John Sattler dead at 80: Tributes paid to rugby league legend after brave battle with dementia

AUSTRALIAN rugby league legend John Sattler has died at the age of 80.

The former South Sydney Rabbitohs captain passed away after a brave battle with dementia.

John Sattler has died at the age of 80 after a battle with dementiaGetty

Sattler captained the South Sydney Rabbitohs to four premiershipsGetty

Sattler captained his rugby league side to four premierships between 1967 and 1971.

And he famously played most of the 1970 final with a broken jaw.

Sattler, who was a prop forward, played an incredible 197 games for the Rabbitohs after 38 matches for semi-pro outfit Kurri Kurri.

And he also starred in four Test matches for Australia while making four appearances apiece for New South Wales and Queensland.

In 2008, Sattler was named as one of his country’s greatest 100 players.

He was also inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame that same year.

And his son Scott was also a premiership-winning rugby league star, playing lock for the likes of Penrith Panthers and Gold Coast Chargers.

Tributes have now come flooding in for Sattler, with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese saying: “John Sattler was a legendary player who was tough on the field but a true gentleman off it.

GettySattler played most of the 1970 final with a broken jaw[/caption]

“He was an inspirational leader who, decades after his retirement, took his rightful place at the front of the marches for South Sydney’s reinstatement.”

A fan declared: “One of the NRL’s greatest warriors – John Sattler. A true legend of the game who never shied away from a challenge and always played with heart and soul.

“Sattler’s legacy will live on, as will the stories of his toughness, his resilience, and his unwavering commitment to his team.”

Another added: “Some of my earliest memories of The Greatest Game – Sattler drew ground crowds and television audiences alike. A Champion is lost. May he rest peacefully.”

South Sydney chair Nicholas Pappas said: “If anyone is to epitomise the true spirit of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, it is John Sattler.

“He bled red and green. He would do anything for his teammates. He never took a backwards step. He always led from the front.

“He was loved by everyone connected with the Rabbitohs, whether it be one of his former teammates who he led to premiership glory or the man in the street who loved South Sydney just as much as he did,” he said.

“He was tough and brave but fair, uncompromising on the field and empathetic off it, and he truly epitomised everything that we want the Rabbitohs to be.

“His favourite saying was ‘I play to win — everyone knows that’. There is nothing more ‘South Sydney Rabbitohs’ than that.

“He always held the Rabbitohs dear to his heart and everyone here at the Rabbitohs always held ‘Satts’ dear to ours.

“Our deepest and most sincere condolences go out to his son Scott and the entire Sattler family, his former teammates, and all of his friends that he has touched over the years.

“Rest in peace, ‘Satts’.”