25 in 25: Best player of NRL era - Smith, Lockyer, Johns, Thurston, Slater, Inglis, Tallis, Fittler?

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

We’re at the finish line and we’ve kept the biggest debate for last – who has been the best player to grace an NRL field over that timeframe. 

An endless debate which could have any number of players at the top due to the exceptional talent which has been on display.

In the previous editions, we have gone through the best fullbacks, wingers, centres, five-eighths, halfbacks, locks, hookers, front-rowers, second-rowers, players to never make Origin, coaches, captains, goal-kickers, recruits, heaviest hitters, rookies, Kiwis, Kangaroos, British imports, fights, Origin reps, finals upsets, Grand Finals and Grand Final moments of the era.

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.

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When it comes to the greatest player, after crunching numbers, comparing careers, looking at how influential they were during their playing days, an awesome foursome are in the upper echelon – future Immortals Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Darren Lockyer and Andrew Johns, who became the eighth player in premiership history to receive that honour in 2012. 

Andrew Johns celebrates a try with teammates during Origin II in 2005. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Those four stand out as the most impactful during their careers when it comes to the name of the game – winning. Each of them not only had success at club, state and Test level, but they were pretty much always the linchpin for those victories. 

Johns gets my vote by the barest of margins ahead of Smith, Lockyer and Thurston, not because he had a better career numbers wise because the other three had greater longevity, particularly at rep level, but due to the fact that he was able to influence results even better than that illustrious trio. 

Best of the best – the top 10

1 Andrew Johns
2 Cameron Smith
3 Darren Lockyer
4 Johnathan Thurston
5 Billy Slater
6 Greg Inglis
7 Gorden Tallis
8 Brad Fittler 
9 Benji Marshall
10 Jason Taumalolo

Johns was a force of nature on a footy field – he had the ability to do pretty much everything and often did. The fiercely competitive halfback had a rare ability to combine the science of rugby league with a flair for the unpredictable and often dragged his team to victories when a loss looked likely, particularly at club level with Newcastle, who often didn’t have the overall star power of opposing teams. 

Smith is another player who evolved his position to unseen heights, setting a benchmark for hookers which will likely never be matched. A supreme leader and expert game manager for Melbourne, Queensland and Australia, he not only did a mountain of work, but always made his teammates better in attack and defence.

Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Darren Lockyer. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Lockyer was a natural talent who picked up the baton for Brisbane, Queensland and Australia when the Wally Lewis/Allan Langer era was coming to an end and showed he was not only skilful but extremely tough in his 355 NRL appearances, 36 Origins and 63 matches for Australia.

Thurston had ups and downs early in his career before becoming an all-time great – after being a late inclusion in Canterbury’s 2004 premiership-winning team, he switched to the Cowboys and almost singlehandedly took them to the Grand Final the next year. His creativity in attack was second to none and his efforts to drag North Queensland to premiership glory in 2015 will forever be part of Australian rugby league folklore.

Slater is only a smidgeon behind the top four – his ability to influence a match from fullback, either as an attacking weapon or for his defensive prowess, has also been a game-changer for anyone who now plays that position. Despite being one of the smaller players in the NRL, his speed and evasion yielded 190 tries and if not for almost two seasons out with shoulder injuries, he probably would have overtaken Ken Irvine’s all-time mark of 212.

Inglis had the physical traits that you would dream up in a lab if you were creating the prototype for an NRL player – size, speed, skill and strength. An Origin and Test star by the age of 19, the first half of his career was a blur of blinding talent and when he moved to Souths after six seasons in Melbourne, he evolved into a formidable leader to take the Rabbitohs to their first title in 43 years. 

Tallis, like Johns, had his career cut short a few seasons before he otherwise would have retired due to a neck injury but “The Raging Bull” packed plenty into his 214 club appearances, 20 matches for Queensland and 16 games in the green and gold. A heavy hitter in defence, he was also a tackle-busting machine in attack who instilled fear into opponents at every level.

(Photo by Jonathan Wood/Getty Images)

Fittler was into the second phase of his career at the Roosters by the time the NRL era kicked off. While he didn’t possess the pace of his early days at Penrith, he was a fine leader at club, state and international level (especially in the 2002 premiership run) and could still leave defenders clutching at thin air with his massive sidesteps. 

Marshall may be considered a controversial selection in the top 10 but when it comes to the art of attack, there hasn’t been anyone better in turning a half-chance into points or coming up with something out of nothing. His early years at the Wests Tigers were phenomenal and after a mid-career lull, he reinvented himself as an elite playmaker who put plenty of teammates into space.

Taumalolo is another player who is not what you’d call an all-rounder but the skill that he possesses in charging into the defensive line to put opposition teams on the back foot has been astronomical for the Cowboys and in the Test arena for more than a decade, becoming one of the few forwards to collect a Dally M Medal for player of the year. 

Best of the rest – elite performers

11 Sonny Bill Williams
12 Cooper Cronk
13 Sam Burgess
14 Paul Gallen
15 Danny Buderus
16 Shane Webcke
17 James Tedesco
18 Petero Civoniceva
19 Cameron Munster
20 Jarryd Hayne

SBW has been extremely difficult to compare against his peers in this series due to the fact that he was a colossus during his abbreviated stints with the Bulldogs and Roosters but spent many of his prime years with the All Blacks. Another physical specimen, he was integral to Canterbury winning the 2004 premiership as a rookie and even more so when the Tricolours did likewise nine years later.

(Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)

Cronk had a tremendous career and could very well be ranked much higher – four premierships at two clubs, 372 NRL appearances, 22 Origins and 38 Tests – if not for the fact he was often the second-most important member of those teams behind Cameron Smith, rather than the most influential. It may sound harsh but it comes down to splitting hairs when comparing resumes as impressive as all of these players. 

Burgess only played eight full seasons in the NRL but the English forward made a lasting impact – it would not be allowed these days but his effort to play the entire 2014 Grand Final with a fractured cheekbone to win the Clive Churchill Medal in South Sydney’s march to glory will forever be part of Rabbitohs legend.

Gallen has his detractors but his record shows his relentless pursuit of victory at NRL and representative level was extremely valuable. Even though his Blues teams were often outgunned by a generationally talented Maroons side, he was inspirational at Origin level and poured his heart and soul into Cronulla finally winning their first premiership in 2016. 

Paul Gallen takes on the Titans defence for Cronulla in 2008. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Buderus was another clever operator who took the baton from Steve Walters as far as how hookers play the game with skill out of dummy-half. The perfect foil for Andrew Johns at the Knights, Blues and Kangaroos, he excelled at every level in elite company and was one of Newcastle’s best in the 2001 Grand Final boilover win to shock the previously electric Eels. 

Webcke was both a throwback to the old era of props but also a modern front-rower who would power through long spells on the field even when interchanges were available. A four-time premiership winner, including in the last of his 254 matches for Brisbane in the 2006 Grand Final, he added incredible starch to any team he packed down in. 

Tedesco still has at least a few good years left in him but has already filled his resume with 204 NRL matches, two premierships, 19 Origins, 16 Tests, has captained Origin series wins and led the Kangaroos to World Cup glory. Oh, and the 30-year-old is a helluva fullback as well. 

Civoniceva was the immovable force – mainly for Brisbane but also for Penrith – in 309 NRL outings, 33 Origins and 51 internationals, the majority with the Kangaroos as well as six for his native Fiji. In a 15-year NRL career in the engine room, only once did he play less than 16 games (12 for the Panthers in 2009). 

Munster is still only 28 but the 2023 season will be his 10th in the NRL and in that time he’s racked up 173 matches, played in four Grand Finals, won two of them, starred for Queensland and Australia. A big-game player, his influence on results at five-eighths has been substantial and he should be able to play well into his 30s.

Jarryd Hayne motions to the Dragons fans after scoring during the 2009 qualifying final. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

Hayne is another player who is hard to compare against the very best of the best. As far as natural talent, he’d be close to the top of the list but as far as getting the most out of what his career could have been, he’d be at the bottom. His 2009 purple patch which nearly took Parramatta to premiership glory was one of the best individual form runs ever seen and he excelled at rep level but the final three seasons of his career after his brief NFL jaunt were mediocre.

The final five

21 Ben Kennedy
22 Steve Menzies
23 Stacey Jones
24 Anthony Minichiello
25 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

Kennedy had a Tallis-like intensity and impact on matches (and opponents) with his rugged running style as an edge forward whether at Canberra, Newcastle and Manly or for NSW and Australia. He got better as his career went on and was possibly unlucky not to win the Clive Churchill Medal ahead of Andrew Johns in the Knights’ 2001 Grand Final triumph.

Menzies was another back-rower who broke the mould somewhat. Running wider than most in attack, his synchronicity in attack with playmaker Cliff Lyons at Manly was outstanding and a large reason why Menzies retired in 2008 with not only the most tries by a forward ever but is still third overall with 180. 

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

Jones’ contribution to rugby league in New Zealand, in making the Warriors premiership contenders in 2002, was immense and while some Australian-based NRL fans may not fully recognise the magnitude of his efforts, he was an elite playmaker during his 261-game career with the club as well as 46 Tests for the Kiwis. 

Minichiello played in six Grand Finals in his 302 games at the Roosters, winning one early in his career in 2002 before captaining the side to the title 11 years later. In his prime before back injuries nearly derailed his career during a four-year stretch, he was an attacking weapon at all levels.

RTS sneaks in as a Dally M Medal winner who, like a lot of these players, was a physical presence early in his career (at the Roosters) who became a leader of his team (at the Warriors) who made his presence felt on and off the field. Hopefully he returns to the NRL soon after giving rugby a try.

Just missed the cut

Depending on what floats your boat there are many players who didn’t make this 25 who you could make an argument for inclusion. 

There were several players who were truly elite but were cancelled out mainly because their careers were all but over by the time the NRL era kicked off: Laurie Daley, Allan Langer, Steve Renouf, Andrew Ettingshausen, Cliff Lyons, Ricky Stuart, Steve Walters, Ian Roberts, Greg Alexander, Brett Mullins, Paul Harragon and Geoff Toovey.

Also, there were players who had lengthy careers at club and representative level but didn’t quite have the impact of those in the final 25 like Brett Kimmorley, Jesse Bromwich, Brett Morris, Nathan Hindmarsh, Craig Fitzgibbon, Daly Cherry-Evans, Matt Scott and Boyd Cordner. 

Or extremely talented individuals like Wendell Sailor, Mark Gasnier, Jamie Lyon, Brett Stewart and Nathan Cleary, who will definitely rise above some of the players listed above by the time his career is over.

Anyway, the 25 in 25 series is now over, and the off-season will be done and dusted soon anyway because the footy starts up again next week.