10 Greatest Rugby League Players Of All Time (NRL)
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- Rugby league is a team sport where all players work together to achieve a common goal. However some players stand out from the rest by going above and beyond to help their team become successful.
We believe a set criteria is necessary in order to assess this topic and we came up with 4 points that we believe makes a great rugby league player.
- Their all-around skill level in both attack and defence
- The individual awards and accolades they have won over their career
- The impact they had on both their clubs and representative teams success
- The amount of grand finals and competitions they have won
All these aspects were assessed in constructing this list and the person that fulfils all of these the best, is our GOAT!
Link for video mentioned in Thurston analysis: • State Of Origin 2013, ...
Facebook: / greatestgameall
Instagram: / greatgameofall
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any of the images and videos used in this video. We have referenced each source where we found images and videos in the bottom left of the screen accordingly. All images were retrieved from google images and are owned by the respective website producers. All videos are owned by the NRL and/or the Nine Network and are for the purpose of helping us explain our top 10 list and are in no way intending to breach any copyright infringements these organisation may have if any.
#nrl
It’s about time a channel like this existed
yeah!!! correct, true
@MUFC stfu please no one asked
@MUFC who give
@MUFC Soccer is for people who can't handle tackles
@MUFC STFU Mr tryhard
Honorable mention, Alan Langer and Glen Lazarus 👍🏼
Can you do the same list with only forwards PLEASE. They get no love, i'll even help here is no1 Pietro.GREAT VID M8.
How Lockyer is that low down the list is beyond me
ikr
Lockyer second to Cameron smith in my eyes then Thurston then slater
Lockyer beat smith slater and cronk in a grand final how is he not better. I think Thurston is the best player ever, than Lockyer, than A John’s than L Daley.
Locky was still there when the game was hard and attacking halves weren't offered the same protections halves are the past 8 years
Yeah if your club has the chance to buy Lockyer, Cronk, Slater or Mal in their prime, surely they go Lockyer
I think Lockyer should have been higher up. That being said, I think all the players on this list deserve to be on it regardless of where they are placed.
No way Lockyer is 8. He should be Top 5. Always.
He played with ice running through his veins. Never rushed or forced plays when his team was under the pump. If there was nothing on, he would rather hold out till his opponents cracked under pressure and capitalise on their mistakes. No one played like that nor has any since. The ultimate clutch player. The ultimate team player. He arguably sacrificed his undisputable claim to being the greatest when he made the unselfish decision to switch to fulltime five-eigth. Now he's arguably the greatest. As opposed to undoubtedly (in popular oppinion) the greatest. But he is my GOAT.
Kenny miles better
You sir are correct
No that was Joey who played with ice through his veins bro 😂
Not to mention his last action for club was kicking a match winning field goal in an elimination final with a broken face. For state he won a decider and for his country scored a match winning try under the post in extra time as the last act on a field. How is is 8th is insulting tbh
@@kers225abk2Joey was a beast
You forgot to add to Cam's award "the greatest Ref to ever play for a team too"
B VIZZONE have a sook
Haha everyone is jealous of the best
Cameron Smith is not ref you dumb ignorant person because he was just a player in his incredible Rugby league career,
So get your facts right before you make false statements about Cameron Smith ok 👍🏽.
He does not ref the matches. He negotiate with the referees to reach an agreeable solution 😂😂😂
Absolutely gutted Scott Minto didn't make the top 10, he must've been 11th
the real GOAT
Minto was a winger! A very good winger , but I have seen better in that position! Nothing against Minto! I would have loved him at the Tigers!
Grothe and grothe jr were better. It the line hard and make brilliant tries
true
He's a teacher at my school haha
Your top 10 is by far the greatest players I've ever seen in my lifetime! Perhaps in a later video, you can develop a tier levels so that those who are very similar in accolades and achievements can be ranked together. The list is subjective though and appropriate the effort...Cheers mate!
pretty good list but darren lockyer is too low. He should definitely be above mal meninga, billy slater and cooper cronk. billy slater should also be above cooper cronk.
