www.firstnationstelegraph.com
Vale Wally McArthur
Wally McArthur was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century to co-incide with 100 years of league. The team is: 1. Eric Simms, 2. Lionel Morgan, 3. Steve Renouf, 4. Greg Inglis, 5. Dale Shearer, 6. Laurie Daley, 7. Johnathan Thurston, 8. Sam Backo, 9. Mal Cochrane,10. Arthur Beetson, 11. Gorden Tallis, 12. Sam Thaiday, 13. Cliff Lyons, 14. George Green, 15. Wally McArthur, 16. Frank Fisher, 17. John Ferguson
supplied by NRL 29 August 2015
T
he NRL was saddened to learn of the passing this week of noted Indigenous rugby league player Wally McArthur, a member of the Aboriginal Australian rugby league team of the century. Born in Borroloola in the Northern Territory on 1 December 1933, McArthur was a strong short-distance runner and played in the South Australian and Western Australian Rugby League in his early days. McArthur went on to become the first Indigenous person to play for an English rugby league club. Between 1953 – 1959, McArthur played a total of 165 games on the wing with Rochdale, Blackpool, Salford and Workington Town. He scored a total of 611 points during this time. In 2008, the centenary of rugby
league in Australia, McArthur was named in the Aboriginal Australian rugby league team of the century. “The passing of Wally is a deep loss for our rugby league community and for our Indigenous community. We mourn Wally’s passing and remember his great passion for our game, both here and abroad,” said Australian Rugby
League Indigenous Council Chair, Linda Burney MP. The NRL community extends its condolences to the family of Wally McArthur.
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