Rugby league legend dies on morning of NRL grand final
The rugby league community is mourning the death of St George legend Eddie Lumsden.
Lumsden, 83, passed away early on Sunday morning - hours before the NRL grand final.
The prolific winger from Kurri Kurri won nine premierships with St George from 1957-66.
He scored 137 tries in 162 first-grade games.
Lumsden also played 15 Tests for the Kangaroos and represented NSW 19 times.
Perhaps his greatest achievements, Lumsden scored hat-tricks in both the 1959 and 1961 grand finals.
In 2008 he was named on a list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players, while in 2010 he was named on the wing in Kurri’s team of the century.
Rugby league world pays tribute
“Sad news on NRL grand final morning,” Barry Toohey of the Newcastle Herald tweeted.
“We lose another great of the game and a wonderful fella.”
Sad news on @NRL grandfinal morning with @NRL_Dragons and @Kurri_Bulldogs legend Eddie Lumsden passing away at the age of 83 at 6am. We lose another great of the game and a wonderful fella.
RIP Eddie......@newcastleherald— Barry Toohey (@BarryToohey) October 5, 2019
The rest of the rugby league community also paid tribute.
St George and rugby league icon Eddie Lumsden has passed away at the age of 83. https://t.co/QqJjPvFMOy
— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) October 6, 2019
Very sad to hear
— LeagueCastle (@leaguecastleau) October 6, 2019
Sad news
— Dr Grant Morgan Supports Volunteers (@Corabko) October 5, 2019
Eddie Lumsden could score a try when your body could not make contact with the corne post. He was part of the unity at Saints in the years of the premiersships that kept the 3 grades bonded as one club.. I take this opportunity to thank him for his contribution to that decade
— Paul Broughton OAM (@broughto8) October 5, 2019
