Gby League Week Issue 37 2015

MOLE: GUS CAN DENY IT BUT SOWARDS GONE
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FROM JT TO R REBRANDS
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OCTOBER 19, 2015 $5.95 (INCL. GST) NZ $6.70
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LEAGUEWEEK
COOTES AGONY
Injury curse had

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NO MORE EXCUSES
Why James Graham

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the nearly men
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TROPHY HUNTERS
North Queensland are
the first premiers since
the powerhouse
Parramatta side in 1982
(inset) to retain their
entire grand final line-up
the following year.
W
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THAT
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DYNA
The quest for back-toback titles is off to a

flying start when
youve got all 17
premiership players
on deck again
BY JOEL GOULD
OT SINCE JACK GIBSONS
mighty Eels of 1982-83 has a
premiership team been able
to field exactly the same
side the following season.
But thats the remarkable
sition 2015 champs North
position
eensland find themselves in as
Queensland
hey eye back-to-back titles in 2016.
they
Winning consecutive NRL grand
als and creating a dynasty has
finals
oved elusive in the salary-cap
proved
a, when personnel change is
era,
emingly inevitable from one year
seemingly
to the next.
No such problems for JT and his
n all 17 players who took the
men
f ld in the Cowboys unforgettable
field
1 16 grand final win against the
17-16
oncos in this years decider are
Broncos
signed for 2016.
re-signed
Photography by Getty Images & RLW Archives
The last time an entire grand

final-winning squad, including
reserves, backed up at the same
club the following season was the
team that Jack built.
Parras champion side of 1982 all
remained in blue and gold in 1983
and they saluted again to make it
three straight titles.
Cowboys football general
manager Peter Parr says retaining
the entire premiership-winning
squad didnt happen by chance.
We set out on a course
12 months ago to make sure we
retained the squad because we
thought if they stayed together
they could do some damage in the
competition, Parr says.
That has proven to be correct.
People are saying to me, How
are you going to improve when you
havent brought anybody new into
your team?
We know were going to have to
get better, but we have a number
of young players like Ethan Lowe,
Jake Granville, Michael Morgan
and Jason Taumalolo who we
believe will only improve.
None of our senior players have
shown any sign of slowing up and
Cont on page 4
Rugby League Week I 3
UPFRONT
Cont from page 3
with modern sports science you
can look after your older players
better.
Gun Under-20s forwards
Coen Hess and Braden Uele,
along with dazzling backline
stars Kalyn Ponga and Gideon
Mosby, are players who will
taste NRL in the near future.
We have signed them on
multi-year deals, Parr says.
We have tried to build
from within and retain our key
people. Weve made the last
five finals series, so wed like
to think we have developed a
really good club with a really
good culture where people
want to stay.
Grand final heroes Thurston,
Matt Scott, Gavin Cooper, Kyle
Feldt and Taumalolo are signed
until the end of 2017, with
Morgan committed to the club
until 2018.
Key men Granville and
Lachlan Coote are off-contract
at the end of next season,
but both intend to stay in
Townsville and the Cowboys
want to extend their deals.
North Queensland have
recruited Townville Blackhawks
star Jahrome Hughes, who was
named the best fullback in this
years Intrust Super Cup.
The Gold Coast Titans
Under-20s player of the year
Shaun Hudson will also add
depth in the centre position.
Eels legend Brett Kenny was
a member of Parras unchanged
1982-83 side and reckons the
Cowboys are in prime position
to capitalise on this years
success and have another tilt at
the grand final in 2016.
Winning a competition and
having the same guys back up
the following year is a big boost
to a club, as we showed back in
the 80s, Kenny says.
The Cowboys have retained
all their players in the key
positions and, barring injuries,
they will have to go close to
winning it again.
If JT stays fit, it would be
a brave man to say they cant
at least make the grand final
again.
Watching Granville shine
in 2015 after being starved of
opportunities at Brisbane has
convinced Kenny the Cowboys
will be able to get more former
no-names firing in the future.
Maybe the Cowboys are
going to be a bit like Melbourne
where they can get players
no-one has heard of or no-one
wants to grow another leg
when they come to North
Queensland, Kenny says. RLW
4 I Rugby League Week
The perfect
Christmas present
Huge boost for Warriors with
superstar Shaun set to run again
before Santa arrives BY TONY ADAMS
NEVER FEAR, WARRIORS FANS. SUPERSTAR HALFBACK