Cooper cronk is 3rd imo as he won 3 or 4 grandfinal
Hes won 5
@@tespess yeah I was just guessing it was 3 or 4 but Its scary it could have been 7
Yeah how is the goat 🐐 at 8th
Above Slater hahaha
Can't put Thurston ahead of Joey or Lockyer!
1 - Joey
2- Lockyer
3- Smith
I'm not going to argue about this list, it's always a tough thing to compile, players in different positions playing under slightly different rules each year. Also tough to make it just a Top 10 when you think the likes of Benji, Sam Burgess, Jason Taumalolo (and I'm sure there are many more) aren't on it, these three guys make a big impact every time they play, unfortunately their teams haven't been as successful as those on the list. None the less, it's a great list.
Benji LOL. He's nowhere near this list
@@michaelwerner7032 you don't have Benji in your top 10 ??
Mr. Marshall is straight up magic
Mal Meninga has success at club level to Origin and for Australia. After retirement he went on to become a successful coach for Queensland and also Australia. He is the Greatest of all Time 💚🤴
Mate, amazingly put together and researched. Can’t argue with that list at all.
Damn surprised G.I. didn't make top 10 🤨
He was a phenomenal player but higher than those guys?
I would have liked to see some forwards in there. Lazarus was an amazing player. Forwards do all the hard work and is a stain on our game that they aren’t acknowledged.
I know right 🤔 Bradley Clyde and David Farleigh where way ahead of there time as well.
@@djkarnage9463 : Yeah for sure. Throw in Ray Price.
@@justchilling4448 Higher than Cronk and Sterling for sure.
Was surprised not to see Dailey. But great list.
Nice work on the vid mate! Lockyer is my personal number 1, followed by JT then Smithy. Could have made a case for GI, Brad Clyde, Shane Webcke and Glen Lazarus to all be here too
Only player i ageee with this on this list is Cameron Smith , my personal preference as a Qld is Laurue Daley and Greg Inglis.
Great film very well made but no mention of Brett Kenny makes it all farcical. GOAT at club origin country is Kenny - had it all
Something that is always mentioned in my household when talking about the impact Meninga had on Rugby League is how big his legs were by comparison to the other players at the time. So it's no surprise that when you got ol' Mal, I had a good chuckle.
Lockyer at LEAST top 3
There are players much better than him
Lockyer never even won a dally m. Wasn’t even top 3 halves of his era
Yep locky to 3
Dunno about top 3 but I’d definitely have him in my top 5 though
@@nissy9220 okay who was better in his era.
Great list. Well done. Given the selected era the names are fairly predictable. The order of names will be argued for sure and any of them could be number 1. But the guys on the list all deserve to be there. Be very thankful If you were lucky enough to see them all play . I would seriously doubt that we will ever see another spine like that of Qld. It ruined a lot of good NSW teams and coaches.
Awesome choices. Thanks for sharing your video. 👍
Great video buddy👍
Awesome content I will always follow your channel with content about our games 👋👍🤜🤛✌️✌️🏉 Nothing but the choice players
I am sure that you could pull another 10 also. Great work 👍💯
great video lads, subscribed!
All greats but for me Lockyer 🐐
I was literally thinking about this today and this video popped in my recommended videos.
That’s crazy !!
Glad you included Fittler!
What about Brett Kenny he kept a few of these guys on the bench
Bert was amazing!
Wa definitely the greatest 5/8 but didn’t receive the accolades the other guys have.
Its hard to split Fulton, Kenny, Beetson and Ray Price as No.1 in raw talent. Ps. The only reason Qld won 1st SOO, is because Beetson didnt have to mentally front up to Fulton (Im aware Fulton had retired) Id like to see the Fulton against Beetson win/loss stats.
