Family and friends have gathered in Sydney’s east to farewell legendary NRL broadcaster David “Thirsty” Morrow.
Mourners filed into St Brigid’s Church in Coogee on Thursday morning to pay tribute to the respected radio caller, who lost his battle with brain cancer at age 71 last week.
Morrow was diagnosed with cancer in December and underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which forced him to step down from his role on 2GB’s Continuous Call Team.
Morrow’s broadcasting career spanned 52 years, including eight Olympic Games and six Commonwealth Games, as well as 44 years covering rugby league.
He was a radio and television commentator for the ABC from 1980 to 2014, calling Saturday football to a national audience on ABC television until 1996.
The Sydney-born broadcaster joined 2GB’s rugby league commentary team in 2015 and continued to cement his position as one of Australia’s most iconic sports commentators.
Morrow was awarded an OAM for services to sport, sports broadcasting and the community in 2005 and was inducted into the Sydney Cricket Ground Media Hall of Honour just last year.
Before Morrow’s death he was informed of his induction into the NRL Hall of Fame for his service to the game.
![Morrow stepped down from on air duties after he was diagnosed with brain cancer in December. Mark Levy/X](https://timesofsydney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/6dc0dae7e029d24c5c19b82d8ad86a7930b76bf6.jpg)
Following his death, Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys described Morrow as one the “greatest voices of the game” who was recognised across the country for his “wit, his insight and his knowledge”.
“I had the pleasure of knowing David throughout my career in sport and he was a champion in every sense of the word. I have been honoured and privileged to know him as a friend,” he said in a statement confirming Morrow’s death last week.
“In his final days, David knew how cherished he was in the rugby league community, having been informed of his induction into the Hall of Fame.”
V’landys said it was comforting to know both Morrow and his family were aware of how the game “felt about his achievements”.
Morrow is survived by wife Christine and daughters Emily and Lucy.