Shaun Johnson is ahead of the clock in his race to be fit for the
2016 kick-off and theres every chance youll be seeing his brand
of crazy stepping again as early as March.
The Warriors season imploded when Johnson broke his ankle
against Manly in July, with the team losing their final eight games
to limp home in 13th spot.
The gifted 25-year-old isnt back running yet but hes making
steady progress in his rehab.
Hes coming along nicely and is probably ahead of schedule at
this stage, Warriors coach Andrew McFadden says.
He has his full range of movement back but still has screws in
the leg and were not rushing him.
They will come out soon and we hope to have him out there
running again before Christmas. If that happens, he should be
right for round one and were optimistic. Hes done a lot of hard
work with the medical staff and is a quick healer.
We have our fingers crossed that he will be right because hes
obviously a key man for us.
The Warriors have signed veteran former Eels, Manly and
Sharks halfback Jeff Robson on a one-year deal as insurance
should Johnson miss the opening rounds. Jeff is an experienced
campaigner and he should be good for us, McFadden says. Hes
a very solid player with a good kicking game.
The Warriors only have four players on the Kiwis England tour
and McFadden believes this will benefit their 2016 preparation.
In some recent seasons we have been without a lot of key
players until January because of end-ofseason representative commitments,
he says. But the fact we only have four
guys away means the bulk of the squad
will be training in November/
December and get a full
pre-season in.
Thats a good situation
for us to be in, particularly
as we have had a fair
turnover of players.
Marquee 2016 recruits
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and
Issac Luke are two of
those on tour with
the Kiwis, as well
as Tuimoala
Lolohea and
Ben Matulino. RLW
E
K
O
BR
BROK EN
AND
BUT STILL
I
T
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I
F
Sandor Earls career

and reputation are in
tatters but he remains
defiant BY TONY ADAMS
SHATTERED SANDOR
Earl has vowed to fight on to
save his NRL career despite
being rubbed out of the game
virtually for life.
Earl returned to his home away
from home in Phuket last week
after the NRL Appeals Committee
rejected his appeal against his fouryear drugs suspension.
Earl the one player who came

clean about his drug use and
co-operated with ASADA was
hopeful of his suspension being
reduced, opening the way for a
return to the NRL in 2016.
But the NRLs Anti-Doping
Tribunal, chaired by former High
Court judge Ian Callinan, ruled Earl
had committed a series of violations
of the games anti-doping policy,
including use and possession of the
prohibited peptide CJC-1295 and
trafficking other banned substances.
Earl, 26, wont be eligible to return
to football until late in the 2017
season, meaning hell have to wait
Photography by Getty Images
RLW
YEARBOOK
ON SALE
OCTOBER 22
Every club,
every stat,
every hero
. . . massive
wrap of a
sensational
season
N...
IN G
until 2018 if he wants to play again.

Im disappointed with the
NRLs verdict . . . its just not a
fair representation of what I did,
says the ex-Roosters, Panthers and
Raiders winger.
I remain hopeful of getting a
good outcome and Im taking my
case to the Court of Arbitration for
Sport. You submit your evidence
electronically and Im in the process
of getting that together.
Looking back, there are things
I would have done differently
through all this.
Earl says the long-running legal
battle has left him all but broke.
I WANT TO PLAY
FOOTY AGAIN
Suspended winger
Sandor Earl is still
determined to add
to the 48 NRL games
he played at the
Roosters, Panthers
and Raiders.
Its left me with nothing but Im

determined to keep fighting I want
to play footy again, he says.
Ive had to virtually represent
myself through it all due to the
high cost of legal fees. I have been
working hard to get myself back on
my feet . . . well, Im trying.
Earls ban was handed down on
October 14 and he has 21 days from
that date to appeal to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport.
Should he be unsuccessful in a bid
to have the ban over-ruled, he has a
totally different future in mind.
I have been offered the chance to
run a gym in Majorca, Spain and
will move to Europe soon to begin a

new life away from footy if I cant get
to play again.
The NRL gave Earl a much
harsher penalty than the backdated
12-month bans handed to Cronulla
players also found guilty of peptide
use because he allegedly sourced
performance-enhancing drugs
personally, without his clubs
knowledge or consent.
While the Sharks players claimed
they had no idea they were taking a
banned substance, the NRL alleges
Earl took peptides to speed up his
recovery from reconstructive surgery
to both shoulders. RLW
UPFRONT
Jack goes from

back seat driver
to front-row
leader at Red V
NO MORE BLOODY EXCUSES

Pommy powerhouse James Graham is adamant another gutsy effort in a
losing series just wont cut it for England BY PHIL WILKINSON
AMES GRAHAM HAS HAD A

gutful of England being the nearly
men of Test football and the fiery
Bulldogs skipper wont cop another
series defeat against New Zealand.
Graham (above) was in the English side
that suffered World Cup heartache at
the hands of the Kiwis in 2013 and just
missed out in the 2014 Four Nations.
Weve been close, weve had near
misses . . . hopefully
we can build on that
and start to get some
positive results,
instead of positive
play, Graham says.
We need to get the
victories now (and)
were very optimistic.
We believe in what
weve built. As silly as
it sounds, sometimes
you need a bit of luck.
Were doing all the right
things. Were really
excited about where
this group can go with
this series.
The Kiwis have been rocked by a string