@@Will-nb8qk he was so great he played centre in all but 5 of his 17 tests. Brett was a great player, but just like with johns a lot of myths surround him. One often over looked fact of Brett Kenny’s career is while he won 4 grand finals in his first 6 years in the top grade. He never once played finals football in his remaining 7 years of rugby league.
Good list ! Love this channel :)
1. Johns
2. Thurston
3. Cam smith
4. Slater
5. Cronk
6. Fitler
7. Lockyer
Johns and Thurston is very arguable, fitler and Lockyer is arguable but I think Cronk was a slightly better half even though he may not have had the biggest influence
Johns wouldn’t be on top of the list. Thurston with 3 golden boots and 4 Dally M’s including 300 odd games supercedes him twice over.
@@Will-nb8qk do you know how to do maths? Johns won the dally m 3 times and 2 golden boots in 249 games. So what you’re saying makes absolutely no sense
@@nissy9220 : Right so he had no longevity in the game, probably due to popping and snorting throughout his playing career, which he admitted to. He did say he felt bullet proof on drugs didn’t he? Put anyone of those top players on the gear throughout playing career and you’d have seen a vast improvement on their career finishing stats.
@@Will-nb8qk 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 you actually think you can play footy on cocaine or mdma. What a fu*k wit. Mate you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Get off the internet you’re embarrassing yourself
@@Will-nb8qkWhats longevity have to do with it? Johns did more in less time. Plus he had a bigget influence on the game. Literally influenced Thurston's playing style which thurston dedicates a chapter in book about. Saying thurston is better than joey is like saying kobe is better than jordan.@Will-nb8qk
Great list. Well thought through. Probably slightly stacked towards modern day and I could argue the order on a couple of players but Overall pretty good.
Just a side note why is it surprising Billy Salter’s name is William? Bill is short for William.
Excellent list. Well produced
Mate U don't name the best player in his ears by a mile he was and still is the best player I've ever seen BRETT KENNY I say no more Looy up Brett Kenny,s 18minute highlights and your jaw Will drop unbelievable action speaks louder than words
Would agree with most, despite the clear QLD bias. But, I’d definitely put Johns, Lockyer and Thurston as top 3. In that order. Rest of the list is pretty spot on.
Absolutely 100% good list your content mate keep it up
I really enjoyed that, thank you
Great vid mate 👍
Agree except Lockyer def higher. 4 at lowest. Good video.
🐐 Darren Lockyer
Pyluk Lockyer no
Great clip. Mostly a decent order but we all differ. I’d of liked some forwards in there. Backs do win games, and the medals, but forwards get them set up. Lazarus etc. webbie. But a very enjoyable clip.
Good video m8 very enjoyable 👍 could bump Locky a couple spots tho lol
Locky top 3 surely, most inspirational player of all time
Lockyer is the GOAT.
Wally for mine
Yep Lockyer is the 🐐
Cameron Smith, number one biggest grub the game has ever seen. Great list guys...
nailed that list
Hey great video, nicely put together really enjoyed watching. Gee QLD had a dream side during their dominant years. Thurston, Slater, Lockyer, Smith, Cronk. Wow
now its nsw with the dream side. cleary, tedesco, turbo, latrell, luai, cook.
@@godemperorofmankind3.091 : We’ll see if they can make the dizzy heights of those guys. Big call this early 😂
@@godemperorofmankind3.091 dream sides don’t lose. That’s why the QLD era was so special.
Excellent content
the disrespect of Lockyer @ 8, people really forget how good this bloke was
Agreed the only reason Darren Lockyer isn’t the greatest fullback ever is because he moved to 5/8 and the reason he’s not the greatest 5/8 ever is spent so long at fullback.
really..Kenny miles ahead
Great video ill subscribe.
If it wasn't for injury, Andrew Johns would have added more stats..
