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The Roar

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Billy Slater eyes off the try-scoring record

Billy Slater is one of the Storm's best ever, but will injuries end his career? (Image: AAP)
Expert
7th March, 2016
30

In an opening round of serious rugby league injury carnage, it was refreshing to see Billy Slater back in action for the first time since the seventh round of last season when he suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery.

The Storm’s champion fullback celebrated by delivering two long cut-out passes to send winger Marika Koroibete on his way to the tryline twice in the 18-16 win over the Dragons in Melbourne.

So no tries to Slater in his comeback game, but he’s the leading try scorer active in the NRL at the moment. He is currently on 172 tries, ahead of Manly’s fullback Brett Stewart on 162, and the Warriors’ Manu Vatuvei with 146.

Providing injury doesn’t interfere again, Slater has the NRL’s most prolific try-scoring forward Steve Menzies in his sights. That would leave only flying winger Kenny Irvine to become the code’s leading try-scorer of all-time.

Slater is on 172 tries from 278 games, Menzies 180 from 349 games for the Eagles, both Manly and Northern, and Irvine 212 in 236 games for North Sydney and Manly.

Statistically, that’s a try every 1.62 games for Slater, 1.94 for Menzies, and an incredible 1.11 for Irvine.

In Irvine’s case, seeing he scored 171 tries from just 176 games for North Sydney – a team who found a new way to lose just about every week – his strike rate was phenomenal

That he was a winger, and as far away from the general play as possible, this shows Irvine was the greatest winger in NRL history, bar none.

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Desperate for a premiership that was never gong to happen with the Bears, Irvine switched to Manly in 1971 that caused an all-time high stink at the time.

He achieved his premiership wish in 1972 and 1973, scoring 41 tries in 60 games over three seasons.

Irvine was an express winger with an ability to leave defenders grasping at air. He had fans out of their seats in full flight – there was never a better sight.

The great was also a great bloke, who died all too young from leukaemia in 1990, aged 50.

He was an automatic selection as a winger in the Australian Team of the Century, so why isn’t he an Immortal?

That fact remains a black mark on the code’s rich history.

Irvine should have been inducted in 1981 with the first Immortals: Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper, and Bobby Fulton.

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Billy Slater will be an Immortal, as will Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith, and Greg Inglis.

It’s time to correct the Ken Irvine blunder.

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