'Revered, respected and knowledgeable': Tributes flow for Ian Heads

Ian Heads spent his last hours listening to Parramatta’s comeback win against Manly on the radio with family members.

Heads, a doyen of rugby league journalists and mentor of so many who followed him into the craft, passed away on Monday, aged 81, after a long illness.

A driving force behind the Immortals concept in his role as Rugby League Week editor, Heads was inducted into the ARL Hall of Fame last year at a special ceremony at the SCG to ensure his contribution to the game was recognised while he was alive.

He wrote for Sydney’s Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, Rugby League Week, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Sun-Herald, while also authoring more than 40 Rugby League biographies and histories, including the Centenary History of Rugby League (2008).

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys led the tributes to Heads from around the rugby league, sporting and media worlds.

“Ian is quite simply a doyen of Rugby League journalism,” V’landys said.

“I know that yesterday, Ian was still enjoying Rugby League, listening to the game between Manly and Parramatta on the radio with his family.

“As a game, we’re truly thankful that we were able to recognise and acknowledge Ian for all that he has done for the game with deserved induction into the NRL Hall of Fame.

“Ian was one of the great storytellers, but what struck me during last year’s induction were the incredible stories which were told about him.

"He was a revered part of the sport, respected and knowledgeable through covering the sport for more than five decades, and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

“On behalf of the Commission, I extend our sincerest condolences to wife Joy, children Phil and Katherine, his family and all those who knew him.”

David Middleton, Andrew Voss, Phil Rothfield, Jim Maxwell, Peter Wilkins, Steve Mascord, Danny Weidler, Ian Hanson and Robbie Slater were among those to publicly honour Heads.

Bulldogs GM of football and Channel 9 commentator Phil Gould said: "How terribly sad. An icon of the sporting media and a huge supporter of rugby league. Such a gentleman. Wonderful knowledge of the game.

"He cared for the sport, the participants and his readers. His writings were always fair, accurate, knowledgeable, entertaining, and without personal agenda.

"He was a credit to his profession, and, I'm sure, an inspiration to many aspiring journalists. He also wrote many wonderful books. He will be missed. He made his mark and he made a difference."

NRL head of football Graham Annesley said Heads had been involved in the game since the 1960s.

"Ian was honoured with an OAM in 2010 for services to the media as a sports journalist, as an author and as a mentor, and he was inducted into the Sydney Cricket Ground Media Hall of honour in 2014," he said.

"Last year, Ian was inducted at a ceremony at the Sydney Cricket Ground into the NRL Hall of Fame, so to Ian's family, to his wife, Joy, and his broad family, everyone in the game, everyone in the NRL and pretty much rugby league over the many decades that Ian was involved, passes on us their sincere condolences," he said. "It's a sad day."

French commentator and administrator Louis Bonnery said: "I learned this morning the sad news about Ian Heads. I want to express the most sincere condolences to his wife Joy and family on behalf of all his friends in France and from myself.

"We all had an excellent relationship with him and we knew he had a keen eye on the situation of our game in France".

1908 foundation clubs South Sydney, Wests Magpies, Newton Jets and Glebe Dirty Reds also paid tributes to Heads.

Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly said: "Ian Heads holds a special place in our club's history, chronicling the most storied history in our game in his many books and articles during his seven decades working in the media.

"He was always helpful to our club when we needed him and penned special written pieces for us over the decades.

“It is fitting that Ian was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame last year alongside George Piggins.

"On behalf of everyone connected to the Rabbitohs, we offer our condolences to the family and friends of Ian Heads, one of the off-field greats of our game."

Among the biographies and histories of the game written by Heads were 'The History of Souths', published in 1985, which was followed in 2000 by 'South Sydney: Pride of the League'.

Heads and Piggins joined forces in 2002 to produce the book 'Never Say Die: The Fight to Save the Rabbitohs'.