The hyphenated names dominating the NRL

I’ve lived in this country all my life and I’ve never met a person with a hyphenated name. Is it just me? I don’t think so.

It begs the question: Why is there a disproportionately high number of NRL first-grade players with multiple surnames? I don’t have an answer, but let’s take a light-hearted look at the top ten.

1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
When the Tuivasa family met the Sheck family, they weren’t to know that they’d produce a human with an incredible side-step and electrifying pace. Roger, as I’ll call him to make things easier, is now a leader of the New Zealand Warriors and an international Kiwi star. He first caught the eyes of fans as a dynamic Rooster winger and he has been rarely caught since.

2. Nelson Asofa-Solomona
The hulking prop stands over two metres tall and weighs around 115 kilograms – there’s so much man, they could hardly fit him into one surname.

Under the tutorage of Cameron Smith and Craig Bellamy, the 22-year-old has become more than a handful in attack and highly impactful in defence. There are big things on offer for him if he keeps his current trajectory.

3. Daly Cherry-Evans
The Manly Sea Eagles captain and previous grand final winner has enjoyed a highly successful career and, although polarising at times, has proven himself of Origin standard. Whether they pick him is another question. He possesses speed, a great kicking game and is fast between the ears.

4. Josh Addo-Carr
After showing potential at the Tigers, Craig Bellamy lured him south and he hasn’t looked back. He’s arguably the fastest man in the competition and he compliments this with his support play and readiness to press the go button when there’s half a gap. Definitely a rising star in the NRL.

(Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

5. Dalin Watene-Zelezniak
Dalin is a crucial player in the Panthers and New Zealand squads, boasting speed and size. Playing from the wing he’s not afraid to make the hard metres from inside his quarter. Plus he’s at home against the bomb as he is inside the try line.

6. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
The sizeable Penrith prop is relatively new on the scene, but he’s made an instant impact on the competition. In fact Reagan is being touted as a certainty for the NSW Blues squad in 2018. His lanky build makes him hard to contain and off-loads come easy.

7. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
This hyphenated hero was one of the first to burst on the scene. Although he is famous for making impossible errors, he’s also enjoyed a stellar career, winning the 2013 grand final with the Roosters during his best year in first grade. Not to mention numerous international games for New Zealand. He may be past his prime, but his name will live on for years to come.

8. Jared Waera-Hargreaves
Jared has also experienced the highs of grand finals and New Zealand internationals. During his peak the giant Rooster was unstoppable and he treasures his role as a rampaging prop who can strike fear into most opposition packs. He has tormented and trounced the biggest names in the game for a big part of his career. He’s definitely seen by Manly as the one that got away.

9. James Fisher-Harris
If you’re fishing for a forward who gives 100 per cent every week and refuses to stop pushing for a win until the final whistle, then look no further. James Fisher-Harris is a surprise packet for the Panthers this year and a long career is practically guaranteed.

10. Frank-Paul Nuuausala
This guy is currently in reserve grade but he makes the list for two reasons. Firstly, he’s a renegade by having a double-barreled first name; secondly, Frank-Paul is a grand final winner (2013) and New Zealand international. Here’s hoping he can return to first grade soon to remind us of his strength and willingness in attack and defence.

I apologise to all the other hyphenated players like Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Jeremy Marshall-King, Michael Chee-Kam and Malakai Watene-Zelezniak. I decided to stop at ten. Maybe next year we’ll be able to celebrate a longer list of the top hyphenated half-century.