South Sydney legend George Piggins battling severe lung infection

The rugby league fraternity is rallying around South Sydney legend George Piggins as he fights the toughest battle of his life.

George Piggins is in the fight of his life.

George Piggins has been in some tough fights but wife Nolene says the South Sydney legend is now in “a real battle, one we pray he wins”.

As Rabbitohs great Craig Coleman called for a statue of Piggins to be erected at the club’s new Centre of Excellence at Heffron Park, Maroubra, his wife has opened up on his condition.

Piggins, the 75-year-old South Sydney patriarch, remains in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, battling a severe lung infection.

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Nolene described his condition as “serious but stable” as the rugby league fraternity gathered around the Piggins family, including close friend Alan Jones and former South Sydney stars Coleman and Phil Blake.

“He has always been a fighter,’’ Nolene said. “I know George would want me to thank his friends and all the players and fans for their good wishes and prayers.

“A lot of his old mates, teammates and players he coached have been sending messages of support. They are all wishing him the best and are offering their prayers.

“George would be so humbled by the support.”

Jones, once South Sydney’s football operations manager, led widespread support for Piggins.

“Infections are always very difficult to fight but if you want a fighter then you couldn’t do any better than George Piggins,” Jones said. “George and Nolene don’t really understand that it’s not only the rugby league world but the whole sporting world that is behind them.

“They have done everything together and they are in this together but they know we are all with them as well. He’s not fighting this on his own, we are all with him.

“George isn’t a hospital person. He is quite impatient in that environment but getting rid of those infections is difficult. George can’t be anywhere else where he’s better off and he understands that.”

South Sydney legend George Piggins is in a “serious but stable” condition in hospital.

Former halfback Coleman has revived the call for there to be a statue of Piggins after Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore rejected the idea in 2011 for one to be erected outside Redfern Oval.

The plan was to raise $70,000, at no cost to council, for the statue to be built but Moore said at the time: “The $32 million Redfern Park and Oval doesn’t belong to any one person or group. It belongs to the community.

“It’s ironic that someone who was vehemently against the Redfern Park and Oval refurbishment would now seek to be immortalised there.”

Coleman believes that decision needs to be overturned.

“There has to be a statue of the great man,’’ Coleman said. “He is a legend in the area. With everything he has done for this club, there has to be a statue, maybe at Heffron Park.

George Piggins and his wife Noelene.

“Hopefully it becomes a reality because without George, there wouldn’t be a Souths. There have been so many kids who have worn the club’s famous colours because of George Leslie Piggins.

“This is when George fights the hardest, when there’s a fight on his hands.

“We love him. I have known George since I was a little kid. I came from a housing commission and I’d probably still be there without George Piggins.

“I have always had the utmost respect for him. He’s a friend, my coach and a mentor. He was like a father to us Souths boys through the 1980s.”

Blake, the former Souths five-eighth, offered his unwavering support for Piggins, who led 100,000 people on a famous march through Sydney in 2001 to save his club during the Super League war.

Broadcaster Alan Jones with George Piggins in 2002. Picture: Craig Greenhill

“You are talking about a man who galvanised a whole city who walked with 100,000 people behind him,” Blake said. “That tells you about the man.

“We’re all praying for a quick recovery and we want to send all our love to George and his family, telling them the whole rugby league community and all sports fans in Sydney would be hoping for George to recover. Everyone is thinking of him.”

Piggins played for Souths between 1967 and 1978 and then coached the Rabbitohs from 1986 to 1990, which included winning the 1989 minor premiership when Coleman and Blake were in the halves.