Who are the five smartest players in the NRL?

In keeping with my standard ‘five’ theme these days, I thought it would be a good idea to analyse which quintet of individuals are the smartest players in the NRL.

This question was inspired by watching Cameron Smith on Friday night, with the Melbourne, Queensland and Australian captain producing arguably his best performance of the year.

Smith’s clutch goal-kicking and mountain of tackles stood out the most, but it was the subtle, intelligent play from the hooker that truly showed his class.

His service from dummy-half was impeccable, earning his forwards vital extra metres on almost every play-the-ball, and he also darted with the ball in-hand a lot more than I’ve witnessed for most of the season. He regularly caught the Roosters defenders unaware, and made important metres at crucial times.

Smith’s control of the game was masterful, and it more than made up for a rare off night from Cooper Cronk, who wasn’t quite at his executional best. The Storm’s No.9 reminded everyone of his greatness, and of what a smart rugby league player he is.

So Smith naturally makes the list of smartest NRL players, but who joins him?

Cooper Cronk
Smith’s teammate is an obvious addition, and I assume he will be in most people’s top five.

Methodical, measured and calculated, Cronk gives the impression of always being two or three plays ahead of the game, along with being the most prepared player in the competition.

His football IQ is extremely high, and his execution is usually second-to-none; there is no better player in the NRL at adhering to a gameplan. An extremely smart footballer in every way, Cronk is a no-brainer on a football brains list.

Johnathan Thurston
‘JT’ is an altogether different type of smart: the genius type.

Like Andrew Johns and Darren Lockyer before him, Thurston is what I would call ‘next level’. At times it appears as if he is playing a total different sport to everyone else on the field, such is his command and control of the game.

Thurston sees things other players can’t see, and that ensures he attempts things other players would never even consider. From threading a pass through a non-existent gap, to running at a hole that hasn’t even materialised yet, Thurston is a magician with the ball in-hand.

Throw is his brilliant kicking game, in which he seems to have the ball on a string, and it’s not hard to understand why Thurston is considered one of the game’s greatest, and an automatic selection for this list.

Jamie Lyon
Lyon is getting a little long in the tooth now, and lacks the physical explosiveness of his youth, but he more than makes up for it with experience and a level head.

The Manly centre is extremely savvy, and has a number of tricks up his sleeve that enable him to get on top of his opponents. Hesitation steps, variations in pace, sharp changes in direction, hitting the hip, timely palms – all of Lyon’s subtle tools are on display during a game.

He’s also a great leader, and his overall impact all comes down to intelligence: Lyon is simply a very smart player.

James Graham
The inclusion of Graham may raise a few eyebrows, considering some of his indiscretions in the past, which certainly don’t scream ‘cerebral’.

However, it’s important to separate a player’s spontaneous emotional outbursts from their actual football mind, and Graham’s is one of the best.

Though front-row forwards usually struggle to win a place on lists like this, Graham’s reading of a game is phenomenal, and his ability to get the ball to the right person at the exact right time is something of which most halfbacks would be jealous.

Graham also generally knows precisely what is required at any moment in a match – be it a hit-up, a big tackle, a deft pass, or some choice words for his team.

That type of skill and game awareness ensures he is worthy of being regarded one of the NRL’s smartest players.