Ron Coote

It was ironic that the career of the code's finest lock, Johnny Raper, would be immediately succeeded by another that would threaten his crown as ‘Prince of Locks’ – Souths’ legend Ron Coote. A Kensington junior, Coote’s tall, long-legged frame showcased his great running style complemented by devastating cover defense. Although Coote's early rep career was restricted because of Raper he did make his NSW debut in 1965, the year Souths made the grand final. Coote was a key member of the champion Souths teams that won grand finals in 1967-68 & 1970-71 – a run punctuated by the shock loss to Balmain in 1969 - and his stature as a Test star grew during this period. He toured with the 1967-68 Kangaroos, playing in two Tests against Great Britain (the first as lock and then as a second rower) and all three Tests against France. After playing in the 1968 World Cup and touring NZ, Coote’s career highlight came after the three-Test series against Great Britain in 1970. Injuries to Graeme Langlands and John Sattler saw Coote named captain of Australia’s World Cup team that ultimately won a brutal final against Great Britain at Leeds. Coote sat out the early part of the 1971 season because of a contractual dispute and it was no surprise to see him move to Easts, where his father Jack had played in the 1930s, the following year. Returning from a broken arm injury, he captained the Roosters in the 1972 grand final loss to Manly. Coote chose to stand down from rep football for three seasons (1971-73) but premiership success in 1974-75 revived his desire to play for Australia. After three Test appearances against Great Britain in 1974, he played in the 1975 World Series competition. Another broken arm injury in 1976, and a subsequent staph infection, led to his eventual retirement two years later but his place as one of the most distinctively players in the modern game - and the attacking partnership he formed with Bob McCarthy at Souths - will long be remembered. Coote later served as a member of the NSWRL Judiciary for much of the 1990s.

Career Statistics

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the icon.

International
Test Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Australia	1967-70, 1974-75	23	13	-				-	39	14	7	2	60.87%
Overall	1967-1975	23	13	0				0	39	14	7	2	60.87%
International Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Australia	1967-1970	1	-	-				-	-	1	0	0	100.00%
Overall	1970	1	0	0				0		1	0	0	100.00%
World Cup Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Australia	1967-1975	10	6	-				-	18	8	1	1	80.00%
Overall	1968-1975	10	6	0				0	18	8	1	1	80.00%
Representative
Australia - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
NSW Firsts	1965, 1967, 1969-70, 1974-75	13	6	-				-	18	10	2	1	76.92%
NSW City Firsts	1969-70, 1974-75	4	3	-				-	9	3	1	0	75.00%
Overall	1965-1975	17	9	0				0	27	13	3	1	76.47%
Club Career
Australian League Matches - By Year
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
South Sydney	NSWRFL 1964	?	7	-				-	21
South Sydney	NSWRFL 1965	?	5	-				-	15
South Sydney	NSWRFL 1966	?	3	-				-	9
South Sydney	NSWRFL 1967	?	8	-				-	24
South Sydney	NSWRFL 1968	?	9	-				-	27
South Sydney	NSWRFL 1969	?	4	-				-	12
South Sydney	NSWRFL 1970	?	7	-				-	21
South Sydney	NSWRFL 1971	?	6	-				-	18
Eastern Suburbs	NSWRFL 1972	?	5	-				-	15
Eastern Suburbs	NSWRFL 1973	?	4	-				-	12
Eastern Suburbs	NSWRFL 1974	?	12	-				-	36
Eastern Suburbs	NSWRFL 1975	?	11	-				-	33
Eastern Suburbs	NSWRFL 1976	?	3	-				-	9
Eastern Suburbs	NSWRFL 1977	?	3	-				-	9
Eastern Suburbs	NSWRFL 1978	?	1	-				-	3
Overall	1964-1978	?	88	0				0	264	?	?	?	?
Australian League Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
South Sydney	1964-71	?	49	-				-	147	?	?	?	?
Eastern Suburbs	1972-78	?	39	-				-	117	?	?	?	?
Overall	1964-1978	?	88	0				0	264	?	?	?	?

Last modified: Sun, 12 May 2013 18:52:40 +1000 (Sydney time)