One of the elite players of the 20th Century, Balmain Tigers legend Keith Barnes has passed away at the age of 89.
Nicknamed 'Golden Boots', Barnes played 194 games for the Balmain Tigers (1955-68), scoring 1519 points, which included an incredible 742 goals and appeared in three Grand Finals - 1956, 1964 and 1966.
The fullback would also represent New South Wales on 12 occasions (1956-63) and Australia 17 different times (1957-66) - captaining the national team in 12 out of his 17 Tests.
โKeith was one of the greatest fullbacks the game has seen,โ Mr Peter V'landys said.
โA wonderful goalkicker and prolific point scorer, he was slight in stature but built with extraordinary courage.
โThe stories of Keith's skills but also importantly his leadership are renowned across the game, having captained the Kangaroos in 14 Test matches."
A member of the NRL Hall of Fame, Barnes will be forever remembered by rugby league fans, especially supporters of the Balmain Tigers.
In 2009, he was honoured by the Tigers with the naming of the Keith Barnes Stand at Leichhardt Oval and was named as a Member of the Order of Australia in 1996.
โKeith's legend continued well after his playing career. He was instrumental in guiding so many of the game's great players โ particularly through his long association with Balmain," V'landys added.
โHe was deservedly recognised for his contribution to the game with induction into the NRL Hall of Fame in 2007.
โOn behalf of the Commission, I extend our sincerest condolences to Keith's family, and all those who knew him.โ
