| Name: Ronald Joseph Coote | D.O.B: 25 October, 1944 |
| Birthplace: Kingsford, NSW | Nickname: The Prince of Locks, Solid |
| Position: Lock, Second Row | Club Debut: Round 1 1964 vs. Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Sports Ground |
| Club Games: 148 (1964-1971) | Club Points: 48 (16 tries) |
One of the best cover tacklers of all time, Ron Coote was appropriately named as the 'Prince of Locks'.
So highly was he regarded, former South Sydney coach Jack Gibson claimed: "In his time I can't think of any forward a coach or player would rather be out there with."
A Kensington junior, Coote shot through the South Sydney grades thanks to his impeccable talents on the field.
While his abilities with the ball in hand were nothing short of phenomenal, the way Coote really made a name for himself was through his work off the ball, consistently hunting and chopping players down to size with textbook lower leg tackles.
It was that kind of work rate and competitiveness that epitomised South Sydney's revered defence of the 1960s and 70s, which Coote was at the forefront of.
The talented lock forward made his debut in Round 1 1964 and went on to play 148 games for the Club, where he played a significant role in South Sydney's third 'Golden Era', winning four premierships between 1967 and 1971.
Jack Gibson"In his time I can't think of any forward a coach or player would rather be out there with"
One of his most famous moments in Red and Green was in the 1971 decider.
With the Rabbitohs leading by only a point late in the contest, Coote took the ball up at halfway, swiftly stepping through the defence.
The ball found its way into the arms of his backrow partner Bob McCarthy, who streaked away to score the match-winning try under the posts, sealing the Club's 20th Premiership. Coote was then appropriately named Man of the Match.
The legendary Rabbitoh also had a glittering representative career, succeeding immortal Johnny Raper in the Australian squad.
Playing 23 times for the Green and Gold, including World Cup matches, Coote captained the Kangaroos on three occasions, whilst also leading Australia to an Ashes victory in the process.
The fleet-footed backrower was later inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame in 2008, as well being named in the Australian Team of the Century in the same year.
Off the field, Coote has continued to give to the game of Rugby League in retirement, most notably as a founding Member of the Men of League Foundation.
In 1991 he was made a Life Member of the Club and was named at lock in the South Sydney Dream Team in 2004.
CAREER MILESTONES
| Premierships: 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971 |
| Kangaroo Tour: 1967-68 |
| Australian Captain |
| NSWRL Player of the Year: 1969, 1970, 1975, 1977 |
| Grand Final Man of the Match: 1971 |
| Harry Sunderland Medal: 1970, 1974 |
| South Sydney Football Club Life Member (1991) |
| Rated 23rd in Rugby League Week's Top 100 Players (1992) |
| South Sydney Dream Team (2004) |
| NRL Team of the 1960s (2006) |
| NRL Team of the 1970s (2007) |
| New South Wales Team of the Century (2008) |
| Australian Rugby League Team of the Century (2008) |
