Rugby League Statues - Darryl's Rugby League Page

Rugby League Statues
Here are some of the permanent tributes to great players & figures of rugby league.

Darren Lockyer
9 March 2012
Queensland's two greatest five-eighths Wally Lewis and Darren Lockyer have finally been paired up at Brisbane's rugby league fortress Suncorp Stadium. Lockyer, who retired as Australia's victorious Four Nations captain late last year, was immortalised in bronze. Hundreds of fans turned up at the Milton ground for the official unveiling of his life-sized bronze statue performed by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. His statue stands a spiral pass away from that of Lewis - a player he idolised as a kid growing up in Roma. As usual Lockyer was humbled by the latest tribute to his record-breaking rugby league career in which he played more NRL (355), Origins (36) and Test (59) matches than any other player in history.

Ray Warren
6 August 2011
The legendary Channel Nine rugby league commentator enjoyed one of the proudest moments of his career with the unveiling of a bronze sculpture in his home town of Junee, in the Riverina region of NSW.

Mark "MG" Geyer
10 June 2011
The Geyer statue, which was unveiled by Premier Barry O'Farrell, features the Penrith legend sitting down in honour of the 34 weeks he spent sitting in the stands because of suspension.

Mal Meninga
28 June 2009
Chief Minister and Minister for the Arts Jon Stanhope will today unveil a sculpture to honour Raider's great Mal Meninga at Canberra Stadium. "I am pleased to be unveiling this new piece of public art honouring one of our nation's true rugby league legends," Mr Stanhope said. "Mal Meninga is an Australian rugby league legend. As a player he was an outstanding centre and in 2008, during the celebration of a centenary of rugby league in Australia, was declared the greatest centre ever to play in Australia. "Mal was also the Raiders captain during their golden era," Mr Stanhope said. The bronze sculpture has been positioned at the forecourt level of the Mal Meninga Grandstand alongside the sculpture of his long time team mate Laurie Daley.

Mr Stanhope said The iconic pose depicts Mal after scoring the last try of his illustrious career in the final minutes of the 1994 Grand Final. The image is also depicted on the Mal Meninga medal presented to the Raider's best and fairest player each year.

Ray Price
22 February 2009
Statue Honour For Eels Legend Ray Price Legendary Parramatta Eels rugby player Ray Price will be honoured with a bronze statue at his home ground the Parramatta Stadium.

"Dally" Messenger
Saturday, 29th March 2008

A bronze, life-size cast of Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was unveiled by Mr Iemma outside the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday. Mr Iemma said the sculpture, which will be positioned between the stadium and the SCG next door, was a tribute to a legend of the game.
"He was the greatest footballer of all time," Mr Iemma said at the unveiling. "He was rugby league's first and true celebrity."

Messenger's grandson Dally Messenger III, who was 21 when he died, spoke of how he thought his grandfather might have reacted to the statue. "He would be looking at all this and thanking his team-mates," Messenger III said. "He would have been thanking the organisation's administrators.

"It is excellent that rugby league is taking its rightful place (in Australian sport) and that Dally should be the first subject honoured."

Thanks to the generosity of businessman and philanthropist Basil Sellers, the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium will become home to 10 of Australia’s finest sportsmen in a series of life-size sculptures, two of which will be rugby league players.

Laurie Daley
9 August 2001
Laurie Daley statue was installed in recognition of his contribution to Rugby league. It is located in the main entry forecourt at Bruce Stadium, Canberra.

Laurie William Daley OA, (born October 20, 1969, Junee) was a rugby league player in the Australian rugby league competition, primarily as a centre and then five-eighth. He played for the Canberra Raiders during their most successful period in the 1990s.

Wally Lewis
1992 - Statue of Wally Lewis erected at the southern end of Lang Park. Following the stadium refurbishment, on 5th June 2003, the statue was moved to the northern end of the new Suncorp Stadium. The statue text reads:

WALLY LEWIS The Emperor of Lang Park
This honour was bestowed upon Wally Lewis by the former Chairman of the Queensland Rugby League, Senator and acclaimed father of state of Origin, the late Ron McAullife, in recognition of the impact Wally had on matches played at this ground across three decades. Lewis is arguably the greatest rugby league player of all time. He is one of only a handful of players to be named a Rugby League Immortal and was one of the six inaugural members of the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. He achieved the greatest honour in Rugby League: the captaincy of his country, but it was his feats as Queensland skipper and playmaker in State of Origin that he achieved legendary status. He played 31 Origin games (30 as captain) and a record 8 Man of the Match awards over a 12-year period. The name Wally Lewis is synonymous with State of Origin and Queensland Rugby League and continues to be an inspiration to future generations of footballers.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006
A statue of former Queensland State of Origin captain Wally Lewis, which sits outside Brisbane's Lang Park stadium, was spray-painted blue overnight prior to the second State of Origin match. Police said the bronze statue had also been dressed in blues shorts and a blue jersey.

Norm Provan and Arthur Summons
This picture is of Norm Provan and Arthur Summons. It was taken after the 1963 Grand Final between St.George and Wests.
Final Score : St.George 8 def Wests 3

This magical moment is now a bronze statue on the NRL Premiership trophy

According to league officials, the spirit embodied in the premiership trophy - Arthur and Norm first featured in statue form around 1983.