John Sattler

John Sattler — who famously captained South Sydney to victory in the 1970 grand final after breaking his jaw — has died. He was aged 80.

"Those traits made him such a remarkable and celebrated leader. He always led from the front." "He bled red and green. "He always held the Rabbitohs dear to his heart and everyone here at the Rabbitohs always held 'Satts' dear to ours. "John Sattler was a legendary player who was tough on the field but a true gentleman off it," he tweeted. "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.

One of the foundation club's favourite sons, who famously led the Rabbitohs to victory over Manly in the 1970 grand final with a badly broken jaw, has died.

John Sutton, the longest-serving Rabbitoh in the club’s history said; “I’d just taken over as captain in 2013 when we played up on the Gold Coast, and he had a little chat with the team. He was a teetotaller for most of his career.” But he was never a drinker. “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. “He bled red and green,” Pappas said. “I said to Satts, ‘How long are you out for?’ and he said, ‘Nah, I’m playing’.

The rugby league world is in mourning following the death of South Sydney legend John Sattler.

Off the field, he was a kind and thoughtful man. Fierce competitor on the field. An ornament to the game. He always led from the front. “He bled red and green. He never took a backwards step.

Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) Chairman Peter V'landys AM has today paid tribute to John Sattler, who has passed away.

He always led from the front. “He bled red and green. He never took a backwards step.

Rival forward John Bucknall punched Sattler and broke his jaw early in the game but the Rabbitohs prop played through the injury and helped secure a famous 23- ...

"My condolences to his family. He always led from the front. "He bled red and green. He never took a backwards step. Former South Sydney captain Bryan Fletcher labelled Sattler a "legend on and off the field" on Monday. "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.

How would today's NRL react to an incident like the one that immortalised John Sattler? Quite simply, it won't have to - because it will never happen again.

“My wife, his daughter-in-law, went in to see him a couple of weeks ago, he didn’t even know who she was. In a rare moment of clarity, he poked his index finger into the left side of his mouth. I’ll never get that again, this is the effect of rugby league.” On the steps of Town Hall as South Sydney fans marched for their reinstatement into the competition. He started rattling off the speeches his father had made in front of thousands of people. Concussion protocols dictate any player suspected of a brain injury is taken from the field, and players who fail a HIA are now stood down for 11 days. Scott was being told players were upset with the code for cracking down so harshly on illegal tackles. In an off-the-ball incident just three minutes into the game, Manly forward John Bucknall punched Sattler, a blow he said “he never saw coming”. Bucknall eventually left the field with a shoulder injury. Sattler, the man who captained South Sydney to four titles with a career defined by one famous image, was 80. How would rugby league react to something happening like Sattler’s incident in 2023? It’s still immortalised on the NRL trophy.

The former South Sydney Rabbitohs captain, affectionately known as 'Satts', was regarded as one of the toughest forwards to play the game and went down in ...

He started playing for the region when he was 16 years-old, which earned him representative honours for Newcastle against Great Britain in 1962. His effort to play on with a broken jaw in the 1970 premiership win over Manly is regarded as one of the most courageous acts on a Rugby League field. The former South Sydney Rabbitohs captain, affectionately known as ‘Satts’, was regarded as one of the toughest forwards to play the game and went down in Rugby League folklore after playing on with a broken jaw to lead the club to a premiership victory in 1970.

South Sydney legend John Sattler, who famously played with a broken jaw in the 1970 grand final, has died age 80. The rugby league icon had been battling ...

