Rugby league coach of the century Jack Gibson has died after a lengthy illness.
His family today said the five-time premiership winning coach had passed away at 6.32pm AEST in Sydney after suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia for the past two years.
Gibson was last month named as the coach of rugby league's Team of the Century, with his passing marked tonight with a minute's silence before kickoff at the Centenary Test between Australia and New Zealand at the SCG.
"Jack passed away comfortably today, at 6.32pm at the Garawarra Centre, Waterfall, surrounded by his family,'' a statement said.
"We greatly appreciate the wonderful care he had received at Garrawarra, and also the caring and kind support afforded to us, the family.
"We are dealing as well as we can and would ask that Jack's many friends in their sadness that he is no longer with us, do not feel too sorry.
"Jack would not want that; it was his own strong belief and appreciation that he had had a very fortunate life, and we know he would have wanted that to be the spirit of this time.''