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Behold: the sub-pantheon of champions. How it pains to have Darren Lockyer, Peter Sterling and Brett Kenny outside a top-ten list.
But here we are.
25 – Eric Grothe Sr
When Jack Gibson devised funky new things called ‘gameplans’ that he’d learnt about on study trips to NFL teams in the United States, he didn’t spend long explaining them to his mighty right winger, Eric Grothe. Those things were for Peter Sterling and Steve Edge mainly. Best to keep things simple for ‘The Guru’.
And so Gibson’s pre-match instructions for Grothe were words to the effect of, “Look, Eric – we spend a great deal of time working out ways to get the ball to you in space. So don’t go and waste our time by doing anything as rash as ‘passing’ the ball much less ‘kicking’ it, okay? Thanks.” And Guru would nod and when he got the ball would steam onto it and leave defenders clutching at Cumberland Oval turf, for they knew not how to tackle The Guru.
24 – Terry Lamb
Could back up for Australia, and did.
23 – Garry Jack
The very model of a hard-running gun fullback, Jack could scythe attackers in ankle-high tackles and leap upwards and outwards to defuse bombs. Great, great player.
22 – Jarryd Hayne
Did things at the back end of 2009 that no-one had ever seen. It was the hottest purple patch of form there had ever been.
21 – Greg Inglis
There are times when Inglis is striding around the field that he looks like the very good big kid, playing amongst the small ones. Armed with a fend for the ages.
20 – Glenn Lazarus
In a game of great big men, ‘The Brick With Eyes’ looked up to nobody. Three premierships with three clubs. One of the greats.
19 – Bradley Clyde
Bob Lindner was the first long-striding lock that pundits said could play in the centres. Clyde was the second. And he was a lot better than Bob Lindner.
18 – Shane Webcke
Granite-hard and straight man in the Lazarus mould, Webcke trucked it up like a Massey Ferguson. Also had a huge head.
17 – Mark Graham
The greatest forward to come out of New Zealand, and if you listen to Don McKinnon, a fella I play golf with occasionally, he’s also the greatest forward in Australia from the 1980s. Mark Graham had speed and power and plenty of game. Another who could’ve played in the centres but wouldn’t have because it wouldn’t have been tough enough.
16 – Ellery Hanley
Electrified the ’88 finals series until Terry Lamb’s forearm whacked him across the chops.
15 – Steve Rogers
If Steve Renouf is the Prince of Centres, this man is the King. Beautiful mover. So good.
14 – Brett Kenny
Another beautiful, ghostly mover, ‘Bert’ Kenny was the champion five-eighth of NSW in the eighties.
13 – Darren Lockyer
Phil Gould lauded his toughness and I wondered what he meant. What he meant was that Lockyer was so good everyone tried to bash him. But Lockyer remained so good.
12 – Allan Langer
Best thing out of Ipswich since the M2.
11 – Peter Sterling
They say halfbacks own results. If so, ‘Sterlo’ owns four premierships with the Eels.
See the rest of the list (so far)
» 100-71
» 70-46
» 45-26
To celebrate the launch of the limited edition Isuzu D-MAX X-RUNNER, we’re recounting the NRL’s 100 best players in the history of the game.