Former Australia and New South Wales coach Terry Fearnley has died aged 81, the National Rugby League said Wednesday.

Fearnley was the first coach to win a State of Origin series for NSW in 1985 and later that year coached Australia to a 2-1 Test series ­victory over New Zealand.

Fearnley played 139 matches for Eastern Suburbs between 1954-55 and 1957-64, and coached at the Easts, Parramatta, Western Suburbs, Cronulla and Illawarra.

He turned to coaching after retirement and took the Parramatta Eels to a grand final for the first time in 1976 (losing 13-10 to Manly) and again in 1977 when Parramatta went down to St George (22-0).