Rugby league legend Johnny Raper, one of the game's 13 Immortals, has died at the age of 82.

Raper's illustrious career started at Newtown in 1958, but he made his name at St George, where he won eight straight premierships from 1959 to 1966 alongside fellow Immortals Reg Gasnier, Graeme Langlands and Norm Provan.

Raper also played 39 Tests for Australia between 1959 and 1968, captaining Australia to victory in that year's World Cup.

He is widely seen as the prototypical lock, revolutionising and perfecting the position in the 1950s and 60s with his trademark low tackles behind the defensive line to cut runners down.

Legendary coach Jack Gibson, who played with Raper in Sydney, described him as being one of the hardest workers he ever saw.

"[He was] small and not all that quick, but he had football instinct," Gibson said.

"There was an intensity about him. Nobody trained like he did."

While he was known for his grit and determination like most forwards of the era, Raper was also an adept ball-player, famously playing a part in nine tries during a 50-12 Test demolition of Great Britain in 1963.

It was little surprise that Raper, widely regarded as the best forward to have played the game, was part of the first batch of four legends named Immortals back in 1981.

"Johnny Raper was an inspiration to his teammates and the entire St George organisation and is one of the key reasons why the famous Red V holds such esteem to this very day," St George Illawarra and St George District chairman Craig Young said.

"Everyone involved with St George District and the St George Illawarra Dragons send their condolences to the Raper family."

The Dragons will honour Raper and Provan, who died in October, at their NRL season opener at Kogarah on March 18.