In late 2007, the

Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League known as the Australian Rugby League is an Australian rugby league football competition operator. It was founded in 1986 as the Australian Rugby Footbal ...

and

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

commissioned 130 experts to select the 100 best rugby league players in the game's 100-year history in Australia. From this list, a limited panel of experts picked a "Team of the Century" - a team of 17 players considered to be the best Australian players of all time. This team was announced in Sydney on 17 April 2008, see

Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century In late 2007, the Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League commissioned a college of 130 experts to select the 100 best rugby league players in the game's 100-year history in Australia. The list was released in February 2008. From this li ...

Rugby League's 100 Greatest Players

Players are listed in alphabetical order. #

Vic Armbruster Louis Victor Armbruster (born 12 July 1902 – 11 October 1984) was an Australian rugby league footballer for New South Wales state rugby league team, New South Wales, Queensland state rugby league team, Queensland and Australia national rugby ...

, Mullumbimby, Toowoomba Valleys, Brisbane Grammars, Fortitude Valley, Bundaberg, Rochdale Hornets #

Keith Barnes William Keith Barnes AM (born 30 October 1934), also known by the nickname of "Golden Boots", is a Welsh-born Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He was a for ...

, Balmain #

Harry Bath Harry Bath (28 November 1924 – 4 October 2008), born Alfred Henry Bath, also known by the nickname of "The Old Fox", was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach who was prominent and influential in the mid-20th century. A state and i ...

, Brisbane Souths, Balmain, Barrow, Warrington, St George # Jack Beaton, Eastern Suburbs #

Arthur Beetson Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson OAM (21 January 1945 – 1 December 2011

, Balmain, Eastern Suburbs, Parramatta, Hull KR #

Brian Bevan Brian Eyrl Bevan (24 January 1924 – 3 June 1991), also known by the nickname of "Wing Wizard", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s who became the only player ever to have been induc ...

, Eastern Suburbs, Warrington, Blackpool Borough #

Cec Blinkhorn Cyril "Cec" Blinkhorn (18 April 1892 – 8 April 1977) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played in the NSWRFL premiership for the North Sydney and South Sydney clubs, and also represented New Sout ...

, North Sydney, South Sydney #

Kerry Boustead Kerry Boustead (born 12 August 1959) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. A talented representative for Queensland and Australia, at the time he was picked for the national team he was the younges ...

, Eastern Suburbs, Manly, North Sydney, Hull KR # Dave Brown, Eastern Suburbs, Warrington #

Roy Bull Roy Bull (12 June 1929 – 29 June 2004) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s and spent his whole career - as player, coach & administrator - with the Manly-Warringah club in Sydney. In addition to pl ...

, Manly #

Frank Burge Frank Burge (14 August 1894 – 5 July 1958) was one of the greatest forwards in the history of rugby league in Australia. Later Burge became one of the game’s finest coaches. His club career was with Glebe and the St. George Dragons. He repr ...

, Glebe, St George # Joe "Chimpy" Busch, Eastern Suburbs, Balmain #

Billy Cann Wiliam A. Cann (1882–1958) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s who later wrote for ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. A New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales state and Australia national rugby league tea ...

, South Sydney #

Brian Carlson Brian Patrick Carlson (12 February 1933 – 14 April 1987) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a & utility back for the Australia national team. He played in 17 Tests and 6 World C ...

, Newcastle, North Sydney #

Clive Churchill Clive Bernard Churchill AM (21 January 1927 – 9 August 1985) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach in the mid-20th century. An Australian international and New South Wales and Queensland interstate representative ...

, South Sydney #

Brian Clay Brian Joseph 'Poppa' Clay (1935 – 1987) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a with the St. George Dragons during their 11-year consecutive premiership winning run from 1956 to 1966. He was ...

, Newtown, St George #

Arthur Clues Arthur Clues (2 May 1924 – 3 October 1998) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative second-row forward, he played his c ...

