Kevin Emery Humphreys (14 April 1930 – 29 April 2010) was an Australian

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer and administrator. He was

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...

of the

New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...

(NSWRL), from about 1973 to 1983. In 1980, he was instrumental in the establishment of the

State of Origin series The State of Origin series is an annual best-of-three rugby league series between two Australian state representative sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons. Referred to as “Australian sport's greatest rivalry”, the ...

between teams representing

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

Playing career

Born in Leichhardt, Humphreys began playing

with the Leichhardt Wanderers and Balmain CYO in the junior league.Massoud, Josh
Kevin Humphreys dies
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'', 5 May 2010. He was recruited to the

Balmain Tigers The Balmain Tigers (also known as the Sydney Tigers from 1995–96) are a rugby league club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful i ...

in 1953, playing 43 games for the team over four years until 1956.

Administration career

In 1956, Humphreys became secretary of the Balmain Tigers, holding the position until 1973, when he was appointed President of

(NSWRL), Chairman of

Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League known as the Australian Rugby League is an Australian rugby league football competition operator. It was founded in 1986 as the Australian Rugby Footbal ...

(ARL), and in 1976 NSWRL Executive Chairman. In 1973 he negotiated rugby league's first television deal with the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owne ...

Scandal

In 1983, the Australian ABC-TV

current affairs Current affairs may refer to: News * ''Current Affairs'' (magazine) a bimonthly magazine of culture and politics. * Current affairs (news format): a genre of broadcast journalism * Current Affairs, former name for Behind the News Politics * An ...

programme ''

Four Corners The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...

'', aired an episode entitled "The Big League". Reporter

Chris Masters Christopher Todd Mordetzky (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Chris Adonis as a member of Strictly Business. He is a former two-time National Ch ...

described allegations of corruption within the NSWRL, including suggestions that officials were siphoning funds from particular clubs and international matches, while players and spectators endured sub-standard facilities. Following the broadcast of the Four Corners program Humphreys resigned as Chairman of the NSWRL and ARL. He was replaced by

Tom Bellew Thomas Joseph Bellew (30 January 1922 – 26 June 2001) was an Australian rugby league administrator. He was educated at Marcellin College Randwick, and was Dux of the college in 1938. Having had a long career as a grade referee, he became the ...

in the former position and by

Ken Arthurson Kenneth Richard "Arko" Arthurson AM (born 1 October 1929) is an Australian rugby league football identity. Affectionately known as "The Godfather of Manly", he played, coached and was later an administrator at the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles cl ...

in the latter. As a result of the program, a Royal Commission (the ''Street Royal Commission'') was formed whose findings resulted in New South Wales chief magistrate Murray Farquhar being sent to prison, Humphreys' career ending abruptly and ABC being sued for libel by the then NSW State

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

, Neville Wran (who eventually settled out of court). Humphreys also received a $4000 fine and was placed on a "two year good behaviour bond". Humphreys later made a public apology.

Family

Humphreys is survived by his wife Joan and two sons David and Stephen. Stephen was CEO of the

Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a joint-venture ...

between 2009 and 2012.

Death

Humphreys suffered from strokes for many months and had both legs amputated because of complications. He had suffered strokes which resulted in some paralysis prior to his death on 29 April 2010 at the age of 80 in a hospital in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

References

Obituaries

The Sydney Morning HeraldNSW Rugby LeagueLeague Unlimited
{{DEFAULTSORT:Humphreys, Kevin Emery 1930 births 2010 deaths Australian rugby league players Balmain Tigers players Sportsmen from New South Wales Deaths from diabetes Australian amputees Australian rugby league administrators Rugby league players from Sydney Rugby league props