity I’ve been give to play the game of rugby league.”

It comes after a shortlist of players was revealed earlier in the night featuring Coote, Allan Langer, Cameron Smith, Darren Lockyer, Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling, Laurie Daley, Glenn Lazarus, Bradley Clyde, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Ken Irvine and Brad Fittler.

Smith, the NRL’s greatest pointscorer, games record holder, the games record holder for Queensland and two time Dally M player of the year, was widely expected to be named awarded the honour.

Coote joins the other Immortals including Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, John Raper, Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands, Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Andrew Johns, Mal Meninga, Norm Provan, Dally Messenger, Dave Brown and Frank Burge.

The Hall of Fame also recieved a huge influx with 11 former men’s players inducted, the first six women’s players, the first two coaches, the first two referees and four contributors.

7.30pm — ‘Said no first’: Benji’s hilarious interview

Benji Marshall will join the NRL’s Hall of Fame tonight but the Wests Tigers coach couldn’t help himself on the black carpet.

While he said he hadn’t thought about who would be named an Immortal, he also revealed his date for the night — his former teammate and 338-game veteran Chris Heighington.

It was a night out for the lads for Chris Heighington and Benji Marshall. Picture: Jonathan Ng

With his wife away, Benji brought his mate

“You know what it was like, it was like having to ask him to come to a formal,” Marshall said to The Daily Telegraph.

“He declined at first and then he realised he needed a new job as assistant coach next year and he had to say yes.”

Heighington said: “I had to go get a new suit, I don’t like getting dressed up.”

Good gear lads!

7pm — ‘It’s disrespectful’: Andrew Johns blasts NRL

Mal Meninga revealed earlier on Wednesday that the current Immortals had not been consulted regarding the next player who will join rugby league’s most exclusive club.

There are just three currently living Immortals in Meninga, Wally Lewis and Andrew Johns.

And the eighth Immortal Andrew Johns is furious about it.

Andrew Johns blasted the "disrespectful" scenes. Photo: Channel 9

“It’s disrespectful,” he said on Nine’s Freddy and the Eighth.

“I haven’t had a phone call. Not one phone call about it.

“As of Monday, I didn’t know there was going to be another Immortal being inducted. I thought it was just Hall of Fame.

He also said legendary broadcaster Ray Warren, who had previously been part of the voting panels was also not asked for his input.

“Not myself, not Wally, not Mal — I know they’re disappointed,” Johns said.

“I know Rabs is disappointed. Rabs is very disappointed.”

Johns said he will be onstage for the announcement but didn’t realise an Immortal was being named.

“I’ll be up on stage for the announcement of the Immortal but I didn’t even know there was going to be another Immortal inducted on Wednesday night,” he said.

6.30pm — Wayne Bennett snubs Hall of Fame dinner

Wayne Bennett will make history as one of the first coaches to be inducted into the NRL’s Hall of Fame, but he won’t be there.

The legendary coach has skipped the dinner, with Sam Burgess to collect his jacket.

Bennett is one of the greatest coaches in history, having won seven premierships, including six for the Broncos and one for the Dragons.

But while he’s notoriously private, it is surprising considering the historic induction — as well as having Burgess, who is also being inducted, having flown in from England.

It’s a whirlwind trip for Burgess, who coaches the third-placed Warrington in the Super League, with their next match on Friday night (5am Saturday morning Australian time).

Bennett’s club, The Dolphins, will also play on Saturday.

Darryl Brohman and Wayne Bennett won't be there.

The news comes 24 hours after Darryl Brohman opted to snub the event in the wake of Les Boyd’s induction.

Boyd broke Brohman’s jaw in an Origin match in 1983, leading to a nine month suspension for Boyd, but also likely denying Brohman a chance of earning a Kangaroos jersey.

Brohman was planning to attend the event to honour broadcaster David Morrow, who is also being inducted, who the “Big Marn” worked closely with as part of 2GB’s Continuous Call team.

“I was invited, and I did agree, but I’ve since decided I won’t be going,” Brohman said.

“I wanted to go because Dave Morrow is being inducted and that is great, but I’ve thought about it and I just don’t want to make a scene.

“So, yes, it’s true, I’m not going mate.”

6.15pm — Who will be added to the NRL Hall of Fame?

While the new Immortal will take the headlines, there’ll also be a group of former players, coaches, referees and contributors added to the NRL Hall of Fame.

Seventeen players will be added to the Hall with 11 men — Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, Billy Slater, Les Boyd, Lionel Morgan, Sam Burgess, Benji Marshall, Ben Elias, Steve Renouf and Johnathan Thurston — and the first six women to be inducted — Karyn Murphy, Katrina Fanning, Tarsha Gale, Nat Dwyer, Tahnee Norris and Veronica White.

They will also be joined by coaches Wayne Bennett and Jack Gibson as the first coaches to be inducted, the first two referees in Bill Harrigan and Col Pearce, and four contributors in administrators John Quayle and Ken Arthurson, as well as broadcasters Frank Hyde and David Morrow.

6pm — NRL legend should already be an Immortal

As the NRL awaits who will join the game’s most elite club, it’s been revealed that Darren Lockyer should already have been named an Immortal.

Lockyer played 355 games for the Broncos, 38 games for Queensland (two of which were during Super League) and 63 Tests for Australia (4 during SL) during a career where he was among the best, if not the best, player in the game for the best part of 16 years.

And he was set to be named as an Immortal in 2017 — until the concept was bought by the NRL.

Darren Lockyer would have been the ninth Immortal. Picture: NRL Photos

Lockyer was in his first year of eligibility when the legendary rugby league magazine Rugby League Week, who created the Immortals concept in 1981, closed in 2017 with the intellectual property being bought by the NRL.

In 2018, the NRL voted in Dally Messenger, Frank Burge, Dave Brown, Norm Provan and Mal Meninga, leaving Lockyer out in the cold.

“If we had inducted an Immortal in 2017 then ‘Locky’ would have been an absolute certainty,” former RLW editor Martin Lenehan said to AAP in 2018.

“Because we would have had the same judging panel and probably added to it.

“The same people in 2012 who thought he should be an Immortal would have been involved again.”

Originally published as Souths and Roosters legend Ron Coote named rugby league’s 14th Immortal