, Western Suburbs, Leeds, Hunslet #

Bradley Clyde Bradley Clyde (born 27 January 1970) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s who, at the peak of his playing career was widely acknowledged as the best in the game. He represented b ...

, Canberra, Bulldogs, Leeds #

Ron Coote Ron Coote AM (born 1944) is an Australian former representative rugby league player whose club career was played with South Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, with both of whom he won premierships. He is considered one of the nation's fi ...

, South Sydney, Eastern Suburbs # Ted "Tedda" Courtney, Newtown, Western Suburbs, North Sydney # Jimmy Craig, Balmain, University, Western Suburbs # Michael Cronin, Parramatta # Les Cubitt, Glebe, Eastern Suburbs #

Laurie Daley Laurie William Daley AM (born 20 October 1969), also known by the nicknames of "Lozza" and "Loz", is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and a former player who played as a and in the 1980s and 1990s. He represented Aus ...

, Canberra # Brian Davies, Brisbane Brothers, Canterbury #

Dan Dempsey Dan Dempsey (15 January 1902 – 9 January 1960) was an Australian rugby league Australian Kangaroos, national and Queensland Maroons, Queensland state representative player. He played his career at and is considered one of the nation's finest f ...

, Ipswich #

Graham Eadie Graham "Wombat" Eadie (born 25 November 1953), is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been named amongst Australia's finest of the 20th century. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian ...

, Manly, Halifax #

Andrew Ettingshausen Andrew "ET" Ettingshausen (born 29 October 1965) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. He played his first grade Australian club football for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks ...

, Cronulla, Leeds #

Viv Farnsworth Viv Farnsworth (1889–1953) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played for Newtown Jets, Newtown, Western Suburbs Magpies, Wests, New South Wales state rugby league team, New South Wales a ...

, Newtown, Western Suburbs #

Brad Fittler Bradley Scott Fittler (born 5 February 1972), also known by the nickname of "Freddy", is the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, a commentator and a television presenter. Fittler has previously coached the Sydney Roosters in ...

, Penrith, Sydney Roosters # Charles "Chook" Fraser, Balmain #

Dan Frawley Dan Frawley (1882–1967) was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer, a national representative player. He played his career as a with the Eastern Suburbs club in Sydney and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of t ...

, Eastern Suburbs #

Bob Fulton Robert Fulton (1 December 1947 – 23 May 2021), also nicknamed "Bozo", was an Australian international rugby league footballer, coach and later commentator. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great succe ...

, Manly, Eastern Suburbs, Warrington #

Peter Gallagher Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19, 1955) is an American actor. Since 1980, he has played roles in numerous Hollywood films. He is best known for starring as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series ''The O.C.'' from 2003 to 2007, recurr ...

, Brisbane Brothers #

Reg Gasnier Reginald William "Reg" Gasnier (12 May 1939 – 11 May 2014) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the St. George Dragons from 1959 to 1967 and represented Australian national rugby league team, Australia in a then ...

, St George #

Herb Gilbert Herbert R. Gilbert (18 September 1888 – 5 January 1972) was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player – a dual-code international. He represented the Wallabies in three Tests in 1910 and the Kangaroos in seven Tests from 1911 to 19 ...

, South Sydney, Western Suburbs, Hull FC # Tom Gorman, Toowoomba, Brisbane Brothers #

Eric Grothe Sr Eric Grothe Sr. (born 6 January 1960), also known by the nickname "Guru", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. A New South Wales and Australian representative , he played club footbal ...

, Parramatta, Leeds #

Duncan Hall Duncan Hall (24 August 192518 January 2011) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s, singled out as having been amongst the greatest of the 20th century. He played in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership f ...

, Brisbane Valleys, Toowoomba, Brisbane Wests # Howard Hallett, South Sydney # Arthur "Pony" Halloway, Glebe, Eastern Suburbs, Balmain #

Brian Hambly Brian Clinton Hambly (31 October 1937 – 30 August 2008) was an Australian rugby league player, a representative forward for the Australia national team between 1959 and 1965. His club career was played with South Sydney and Parramatta. He w ...