You just earned a subscription. ❤
Great line-up, can't argue with any of them.. I was thinking about what forwards might have made the cut.. Shane Webkie.. Petero Civonesiva, Brad Thorn...come to mind. All mighty Queenslanders!!
You can argue with a lot of them.
Kenny, Grothe, Ettingshausen, Stuart, Daley, Clyde, Lyons, Toovey, ...
Glen Lazarus.
@@Will-nb8qk - For sure! One of the greatest!
the most pure rugby league player i have ever watched with a ball in there hands was Greg Inglis...
Great narration
greg inglis?
Greg was one of my faves but he hasn't achieved as much as these people on the list #gregisnumber1
He’s not as good as these guys he’s just strong
Should mention also World Club Challenges some of these players represented for their teams between the Nrl grandfinalist(Australia) and Super League granfinalist(England)
Awesome video guys!
However if my life was on the line it's Thurston who I want to be playing for me! Smith is the best at general play but when it comes to the clutch plays, the never say die times, it's JT for me!
Brandon Long yeh 100% jt for the most clutch player but smithy 100% the best player more me and many more
I'm glad to see fitler in this list. In my opinion he was the best player going around for his generation.
There’s no way Darren Lockyer wasn’t in the top 3
yep and Kenny at 2
1.Johns
2.Jt
3.Smith
4.Locky
5.Slater
6.Inglis
7.Cronk
9.Freddy
10.Jarryd Hayne
I would have Andrew John's as the BOAT.
Best Of All Time.
There is opinion, and there is age bias. No way Darren Lockyer should be below Meninga or Cronk, Alfie needs to be on hear, and Wally is the king
Totally agree with you. Wally is King! I think Lockyer, Thurston next after Wally. Then you got Johns Cronk Smith Fittler etc in no certain order. And yeah where is Alfie!!!!
Gav Doniger Johns was better then Lockyer
@@danielkelly4487 you're dreaming!!!
@@danielkelly4487 you are dreaming
Gav Doniger definitely not dreaming
Joey is easily the greatest to ever play the game but I can understand him getting 2nd/3rd because of his injuries and lack of team accolades compared to someone like Cam Smith…
Umm... Compared to the accolades Thurston has won, John's is not "easily" the the greatest. John's greatest games were juiced up.
@@rocknral juiced up? Whats your source? Easily the most well rounded player to lace them up,
The 8th.
Brilliant video. And have to agree Smith is the GOAT.
Can’t agree
Jt is the #1 and Smith at #2 we already know it people vote for that 2020
Laione Fuekafa Johns is the GOAT
Fuck off JT is the best of all time, and this is coming from a Broncos fan
Andy Arthur fuck no JT couldn’t tackle. Can’t be the best if you’re only good at half the game
JT is the GOAT...
Johns is
@@twitchy7077 Neither are Smith is in saying that JT>Joey
Nah, the above assessment is correct. Cam Smith is the GOAT! The fucker is nearly 40 and he's still playing?? To make matters worse, he's playing the same way and in the same form he was in when he started his NRL career as a 19 yr old! My goodness!! No other player even comes close!
@@charlesyakopa7713 he just took out Bellyachs record for tries, he just keeps adding stats. I reckon he goes one of two ways at the end of the year, if storm make the grand final and win he plays another origin series to captain the maroons for a potential last Queensland victory and retire at the peak. If not he plays another year at Storm. I don't see him wanting to tarnish his one ckub record like Gronk did.
@@prototypep4 true bro, I agree!
Why was Greg Ingles not on this list
Wally is No1 to me. Otherwise great list
you nailed that list
WOW GREAT LIST! RIGHT ON THE MONEY! BUT I BELIEVE CRONK SHOULD BE A LITTLE HIGHER UP AS HIS STATS AND RECORDS ARE ALSO PHENOMENAL!
Thursto no1. He didnt play for a stacked team but made mediocre players great.
Lockyers my personal goat 🐐
Would love to see a top 10 forwards video 👍
Look, there are many that should be in this list.
