Despite the avalanche of big winning margins in recent times, the role of the goal kicker is just as important as ever.
Just ask Saints’ Corey Norman, if you can find where he’s currently hiding, or Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses.
Both players had mixed days with the boot last round, with Norman redeeming himself with a late field goal, while Moses missed a goal on full-time to see the Eels lose.
It’s a luxury to have a kicker of the calibre of Adam Reynolds, Nathan Cleary or Ruben Garrick in your side, but sometimes one kicker is not enough, and you need a back-up plan.
Souths are lucky to have Latrell Mitchell on stand-by while Melbourne have Nicho Hynes, but most sides struggle to find a second goal kicking option, and none have a third.
So, a bit of fun. Here’s a team where everyone is a first-rate goal-kicker, selected from across all teams in the competition so that there’s a player from every team, and only including players who played since 1970.
1. Eric Simms
803 goals for South Sydney
Probably the best goal kicker ever with the heavy old leather ball that felt like a medicine ball once it got wet, and using a pile of sand instead of a kicking tee.
2. Michael O’Connor
180 goals for Manly and 130 goals for St George
Rugby convert who relished the pressure of taking the kicks that mattered.
3. Mick Cronin
865 goals for Parramatta
A mark that may never be beaten. An Eels legend.
4. Ryan Girdler
581 goals for Penrith and 43 for the Illawarra Steelers
Has any other player ever kicked 17 goals against Russia in a World Cup game?
5. Ivan Cleary
553 goals all up – 303 for the Roosters, 195 for the Warriors, 50 for Manly and 8 for North Sydney
Looks like he’s passed his kicking skills to the next generation.
6. Johnathan Thurston
928 goals for the Cowboys
One of the best of all time, he also played 29 games for the Bulldogs and never got a kick?
Johnathan Thurston. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
7. Scott Prince
389 career goals – 293 for the Titans, 59 for Brisbane, 20 for Wests Tigers and 17 for the Cowboys
Goal kicking royalty.
8. Henry Tatana
156 goals for Canterbury-Bankstown and 105 goals for the St George Dragons
One of the toughest players ever to line up a kick at goal.
9. Cameron Smith
1,307 goals for Melbourne
Incredible. GOAT.
10. Corey Parker
586 goals for the Brisbane Broncos
A club legend and now one of the few intelligent commentators on Fox.
11. David Furner
511 goals for the Canberra Raiders
A great kicker and a player not to be messed with.
12. Craig Fitzgibbon
664 goals for the Roosters, 38 for the Illawarra Steelers and 25 for St George Illawarra
A Roosters legend about to discover life as a first grade coach.
13. Steve Rogers
501 goals for the Sharks and 42 for the St George Dragons
What a player!
14. Kurt Gidley
452 goals for Newcastle
As tough as they come and a Knights legend who gave everything to his club.
15. Wayne Bartrim
413 goals for St George Dragons/St George Illawarra and 76 for the Gold Coast Seagulls
A very versatile forward.
16. Benji Marshall
415 goals for Wests Tigers
Still defying father time at South Sydney.
17. Mark Riddell
198 goals for St George Illawarra and 28 for Parramatta
Has as much fun off the field now as he did on it.
So, there they are.
Some notable omissions from the all-time goal kicker lists but I tried to include a leading kicker from each club.
The only question is, who’s taking the kicks for this side?
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
Mathew Ridge?
Michael_1984
Roar Rookie
I know your dilemma in trying to get goalkickers across many different clubs while also filling all the different field positions and the difficult decision that creates, however something just seems amiss for any type of goal kicking team to not include Hazem El Masri and Daryl Halligan. On a slightly different note, I think there is a case to narrow the goalposts slightly - provided it wouldn't be too much of a cost and hassle to the NRL (and other competitions such as the Queensland Cup etc if they also wanted to apply it). There is a chance that statistics may possibly prove otherwise, but I think it has gotten more 'easy' for goalkickers to kick goals - in the sense that the goalkickers have probably become generally better over time - narrowing the goalposts slightly would just bring a little bit more excitement back into the goalkicking part of the game.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
No Keith Barnes on the bench? 740 goals and at this time when there were only 10 teams in the comp.
Tony Dargon
Roar Guru
Assume away
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
I'm assuming you left out Johns and El Masri for the comments or just pure ignorance? Prince over Johns is a stretch
Wayne Turner
Guest
Hazem? Halligan?
Tony Dargon
Roar Guru
He sure Tom but I couldn't fit him into the matrix
Tony Dargon
Roar Guru
Haha. He was feeling dusty so was unavailable.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Matthew Ridge kicked a few
Rellum
Roar Guru
:laughing: I assume you left out A Johns for the clicks :stoked:
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Ross Conlon should be in this side for sure. I was thinking about him earlier. Another goalkicking Bulldogs winger.
Tony Dargon
Roar Guru
Keith Barnes did a bit of coaching
Harry
Guest
Ryan Girdler would be thanking his lucky stars that there aren't too many goal-kicking second rowers and that you were trying to include a player from each team, otherwise Jarrod Croker with over 800 (and counting) career goals and an 80% success rate would be a shoe-in for a centre spot, representing Canberra ahead of the legendary David Furner! Who's the coach? Have there been any notable first grade coaches who were also first-rate goal kickers?
EagleWal
Roar Rookie
Big miss is Ross Conlon... he was kicking the old leather ball from beyond halfway!!
matth
Roar Guru
I'd be throwing big Mal into the centres or second row for his toe poke goals for Canberra, QLD and Australia. won the first Origin off his boot
matth
Roar Guru
Its that sort of thinking that lets someone like Ross Conlon or Jermaine Isaako into a side.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
James Anderson, Michael Clarke
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
I think Don Clarke (All Blacks) was a pretty handy kicker. No problem over halfway and a toe poker to boot. No pun intended.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Who remembers any cricket players that bowled left and batted right and the opposite. Gary Gilmour. ???
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Toe poker v Round the Corner. I'm a toe poker - balls were heavier . Just imagine playing in the forwards then and having to kick goals. The only modern day kicker is the guy from PNG. Reece/Rhys Martin.