Emotional scenes unfolded in the north Queensland town of Ingham today as hundreds of mourners gathered to farewell former Canberra, Brisbane Broncos and Maroons rugby league cult hero Sam Backo.
The 64-year-old passed away earlier this month after a long and difficult battle with the bacterial tropical soil disease melioidosis.
He had contracted the illness while swimming in a creek to cool off after a hot day riding his motorbike.
The disease was particularly devastating given his already fragile health after major heart surgery and ongoing complications.
Backo had undergone serious heart operations in 2023 and was living with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
Only weeks before his death, he had a pacemaker inserted at Brisbane’s Prince Charles Hospital.
Hundreds gathered in Ingham to farewell Sam Backo (pictured), who was remembered as an NRL cult hero and community leader
Backo’s daughter Elaine Morganson (with back to the camera) is comforted at Backo’s funeral service in north Queensland
Emotions overflowed as family, teammates and fans celebrated the life of a Queensland legend who was taken too soon
Despite his struggles, friends said he never lost his sense of humour, his pride in his heritage, or his love of footy.
He died in Cairns Hospital on August 4, surrounded by family, leaving behind a legacy that stretched far beyond the field.
Backo’s funeral brought together family, former teammates, and fans who adored him for his toughness, his generosity and his playful spirit.
‘Today we gather on Warrgamay country, our old people’s land, to farewell and celebrate the life of a proud Warrgamay man, Backo’s daughter Elaine Morganson said through tears.
‘Sam wasn’t just a famous footballer who represented Queensland and Australia, he was also a strong black man deeply connected to his culture, his people and his roots.
‘He carried his pride every time he stepped on to the field and he carried the spirit of the old people with him in everything he did.’
A motorcycle cortege by the Red Dirt club thundered through Ingham, celebrating Backo’s love of bikes
Mourners wore maroon at the request of Backo’s family, filling the funeral service with State of Origin pride
Outside of football and motorcycles, Backo (pictured with wife Christabel Warren) was a fierce advocate for his family and culture
‘He showed the world the strength, resilience and brilliance that comes from country and culture.
‘As we say goodbye to a husband, father, brother, nephew, uncle and friend we also welcome his spirit home back to country, back to the land that gave him strength,’ she said.
‘May his spirit rest peacefully … embraced by our ancestors and remembered always by our people.’
Backo’s family asked mourners to wear maroon, the colour he cherished most as a Queenslander.
The crowd responded with a sea of Queensland’s favourite hue filling the service with Origin pride.
Children wore shirts that read ‘Poppy’s got my back,’ decorated with his handprint, symbolising his love for family.
Others proudly wore shirts printed with ‘Slammin’ Sam Backo,’ paired with a striking black-and-white image of his Origin playing days.
Between 1988 and 1990, Backo represented Queensland seven times and made history in the series.
Mourners heard Backo once demanded he get a crack at first grade with Canberra by boldly telling coach Don Furner he was ready
Tributes remembered the prop’s history-making Origin record, scoring tries in three consecutive matches as a front-row forward
Mourners wearing shirts emblazoned with ‘Slammin’ Sam Backo’ and striking Origin images reflected his fierce playing days and Queensland heritage
In 1988, he became the first forward to score tries in three consecutive Origin matches, an iconic record still remembered today.
For many Queensland fans, those performances immortalised him as one of the toughest props of his generation.
In death, a surprising detail about his advocacy came to light. As chairman of the North Queensland Land Council in 2017, he signed the Uluru Statement.
However, the mourners were told he later opposed the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, saying he lacked enough information to support it fully.
Mick Connolly read the formal eulogy and said that Backo was proud of his heritage, after he descended from black-birded sugar slaves and was born into the Warrgamay tribe in Ingham.
‘He was a man with great strength, deep pride and an even deeper love for his family,’ he said.
‘As we mourn our loss, we celebrate the life of a leader carrying the proud legacy of the Warrgamay, South Sea islander, German and Danish lineage.’
Connolly also shared the tale of how Backo came to play first grade, literally demanding his place at the table.
Daughter Elaine Morganson tearfully described her father as a proud Warrgamay man who carried culture every step
Former Cowboys player Dean Schifilliti joined mourners, while Sam’s son Daniel Backo represented family ties to rugby league
‘He walked right into the office of the [Canberra] Raiders coach Don Furner and told him he was ready to play first grade, a bold statement,’ he said.
‘He was confident in his Judgement and never took a backward step … this is where the world began to know Slammin’ Sam Backo.’
Backo was a well-known motorcycle enthusiast and the Red Dirt motorcycle club from the Atherton Tablelands organised a cortege in his honour.
Former Cowboys player Dean Schifilliti joined the mourners to pay respects to his old friend.
Daniel Backo, once contracted to the Cowboys, was also present with family members.
Some of rugby league’s greatest names, including Wally Lewis, had visited him in hospital before his passing.
Although legends were absent from the funeral due to NRL commitments, their messages of respect were felt strongly.
Born in Ingham in 1961, Backo was raised in Bordelia and Halifax in a proud Aboriginal family.
Mourners said goodbye to a warrior, leader and family man whose memory will endure for generations
He spent his childhood with his grandparents, Melba and Ishmael, and a close community of 13 aunties and uncles.
He often spoke of his barefoot days in Townsville, shaped by both hardship and deep cultural pride.
From these humble beginnings, he rose to national stardom as a fearsome front-row forward.
He made his first-grade debut with the Canberra Raiders in 1983, quickly becoming one of their enforcers.
Across five seasons with the Raiders, he played 91 games and scored 15 tries. In 1988, he joined the brand-new Brisbane Broncos and played 55 matches, crossing for eight tries.
He proudly featured in the club’s first ever premiership, etching his name into their history.
That same year, he was called up for the Australian Test side, earning six caps. At Old Trafford in the Ashes, he scored a double against Great Britain, cementing his reputation internationally.
In 1989, he briefly joined Leeds in England, where his rampaging style made an instant impact.
In 2008, his legacy was recognised when he was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century.
He was the son of Dr Evelyn Scott AO, a respected Aboriginal leader and activist. She had played a major role in the 1967 referendum, which achieved overwhelming support for Indigenous rights.
Backo often recalled delivering Yes campaign pamphlets barefoot through Townsville letterboxes as a child.
He said his mother’s phrase, ‘we all belong to one race, the human race,’ defined the way he saw the world.
That sentiment, written on the walls of their family home, shaped his values of unity and respect.
‘Today as we celebrate Sam, we remember a man whose legacy was not only his achievements but the lives he touched, a culture he upheld and the love he gave so freely and his unwavering devotion to family and community will continue to live on for generations,’ Connolly concluded.