, Wagga Wagga, South Sydney, Parramatta #

Vic Hey Victor John Hey (18 November 1912 in Liverpool, New South Wales – 11 April 1995), also known by the nickname of "The Human Bullet", was an Australian rugby league national and state representative and later a successful first-grade and natio ...

, Western Suburbs, Toowoomba, Parramatta #

Keith Holman Keith Victor Holman, MBE (11 September 1927 – 11 October 2011) was an Australian Rugby League footballer, a national and state representative whose club career was played with Western Suburbs from 1949 to 1961. He has since been name ...

, Western Suburbs #

Harold Horder Harold Norman Horder (23 February 1894 – 21 August 1978) was an Australian rugby league player. He was a national and state representative player whose club career was with South Sydney and North Sydney between 1912 and 1924. Regarded as on ...

, South Sydney, North Sydney #

Ken Irvine Kenneth John Irvine (5 March 1940 – 22 December 1990), also nicknamed "Mongo", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He holds the standing Australian record for the most tries in a ...

, North Sydney, Manly #

Andrew Johns Andrew Gary Johns (born 19 May 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in rugby league history. Johns captained the Newcas ...

, Newcastle Knights #

Les Johns Les Johns (born 1942 in Newcastle, New South Wales) is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and early 1970s. Club career Les Johns started his career at Newcastle's Souths club. He then played nine ...

, Canterbury #

Ken Kearney Kenneth Howard "Killer" Kearney (3 May 192418 August 2006) was an Australian rugby footballer – a List of dual-code rugby internationals, dual-code international player – and a rugby league coach. He represented the Australia national rugby ...

, St George # Noel Kelly, Ipswich, Western Suburbs #

Brett Kenny Brett "Bert" Edward Kenny (born 16 March 1961) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He was a and for the Australian national team and New South Wales Blues representative sides, and ...

, Parramatta, Wigan #

Johnny King Johnny Cecil King (born 2 July 1942) is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a winger with the St. George Dragons for the last seven years of their eleven consecutive premiership-winning run from 1956 to 1966. He was ...

, St George #

Terry Lamb Terence John Lamb (born 15 September 1961), also nicknamed "Baa", is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He played 350 games, with the Western Suburbs (1980–1983) and Canterbury (1984–1996). Lamb was known for his su ...

, Western Suburbs, Canterbury #

Allan Langer Allan Jeffrey "Alfie" Langer AM (born 30 July 1966) is an Australian former multi-award-winning rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s and worked as an assistant coach for the Australian national team, the Queensland ...

, Ipswich, Brisbane Broncos, Warrington #

Graeme Langlands Graeme Frank Langlands, MBE, (2 September 1941 – 20 January 2018), also known by the nickname of "Changa", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. and coached in the 1970s. He retire ...

, St George #

Glenn Lazarus Glenn Patrick Lazarus (born 11 December 1965) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, and a former Australian Senator. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative , Lazarus won premier ...

, Canberra, Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne #

Wally Lewis Walter James Lewis AM (born 1 December 1959) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and coached in the 1980s and 1990s. He became a commentator for television coverage of the spo ...

, Brisbane Valleys, Wynnum-Manly, Wakefield Trinity, Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast #

Darren Lockyer Darren James Lockyer (born 24 March 1977) is an Australian television commentator and former professional rugby league footballer. Lockyer was an Australian international and Queensland State representative captain, who played his entire profes ...

, Brisbane Broncos #

Eddie Lumsden Edmund Lumsden (28 September 1936 – 6 October 2019) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He was a with the St. George Dragons during their eleven-year premiership winning run from 1956 to 1966, playing in and winning ...

, Manly, St George #

Mick Madsen Peter "Mick" MadsenFamily history research
—

, Toowoomba #

Bob McCarthy Bob McCarthy MBE (born 5 August 1946) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, New South Wales and for the Australian national side. He lat ...

