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The pundits have installed Andrew Johns as favourite to become the eighth rugby league Immortal to be named tomorrow night.
No way.
Johns isn’t in my top five contenders after Kenny Irvine, Mal Meninga, Jack Gibson, Norm Provan, and Peter Sterling.
Johns was lucky to play in an ordinary era of rugby league where he was a standout, no argument about that status. But had Johns been born 15 years earlier, he would never have played for NSW or the Kangaroos – Sterling and Steve Mortimer would have denied him the chance.
The 80s was a far stronger era than Johns’ from the mid-90s to 2006, yet Sterling and Mortimer were standouts which made them better halfbacks than Johns.
How Johns was named halfback in the Australian Team of the Century over Sterling and Mortimer remains a mystery.
Johns had the added string to his bow as a champion goal-kicker. But Sterling and Mortimer didn’t have to concern themselves in that department with the likes of Mick Cronin, Michael O’Connor, and Ross Conlon on duty to consistently add the necessaries with the boot.
Which brings me to my first choice of Kenny Irvine, without peer as the greatest winger in either rugby code who should have been named one of the original Immortals in 1981 with Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper, and Bobby Fulton.
Irvine was at least the equal of that quality quartet.
His record speaks for itself:
* Scoring 171 tries from 176 games for the Bears.
* Another 41 from 60 games for Manly in the twilight of his career.
* A staggering 30 tries from 24 games for NSW.
* And another 33 from 31 for the Kangaroos.
All up 275 tries from just 291 games with his blistering speed, perfect balance, and incredible ability to change direction quickly off either foot. Every time Irvine touched the ball the expectant crowd rose as one – invariably something spectacular was about to happen.
He rarely disappointed.
Mal Meninga is my second selection, an icon of the sport for the Raiders, Queensland, and the Kangaroos as a player, and more recently as the coach of the record-breaking Maroons.
Like Irvine, Meninga’s record speaks for itself:
* The only player to make four tours of England – 1982, !986, 1990, and 1994.
* The only player to captain two tours of England – 1990 and 1994.
* Scored the most points for the Kangaroos – 272 with 21 tries, and 96 goals.
* Kicked the most goals for the Kangaroos – 96.
* And won the most Origin series as coach – Queensland’s seven in succession.
Jack Gibson was a journeyman footballer in the 50s and 60s with Easts, Newtown, and Wests, but a trail-blazing legend as a coach. The laconic one revolutionised rugby league with his innovative methods he had gleaned from American football that led to back-to-back premierships with Easts in 1974 and 1975, and three-on-the-trot with Parramatta in 1981, 1982, and 1983.
Those feats alone make him deserving of Immortal status. There’s no reason why a coach can’t qualify for the highest honour the code can give.
Norm Provan was a giant of rugby league in every way. Standing 2m tall, he played in 10 of the world record 11 successive premiership winning St George sides from 1956 to 1966, four as captain-coach.
Provan still holds the Dragons first grade caps record with 284, appearing in 30 finals wearing the famous red V, as well as 19 games for NSW, and 14 for the Kangaroos.
Peter Sterling was the chief playmaker who made the three successive premierships for Parramatta possible when Jack Gibson was calling the coaching shots.
Parramatta boasted a load of talent with Ray Price, Steve Edge, and Bob O’Reilly up front, with Brett Kenny, Steve Ella, Mick Cronin. and Eric Grothe snr out the back, with Sterling the “Little General”.
And Sterling was again the chief playmaker when Parramatta won the premiership again in 1986 under John Monie.
In 19 Tests for the Kangaroos, and 13 Origin appearances for NSW, including four man-of-the-match awards, Sterling was an outstanding footballer who made things happen for the full 80 minutes. He had to keep firing to keep Steve Mortimer at bay, who was always yapping at his heels.
So those five are my Immortal contenders for tomorrow night, regretting I had to leave out the likes of Ron Coote, Bobby McCarthy, and Noel Kelly who also left their deep footprints on rugby league.
By the way, Darren Lockyer hasn’t been retired for the necessary five years, that’s the only reason why he hasn’t been mentioned, but an obvious Immortal-in-waiting.