Summons died over the weekend following a long battle with cancer. He was 84.

The dual international has called Wagga home for more than the last five decades and left a big imprint in the league community both on and off the field.

Wagga Magpies teammate John Mavroudis, who also worked alongside Summons for 30 years, has many fond memories.

"He was a great man who will be missed by everyone, not just here in Wagga but all around Australia," Mavroudis said.

Summons played 10 Tests for the Wallabies before joining Western Suburbs, going on to captain-coach the Kangaroos.

He was part of three losing grand finals with the Magpies including the 1963 decider where the famous Gladiators photograph with St George counterpart Norm Provan was taken.

Mavroudis believes it only adds to his legend.

"He was good for Wagga and with the premiership cup is just a bonus that he's embedded on it," Mavroudis said.

"The reference was always Arthur Summons from Wagga and even though he was with the Magpies in Sydney then it has always stood by him."

Summons made an immediate impact in Wagga, helping Magpies to the 1965 premiership in his first year as captain-coach.

Two more titles followed before successive grand final losses to Kangaroos.

It wasn't just his talent but his organisational skills that stood out.

"He was a great coach," Mavroudis said. "He was an organiser and a talker as well as being the best player in the team. There were others but he was the one who made the whole thing."

Another Wagga product who would go on to play for Australia, Peter Sterling, labelled him as a wonderful man.

"It is a huge loss and not just to the rugby league community because he was a wonderful man and one of nature's true gentlemen," Sterling said on the Sunday Footy Show.

READ MORE