, South Sydney, Canterbury #

Chris McKivat Christopher Hobart McKivat (alternatively spelled McKivatt, pronounced ; 27 November 1880 − 4 May 1941) was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international. He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests ...

, Glebe #

Frank McMillan Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cur ...

, Western Suburbs, Balmain #

Mal Meninga Malcolm Norman Meninga (; born 8 July 1960) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Australian national team and a former professional rugby league footballer. Meninga is widely regarded as one of the fin ...

, Souths Brisbane, St. Helens, Canberra #

Dally Messenger Herbert Henry Messenger, nicknamed "Dally" and sometimes "The Master" (12 April 1883 – 24 November 1959) was one of Australasia's first professional rugby footballers, recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in either code. He played f ...

, Eastern Suburbs #

Gene Miles Gene Miles (born 21 July 1959) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played his club football in the Brisbane Rugby Lea ...

, Wynnum-Manly, Brisbane Broncos, Wigan #

Steve Mortimer Stephen Charles Mortimer (born 15 July 1956), also nicknamed "Turvey", is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played as a . Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs club record 272 first-grade games between 1976–88, winni ...

, Canterbury #

Barry Muir Barry Muir (18 September 1937 – 2 September 2022) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. An Australian and Queensland representative , he played in twenty-two Tests between 1959 and 1964, as captain on two occasions. ...

, Brisbane Wests #

Herb Narvo Hermann Olaf Frances "Herb" Narvo (19 August 1912 – 28 July 1958) was an Australian rugby league footballer and boxer of the 1930s and 1940s. He was a national representative rugby league player and national heavyweight boxing champion. He h ...

, Newtown, St George #

Ernie Norman Ernest James Norman (12 October 1912 – 3 August 1993) was an Australian rugby league player - a state and national representative or . His club career was with the Eastern Suburbs club in the New South Wales Rugby Football League competition. ...

, Eastern Suburbs # Andy Norval, Eastern Suburbs # John O'Neill, South Sydney, Manly #

Kel O'Shea Kelvin Joseph "Kel" O'Shea (13 July 1933 – 22 January 2015) was an Australian representative rugby league footballer, a second-rower from Queensland whose club career was played with the Western Suburbs Magpies in Sydney. He is rated am ...

, Western Suburbs # Joe Pearce, Eastern Suburbs #

Sandy Pearce :''Sid Pearce directs here, for his son, the rugby league footballer of the same name, see Joe Pearce'' Sidney Charles Pearce (born 30 May 1883 and died 14 November 1930 Double Bay, New South Wales), better known as Sandy, was a pioneer Austral ...

, Eastern Suburbs #

Wayne Pearce Wayne John Pearce Order of Australia, OAM (born 29 March 1960 in Balmain, New South Wales) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. An athletic for the Balmain Tigers, he was known as Junior. Pearce represented N ...

, Balmain # Ray Price, Parramatta, Wakefield Trinity #

Wally Prigg Wally Prigg (1908–1980) was an Australian rugby league footballer. He was a for the Australian national rugby league team. He played nineteen Tests for the Kangaroos between 1929–38, seven as captain and was the first Australian player to ...

, St George #

Norm Provan Norman Douglas Somerville Provan (18 December 1932 – 13 October 2021) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. Also nicknamed "Sticks", he was a second-row forward with the St George Dragons during the first ten of t ...

, St George #

Johnny Raper John William Raper (12 April 1939 – 9 February 2022) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. Nicknamed "Chook", he was a lock-forward who earned a then-record of 33 Test caps in the Australia national team between ...

, Newtown, St George #

Tom Raudonikis Thomas Walter Raudonikis (13 April 1950 – 7 April 2021) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played 40 International games and World Cup games as Australia representative and captained his country in two matches of the 1 ...

