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Unheralded rugby league hero Joe Walsh has passed away, leaving a legacy as a key figure in Balmain’s famous 1969 premiership triumph.
The hard-edged second rower from the Riverina died on Tuesday morning at age 79 after a battle with cancer.
Recognised for his trademark blonde hair and rugged defence, Walsh played a major role in Balmain’s shock grand final victory over South Sydney, a result still remembered as one of the biggest boilovers the game has seen.
The 1969 premiership holds a unique place in rugby league history because it was a triumph no one saw coming.
South Sydney were the dominant force of the era, stacked with internationals and coming off multiple titles.
Balmain, by contrast, were written off before kick-off and carried a far less star-laden side built on grit rather than glamour.
Joe Walsh made his name as the boy from the bush who helped steer Balmain to a historic premiership over South Sydney in 1969
Walsh, back row, third from the left, went back to the bush to steer the Cowra Magpies to a premiership
It became the classic underdog story. Balmain embraced a backs-to-the-wall mentality, stuck to their blueprint, and delivered one of the most surprising grand final results the sport has ever witnessed.
Walsh will always be remembered as embodying that underdog status, a boy from the bush who came to the big smoke and beat the city slickers at their own game.
'He only came to the club from the bush that year so it really was a fairytale for Joe,' said former Tigers teammate Paul Cross told Nine.
'He had a great work rate and tackled anyone that moved - he was one of the best defenders of that era.
'In the grand final, he was just dynamic and stopped Souths attacker after attacker.'
Walsh played second row for Balmain from 1969 to 1973 and was part of the club's famous 1969 premiership team.
He came to Sydney from Barmedman after earlier starring for Queanbeyan in country football.
Walsh established himself as a tough, reliable forward across 53 first-grade games with the Tigers.
A knee injury ruled him out of the 1971 season, but he returned to the field and finished his top-grade career two years later.
He continued playing in country NSW for Temora and Quandialla. Walsh later became captain-coach of Cowra and guided the Magpies to a premiership in 1978.
After football he ran the Riverina Hotel in Wagga Wagga before he sold the pub to a Sydney-based hotelier in 2020.
'A true gentleman, absolute legend. Leica Tiga. RIP,' one footy fan posted on social media in tribute.
