He played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for Newtown club and later Cronulla-Sutherland, also achieving state and international representative honours.
Originally from Grafton, New South Wales, Wilson made his first grade debut for Newtown in the Sydney premiership as a 16-year-old in 1960.
In 1963, the South African team was touring Australia and Wilson represented Sydney against them.
Before leaving for New Zealand, the South African team invited Wilson and Canterbury-Bankstown's hooker, Fred Anderson to bolster their injury-ravaged forward pack.
In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Wilson was named in the Newtown 18-man team of the century.