You’ve heard who The Roar‘s experts think the top 50 players in the NRL are, but now it’s my turn.

The top ten are more or less the same, but from there, things twist and turn. I’ve included 11 players on my list who didn’t make the experts’ top 50, including one as high as number 19.

Anyway, here we go.

50. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
Where the experts had him: 28
I almost left Cleary off the list. He is probably the future of New South Wales, but he just hasn’t risen to the heights in the game yet for me to have him anywhere near the experts had him.

The Panthers half needs a big season with key departures at the club.

49. Jack Bird (Brisbane Broncos)
Where the experts had him: 37
Bird’s utility value makes him a great player to have at any club, and it was hardly a surprise to see Brisbane go after him last year. Still, he has plenty to work on before he becomes one of the game’s elite players.

48. Paul Vaughan (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Where the experts had him: N/A
Now, before you accuse me of bias, cast your mind back to State of Origin last year. Paul Vaughan was in a majority of pundit’s starting 17 for the Blues, yet, when the team was named, he was overlooked.

The big front rower had a superb 2017 at the Dragons and the offload-first style also suits him. Origin in 2018 awaits.

47. Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks)
Where the experts had him: N/A
The former Blues captain not being in the experts top 50 surprised me. You know what you are going to get from Gallen week in, week out – he tackles hard, runs hard and gives 100 per cent every time he steps on the field.

46. Matt Scott (North Queensland Cowboys)
Where the experts had him: 43
The inclusion of Scott is an interesting one. While he didn’t play through an ACL injury in 2017, it was impossible to leave the Cowboys’ prop off the list. Expect him to come back just as strong as he was in 2016 to be in the top 20 this time next year.

45. Jordan Rapana (Canberra Raiders)
Where the experts had him: 39
Rapana is an excitement machine. The Canberra winger, playing outside Joey Leilua has strength, acceleration and pace on his side and has scored some miraculous tries over the last few years. Fully deserves his spot in the top 50.

44. Darius Boyd (Brisbane Broncos)
Where the experts had him: 25
Boyd might be a Queensland and Australian representative, but it’s hard to rate him as one of the game’s elite. He has deficiencies in defence at times and lacks the X-Factor of other top fullbacks. He is solid and does his job in the Broncos’ system, but it’s no surprise he struggled in a poor Knights side when he was there.

43. Corey Norman (Parramatta Eels)
Where the experts had him: 48
Norman is electric in the halves for the Eels. Sure, he is playing in a very strong side – one expected to be around the top four again this year – but he is a key reason for that. His running game is fantastic and leaves opposition defences wondering how to stop him more often than not.

42. Dane Gagai (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Where the experts had him: 41
Gagai became the first winger to win a State of Origin player of the series award last year. While his club form was a bit off the mark, he was at the Knights who won two games all year, so it’s understandable. He is in for a huge 2018 at a revamped South Sydney outfit.

41. Josh McGuire (Brisbane Broncos)
Where the experts had him: 34
You know what you’re going to get from the Broncos prop every week. Consistency and hard work. A lock for any top 50.

40. Angus Crichton (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Where the experts had him: 40
The experts got Crichton’s spot dead right. Don’t be surprised that improves this year though – he is freakishly talented and has the potential to become one of the best edge runners in the competition.

39. Will Chambers (Melbourne Storm)
Where the experts had him: 22
The Storm centre will give you something every week. He has been a fixture in the Queensland and Australian side for a reason.

38. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand Warriors)
Where the experts had him: 31
Tuivasa-Sheck needs a big season if the Warriors are to make a run at the finals. He needs to rediscover the touch he had at the Roosters early in his career.

37. David Klemmer (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Where the experts had him: 27
Klemmer has the potential to be one of the best impact players in the NRL. He isn’t there on a consistent basis yet, but his efforts for the Bulldogs and Blues leave little doubting this rank could improve.

36. Josh Addo-Carr (Melbourne Storm)
Where the experts had him: N/A
Another one left out of the experts top 50. If you’re going to have one Storm winger though, you have to have the other. Addo-Carr could be a bolter for the Blues this year.

35. Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne Storm)
Where the experts had him: 32
The big Storm prop could easily be higher up than this, and may need to be during 2017 with the Storm fielding a younger halves pairing. His go forward is right up there though.

34. Nathan Brown (Parramatta Eels)
Where the experts had him: N/A
There are numerous good locks in the competition, but few were better than Brown last year. He was superb, especially in the second half of the season and will need to lead the Eels pack from the front again.

33. Martin Taupau (Manly Sea Eagles)
Where the experts had him: N/A
Taupau is incredibly dangerous up front. While he hasn’t been quite at his best in recent times, he has a huge role to play for Manly in 2018.

32. Josh Mansour (Penrith Panthers)
Where the experts had him: N/A
It’s little wonder Mansour is talked about as a representative option. The Panthers looked like a different team when he returned from injury last year – it’s rare to say that about a winger, but that’s the influence he has. His running from the back is among the best in the NRL.

31. Matt Gillett (Brisbane Broncos)
Where the experts had him: 24
The Broncos second rower has a great mix of power, aggression and creativity at the line. His ball playing and combinations with Anthony Milford, Ben Hunt and Darius Boyd have been sensational over the years and he will again be one of the first picked for Queensland.

30. Ben Hunt (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Where the experts had him: 29
Hunt was in the wilderness at times during 2017, but returned at hooker and rediscovered his game. The way he runs the footy fits in with the Dragons’ style nicely and he should have a big 2018.

29. Suliasi Vunivalu (Melbourne Storm)
Where the experts had him: 33
The Fijian flyer must be the best winger in the competition. He has speed, acceleration, strength and a freakish ability to finish plays.

28. Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
Where the experts had him: N/A
Papalii somehow missed the experts top 50. He has size and strength, which allow him to dominate for the Raiders on the edge. 2017 was one of his best seasons yet and he should continue that form in 2018.

27. Shaun Johnson (New Zealand Warriors)
Where the experts had him: 11
There is no question Johnson is one of the most exciting players in the competition, but he hasn’t had the Warriors firing on all cylinders for some time. There are other factors at play, but his consistency leaves him further down the list for mine.

26. Wade Graham (Cronulla Sharks)
Where the experts had him: 20
The Sharks’ second rower has issues with his consistency at times and certainly has both errors and penalties in his game, but he makes up for it with his creativity, ball playing and ability to kick on the edge.

25. Cody Walker (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Where the experts had him: N/A
Walker had a superb 2017 in what was generally a poor team. If the Rabbitohs can go to new heights in 2018, watch out for Walker to be a key reason why.

24. Josh Hodgson (Canberra Raiders)
Where the experts had him: 19
Hodgson won’t be sighted at the start of 2018 through injury and his loss will be felt big time by the Raiders. Absolutely explosive out of dummy half.

23. James Graham (St George Illawarra Dragons
Where the experts had him: 17
There are questions around the fitness of Graham, but he brings passion and intensity on a weekly basis. Great pick up for the red V.

22. Josh Dugan (Cronulla Sharks)
Where the experts had him: N/A
Dugan will need to adjust to playing centre week in and week out at his new club this season, but he has handled it well at representative level and his combination with Luke Lewis could be phenomenal.

21. Clint Gutherson (Parramatta Eels)
Where the experts had him: N/A
The Eels’ utility had a breakout season in 2017. While it’s a little unclear where he fits into the puzzle for 2018 after the signing of Jarryd Hayne, he will still play a huge roll for the blue and gold.

20. Valentine Holmes (Cronulla Sharks)
Where the experts had him: 30
Holmes is one of the most exciting youngsters in the game. The Sharks fullback should have another big season.

19. Andrew McCullough (Brisbane Broncos)
Where the experts had him: N/A
When McCullough was injured last year, the Broncos’ finals hopes disappeared, along with their style of play. That tells you all you need to know about why he is on my list.

