25 in 25: Best second-rower of NRL era - Tallis, Cordner, SBW, Menzies, Kikau, Hindmarsh, Thaiday, Morley?

The 25th season of the NRL is done and dusted so to commemorate the first quarter-century of this instalment of the premiership, The Roar is looking back at the 25 best players and moments in 25 categories.

We have already gone through the best fullbacks, wingers, locks, players to never make Origin, coaches, captains, halfbacks, front-rowers, goal-kickers, recruits, heaviest hitters and Grand Final moments of the era.

Now we’re off to the edge of the ruck to look at the best second-rowers of the modern era.

This was one of the hardest positions to narrow down to 25 as there has been an armada of high-quality back-rowers packing down from the late 1990s to now. 

CLICK HERE for a seven-day free trial for your favourite sport on KAYO

Each player has been judged on their collective efforts from 1998 onwards, not including their efforts prior to that season, or if they’re an active player, up until 2022, without speculating on how their career might play out over next season and beyond.

Nathan Hindmarsh. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The top 10 – the best of the best

1 Gorden Tallis 
2 Nathan Hindmarsh 
3 Steven Menzies 
4 Boyd Cordner 
5 Sonny Bill Williams
6 Ben Kennedy
7 Luke Lewis
8 Sam Thaiday 
9 Craig Fitzgibbon
10 Adrian Morley 

There was only one Raging Bull in the NRL who had the ferocity with his hit-ups and defence to put all 13 opponents on edge from kick-off to full-time. Not big by NRL forward standards, Tallis’ combination of power and speed made him an unstoppable force whether going through the middle of the ruck or terrorising edge defenders out wide.

Only a few players have been named Dally M Second-Rower of the Year more than once, Hindmarsh won it five times. He was the heart and soul of Parramatta’s pack for 330 games over 15 years and also brought his high work rate to NSW in 17 Origins and Australia in 22 Tests. 

Steve Menzies. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

Menzies’ try-scoring feats put him in an all-time class of his own but his defence was an under-rated part of his efforts for Manly, NSW and Australia over the course of his 15-year career which finished on the ultimate high of the 2008 Grand Final flogging of Melbourne.

Cordner was nothing flash but that’s not to say he didn’t have skill. Early in his career he was approaching Menzies-like incision as a left-edge hole runner before becoming the consummate professional to lead the Roosters to a couple of premierships before concussion problems prematurely ended his career.

SBW only played 123 games in the NRL but they were mostly of the highest quality as he dominated opponents with big hits while also having the pace and footwork to match it with speedsters out wide in attack.

Kennedy brought a toughness and game-breaking impact to the Raiders, Knights and Manly, making all three teams much-stronger propositions with his win at all costs competitive spirit, highlighted by Newcastle’s 2001 Grand Final triumph.

Luke Lewis. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Lewis started out as a skinny winger at Penrith before transitioning through centre and five-eighth before settling into his best form in the back row and was still going strong well into his 30s, as evidenced by his Clive Churchill Medal performance for Cronulla in their title win six years ago.

Thaiday ended up as a prop at Brisbane but did his best work as a second-rower earlier in his career when his combination of size and speed made him more than a handful for any defender whether turning out for his beloved Broncos, the Maroons or Kangaroos, twice being named Dally M Second-Rower of the Year.

Fitzgibbon was a highly valued teammate for the Roosters, Blues and Kangaroos because he not only got through a mountain of work but he rarely made an error, could sniff out a try and was a sharp-shooting goal-kicker as well.

Morley’s NRL stint was six years of pain for opponents of the Roosters. His rough and ready mindset transformed the Tricolours pack’s reputation into the fiercest in the competition from 2001-06.

Best of the rest – elite performers

11 Viliame Kikau
12 Anthony Watmough 
13 Wade Graham
14 Brad Thorn 
15 Felise Kaufusi
16 Tyson Frizell
17 Adam Blair
18 Tony Puletua
19 Ryan Hoffman
20 Matt Gillett 

Kikau has won Dally M Second-Rower of the Year three times and has been an integral part of Penrith’s recent success as a left-edge strike weapon who also gets through his fair share of work in defence.

(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Watmough was a frenetic force for Manly over 13 seasons despite being one of the smaller back-rowers going around. He had an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time in attack and defence.

Graham was a former five-eighth who grew into the edge role at Cronulla to combine ball-playing skills with a natural ability to thwack rivals with his faultless tackling style.

Thorn had the size to play up front but was at his best when allowed to roam wide at the Broncos, Maroons and Kangaroos during two stints in the NRL for a combined 200 games while also representing his homeland in rugby with the All Blacks.

Kaufusi and Frizell are two similar modern players who are now in the veteran stage but have carved out lengthy careers by running hard lines in attack and inflicting bruises on opponents in defence.

Felise Kaufusi. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

Blair and Puletua both played many seasons in the NRL but both played their best years early in their career – Blair during the Storm’s ultimately tainted success in the late 2000s, Puletua earlier in the decade at Penrith in their unlikely march to the title.

Hoffman, at the Storm and Warriors, and Gillett, at the Broncos, were regarded among the best second-rowers in the league for large portions of their lengthy career – the prototype of the modern edge forward who combined workaholic defensive prowess with the ability to hit a hole in attack.

The final five

21 Stephen Kearney
22 Ben Creagh 
23 Bryan Fletcher
24 Josh Jackson
25 Steve Simpson

Kearney’s best years were probably prior to the NRL but he still soldiered on until the end of 2004 at the Storm with granite-like defence which was a large factor in their surprise premiership in their second season.

Creagh was a mainstay of St George Illawarra’s success either side of the 2010 Grand Final triumph while Fletcher, these days known more for his media career hijinks, should be remembered more for his Roosters stint where he was crucial to their march to the ‘02 premiership under Ricky Stuart.

Bryan Fletcher (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Jackson recently retired with two Dally M Second-Rower of the Year gongs on his resume, along with 241 matches at the Bulldogs and the respect of every teammate and opponent who stepped onto a field with or against him.

Simpson was another wholehearted performer who punched out 12 rock-solid seasons at Newcastle, rarely getting the headlines but always contributing to successes such as the 2001 premiership win.

Just missed the cut

These players fell into a few categories, including guys who didn’t have long career peaks or didn’t stay in the competition long term like former Warriors forward Ali Lauiti’iti and ex-Raider John Bateman.

David Fifita has the talent to be one of the best of all time but his still relatively young career has stagnated on the Gold Coast. Angus Crichton and Liam Martin are midway through their careers but have already racked up premierships, Origin success and now Test honours.

There were others who were very good second-rowers but probably excelled more so in other positions in the pack like Sam Burgess and Nate Myles and firebrands who were renowned for ruffling opposition feathers like Beau Scott, Michael Crocker, Luke O’Donnell, Ben Te’o, Jeremy Smith and Kevin Proctor.

And then there is still a long list of second-row stalwarts who gave great service at NRL and representative level like Alex Glenn, Andrew Ryan, Joe Galuvao, Adam Muir, Gavin Cooper, John Sutton, Brad Meyers, Anthony Tupou, Frank Pritchard, Kenny Bromwich and Tohu Harris.