The rugby league world is saddened to learn of the passing of Australia’s oldest representative Bob Banks, who passed away on Wednesday in Newcastle at the age of 94.
Banks, whose surname was shortened from Marjibanks, embarked on a unique rugby league journey.
He played most of his senior career as a centre in Queensland, making both Queensland and Australian sides for a decade, in an era before State of Origin where state teams were selected on a residency basis.
Playing junior rugby league in Newcastle, Banks joined Sydney Easts in 1950, however a desire to travel and see more of the world meant he took on a contract as player-coach for Charters Towers in North Queensland for the 1951 season.
Still only 21 years of age, Banks’s impact on the game in the north was immediate, making the North Queensland team to play the 1951 touring French side.
His reputation as a five-eighth grew steadily after he moved to Toowoomba in 1952 to play under legendary Toowoomba coach Duncan Thompson.
From the Garden City he made his Queensland debut in 1952 and a year later wore the green and gold for the first time as part of the 1953 Australian Tour of New Zealand.
Over the next decade, Banks played for Queensland 33 times and Australia in 15 Tests.
He moved back to Newcastle for the 1955 season, joining the Waratah – Mayfield club but was back in Queensland again for the 1956 season.
This time he moved to Rockhampton where he continued to represent Queensland and Australia, including selection in the 1956 Kanagaroo touring squad with fellow Rockhampton player Cyril Connell.
Banks then decided to go west to take on a captain-coach role with Cunnamulla, where he continued to represent Queensland and captained the state in 1959.
The lure of North Queensland was still evident though and in 1961 he moved north again, this time to Cairns from where he not only represented Queensland but was recalled to the Australian side for one Test in 1962.
His final year as a player was 1963 when he was captain-coach of Tully, leading the local side to a Foley Shield victory.
Like many of his generation, Banks was incredibly humble about his rugby league achievements.
In 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal and in 2008 he was named in both the North Queensland and Toowoomba Teams of the Century, as well as Queensland’s 100 greatest players’ list.