of high-profile withdrawals, including
Shaun Johnson, Kieran Foran and Simon
Mannering. Thomas Leuluai and Benji
Marshall also miss out for the Tests in
Hull, London and Wigan on successive
weekends from November 1.
A lot has been made about the guys
they have missing, but some of the best
players in the game
re in their squad,
are
Graham warns.
So theyre here
to play. Im fully
expecting them to
perform at the level
weve seen over three,
four years, even
longer.
The people
around that
organisation have set
standards and I cant
envisage them giving
that up and letting
those standards
drop.
No expense has
been spared for England, who will train

at the state-of-the-art base used by
the England soccer side in Burton, near
Nottingham. NRL stars Mike Cooper,
Tom Burgess and Gareth Widdop are
included in a 24-man squad featuring six
players from Wigan, including Roostersbound winger Joe Burgess and national
captain Sean OLoughlin (pictured left
after the 2013 World Cup semi-final loss
to the Kiwis).
Graham under contract until the end
of 2018 at Canterbury is enjoying being
home and isnt ruling out a swan song in
the Super League.
Its always nice to get home, see
family and friends Ive not seen in a
while, the 30-year-old adds.
At times you get homesick but I made
my decision to stay long-term and Im
happy to be in the NRL.
Ive got three years left (on my deal)
and after that, I couldnt tell you.
Theres a lot of water to go under the
bridge first. RLW
See where James Graham ranks in RLWs
annual Top 100 . . . p14
HES NOT THE BIGGEST PROP

in the game and hes certainly
not the biggest talker but Jack
de Belin has vowed to step up big
time as the Dragons adjust to life
without Trent Merrin.
Now 85 games into his NRL
career and a key man in Paul
McGregors pack, De Belin admits
he sat back early in his career
and let older players do the
talking. But he knows its time to
build on the 103 metres per game
he averaged in 2015.
I was so young when I first
started, Id only just turned 20,
and early on I wasnt that kind
of dominant person who could
demand the ball, says de Belin,
who debuted in round 16, 2011.
Id always take a back seat
to those senior players, but Ive
definitely come a long way and
I feel like Ive started to play a
style that suits me more and gets
me bigger minutes . . . just like a
ball-playing lock who gets to play
longer minutes than most props.
When I play like a robot
and do standard old hit-ups
Im not that good, because Im
obviously not the biggest prop
going around, so Ive got to play
smart and play to my strengths
playing at speed and using a bit
of footwork.
The loss of Origin and Test
forward Merrin leaves a gaping
hole in a pack that punched
above its weight in 2015.
Merrin churned out 16 runs
and 146 metres per game this
season but his impact came down
to much more than just numbers.
Trent is obviously not the best
athlete in the world, he hasnt
got the best body, but hes the
ultimate professional, De Belin
says. Everything he does with
his diet and recovery and his
general approach to the game,
I learned a lot off him.
A lot of different players have
either helped me or Ive learned
a lot from watching them prepare
and play. Dean Young and Brett
Morris, theyre the ultimate
professionals, and the way they
went about their business here
was very impressive.
GREG PRICHARD
2015 NRL Telstra Premiership
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LEULUAI SHOWS
A TON OF TICKER
TO WALK AWAY
A WINNER
E ALWAYS KNEW KIWI WARHORSE

Kylie Leuluai was a tough bugger, but
this is something else. The retiring
Leeds enforcer signed off in style by
winning this months Super League
grand final against Wigan . . . and then revealed
hes been playing with a serious heart condition.
The ex-Manly prop, 37, got a fairytale farewell
in the Rhinos nail-biting decider, then admitted
a rare health problem hes battled for more than
a year almost ended his season early.
I was very close to retiring after the
Challenge Cup final (in August), he said, after
Leeds 22-20 triumph against Wigan in front of
a capacity 73,000 Old Trafford crowd.
Ive had some trouble with my heart. Ive
ended up getting an irregular heartbeat and
Ive been taking medication for it. An irregular
heartbeat takes 20 per cent of the oxygen out
of your blood, so its been very tough for me
physically and it has an effect mentally as well.
Thats the reason I was playing shorter
minutes . . . I dont think I could do longer
than the stints I was doing because of the
implications.
Leuluai was seizing up when fatigued, and
hopes a course of treatment will solve the issue.
You can get it shocked back into a regular
rhythm but I had to wait because you have to be
out for three months after you have it done.
CHARITY CASE
Gareth Widdop took part in a charity

club game in England . . . but Dragons
fans neednt worry about him picking
up any injuries. Widdop only kicked off
the fundraising match between Halifax,
his home-town club, and a World XIII
starring Robbie Paul and his brother
Henry, as well as former Great Britain
skipper Paul Sculthorpe. The game
was to raise money for Danny Jones,
the Welsh player who died from a heart
attack while playing for Keighley in May.
FREQUENT FLYER MYLES
Jarryd Hayne may be getting little game time and playing in

a losing San Francisco NFL team but hes still getting heaps
of support from back home. Former Kangaroos team-mate
Nate Myles made the long trek to New York to watch the
49ers last-gasp loss to the Giants and was impressed by the
hype. He didnt get a lot of game time but Jarryd looked
good while he was out there, Myles tells me from The Big
Apple. And all the razzamatazz around the NFL is amazing.
PULL THE OTHER

