NRL should follow NBA’s path in renaming player awards after all-time greats

The NBA has honoured some of its all-time greats by naming many of their major awards after icons like Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Wilt Chamberlain.

This kind of thing should be a no-brainer for all major sports leagues – honour the champions of yesteryear by putting the names of the best of the best on their top trophies.

The NBA’s MVP will now be known as the Michael Jordan Trophy, the defensive player of the year award will be named Olajuwon, Chamberlain’s name will adorn the rookie trophy while earlier stars John Havlicek (sixth man) and George Mikan (most improved) have also been honoured. 

This type of recognition has become more commonplace in rugby league in modern times, initially with the Dally M and Clive Churchill Medals being struck up in the 1980s before representative honours like the Wally Lewis Medal for State of Origin’s best player, Brad Fittler Medal (NSW) and the Ron McAuliffe Medal (Queensland).

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

The Dally Ms should rename all their awards after legends of the game. 

Apart from the main award paying tribute to Dally Messenger’s pioneering efforts as Australia’s first star player, there are currently only two other awards named after former players – the Provan-Summons Medal for “on-field acts of sportsmanship, courage and respect” after Norm Provan and Arthur Summons for their on-field embrace after the 1963 Grand Final and the Ken Irvine Medal for top try-scorer (which only came about in 2018). 

Nicho Hynes Dally M Winner 2022 (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

The rest of the trophies need names and there’s many worthy candidates for each one among the 13 Immortals and other 97 Hall of Fame members. 

Fullback of the Year: Darren Lockyer – he’s going to be an Immortal so let’s get ahead of the curve and give him recognition for his years of superb work at fullback for Brisbane, Queensland and Australia. 

Of the fullbacks among the current Immortals, Clive Churchill is already honoured on Grand Final night with the player of the match award while the circumstances surrounding Graeme Langlands’ unresolved court case before his death would make it difficult in many ways for the ARL Commission to name an official prestigious award after him.

Winger of the Year: This is probably the hardest one to find a standout candidate. Eric Grothe was devastating on the wing for Parramatta’s glory teams of the 1980s and although his record of 78 tries from 150 games is not exceptional when compared to more prolific tryscorers, anyone who has seen vision of his try in the 1983 finals against Canterbury will know there have been few game-breakers like The Guru. 

Another Hall of Fame winger who could be an option is St George great Johnny King, who scored a try in six successive Grand Final wins from 1960-65 during the club’s unprecedented 11-year premiership streak. He scored 143 tries for the Red V, which no Dragon has ever exceeded.

Centre of the Year: Mal Meninga – The most recent Immortal did everything in rugby league, winning at club, Origin and Test level, and remains the only player to have gone on four Kangaroo tours.

Five-eighth of the Year: Bob Fulton – Wally Lewis already has one for Origin so Fulton is the obvious choice here as the only other five-eighth among the 13 Immortals. The late, great “Bozo” is the only person who won premiership titles and Ashes series as a player, captain and coach.

Halfback of the Year: Andrew Johns – surprisingly he’s the only halfback among the list of Immortals. The Newcastle legend was the idol for most of the modern-day halfbacks and remains one of the sharpest analysts of game plans in his role as a Channel Nine commentator.

Australian “Team of the Century” members Andrew Johns, Wally Lewis and John Raper at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2008. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Lock of the Year: John Raper – one of the four original Immortals, he would have been a star in any era. A peerless cover defender and 80-minute workaholic, he was also an exceptional ball-player.

Second-Rower of the Year: Frank Burge – one of the early stars of the game, his record as a try-scoring forward was amazing, piling up 137 tries in 138 appearances for Glebe, as well as nine from 16 games in his swansong season at St George. Granted Immortal status in 2018, he was also a prolific tryscorer at representative level (seven in six matches for NSW and another seven in 13 Tests).

Prop of the Year: Arthur Beetson – The fifth Immortal and an Indigenous icon, he is remembered as the most skilful big man to have ever laced up a boot. The first Indigenous Australian to captain a national team in any sport, his heroics in lifting Queensland to victory in the first State of Origin match was the final highlight of a glittering career.

Hooker of the Year: Cameron Smith – he is another who is a certainty to one day become an Immortal. Noel Kelly was named the hooker in the Team of the Century in 2008 but his achievements of 28 appearances for Australia have been dwarfed by Smith’s 56 Tests, not to mention the 42 Origins for Queensland and NRL record 430 matches for the Storm, including three premierships.

Captain of the Year: Even though he already shares the sportsmanship award with Arthur Summons, such is Norm Provan’s peerless resume, he deserves to have the top captain trophy named in his honour as well. The Immortal forward played in 10 of St George’s 11 straight premierships and was the captain-coach in the last five before retiring in 1965.

Coach of the Year: Jack Gibson – the original supercoach is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and successful mentors in premiership history, guiding the Roosters to back-to-back triumphs in 1974-75 before taking Parramatta to their first premiership in 1981 and winning the next two titles as well.

Rookie of the Year: Reg Gasnier scored 13 tries in his first year at St George in 1959, won a premiership and represented NSW and Australia. The Immortal centre is not a bad example for any prospective rookie of the year to follow.

Top Points Scorer: Dave Brown – Another Immortal inducted in 2018, the Eastern Suburbs centre was so prolific he was known as the “Bradman of League”. He still holds the record for most tries in a season (38) and points in one match (45) during the Tricolours’ all-conquering 1935 campaign.