Australian rugby league is mourning the death of a man widely acknowledged as the greatest coach in the history of the game.

Jack Gibson, whose thirst for innovation and grasp of new technology revolutionised coaching in rugby league, lost his two-year battle with illness just hours before the centenary Test between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney.

Gibson, who brought unparalleled success to Eastern Suburbs (now Sydney Roosters) and Parramatta, famously borrowed ideas from gridiron and introduced new coaching methods into the sport in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, when rugby league at the top grade was still a semi-professional sport.

He retired in 1990 but both his methods and famous one-line quotes are used by today's coaches worldwide.

Only last month Gibson was named Australia's coach of the century as part of their centenary celebrations.