As many have commented, no way Lockyer is at 8, I think some of the younger gen don't know but for those who saw his career... top 3 for sure and arguably the GOAT
Yeah, at the least he takes a spot above Johns. Lockyer had a better career than Johns for sure.
Mate you must be a QLDer put Joey's and Thurstons attacking stats side by side and they are almost identical and Thurston played 74 more games.
Then the fact Joey was a far better defender!
So how does that work out?
One player had a shorter career but was a far better player, he revaluationised the game.
Totally agree with you mate
Yeah but thurston was also a great person and joey was a shit person . He didnt represent the attitude you want in a player but thurston did
@@tictac-bl4so um Thurston wasnt the nicest person when he was younger. At least he listened during his career and later to become an icon to the game and a legend to the people
@@tictac-bl4so lmao cause that makes sense talking about what they did on the field u Muppet. Did you forget about Thurston's Coffs harbour incident and being a massive coke head with Carl Webb in Townsville lmao. 🤡🤡🤡🤡
The main reason is Thurston actually made bigger differences then Joey, it’s not only because of his peronality but his overall skill, he may of not had the best defence but had a damn good offence and the best kicker the nrl series have had being nicknamed mr.boomerang
Those Quads are Huge
See the problem I have with this list is that you’re basing everything off Stats and not what those players did to change how their position and the game was played and their influence over the years, plus how good/great they were in their position.
The stats are given in regards to that though. Smith winning 8 Dally M Hooker awards shows how great he was in his position for instance. Slater and Lockyer changed the way Fullbacks play the game and are thus both mentioned in this list. Influence is completely mentioned in the stats as well, with reference to their win rates and finals matches and rep matches.
Especially Benny Elias he changed the hooker position, he is the reason why Cameron smith is good, is what everyone says
AlphaAcro slater changed the way fullbacks play not Lockyer
@@danielkelly4487 Before Lockyer, fullbacks were merely ball runners who would wait to be put through holes. Lockyer was the first fullback who played as an ancillary member of the halves in attack. Billy followed this trend, then evolved it with his insane work rate. Now the fullback is expected to be literally everywhere on the pitch in both attack and defense. The halfback is still the chief playmaker but the _modern_ fullback, thanks to Billy, now has to be the hardest working player. Lockyer began the evolution of the fullback and Billy is the archetype of what that evolutionary process has resulted in.
Smith tops the list in that category as well. Just happened to have insane stats too
Slater was the best fullback ever. His longevity and he revolutionised the position. Surely an immortal in waiting.
Leading with the knee for tackles he was head above the rest
@@Aza13 Well if that's the worse thing he'll be remembered for he's a shoe in for immortality.
I mean, they have lowered the bar substantially.
One of the great fullbacks but he's not the best ever
Queenslanderrrrr! The best at the game of rugby league please tell me different New selfish welish man.🤧😭
4:19 Five of the best players right there!
Parramatta was so dominant in the early 80s, and with their lineup it's not difficult to see why.
Brett Kenny
Mick Cronin (certainly should be on this list! - highest point scorer in 5 of 9 seasons played/highest point scorer for a calendar year/the only player in history to average over 9 points per game/highest average most goals per game /most consecutive goals 26)
Peter Sterling (we lived in the same complex with in Baulkham Hills)
Ray Price
Eric Grothe
Steve Ella
Neville Glover
Bob O'Reilly
Paul Taylor (my good mate from Sydney & Tugun - He was also the Shammies juice man for my seafood shop)
Steve Edge
Peter Wynn
Jack Gibson (Piece off Jack, Gibb's on ) 🤣
Those were the days...
JT #1 Player all day every day 🔥💯👑
Good list but surely Greg Inglis is a top 5 maybe even top 3 player of all time
By simply reading out lockyers resume you confirmed he should be higher
You have it wring that Lockyer and Smith are the only 3 captains to get club, state and international trophy's. Alfie Langer did as well!
