Naming my Indigenous all-stars team of the century

Indigenous Australian make up only 3.3 per cent of the nation’s population but proudly boast over 12 per cent of contracted players in the NRL.

In general these players have been a class above in terms of speed, and their toughness has been legendary. Considering that the NRL is celebrating the significant contribution that Indigenous players have made to our game, it’s worthwhile looking at who would make my indigenous team of the century.

Fullback: Matt Bowen
This small bundle of energy was a handful for opposition teams. His combination with Johnathan Thurston kept the Cowboys in many games and created some incredible memories for footy fans.

Early in his career his pace was unmatched and his anticipation made you believe that he had a sixth sense. Eric Simms deserves a mention as one of the first Indigenous goal-kicking heroes of our game. Plus there’s David Peachey, who starred for the Cronulla Sharks every week.

Wingers: John ‘Chika’ Ferguson and Matt Sing
Although it’s hard to judge players from different eras, these two are hard to ignore. Chika played in the 1980s with the victorious Canberra Raiders teams and was a crowd favourite who made the impossible seem easy. Matt Sing was a freakish talent who played a grand final with the Roosters in 2000. Both players represented their state and Australia on numerous occasions.

How do I leave out Balmain’s Larry Corrowa, Brisbane’s Wendell Sailor, South’s Nathan Merritt, Dragons’ Nathan Blacklock, the Raiders’ Kenny Nagas and Manly’s Dale Shearer? This just shows you the number of prolific Indigenous wingers in our proud history.

Centres: Greg Inglis and Steve Renouf
Imagine a team with these guys in the backline! Both are highly capped players and both played significant roles in creating grand final history for their respective teams, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Brisbane Broncos.

Inglis has developed into a leader on and off the field and Renouf is still heavily involved in his community with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health.

Five-eighth: Cliff Lyons
Cliff was a wizard with the ball and often mesmerised and hypnotised opposition defences when on the attack. He represented New South Wales and Australia countless times and won two grand finals with the famous Manly sides of the 1990s. It seems criminal to leave out Laurie Daley, but Cliffy wins by a whisker in my books. Another freakishly good player was Andrew Walker, but you can’t fit everyone in.

Half-back: Johnathan Thurston
Enough has been said about this champion. He’s the man you want when the pressure is on. In his last year before retirement his form has dropped from his high standards, but his legacy is entrenched in our history.

Lock: Ron Gibbs
The Roosters and Manly hitman was a frightening proposition for opposition teams. He always played with courage and a burning fire in the belly.

(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Second-rowers: Gorden Tallis and Sam Thaiday
Tallis could turn a game on its head with a vicious tackle or barging run. He feared no-one and excelled in big games, whether proudly representing his Queensland side or his country.

In his prime Thaiday had no off switch. He could play with high intensity from the opening whistle to the final bell, often carrying his teammates along for the ride.

Props: Arthur Beetson (captain) and Sam Backo
Both characters of the game, these big men could steamroll teams and always created momentum for their backs to shine. Captain Arthur Beetson was a master off-loader and potentially the most famous Indigenous player of all time.

Hooker: PJ Marsh
The Parramatta hooker had speed off the mark and provided good service to his forwards. I may be forgetting someone here, but his name stands out in my mind. I’d potentially put Cliff Lyons at hooker and Laurie Daley at five-eighth if this team was playing for my life.

Bench
Laurie Daley
Ian Russell
Dean Widders
Preston Campbell