, Western Suburbs, Newtown # Steve Roach, Balmain, Warrington # Steve Rogers, Cronulla-Sutherland, St. George, Widnes #

Albert Rosenfeld Albert Aaron Rosenfeld (28 July 1885 – 7 September 1970), also known by the nickname of "Rozzy", was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer, a national representative whose club career was played in Sydney and in England. He played f ...

, Eastern Suburbs, Huddersfield, Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Northern #

John Sattler John William Sattler (born 28 July 1942) is a former professional and national representative rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a rugged Prop forward who captained his club, South Sydney to four premiership vi ...

, South Sydney # Billy Smith, St George #

Ray Stehr Raymond Ernest Stehr (24 January 1913 – 2 June 1983) was an Australian rugby league footballer, a New South Wales Rugby League team, state and Australia national rugby league team, national representative player whose club career was played a ...

, Eastern Suburbs #

Herb Steinohrt Herbert Walt Steinohrt (21 October 1897 – 27 December 1985) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s as a front row forward for the Australian national team. He played in 9 Tests between 1928 and 1932 ...

, Toowoomba # Peter Sterling, Parramatta, Hull FC #

Arthur Summons Arthur James Summons (13 December 1935 – 16 May 2020) was an Australian representative rugby union and rugby league player, a dual-code rugby international fly-half or five-eighth. He captained the Australian national rugby league team in fiv ...

, Western Suburbs #

Viv Thicknesse Viv Thicknesse (1910–1986) was an Australian dual-code rugby half-back, a state representative in both rugby league and rugby union. His rugby league career was spent with the champion Eastern Suburbs sides of the 1930s and he represented ...

, Eastern Suburbs #

Duncan Thompson Duncan Fulton Thompson MBE (14 March 1895 – 17 May 1980) was an Australian veteran of both WWI and WWII and a rugby league footballer, coach and administrator. He was wounded on active service in WWI and has been named amongst the nation's ...

, North Sydney, Toowoomba #

Ken Thornett Ken Thornett (27 November 1937 – 16 August 2016), also known by the nickname of "The Mayor of Parramatta", was an Australian rugby league . He represented the Kangaroos in twelve Tests during 1963 and 1964 and on the off-season Kangaroo Tour ...

, Parramatta, Leeds # George Treweek, South Sydney # Ian Walsh, Eugowra, St George # Steve Walters, Canberra, North Queensland Cowboys, Newcastle Knights #

Benny Wearing Benny Wearing (11 June 1901 – 9 April 1968) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. An Australian international and New South Wales representative three-quarter, he played his club football in the NSWRF ...

, South Sydney #

Shane Webcke Shane Webcke (born 28 September 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, who spent his entire club career playing for the Brisbane Broncos. Webcke represented Queensland in the State of Origin 21 times and also captai ...

, Brisbane Broncos #

Eric Weissel Eric Weissel (;) (1903–1972) was an Australian rugby league footballer, a state and national representative goal-kicking . He played his club career in country New South Wales and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the ...

, Cootamundra, Temora, Barmedman, Narrandera, Wagga Wagga # Harry Wells, Wollongong, South Sydney, Western Suburbs

Players by club

NSWRL/ARL/NRL

Brisbane Rugby League

Other

{, class="wikitable" style="width:300px;" , - !Players!!Club , - , 2, , Newcastle , - , 6, ,

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

(England) , - , 1, , Temora , - , 1, ,

Blackpool Borough Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, that played in the Rugby Football League from 1954 until 1993. The club moved to Wigan in 1987 and was renamed Springfield Borough; to Chorley in 1988 and was ...

(England) Eugowra 1

External links

Centenary of Rugby League''Rugby League's Greatest Players Announced''
Centenary of Rugby League, accessed 23 February 2008

Fox Sports, accessed 23 February 2008

Sporting Life, accessed 23 February 2008 Top sports lists National Rugby League Lists of Australian rugby league players

Rugby League's 100 Greatest Players

Players by club

NSWRL/ARL/NRL

Brisbane Rugby League

Other

See also

External links