[Raiders gun’s ‘nasty’ break as officials search for missing teeth](https://www.foxsports.com.au/news/parramatta-eels-forward-matt-doorey-hobbles-off-with-worrying-knee-complaint-casualty-ward/news-story/4fe8ad99d5efa743a96c4afa8017023d) [Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. ](https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8091510/coach-hopes-saints-win-stems-brit-talent-exodus-to-nrl/) [Start your free trial now >](https://servedby.flashtalking.com/click/7/147292;5439998;50126;211;0/?ft_width=1&ft_height=1&gdpr=&gdpr_consent=&us_privacy=&url=https://kayosports.com.au?marketing=nrl&extcamp=fsaeditoriallinkleague-edt-fsp-lnk-awr-grc-nrl-kyo&channel=fsa&campaign=launch&voucher=) [VIEW ALL SCORES](//foxsports.com.au/score-centre/nrl/nrl-premiership) ](https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/teams/storm/time-for-the-club-to-have-a-new-coach-bellamys-frank-admission-may-truly-mean-end-is-near/news-story/fa21f2e0a64e5e1bc85866d35dae30a9) [Sign up now!!](https://www.foxsports.com.au/newsletter-sign-up?utm_source=NRLArticle&utm_medium=TextLink&utm_campaign=signup) “He played the grand final with a broken jaw. [Tigers coach ‘not going to justify’ shock decision to axe veteran winger](https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-live-canterburybankstown-bulldogs-vs-wests-tigers-live-scores-team-lists-supercoach-live-news-john-bateman-debut-highlights/news-story/08918aee00441684f576f470cbc799fc) “He said ‘Well wait until I next see you’. [Heat on Tigers as worst nightmare emerges; ‘tremendous’ Dogs young gun](https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-live-canterburybankstown-bulldogs-vs-wests-tigers-live-scores-team-lists-supercoach-live-news-john-bateman-debut-highlights/news-story/08918aee00441684f576f470cbc799fc) He once stayed on the field with a dislocated elbow. [Manly ‘not releasing’ 112kg prodigy as tug-of-war looms](https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/dolphins-look-to-tie-down-star-after-two-games-roosters-recruit-lifts-lid-on-weird-switch-whispers/news-story/82f1e1a92ab0ee09b85f93bdfc48d9ba) [Hastings in another awkward encounter as Knights playmaker snubs Dolphin](https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2023-jackson-hastings-snubs-sean-osullivan-knights-vs-dolphins-postgame-hand-shake-video/news-story/5eae760929ed69036c9e263bdf0ac869) [Tigers crisis deepens as recruit falls flat; ‘X-factor’ set to shake up NRL](https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/tigers-crisis-deepens-as-800k-recruit-falls-flat-xfactor-set-to-shake-up-nrl-talking-pts/news-story/4b946a492bba13935b8657356b7511c6) [Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports.

John Sattler, one of the toughest players ever to grace the NRL, has passed away at the age of 80.

He was one of league’s genuine tough guys but a lovely person off the field. I remember Freddie Jones going off at him when Bucknall left the field.” He gave me a fair whacking,” Sattler said to Off the field, he was a kind and thoughtful man. Former NRL player Darryl Brohman wrote: “Absolutely devstated with the news of John Sattler’s passing. He ended up going off the field in that grand final. The games heart is aching today. [#RIP]to the legendary John Sattler. An ornament to the game. The breaks were so clean they went straight through my gum but I didn’t lose any teeth. Fierce competitor on the field. Always supportive of others.

The rugby league world is paying tribute to John Sattler after the South Sydney Rabbitohs legend's death at age 80. Widely regarded as one of the game's ...

'Epitomised the game'; 'everything we want Rabbitohs to be': Tributes flow for John Sattler.

He was a legend at South Sydney, a great player for them... “But I think there are more times than not he was probably knocked out while he was still playing too because that’s what they did to each other in that era. He always led from the front. I’m very sad today as well. “He bled red and green. He never took a backwards step.

Rugby league great John Sattler has died, aged 80. A legend of South Sydney, Sattler played 197 games...

"My condolences to his family. He always led from the front. "He bled red and green. He never took a backwards step. "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." "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.

Half a century after John Sattler's famous day in the 1970 grand final, the South Sydney legend's courage is still the trademark of rugby league toughness.

But not of Sattler, and not ever. Sattler gave a winning speech, accepted the J.J Giltinan Shield and only then did the pain come flooding back. He told his teammates to hold him up, so Manly wouldn't see him as a weakness. Players don't have to worry about getting punched in back-play, there's no more softening-up period. His teammates chaired Sattler off the field, his jaw hanging in the breeze. He was bloody and bruised but not beaten. He never dined out on his famous day. Sattler later said he wouldn't wish a broken jaw on his worst enemy. Sattler was a leader of great renown for club, district, state and country. There's nobody like him now. He was a player of commitment, focus and sheer will and the game in his day was one of intimidation and fear, punishment and pain, but he refused to submit to those two forces. You'd never know it though.

Australian Rugby League remembered John Sattler, who passed away on Monday, aged 80, after a battle with dementia.

“He bled red and green,” Pappas mentioned. “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.” [The Sydney Morning Herald](https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/south-sydney-icon-john-sattler-dies-aged-80-20230320-p5ctqb.html), rugby league remembered the iconic player, who was considered to be one of the hardmen of Australian Rugby League and one of the toughest to ever play the game.

Three weeks before playing in the 1970 grand final with a broken jaw, the Rabbitohs legend saved a man from an oncoming train.

Three weeks later, Sattler led the Rabbitohs at the SCG against Manly in a fourth-straight grand final. Less than a minute later, a railway parcel van sped by on the same line.” Frontman Tim Freedman described it as “the greatest song ever written about rugby league”. “I glanced towards the platform and saw a suitcase perched at the edge. The old man reportedly did not give his name after a short stay in the stationmaster’s office. “I reckon the old guy must have fainted.

The rugby league legend's son had long harboured concerns before his famous father's death this week. More here.