ONE, GUS!
Phil Gould was quick to deny my
story last week that Jamie Soward
was being shopped around to rival
clubs but rest assured, its true.
How am I so confident? Because two
rival coaches told me theyve been
offered Soward for 2016 . . . even
though hes under contract at the
Panthers!
MOZS LAST HURRAH
Roosters cult hero Adrian Morley is set

to make a return to the international
stage . . . for one night only. The Pommy
great, retiring after a two-decade pro
career, will play for his first club Leeds
in this Fridays game against the New
Zealand tourists. Ever the champion, Moz
will warm up for the game with a charity
climb of Mount Kilimanjaro this week.
OLDIES A GOLDIE
Todd Carney has given his seal of

approval to Souths new wing signing
Michael Oldfield. The Rabbitohs raised
HOT
GOSSIP
The Broncos rarely go

offshore to hunt for
players but theyve
broken that rule to
sign a Kiwi backrower who is still only
15. Potusa Fuilala, a
rangy forward with
good ball skills, has
signed a three-year
deal with the Broncos.
The youngster from
Manurewa High
visited the Broncos a
few times this season
to get a taste of the
place and will be eased
into their system in
coming seasons.
Speculation that Sam
Burgess will jump ship
and return to league
after Englands
disastrous Rugby
World Cup campaign
is off the mark. While
it was a far from happy
start to Burgess rugby
life, England still have
a packed campaign
next year, and while
much was made of
Burgess being dropped
for Englands final
World Cup game, he
was one of half a dozen
players axed for a dead
rubber after the Poms
bombed out early.
RYLES READY TO STEP UP

J
ASON RYLES IS SET TO BECOME
Craig Bellamys right-hand man at the
Storm in 2016 and is now in the
frame to replace the great man as
Melbourne head coach the following
year.
Ive been told that Bellamy is set to
appoint former Test forward Ryles, who
a few eyebrows when they picked up

Oldfield, a winger who had modest stints
at the Roosters and Sea Eagles before
moving to Super League. But the 2010
Dally M Medal winner is convinced the
Bunnies are onto a winner. Hes fast
and strong and will be good for them,
Carney told me.
CANADA, EH?
Remember me telling you how a

Canadian team was set to join the
English competition? Well, the plan is
nearing fruition with entrepreneur Eric
Perez on the verge of finalising a deal
to enter a Toronto-based side into thirdtier League One in 2017. That bold move
means the side could be promoted to
the Super League within two years.
played 46 games under him at the Storm

in 2012-13, as his assistant, replacing
Justin Morgan, who has signed with the
Warriors for next season.
Ryles has been coaching Wests
Illawarra in the Wollongong competition
for the past couple of seasons and is seen
as a rising star in the coaching ranks.
This is exactly the right thing for this

city at this time, Perez says. I couldnt
think of a better place to do a crosscontinental sports team.
RALLY FOR ROGER
Former Penrith Leagues Club supremo

Roger Cowan has been in poor health
for more than a year and the clubs
industry is holding a luncheon for him at
Bankstown Sports Club on October 23.
Cowan led the way in the battle of Clubs
NSW against the State Government a
decade ago and son Max believes that
took its toll. He took massive blows
from the NSW Government on behalf
of the clubs and this was a significant
contributor to his current poor health
and dire financial situation, Max says.
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Media Ltd, 54-58 Park St, Sydney, NSW 2001.
THE GREEN MACHINE
e now but the

He might be the toast of Townsvill h knows the
ac
Cowboys premiership-winning co
tough times, too
BY JOEL GOULD
T WAS THE MOMENT WHEN

Paul Green didnt flinch. North
Queensland had lost their
opening three games of 2015
and Greens selection decisions
were hammered and his team was
written off.
But little did the critics know
that the Cowboys coach had been
through it all before, and prevailed.
After the 28-4 round-one loss to
the Roosters, a metropolitan daily
screamed in a headline that the
Cowboys stunk. Then, following the
44-22 loss to the Broncos in round
three, Green was confronted with
editorials that went as far to say the
Cowboys were catastrophic.
Only two sides had bounced back
to win a premiership after losing
their first three games, with the
Rabbitohs the last back in 1953.
In that Broncos clash, Green
fielded for the first time the spine
combination he believed could win
a title Lachlan Coote at fullback,
Michael Morgan and Johnathan
Thurston in the halves and Jake
Granville at hooker.
But in the aftermath of the
Broncos loss Green and his Cowboys
were in the crosshairs.
James Tamou and Justin ONeill

