The past year has seen one of the greatest groups of retiring players ever. Using some licence and picking players in their former positions, a very strong 13 is formed.
The team boasts 3651 NRL games, 227 Test caps and 159 Origin matches. The retiring player parade on grand final day is always a nice moment but this year will be extra special.
This team would hold its own against most NRL teams and would have been even stronger if not for the evergreen Robbie Farah, Paul Gallen, Benji Marshall and John Sutton deciding to play on for another year.
The addition of Cam Smith has surfaced as a rumour over the last few days despite him signing a new deal for next year. There are several others departing for Super League who I have omitted.
1) Billy Slater (318 NRL, 31 Qld, 30 Australia)
Dally M medal 2011 and twice Clive Churchill winner. Wally Lewis medal for Origin players of the series 2018. Two world cup wins and eight State of origin series wins. Quickly dispelled any doubts about his lack of size and instead changed the role of the fullback becoming one of the modern-day greats and possible immortal.
2) Jason Nightingale (266 NRL, 33 NZ)
Stalwart for the Dragons. Incredibly reliable winger, difficult to tackle due to uneven running style. Not the fastest or biggest winger but was always fully committed and found the try line 110 times for the Dragons.
Jason Nightingale of the Dragons (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
3) Simon Mannering (301 NRL, 45 NZ)
Our third one-club player, who played centre 57 times early in his career. Upon entering the forwards he topped tackle counts for a decade. Won a world cup, captained his club for nine years and his country for five.
4) Beau Scott (244 NRL, 11 NSW 3 Australia)
Another tough backrower who started his career in the backs. Became a major enforcer during his Dragons stint where his standout defence covered for the likes of smaller backs outside him.
His toughness won him a Blues jersey where his defence was used to counter to star studded Qld backline
5) Antonio Winterstein (214 NRL, 8 Samoa)
The youngest retiree with his career cut short by injury. A consistent winger/centre who won a premiership with the Cowboys in 2015.
6) Luke Lewis (324 NRL, 17 NSW, 16 Australia)
A winger in the Penrith Grand final 2003 victory before moving into the centres and played 35 games in the halves before spending over 150 games as a premier back rower.
His versatility is hard to match earning him many rep jerseys. Lewis won a premiership as winger in 2003 and 13 years later won again as a Clive Churchill-winning backrower.
Played his last Test as a backrower in 2015, 12 years after becoming a Kangaroo winger.
7) Johnathan Thurston (323 NRL, 37 Qld and 39 Australia)
Four Dally M medals, 11 State of Origin series wins. A man who has done everything in the game, only a matter of time before becoming an immortal. Unfortunate to see him go out with a disappointing Cowboys team this year.
8) Jacob Lillyman (265 NRL, 14 Qld)
Beefy prop who was an unheralded player when first selected for Queensland in 2006. Became a premier metre- eater later in his career playing his last game for Qld 11 years after his debut/
9) Peter Wallace (244 NRL, 4 NSW, 4 Scotland)
Primarily a solid, organising halfback with a reliable kicking game, his toughness allowed him to play hooker at only 85 kilograms and without an ACL for the last two years.
The Panthers’ Peter Wallace (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Robb Cox)
10) Sam Thaiday (304 NRL, 29 Qld, 32 Australia)
The joker in the pack who did the job in the forwards for Qld, winning ten series. A media career beckons for the tough, hard-running forward who could handle playing on the edge or in the middle
11) Ryan Hoffman (324 NRL, 14 NSW, 6 Australia)
An important member of the Melbourne Storm who played three stints with the club. Fast, wide running edge forward who also had a stint with Wigan in 2011 after becoming a victim of the Storm salary cap clear-out
Ryan Hoffman for the Blues. (Digital Image Grant Trouville © nrlphotos.com)
12) Chris Heighington (338 NRL, 7 England)
Our 7th member of the 300 club, the tough middle player who was always good for hard yards up the middle. Never given a chance at representative level in Australia, he represented his father’s birthplace seven times.
13) Frank Paul Nu’uausala (186 NRL, 15 NZ)
Frank Paul the wrecking ball is the only player in the team with less than 200 NRL games. An imposing figure, he spent two years in England playing 47 games for Wigan.
So Roarers, is there anyone who I have missed? Which players will you miss the most? How many will be regulars on Fox League next year?
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