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HallOfFame

John Sattler

Prop, Second row

Inductee
69

Player Bio

Inducted:
2008
Date of Birth:
26 July 1942
Birthplace:
Maitland, NSW
Nickname:
Satts
Debut Team:
Newcastle
Date:
04 June 1962
Opposition:
Great Britain
Venue:
No. 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle
Representative:
City, New South Wales, Queensland, Australia
Clubs:
Kurri Kurri, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Brisbane Wests, Brisbane Norths

Career

Milestones

  • Premierships: 1967-68, 1970-71
  • Kangaroo Tour: 1967-68
  • Australian captain: 3 Tests

Playing

First Class Games
346
Points
69
Tries
23

Biography

As a youngster John Sattler did not like rugby league, but he was finally persuaded to give the sport a try when he was 16. He joined the Kurri Kurri club, and in 1962 had his first taste of major representative football when he was selected as the lock for Newcastle against Great Britain.

Souths were obviously impressed with his potential, but no one could have anticipated the wonderful impact he would have on the club.

In 1967, he was named first-grade captain, and at the end of that season in which the Rabbitohs won their first premiership in 12 years, he was selected in the Kangaroos team to tour Great Britain and France.

By this point, Sattler had made the transition from lock to the front row, and he led Australia from that position on the tour to New Zealand in 1969 and in the second Ashes Test of 1970.

Sattler captained Souths to four premierships between 1967 and 1971, the most famous from his perspective being in 1970, when he suffered a fractured jaw but told his team-mates to hold him up so the opposition would not know he was hurt.

Incredibly he played through the remaining 75 minutes of the match, which Souths won 23–12, but the injury cost him a place in Australia's World Cup squad, when there is no doubt he was on the short list to be named captain.

“He was the iconic, archetypal Rabbitoh warrior who asked for no favours.”

Ray Martin Journalist and South Sydney diehard

69. John Sattler - Hall of Fame

Career Stats

Club Career

Club
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Kurri Kurri Newcastle Competition 1961 1962 - - - - -
South Sydney Rabbitohs Premiership 1963 1972 195 12 - - 36
South Sydney Rabbitohs Official Pre-Season 1963 1972 51 5 - - 15
South Sydney Rabbitohs State Cup 1964 1965 3 - - - -
Western Suburbs Brisbane Brisbane Club Competition 1973 1974 38 2 - - 6
Western Suburbs Brisbane Official Pre-Season 1973 1974 12 1 - - 3
Northern Suburbs Brisbane Brisbane Club Competition 1975 1975 13 2 - - 6
Northern Suburbs Brisbane Official Pre-Season 1975 1975 6 - - - -
Northern Suburbs Brisbane Amco Cup 1975 1975 1 - - - -

Representative Career

City - Country

City - Country
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
City Firsts City Seconds 1969 1969 1 - - - -
City Seconds Country Seconds
1970
1972
1970
1972 		2 - - - -

State

State
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
New South Wales Interstate Series Queensland 1969 1969 4 - - - -
Queensland Interstate Series New South Wales 1973 1973 3 - - - -

International

International
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Australia Tests 1969 1971 4 - - - -
Australia Tour Matches
1967
1969
1971
1967
1969
1971 		12 1 - - 3

Other Representative

Other Representative
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Newcastle Touring Sides 1962 1962 1 - - - -
Brisbane City Queensland Country 1974 1974 1 - - - -

Hall of Fame Members

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Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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