had inauspicious starts to the year
and there were calls for them to be
dropped. The so-called experts said
Green should be leaving Morgan at
fullback, where he starred last year.
The Cowboys were stone
motherless last but for Green it was
water off a ducks back.
While head coach of Wynnum
Manly Seagulls in the Intrust Super
Cup in 2011, he lost the first six
games of the season, twice as many
as the inauspicious start to 2015.
He was copping it from all and
sundry then, too.
But Green stuck to his guns,
stuck to the systems and players he
believed in and his Seagulls went
on a winning streak, scraped into
the finals and won their first Intrust
Super Cup premiership.
I probably learned more about
myself in that period in 2011 as a
coach, and about what I believe in,
than I did in any other period so
far, Green says. I was head coach
and hadnt won a game.
Before the last of those losses we
were going to Rockhampton to play
Central Queensland and they hadnt
won a game either.
CHAMPIONS, BOTH
OF THEM
Paul Green and
Johnathan Thurston
share a moment
after the grand final.
We had a far better side on paper

and everyone thought wed go up
there and win, but we got beaten by
a point.
That was absolutely rock
bottom. Thats when you find out
about yourself as a coach and the
group.
You have to back yourself
because youre the one thats got to
lead them out of it.
The Cowboys went on an 11-game

winning streak between round four
and round 16 and Green says he drew
on the experience of 2011.
We were copping plenty of heat
after that Broncos game, he says.
But Id been through worse
situations. You think losing three is
bad . . . well, try losing six.
I had to have a clear picture
about where the team was going.
I did that and stuck to my guns.
If I dont show faith in them,
no-one else will show faith in them.
Im their coach and I have
to show them the way. Its really
important that I practise what
I preach.
Wynnum Manly chairman Rick
Green, Pauls older brother,
provides a fascinating insight into
how his brother handled the dire
start to 2011.
It showcases how if Green
believes something is right, he will
stick with it.
Key Wynnum staff and officials
would meet after each game, but
additional meetings were called
as Pauls tenure was questioned in
certain quarters.
We did have two additional
meetings in that six weeks. No-one

panicked but we asked whether we
were doing anything wrong, Rick
recalls.
Paul was very calm and genuinely
listened to what everyone said . . .
but we couldnt identify anything
that was wrong.
Paul decided that, We have to
keep going with what were doing.
Thats our plan. We believe in it. We
just have to stick to it.
We had a lot of heat on us as a
club but everyone kept their nose to
the grindstone and worked hard to
make sure the players and staff were
protected. Our board was really good
and took a lot of the heat out of it.
That would have been a really
good lesson for him in knowing that
you have got to back yourself and
your structures.
That is exactly what Green did in
2015 with the premiers.
Greens original plan was to play
Morgan at five-eighth in 2014 but
when Coote was ruled out for the
season after rupturing his ACL
at the Auckland Nines, the coach
moved him to fullback.
But once Coote regained his
fitness, it was a no-brainer for Green
to follow through with his original
plan for Morgan.
Green was vindicated in the
80th minute of the grand final
when Morgan set up the matchwinning try for Kyle Feldt to cap a
remarkable year for the 23-year-old
playmaker, who also won an Origin
series with the Maroons.
Morgo has played in the halves as
a kid growing up, so I always knew
he would end up there, Paul says.
But circumstances last year (with
Cootes injury) meant that I thought
he was our best option at fullback.
But I always felt that the year he
spent playing at one would make
him better when he eventually came
back into the halves.
To make that play in a grand final,
at that time . . . just incredible. He
had to make the play, and he did.
Greens father, Maurice, was a
successful coach in the famous
Queensland town of Roma.
The family is close. Rick has
a great story about his old man
wanting to weigh in when the
Cowboys were 0-3.
Paul rang up and Dad answered
the phone and he started, You know
what you have to do. You know what
is wrong with your team, Rick grins.
Paul just said to him, Dad, can
I speak to mum please?
Thats Dad. He just wants to
impart his wisdom and knowledge.
It also sums up Paul. He knows
what he wants and how to get there.
It was Rick who tempted Paul
away from his assistant coaching
role at the Broncos to take a plunge
and coach Wynnum in 2010.
PREMIERSHIPS
ARENT WON IN
MARCH
Green has never
been one to panic
when his side is slow
out of the blocks,
culminating in grand
final wins with
Wynnum Manly in
2011-12 and the
Cowboys this year.
Jake Granville (top
left) has been a key
figure in each of
those teams.
We were copping plenty of heat after

that Broncos loss (in round three). But
Id been through worse situations
John Lang told RLW last year

