What was the best NRL rookie class of the 1990s?

Welcome to the pointy end of the rugby league rookie cup, part of an ongoing series when the strongest debutant class of the 1990s will be crowned.

All ten teams contain greats of the game, but when the only eligibility criterion is something as arbitrary as the year you debuted, massive imbalances between positions are inevitable.

This is what derailed the teams that missed the finals — some simply had no props or halves, or a stack of good players in one position but thinner stocks in another.

The top teams, unsurprisingly, sat higher on the ladder thanks to fewer bald spots on their team sheets and a higher concentration of elite players.

Nine NRL hall-of-famers debuted in the 1990s. Six are squished into two teams here — ’93 and ’95 — but is that enough to overcome ’92’s more even 17? Let’s look at the ladder to find out.

Note that I’ve made a handful of changes after the crowd’s feedback in the comments section — thanks for your thoughtful advice.

Also, don’t take take these rankings too seriously. After all, these teams have invited Anthony Seibold back inside a top-grade dressing room, selected Matt Nable as a specialist pre-game motivator, and named a bloke on the bench purely because his name is Cecil.

Tenth: 1997
1. Brett Hodgson, 2. Marcus Bai, 3. Michael De Vere, 4. Mark Hughes, 5. Jason Moodie, 6. Matt Geyer, 7. Danny Buderus (captain), 8. Nathan Cayless, 9. Luke Priddis, 10. Jerry Seuseu, 11. Bryan Fletcher, 12. Tony Puletua, 13. Logan Swann, 14. Daniel Wagon, 15. David Kidwell, 16. Luke Williamson, 17. Garth Wood, coach: Mal Meninga

Danny Buderus can only do so much to wallpaper over this side’s lack of halves. Although the fact a team this strong collects the wooden spoon underlines just how many great players emerged every single year throughout this era.

(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

Ninth: 1991
1. Julian O’Neill, 2. Daryl Halligan, 3. Ryan Girdler, 4. Paul McGregor, 5. Danny Moore, 6. Jim Dymock, 7. Brian Smith, 8. Carl MacNamara, 9. Jason Death, 10. Jason Croker, 11. Matt Adamson, 12. Peter Ryan, 13. Luke Ricketson (captain), 14. Anthony Xuereb, 15. Cecil Heron, 16. Matt Nable, 17. Gavin Orr, coach: Graham Murray

This is another side hamstrung by its absence of genuine rugby league playmakers, despite some solid support acts.

Eighth: 1990
1. Brett Mullins, 2. Jamie Ainscough, 3. Darren Smith, 4. Terry Hill, 5. Willie Carne, 6. John Simon, 7. Jason Taylor (captain), 8. Shane Walker, 9. Sean Garlick, 10. Justin Dooley, 11. Scott Gourley, 12. Alan Cann, 13. Jason Smith, 14. John Plath, 15. Darrien (sic) Doherty, 16. Matthew Ridge, 17. Jason Croker, coach: Chris Anderson

The outside backs are laced with international quality but that front row won’t give them the foundation to play off.

Seventh: 1994
1. David Peachey, 2. Richie Barnett, 3. Shaun Timmins, 4. Ken McGuinness, 5. Robbie Ross, 6. Paul Green, 7. Adrian Lam (captain), 8. Steve Price, 9. Simon Woolford, 10. Solomon Haumono, 11. Brad Thorn, 12. Mark O’Neill, 13. Bill Peden, 14. Russell Bawden, 15. Graham Appo, 16. Justin Morgan, 17. Cherry Mescia, coach: John Lang

Unlike the bottom three teams, there are no gaping holes in this line-up — it’s just that this team sheet is characterised more by good NRL players rather than great representative ones.

Sixth: 1998
1. Rhys Wesser, 2. Lesley Vainikolo, 3. Ryan Cross, 4. Josh Hannay, 5. Colin Best, 6. Preston Campbell, 7. Scott Prince (captain), 8. Petero Civoniceva, 9. Craig Wing, 10. Michael Vella, 11. Craig Fitzgibbon, 12. Nathan Hindmarsh, 13. Ali Lauiti’iti, 14. Joe Galuvao, 15. Luke Stuart, 16. Joel Caine, 17. Anthony Seibold, coach: Steve Folkes

Now we’re getting serious. This team’s workhorse back row pairs perfectly with an exhilarating spine, but the three-quarter line explains why they just miss the playoffs.

Craig Fitzgibbon will be Cronulla’s new coach in 2022. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Fifth: 1999
1. Lote Tuqiri, 2. Timana Tahu, 3. Phil Bailey, 4. Shannon Hegarty, 5. Luke Burt, 6. Shaun Berrigan, 7. Brent Sherwin, 8. Paul Rauhihi, 9. Monty Betham, 10. Mark O’Meley, 11. Steve Simpson (captain), 12. Dane Carlaw, 13. Luke O’Donnell, 14 Wairangi Koopu, 15. Kylie Leuluai, 16. Richard Villasanti, 17. Jamie Feeney, coach: Mark Graham

This brute of a pack won’t be easily out-muscled, but they’re only making up the numbers in the top five due to no specialist fullback and thinner halves stocks than the sides above them.

