State of Origin great Sam Backo fighting for his life after fresh health blow

A Queensland State of Origin great and legendary cult hero is fighting for his life after receiving a cruel health diagnosis.

Queensland State of Origin great Sam Backo is fighting for his life.

The former rugby league player watched Wednesday’s State of Origin decider from the intensive care unit in Cairns Hospital.

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Backo, 64, has been in hospital after being diagnosed in April with melioidosis, a bacterial infection commonly found in soil and water in tropical regions.

There has been a spike in cases for the Burkholderia pseudomallei bacterium, with 236 notifications and 36 deaths, mainly in the Cairns and Townsville areas, in the first six months of this year.

The bacteria are often brought to the surface during flooding or excavations.

According to Queensland Health, melioidosis can be contracted via inhalation of contaminated water droplets, soil or dust.

Backo said be believes he may have got the infection during a swim in Freshwater Creek at Goomboora Park in Cairns.

“If anybody knows Goomboora, they’ll know it’s changed a little bit since the flooding,” Backo said.

Sam Backo is recovering from an infection in Cairns. Photo: ABC.

“When I was sitting in the water I felt this little sting on that scratch — that’s where I got the entry from.

“I’m very grateful for my wife, who’s been beside me through this journey … all my family that have been praying for me,” Backo said, per the ABC.

“My wife kept saying to me, ‘Darl, I think you should go to the doctor’. Then my daughters said I looked a bit grey in colour.

NRL legend Sam Backo (left) is fighting for his life. Photo: Supplied

Backo is now waiting for a bed at Princes Charles Hospital in Brisbane to have his implantable cardioverter defibrillator upgraded to a pacemaker.

He said he was over the worst but had spoken to doctors about “getting (his) affairs in order” should the worst happened.

“I previously said to them, you know, ‘When your time’s up, your time’s up’ — but I’ve had a rethink,” he said. “I have 16 beautiful grandchildren.

Backo played seven games for Queensland in 1988-90, playing alongside the likes of Wally Lewis and Allan Langer.

He also made six appearances for the Australian Kangaroos in 1988-89.

Sam Backo (centre right) celebrates on the bench during the 1990 State of Origin series. Photo: Colin Whelan/Action Photographics.

A hulking prop for the Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos, Backo played 134 first grade games between 1983 and 1990, as well as representing Queensland in seven State of Origins and Australia in six Tests.

In 2023, Backo was in a critical condition in hospital in Cairns after suffering a heart attack.

NRL Immortal Wally Lewis said via The Daily Telegraph at the time: “We wish him all the best, particularly the Queensland guys.

“He was such a dominant prop. When he came on, Sam just destroyed everyone that was in front of him. Sam was the size of a cement truck and he made the most of it.

Sam Backo also played for the Kangaroos. (Photo by Getty Images)

Sam Back in State of Origin in 1990.

“That dominating period for Sam, in the late 1980s, probably gave Queensland dominance in size for the first time.

“To have him in control up front, it gave blokes like me, Alf (Allan Langer) and Mal (Meninga) the time and space. He was unstoppable.

“With some of the great back lines we had, I used to give Sam a bit of a spray: ‘Sam, we want time, we want some space … get it for us.’ And he did it.

“Sam also had the voice that everyday tried to mimic. He certainly drew plenty of love and support from the Indigenous community. He was a very proud representative of that community.

“He was the size of a house.”

Fellow former Queensland teammate Trevor Gillmeister described Backo as “a champion fellow”.

“Sam doesn’t take life too seriously and always has a smile on his face,” he said.

“They talk about big blokes these days with footwork but Sam was one of the first that was god on his feet for a big man.”

Originally published as State of Origin great Sam Backo fighting for his life after fresh health blow