that he believed it was the making
of Green.
Rick will never forget the pivotal
night he cracked open three of his
best Henschke red wines and two
Penfolds to talk to his brother about
taking the leap to a head coaching
role at Wynnum. The discussions
were long and deep.
It was a one-off investment,
Rick grins.
He said yes that night, no the
next morning and then yes. I got
him across the line in the end.
But Greens original decision
is the one he went with. And that
sums up 43-year-old Paul Green.
Premiership winner. And a man who
sticks to what he believes in.
Former Cowboys centre Brent Tate
had been telling anyone who would
listen for the past two years that
Green had the magic touch.
He was certainly onto something.
If there was ever going to be a
coach who would win that grand
final, it was Greeny, Tate says.
He proved it at Wynnum and he
has proved it on the big stage.
There are those who believed that
2015 was the Cowboys final window
to win a comp after so many heartbreaking near-misses in the previous
three finals series.
But Tate insists if anyone can get
a side prepared to go back-to-back
for the first time in the NRL era, its
Paul Green.
The great thing about Greeny is
that hes all about improving and
getting better, Tate says.
He will evolve and the club will
continue to grow under him because
hes a very good coach.
We all know how hard it is to
go back-to-back but if you wanted
somebody in your corner pushing
the boys and getting them ready for
the challenge then its him.
Greeny will find a way to get
them up next year. RLW
NEWS
Cootes journey from trepidation to jubilation

A string of serious injuries had Cowboys custodian questioning his future in rugby league but a
premiership is just reward for his persistence BY JOEL GOULD & GREG PRICHARD
AKE A LOOK AT THE

sheer joy on Lachlan Cootes
face and its hard to believe the
Cowboys fullback was on the
verge of quitting two years ago.
As he headed up the ANZ Stadium
tunnel on grand final night hugging
Rory Kostjaysn and lugging a hefty
piece of new bling, the 25-year-old
was on top of the world a far cry
from the broken man who hit rock
bottom when a torn pectoral muscle
sidelined him from the majority of
the 2013 season for the Panthers.
Coming on the back of serious
shoulder and osteitis pubis injuries
in 2009 and 2010, it was fair to say
Coote felt cursed.
My lowest thoughts were, Why
I am doing this to myself? Why do
I keep doing this to my body? Im not
getting anything out of it, Coote
reveals.
I was thinking of giving the game
away and doing something else but
the Cowboys came through with a
lifeline. Football is all I know. Its a
big part of my life and I didnt want
to give it up.
I can have a shit day and go to training and feel
good being around my mates every day. I play the
game to be around my mates.
Coote became distraught when the injury curse hit
him again before he had even played a single NRL
game for the Cowboys.
But now that he has won a premiership hes at the
peak of the rollercoaster ride and starting to think his
injury-riddled days may be over.
Coote has sustained several major injuries since
making his debut for the Panthers in 2008, but
hes confident his body has matured and is better

equipped to handle the rigours of the NRL.
After making his Cowboys debut in round three this
year, Coote didnt miss a game.
Im definitely being more professional with what
I do off the field, with all the rehab and everything,
Coote says.
Ive learned a lot because of all the injuries Ive
had. Hopefully, Ive matured now and got past that
period of getting hurt a lot.
I was only 70 kilos when I started playing first
grade and that obviously didnt help

my body. Its a tough game. Im 85
kilos now and Ill stay at that.
As long as I keep doing the hard
work off the field Ive got enough of a
physical buffer.
Coote tore the anterior cruciate
ligament in his knee at the Auckland
Nines at the start of the 2014 season
and didnt play in the NRL last year.
It was a horrendous start to my
time at the Cowboys, Coote says.
I was distraught. Id signed for a
new club and I wasnt able to get out
on the field and win the respect of
the other players in the team and the
Cowboys fans.
It was hard but I got through those
tough times and Im still going.
It was a credit to the coaching staff
and the strength and conditioning
and physio staff that they got me
through the physical and mental
challenge.
And my partner, Laura, being
pregnant as well at the time changed
my perspective on things. We have
now got a son, Bailey, who has just
turned one.
Laura and Bailey really helped me focus on the
positive and the coaching and training staff made it
easier for me to do all of my rehab by not making it
repetitive.
Ive had three shoulder surgeries, a torn pectoral
and ACL, groin injuries you name it.
Its a tough game at times. Im not the biggest
bloke out there and I have seen the worst of rugby
league. Now I have seen the pinnacle.
To win a premiership with the best bunch of fellas
is better than any of my expectations. RLW
THE REV-UP THAT SET JUGGERNAUT JESSE ON THE PATH TO GREATNESS

