'Hero to a generation': PM backs call to end Coote's Immortal wait
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Ron Coote he was a “moral” to become the 14th Immortal, but after being repeatedly passed over the Rabbitohs and Roosters great was resigned to the honour evading him.
Albanese, who was a member of the South Sydney board during the club’s fight against expulsion in 2001 and 2002, announced Coote as the 14th Immortal and presented him with his Immortals jacket.
The Prime Minister didn't speak publicly but he told Coote how pleased he was for the Kangaroos captain, who won four premierships with Souths and another two with the Roosters, to receive rugby league’s greatest individual honour.
"Ron, it is a true privilege to join in honouring you," Albanese said. "One of my dearest memories is my mum taking me on the SCG Hill to see Souths beat St George in the 1971 Grand Final.
"You were a hero to a generation. This was just one of six premierships from nine Grand Finals with Souths and then Eastern Suburbs.
"Now you are inducted as the 14th immortal, and you join the most exclusive, respected and exalted group in NRL history.
"You can stand proud in their company, knowing this is where you belong. Congratulations, we salute you."
Coote said he was honoured to receive the award from Albanese.
“The Prime Minister came up to me and he said, ‘good on you, Ronnie. I've been saying you are a moral to do that’,” Coote said.
“We've been mates since he came into Souths, and he was on the board at Souths, so he was happy for me. He’s a good bloke.”
The announcement that 79-year-old Coote had finally been recognised as an Immortal ahead of the likes of Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith and Allan Langer was well received.
Coote was previously short listed in 2012 and 2018 but on both occasions he narrowly missed out to Andrew Johns (2012) and Norm Provan and Mal Meninga (2018).
“Every time they've announced the Immortals, I've been passed [over] so I thought this is not going to happen, but this time it's come true,” he said.
“I feel really proud to think that I'm up there with what is the 13 best players who have played the game.”
An emotional Ron Coote takes to the stage as the 14th Immortal
A veteran of 257 premiership matches for the Rabbitohs and Roosters, as well as 23 Tests and 15 appearances for NSW, Coote received a standing ovation as he walked to the stage to receive his jacket.
A South Sydney junior, Coote’s departure for the Roosters in 1972 heightened the bitter divide between the 1908 foundation clubs but not only did he win two more premierships, the move helped to set him and his family up financially.
Coote bought brewery trucks and became one of Australia’s first McDonalds franchisees, opening a store at Newtown after his retirement in 1978.
Ray Hadley makes a special presentation to Ron Coote
“I left Souths over money,” Coote said. “Kerry Packer wanted me to go to the Roosters, he was a great bloke. That wasn’t about money changing hands but the advice that he gave me that helped me go further in my financial future.
“I had young kids and those young kids now own McDonald's stores, and they're all doing really good, so I'm very happy for the help I've got from people like Kerry Packer and [Roosters chairman] Nick Politis.”
The Rabbitohs were struggling financially at the time and after playing in six grand finals from 1965 to 1971, winning in 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1971, the club had to wait until 2014 to claim another title.
Coote played in the 1972 grand final for the Roosters before helping the club to back-to-back premierships in 1974 and 1975.
Despite the animosity his switch of clubs caused, the Rabbitohs and Roosters now play for the Ron Coote Cup each time they meet.
"Both clubs were terrific to me, and I had a great, great relationship with them," Coote said.
“All the old players have come up to me and congratulated me. I had a few tears."
Now that Coote has joined the players he was previously overlooked for - Clive Churchill, John Raper, Reg Gasnier, Bob Fulton (1981), Graeme Langlands, Wally Lewis (1999), Arthur Beetson (2003), Andrew Johns (2012), Norm Provan and Mal Meninga (2018), as well as pre-WWII greats Dally Messenger, Dave Brown and Frank Burge - the focus will turn to the next Immortal in 2028.
Allan Langer, Darren Lockyer and Cameron Smith are considered unlucky to have missed out this time and are expected to again come under consideration.
"Well, there's all those good players - Cameron Smith and all the other boys, who were there [this time]," Coote said.
"There's a heap of them there who you wouldn't say they shouldn’t be there. There’s so many great players and they are getting better. There are some unbelievable players these days compared to when we were playing."
