The rugby league world has been shocked by news that legendary front-rower Sam Backo has suffered a major heart attack and is in a critical condition.
Backo, aged 62, is in hospital in Cairns in a serious condition with doctors closely monitoring him.
“His wife called me and said he is in a bad way,” Backo’s former Queensland State of Origin teammate Colin Scott told Wide World of Sports.
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“He is a tough man and always had a big heart so hopefully he can get through it – but it is a real shock.”
Former Canberra, Broncos, Maroons and Test prop Backo is regarded as one of the finest Aboriginal players of the 20th century.
He wrote himself into league folklore in 1988 when he became the first Australian forward to score tries in all three Tests of an Ashes series – a record that no one has ever matched.
After his retirement in 1990, he was named in the Indigenous Australian team of the century.
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