Items16The creator’s order
  1. 1Alex Murphy (rugby league)Alex Murphy (rugby league)Born 22 Apr 1939Scrum-half, St Helens, Leigh and Warrington. Murphy won the Challenge Cup with three different clubs in the 1960s and 1970s, the later wins as player-coach, controlling games from the base of the scrum with pace and an unusually sharp tactical sense. He is the starting point for the tradition of…0
  2. 2Peter Sterling (rugby league)Peter Sterling (rugby league)Born 16 Jun 1960Halfback, Parramatta and Australia. Sterling steered Parramatta to four premierships in the 1980s, organising their attack with short passes and a precise kicking game, and later spent decades explaining the game on television. His skill was running a set: knowing which tackle to attack on and…0i
  3. 3Wally LewisWally LewisBorn 1 Dec 1959Five-eighth, Queensland and Australia. "The King" ran Queensland through the early years of State of Origin, winning a record number of man-of-the-match awards in the series. His long passing and kicking game let Queensland dictate the shape of matches against bigger New South Wales packs.0i
  4. 4Ellery HanleyEllery HanleyBorn 27 Mar 1961Loose forward and centre, Wigan and Great Britain. Hanley captained the great Wigan side of the late 1980s, winning the Man of Steel award three times. From loose forward he organised the attack like an extra half-back, choosing when to carry, pass or kick in a role league uses differently from…0i
  5. 5Shaun EdwardsShaun EdwardsBorn 17 Oct 1966Half-back, Wigan. Edwards won a string of league titles and Challenge Cups with Wigan through their dominant era, organising the attack and defence from scrum-half and stand-off. His understanding of defensive structure later made him one of union's most respected defence coaches, but his league…0i
  6. 6Allan LangerAllan LangerBorn 30 Jul 1966Halfback, Brisbane, Queensland and Australia. "Alfie" led the Broncos to premierships in 1992, 1993, 1997 and 1998 with quick hands and sharp kicking, and was famously recalled from English rugby to win the deciding Origin match in 2001. Small and quick, he managed games through speed of thought…0i
  7. 7Andrew JohnsAndrew JohnsBorn 19 May 1974Halfback and hooker, Newcastle and Australia. Johns won premierships in 1997 and 2001 and two Golden Boots as the world's best player. His kicking game, grubbers, bombs and long kicks to the corners, set the standard for how a halfback uses the last tackle, and he could run the game from hooker too.0i
  8. 8Darren LockyerDarren LockyerBorn 24 Mar 1977Fullback and five-eighth, Brisbane, Queensland and Australia. Lockyer moved from fullback to five-eighth mid-career and captained Australia and Queensland, winning premierships with the Broncos. His calm organisation and late plays, including field goals in big matches, made him the model of a…0i
  9. 9Cameron Smith (rugby league, born 1983)Cameron Smith (rugby league, born 1983)Born 18 Jun 1983Hooker, Melbourne Storm, Queensland and Australia. Smith played a record 430 first-grade games and captained the Storm to multiple premierships, running the ruck from dummy-half. He controlled the speed of every play-the-ball, deciding when to scoot, when to pass and when to slow the game, which…0i
  10. 10Johnathan ThurstonJohnathan ThurstonBorn 25 Apr 1983Halfback, North Queensland, Queensland and Australia. Thurston won four Dally M Medals and led the Cowboys to their first premiership in 2015, kicking the golden-point field goal in the grand final. His ability to change the attack mid-set, switching direction after a dummy run, made him the most…0i