John Sattler Obituary

John Sattler was a professional and national representative rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s.

John Sattler passed away on 20 March 2023.  No cause of death has been given. However, Sattler’s son Scott revealed in June 2021 that his father had been diagnosed with dementia in 2020.

John Sattler was born in Telarah, New South Wales, in 1942. Sattler began playing rugby league for Kurri Kurri at the age of 16 and represented Newcastle against a touring British side in 1962. He moved to Sydney the following year and joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

He was a tough Prop forward who captained his club, South Sydney, to four premiership victories from 1967 to 1971 and played four Tests for Australia, three as national captain.

Known as “Satts”, he was one of the hardmen of the Australian rugby league and was regarded as an aggressive on-pitch player but a softly-spoken gentleman off the pitch – hence his other nickname “Gentleman John”.

In 2008, he was named one of Australia’s greatest 100 players, the same year he was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame.