Ken Arthurson

With his playing career cut short by injury at the age of 24, Ken Arthurson took to coaching before discovering his true calling in life as one of the game’s greatest administrators.

Arthurson, who coached Manly-Warringah from 1957-to-1961, joined the club’s committee at the same time and in 1963 he took over as secretary – overseeing a golden era in which the Sea Eagles won four premierships (1972, 1973, 1976, 1978) during his 20-year reign. For much of that time, Arko also served on the Board of the NSWRL.

However, it was his role as executive chairman of the Australian Rugby League that Arthurson is most known and revered for, as he and CEO John Quayle led the game into the modern era and ensured its survival during the Super League war.

The pair led the ARL fightback through the courts and by convincing clubs and players to stay loyal to the establishment until a court ruling enabled Super League to run a separate competition in 1997.

Among Arthurson’s most notable achievements were the engagement of Tina Turner as the face of rugby league, encouraging the judiciary to clean up the game and expanding the competition to include teams from Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle (1988), New Zealand, North Queensland, Perth and South East Queensland (1995).

Arthurson was also director-general of Rugby League International Federation from 1985 until his departure in 1997 to help facilitate the peace deal that ended the Super League war and resulted in the establishment of the National Rugby League in 1998.