I think he said in the SAME calendar year. 😘
@@geffro1754 Alfie, Lockyer and Smith all did it in the same year!
Andre BigJohn I don’t think Alfie did though, I had a quick look.
scaccy007 nope. Can’t have. Last rugby league World Cup was in 2017. Roosters and NSW did not win the title in those years.
@@geffro1754 Also as far as I know Boyd Cordner is not the Aus captain lol. Btw, four nations/try nations is a legit international trophy doesn't just have to be world cup.
Even J.T gave the G.O.A.T to Smithy,your list is spot on bro..
Benny Elias changed the booker position and many legends say that cam smith wouldn’t be good if it wasn’t for him, but good vid
who gives a toss, still hasn't achieved what Cam has.
Aimee but I meant smith wouldn’t of achieved it but smith executed it the best
What unparalleled nonsense, you're telling me Billy Slater is better than Lockyer? Bull. Joey Johns and Lockeyer significantly better players than many in this list
Yes billy is better than Lockyer
I’m a NSW supporter and I hate to admit it but Darren Lockyer is probably the greatest player of all time. He was just too good and the reason why qld won 8 straight
As a UK follower of the NRL, I definitely agree there. He was the best fullback in the world, and moved to halfback, and became the best halfback in the world, in his time of playing. A true legend.
Couldn't disagree on that. In the eyes of all rugby league fan around the globe, Lockyer surely is the goat. The greatest player ever lived.
It’s a good list, but Andrew Johns should be in 2nd spot. JT was good, but not immortal good.
Wally's 8 origin man of the matches says it all
Not a bad list.
I'd go:
10. Cronk
9. Menzies
8. Sterling
7. Fittler
6. Stuart
5. Locky
4. JT
3. Wally
2. Joey
1. Smith
as a 5/8 only, does Laurie Daley rank above or below Brad Fittler ??
As a Queenslander, I do not enjoy agreeing with Gould but he summed it up well: 'Thurston is the best player of all time' and 'Smith is the greatest of all time'.
Biggest fucking cheat and grub of all time carmon Smith
And he’s wrong about both of them
Look at all these Queenslanders, love it
I cannot believe Greg Inglis wasn’t 1 let alone on the list
1 CAM SMITH AM I DEREAMING
Glenn Lazarus, Ray Price, Brett Kenny, Eric Grothe, Laurie Daley.
9:56 makes sense as Bill/Billy is a nickname for William...
Before the video starts, I'mma just say Johns would be #2 or #1. I say this for only the simple fact that whenever Andrew Johns got named Knights #7, he'd light a fire under a very average Newcastle side and turn them into a threat. I'm Bulldogs supporter, so I got VERY nervous back in '04-''07 when Johns would be playing for the Knights. 2006 was a great example, after coming last in 2005, no one expected the Knights to make the finals, let alone take down Manly in the Quarter Finals, or that Raiders match where Newcastle somehow put 70 points on them. Even 2005, Johns was injured most of the year and the Knights were playing like an U15 team, Andrew Johns comes back from injury and they start going on a winning streak starting with the Panthers, at the Panthers home ground, I think it was. Sure Thurston and Lockyear were definitely GREAT players, bet I never threated when the Dogs came up against The Broncos or Cowboys, like I did with a Knights team with Johns leading the charge, because I knew sometimes shifty could bedazzle or the forward pack of Willie Mason, Andrew Ryan, Roy Asotasi, Sonny Bill Williams, Mark O'Meley, Chris Armit and Nate Myles could apply some serious pressure
Edit: honourable mention to Steve Price
Cronk over lockyer big oof
yeah thats a complete botch
Accurate. Cronk was a better half. Lockyer never even won a dally m
@@nissy9220 who do u want the with the ball in their hands with the game on the line. Lockyer was the clutches player in nrl history
I hink Stacey Jones should be on this list apart from that very good job