FIVE YEARS AGO, CRAIG BELLAMY
challenged Jesse Bromwich to show more
mongrel if he wanted to make it in the NRL.
Fast forward to 2015 and the 26-year-old
Kiwi star has hardly missed an NRL game
since and crowned another magnificent
season with his second Storm player-of-theyear award in a row.
The 2012 premiership winner will now lead
the New Zealand pack on a three-Test tour of
England this November.
Melbourne football manager Frank Ponissi
says Bellamys ultimatum was the turning
point in big Jesses career.
Jesse had an outstanding Under-20s

season in 2009 and made the NYC team of
the year, Ponissi says.
Then in his first season of NRL the
following year he played seven games.
Thats when Craig put it on him . . . there
was never any problem about his attitude but
he felt that he wasnt aggressive enough to
be a top-level front-rower.
He took Craigs advice on board and
worked really hard and got better and better
in that regard.
His 2011 was good, 2012 was better and
the last two years he has been superb.
To go back-to-back in our player-of-theyear award is an extraordinary effort when

you consider the players we have here.
Former Kiwi prop Peter Brown, now
a respected player manager with Manu
Vatuvei and Shaun Johnson in his stable,
told RLW earlier this year that missing out on
Bromwich was one of his great regrets.
I think Peter is being a bit hard on himself
because hes not the only talent scout or
coach that missed Jesse over the years,
Ponissi says. Its a remarkable story how he
got to the Melbourne Storm.
Brad Arthur was coaching the Under-20s
in 2009 and we had Jesses brother Kenny in

the system. It was pre-season training and
Kenny said to Brad, You want to be getting
my brother. Hes better than me.
Jesse had moved from Auckland to
Orange to work and play footy with a mate,
so Brad said to tell him to get down to
Melbourne, and he did.
The beauty about Jesse is that it didn't
come easy for him. He does a lot of extras
away from the club where he works privately
with our strength coach Dan DiPasqua, so he
deserves all the success he gets.
JOEL GOULD
whats your team

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Before you sink your teeth into this years top ton, heres a look back at how theyve shaped up since 2011
2011 TOP 100

1. Billy Slater
2. Cameron Smith
3. Johnathan Thurston
4. Benji Marshall
5. Darren Lockyer
6. Greg Inglis
7. Kieran Foran
8. Paul Gallen
9. Jamie Lyon
10. Glenn Stewart
11. Sam Thaiday
12. Justin Hodges
13. Matt Scott
14. Cooper Cronk
15. Kurt Gidley
16. Gareth Ellis
17. Akuila Uate
18. Jarryd Hayne
19. Luke Lewis
20. Sam Burgess
21. Darius Boyd
22. Adam Blair
23. Anthony Watmough
24. Dave Taylor
25. Petero Civoniceva
26. Matt Bowen
27. Issac Luke
28. Sam Tomkins
29. Corey Parker
30. James Roby
31. Rangi Chase
32. Matt Cooper
33. Brett Stewart
34. Robbie Farah
35. Jamie Soward
36. Greg Bird
37. Jeremy Smith
38. Kevin Locke
39. Michael Monaghan
40. Manu Vatuvei
41. Josh Dugan
42. Mitchell Pearce
43. James Graham
44. Jharal Yow Yeh
45. Chris Lawrence
46. Jamal Idris
47. Michael Jennings
48. Jason Nightingale
49. Mark Gasnier
50. Michael Ennis
51. Beau Scott

52. Ben Barba
53. Sean OLoughlin
54. Nathan Merritt
55. Michael Weyman
56. Daly Cherry-Evans
57. Thomas Leuluai
58. Ben Creagh
59. Ben Hannant
60. Feleti Mateo
61. Simon Mannering
62. Matt King
63. Willie Tonga
64. Chris Sandow
65. Brett Morris
66. David Shillington
67. Will Hopoate
68. Tariq Sims
69. Nathan Hindmarsh
70. Steve Matai
71. Danny Buderus
72. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
73. Adrian Morley
74. Frank Pritchard
75. Pat Richards
76. Gareth Widdop
77. Steve Menzies
78. Sam Perrett
79. Terry Campese
80. Chris Heighington
81. Anthony Minichiello
82. Tony Williams
83. Joel Monaghan
84. Sam Rapira
85. Jack Reed
86. Brett Hodgson
87. James Maloney
88. Micheal Luck
89. Keith Galloway
90. Shaun Johnson
91. Rob Burrow
92. Ben Westwood
93. David Ferriol
94. Lee Briers
95. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
96. David Mead
97. Scott Dureau
98. Ryan Hoffman
99. Kirk Yeaman
100. Clint Newton
2012 TOP 100

1. Greg Inglis
2. Cameron Smith
4. Billy Slater
5. Cooper Cronk
6. Ben Barba
7. Sam Burgess
8. Paul Gallen
9. Jamie Lyon
10. Sam Tomkins
11. Matt Scott
12. Josh Morris
13. James Graham
14. Nate Myles
15. James Tamou
16. Robbie Farah
17. Matt Bowen
18. Brett Stewart
19. Todd Carney
20. Adam Reynolds
21. Josh Reynolds
22. Ryan Hoffman
23. Glenn Stewart
24. Brett Morris
25. Benji Marshall
26. Sam Kasiano
27. Sam Thaiday
28. Kieran Foran
29. Issac Luke
30. James Roby
31. Brent Tate
33. David Shillington
35. Tim Grant
36. Luke Lewis
37. Gareth Widdop
38. Ben Matulino
39. Greg Bird
40. Justin Hodges
41. Michael Ennis
42. Shaun Fensom
43. Aiden Tolman
44. Frank Pritchard
45. Aaron Woods
47. Ben Teo
48. Ashley Graham
49. Tony Williams
50. Simon Mannering
51. Alex Glenn