Fourth: 1996
1. Clinton Schifcofske, 2. Hazem El Masri, 3. Matt Gidley, 4. Nigel Vagana, 5. Darren Albert, 6. Scott Hill, 7. Trent Barrett, 8. Martin Lang, 9. Craig Gower (captain), 10. Ian Rubin, 11. Ben Kennedy, 12. Awen Guttenbeil, 13. Tonie Carroll, 14. Royston Lightning, 15. Robert Campbell, 16. Andy Marinos, 17. Tiaan Strauss, coach: Phil Economidis

The United Nations of 1996 enjoy an even starting 13, including a fearsome back row. They’re just shaded by teams boasting more A-grade star power.

Third: 1993
1. Matt Seers, 2. Wendell Sailor, 3. John Hopoate, 4. Matt Sing, 5. Noa Nadruku, 6. Anthony Mundine, 7. Andrew Johns (captain), 8. Quentin Pongia, 9. Jason Hetherington, 10. John Lomax, 11. Steve Menzies, 12. Ruben Wiki, 13. Kevin Campion, 14. Chris McKenna, 15. Adam Ritson, 16. Danny Williams, 17. Tyran Smith, coach: Peter Louis

You could charge some serious coin to see Anthony Mundine and Andrew Johns supply Wendell Sailor and Noa Nadruku on the wings. There’s plenty of power in the pack, too.

Andrew Johns (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

Second: 1995
1. Darren Lockyer (captain), 2. Mat Rogers, 3. Adam MacDougall, 4. Ben Ikin, 5. Nathan Blacklock, 6. Stacey Jones, 7. Brett Kimmorley, 8. Shane Webcke, 9. Syd Eru, 10. Craig Smith, 11. Tony Grimaldi, 12. Lance Thompson, 13. Travis Norton, 14. John Kirwan, 15. John Timu, 16. Peter Jorgensen, 17. Darren Junee, coach: Tommy Raudonikis

If team sheets only had room for numbers one to eight, 1995 would stroll to the title, and those huge names will win them plenty of regular-season matches. But that back row is a worry in the big games, even with Raudonikis’ powers of motivation.

First: 1992
1. Robbie O’Davis, 2. Sean Hoppe, 3. Michael Buettner, 4. Ivan Cleary, 5. Ken Nagas, 6. Matthew Johns, 7. Craig Polla-Mounter, 8. Robbie Kearns, 9. Jamie Goddard, 10. Jason Stevens, 11. Gorden Tallis (captain), 12. Stephen Kearney, 13. Nik Kosef, 14. Rodney Howe, 15. Adam Muir, 16. David Furner, 17. Andrew Walker, coach: Wally Lewis

This squad may have a less flashy back line than their major rivals, but that powerhouse pack of forwards — plus an all-international bench — secures the minor premiership.

So how will the top five fare in the finals?

Week 1
Elimination final: fourth (1996) versus fifth (1999)
The cosmopolitan 1996 side — who’d host this game somewhere exotic to reflect their international make-up — will knock out 1999 thanks to their superior playmaking ability in the spine.

Qualifying final: second (1995) versus third (1993)
It’s the same story in this clash, where 1995’s three-pronged playmaking brigade secures a date with first-placed 1992 to battle it out for the first spot in the decider.

Week 2
First semi-final: qualifying final loser (1993) versus elimination final winner (1996)
Smarting from their Week 1 loss, the class of ’93 will thrash 1996 thanks to a Joey Johns masterclass supplying points galore out wide.

Second semi-final: first (1992) versus qualifying final winner (1995)
Fresh from a week off, 1992’s monster pack will steamroll ’95’s undersized back row.

Week 3
Preliminary final: second semi-final loser (1995) versus first semi-final winner (1993)
So ’95 meets ’93 again. This time, though, 1993’s block-busting back-rowers will outweigh 1995’s stars in the spine. Big games are often decided in the pack, and hall-of-famers Steve Menzies and Ruben Wiki are sure to dominate their workmanlike opposite numbers.

Week 4
Grand final
The decider boils down to 1992 versus 1993: foes separated by mere weeks on their birth certificates, or in the case of the Johns brothers, the walls of their Cessnock home.

Again, this clash will depend on the exchanges in the middle.

And although Menzies and Wiki have Kiwi props Quentin Pongia and John Lomax for support (if they’re not suspended by this stage of the season), they’re no match for the cavalcade of international forwards on the 1992 team sheet: Gorden Tallis, Robbie Kearns, Jason Stevens, Stephen Kearney, Rodney Howe, Adam Muir, David Furner and Nik Kosef.

Anthony Mundine and Andrew Johns form an intimidating combination on paper, but their shared hunger for the ball in their hands mightn’t work so well in practice. And the four wingers making up 1993’s three-quarter line will rack up loads of tries but leak a few, too.

An embarrassment of riches in the big-man department will help 1992 overcome slightly less silk in the back line to hoist the rugby league rookie cup, edging 1993 to the title of best debutant class of the 1990s.

Thanks for following this series throughout the 1990s. Next up — barring any Y2K dramas — we’re moving into the new millennium, kicking off the noughties’ rugby league rookie cup with the class of 2000.