Queensland were given plenty of motivation to win seven straight State of Origin series after a statue of rugby league Immortal Arthur Beetson was unveiled on Tuesday.

Depicting Beetson in action for Queensland in the first Origin of 1980, the statue at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane was revealed to a crowd of about 500 including the entire Maroons squad.

Beetson’s son Brad urged the Queensland team to “do it for Artie” when they ran out for the series decider against NSW on Wednesday night.

“Give them hell,” Brad Beetson said.

Beetson’s statue features on the Suncorp Stadium concourse along with fellow Queensland league greats Wally Lewis and Darren Lockyer.

In a career spanning more than 25 years, Beetson became the first indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport.

He was regarded as the best post-war forward in Australian rugby league history.

He died of a heart attack aged 66 in December 2011.