'Scariest three years of my life': Journo's hilarious clash with Souths ...

South Sydney legend John Sattler, who famously played with a broken jaw in the 1970 grand final, has died age 80.

The rugby league icon had been battling dementia in recent years and following his death on Monday the rugby league world praised one the game’s all-time greats.

Stories were shared of his incredible toughness and veteran journalist Phil Rothfield recalled “the scariest three years of my life” when he actively avoided Sattler out of fear of retribution.

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Round 4

“I made the mistake of upsetting him once, it was the scariest three years of my life,” Rothfield said on NRL 360.

“Back in the 1980s Sats was involved with the Gold Coast Giants, setting them up and someone leaked to me that they’d signed Ronny Gibbs and it desperately had to stay quiet.

“Sats was on the board of directors and he rang me and said ‘Who told you that’ and I said ‘I can’t tell you’.

“He said (again) ‘Who told you that, I need to know because the deal might (fall over)’ and I said ‘Sats I can’t tell you’.

“He said ‘Well wait until I next see you’. So I avoided him for three years, it was so scary.”

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Sattler played 197 games for Souths between 1963 and 1972 along with four Tests for Australia.

The fearless prop played in six grand finals and captained Souths to four premierships between 1967 and 1971.

“It’s a very sad day,” former teammate Bobby McCarthy told The Daily Telegraph.

“All front-rowers were tough in those days — but ‘Satts’ was that and more.

“He played the grand final with a broken jaw. He once stayed on the field with a dislocated elbow. Nothing could stop him on a rugby league field.”

John, the father of former NRL player Scott Sattler, passed away surrounded by family.

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