18. Josh Jackson (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Where the experts had him: 18
If there is anyone better at doing the job required of them everytime they step on the field, I’ve never heard of them. Jackson is at times a quiet achiever, but his Origin spot is well deserved.

17. Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
Where the experts had him: 15
The Storm half had a whirlwind 2017, making his Origin debut and being a key for the Storm. Without Cooper Cronk, he becomes the senior halves partner this year and should rise to the occasion.

16. Gareth Widdop (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Where the experts had him: 21
Widdop finished second in the Dally M count last year. While he faded during the second half of 2017, he will be playing alongside an accomplished half this year in Hunt and should go from strength to strength.

15. Andrew Fifita (Cronulla Sharks)
Where the experts had him: 13
Fifita has the potential to be an absolute wrecking ball on the same level as Jason Taumalolo. Instead, he is inconsistent, but his good performances still leave him at the pointy end of a list like this.

14. Sam Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Where the experts had him: 8
Burgess is a consistent performer, don’t get me wrong, but he has errors in his game. Add to that, the impact he has is not the same as it once was. I couldn’t put him in my top ten.

13. Tom Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles)
Where the experts had him: 10
We have already seen one Trbojevic, but the combination he has with his brother is brilliant for Manly. Tom will be pushing for a spot in the Blues come Origin time.

12. Anthony Milford (Brisbane Broncos)
Where the experts had him: 11
The experts more or less got Milford right. He could have a huge season running the Broncos and as a half, has one of the best running games in the competition.

11. James Maloney (Penrith Panthers)
Where the experts had him: 16
Maloney is a proven winner and if we are talking about which players are key in 2018, he is right up there. As a new recruit, he has moved teams deep in the finals more than once.

10. Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters)
Where the experts had him: 9
While criticism of Cordner’s captaincy during Origin was warranted, there aren’t many other areas you can pick his game apart on. The second rower is extremely dangerous, although he needs to build new combinations with no Mitchell Pearce.

9. Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles)
Where the experts had him: 14
Cherry-Evans was one of the best halves in the competition during 2017. His short-range kicking game, in particular, was sensational.

8. Jake Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles)
Where the experts had him: 22
How Jake Turbo wasn’t in the experts top ten, let alone top 20, baffles me. Trbojevic has it all – he plays big minutes at lock, runs hard, has an offloading game and the combination he forms with creative players all over the park is massive for Manly.

7. James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters)
Where the experts had him: 7
‘Teddy’ is a no-brainer option to be the New South Wales fullback again and playing in a very strong Roosters side, should go from strength to strength in 2018.

6. Michael Morgan (North Queensland Cowboys)
Where the experts had him: 6
What a breakout season for Morgan. Without Johnathan Thurston, he led the Cowboys to an unlikely grand final and then played a key role in Australia winning the World Cup at season’s end.

5. Cooper Cronk (Sydney Roosters)
Where the experts had him: 4
The weight of expectation on Cronk in 2018 is enormous. The Roosters need to win the premiership with the squad they have built and Cronk, having retired from representative footy is the right man to lead that charge, but it’s going to be interesting to see how he performs out of the Melbourne set-up.

4. Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
Where the experts had him: 5
I have said it before and I’ll say it again – if Slater played in the 2016 grand final, the Sharks would still be on zero premierships. Slater carried that premiership-winning ability into 2017 and is showing no signs of slowing down in 2018.

3. Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys)
Where the experts had him: 3
How anyone could rate the ‘other JT’ as anything other than the best forward in the game is beyond me. He averaged almost 200 metres per game last year and regularly draws three or four defenders into tackles. Once the Queensland big three go, don’t be surprised to see Taumalolo at number one on these lists.

2. Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm)
Where the experts had him: 2
There are only two options as number one. Both are Queenslanders, but for mine, Smith comes in at two. It’s a matter of opinion, because you can’t split them.

1. Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
Where the experts had him: 1
That leaves JT – possibly the best ever to step on a rugby league field as the number one player in the game. With his retirement from representative footy this season, the Cowboys should be premiership favourites and he is the key reason.