Eric Simms (rugby league)
A South Sydney fullback whose lethal boot and try-saving tackles made him a four-time premiership hero and a record-breaking point-scorer.
Born 1945 (age 81)·Australia international rugby league footballer·Birthday: August 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Eric Simms, born in 1945, carved his legacy not just through his Indigenous Australian heritage but through the sheer, unrelenting consistency of his play for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. For his entire first-grade career, he was the bedrock of the team's golden era, a fullback whose defensive prowess was as feared as his attacking flair. Simms possessed a prodigious kicking game, mastering the then-uncommon spiral punt to pile up points from all over the field. His name became synonymous with clutch performances in grand finals, contributing directly to four premierships for the famed cardinal and myrtle. Beyond the silverware, his statistical dominance—topping the point-scoring charts for four straight seasons—cemented his reputation as a player who could single-handedly dictate the flow and outcome of a match.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Eric was born in 1945, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Eric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 40
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 70
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 80
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 81 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won four NSWRL premierships playing exclusively for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
- Was the league's top point-scorer for four consecutive seasons during the 1960s.
- Played in and won multiple finals series as a key figure in South Sydney's dynasty.
- Represented Australia in international rugby league matches.
- Pioneered the use of the spiral punt in rugby league, revolutionizing tactical kicking.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled cricketer and reportedly turned down an offer to play for the New South Wales state team.
His father, Eric Simms Sr., was a champion sprinter.
He is a respected elder and community figure within the Indigenous Australian community.
Simms played his entire first-grade career at a single club, a rarity in any sporting era.
“A goal is just a kick if you don't practice it a thousand times.”
