REMEMBER WHEN

Saturday May 10, 2009

THE rugby league world mourned the death of coach of the century Jack Gibson after a two-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The 79-year-old’s family said the five-time premiershipwinning coach passed away less two hours before kick-off of the Centenary Test between Australia and New Zealand at the SCG.

“Jack passed away comfortably, at 6.32pm at the Garrawarra Centre, Waterfall, surrounded by his family,” the legend’s family said in a statement.

“We greatly appreciate the wonderful care he had received at Garrawarra, and also the caring and kind support afforded to us, the family.

“We would ask that Jack’s many friends in their sadness that he is no longer with us, do not feel too sorry.

“Jack would not want that; it was his own strong belief and appreciation that he had had a very fortunate life, and we know he would have wanted that to be the spirit of this time.”

The wily Gibson earned the nicknamed ‘Supercoach’ for revolutionising the role in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Named as coach of the Team of the Century, Gibson won a total of five premierships, guiding Eastern Suburbs to back-to-back grand final triumphs in 1974-75 and then steering Parramatta to a rare hat-trick between 1981-83.

A former Easts, Newtown and Western Suburbs frontrower who played 162 first grade games, Gibson began coaching at the Roosters in 1967, taking the Bondi side that hadn’t won a game the previous year to the semi-finals.