52. Ryan Hall
53. Josh McGuire
54. Trent Merrin
55. Corey Parker
56. Nathan Merritt
57. Steve Matai
58. Jeremy Smith
59. Feleti Mateo
60. Dave Taylor
61. Josh Papalii
62. Josh McCrone
63. Jarrod Croker
64. Jarryd Hayne
65. Nathan Hindmarsh
66. Akuila Uate
67. Ben Westwood
68. Ben Hannant
69. Thomas Leuluai
70. Krisnan Inu
71. Mitchell Pearce
72. Mitch Rein
73. Josh Dugan
75. Sean OLoughlin
77. Jesse Bromwich
78. Kevin Proctor
79. Gareth Ellis
80. Darius Boyd
81. Joel Monaghan
82. Josh Hoffman
83. Matt Gillett
84. Ben Creagh
86. Chris Lawrence
87. Gavin Cooper
88. Danny Buderus
89. Lachlan Coote
90. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
91. James Maloney
92. Jorge Taufua
93. Keith Galloway
94. Ron Burrow
95. Beau Scott
96. Manu Vatuvei
97. Willie Mason
98. Shaun Johnson
99. Petero Civoniceva
100. Gareth Hock
2013 TOP 100

1. Greg Inglis
3. Cameron Smith
4. Cooper Cronk
6. Jamie Lyon
7. Sonny Bill Williams
8. Kieran Foran
9. Sam Burgess
10. Billy Slater
11. Sam Tomkins
12. Paul Gallen
13. Andrew Fifita
14. Corey Parker
15. Matt Scott
17. Issac Luke
19. Luke Lewis
20. Greg Bird
21. Brett Stewart
22. James Maloney
23. Nate Myles
24. James Roby
25. Robbie Farah
27. James Graham
28. Josh Morris
29. Todd Carney
30. Glenn Stewart
31. Adam Reynolds
32. Jake Friend
33. Jarryd Hayne
34. Justin Hodges
35. Mitchell Pearce
36. Darius Boyd
37. Brent Tate
38. Sam Thaiday
39. James Tamou
40. Josh Charnley
41. Brett Morris
42. Boyd Cordner
43. John Sutton
44. Shaun Johnson
45. Jarrod Mullen
46. Jesse Bromwich
47. Matt Ballin
49. Michael Gordon
50. Josh Hoffman
51. Josh Reynolds

52. Steve Matai
53. Jorge Taufua
54. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
55. George Burgess
56. Ryan Hoffman
57. Chris McQueen
58. Simon Mannering
59. Trent Merrin
60. Josh Dugan
61. Anthony Minichiello
62. Akuila Uate
63. Josh Papalii
64. Jeremy Smith
65. Ben Teo
66. Ben Matulino
67. Tim Grant
68. Wade Graham
69. Justin Horo
70. Manu Vatuvei
71. Anthony Milford
72. Danny Brough
73. Lewis Brown
74. Kevin Locke
75. Konrad Hurrell
76. Aaron Woods
77. Willie Mason
78. Sika Manu
79. Blake Ferguson
80. Nathan Merritt
81. Joel Monaghan
82. Kevin Proctor
83. David Williams
84. Beau Scott
85. Sean OLoughlin
86. Jamal Idris
87. Michael Ennis
88. Matt Gillett
89. Jamie Peacock
91. Matt Bowen
92. Albert Kelly
93. Ryan Hall
94. Frank Pritchard
95. Gareth Widdop
96. Ben Barba
97. Sam Moa
98. Greg Eastwood
99. Sam Kasiano
100. Dave Taylor
2014 TOP 100

1. Greg Inglis
3. Sam Burgess
4. Jarryd Hayne
5. Cameron Smith
6. Cooper Cronk
7. James Graham
9. Matt Scott
10. Billy Slater
11. Kieran Foran
12. Sonny Bill Williams
13. Paul Gallen
14. Sam Thaiday
15. Corey Parker
16. Jamie Lyon
17. Issac Luke
18. Greg Bird
19. Robbie Farah
20. Justin Hodges
21. Mitchell Pearce
22. Gareth Widdop
23. Jesse Bromwich
24. George Burgess
25. Nate Myles
26. Ben Hunt
27. Jake Friend
28. Shaun Johnson
29. Brett Stewart
30. Brett Morris
31. Sean OLoughlin
32. Matt Gillett
33. Jamie Soward
35. Aaron Woods
36. Ben Teo
37. James Segeyaro
38. Adam Reynolds
39. Steve Matai
40. Jason Taumalolo
41. Aidan Guerra
42. Josh Reynolds
43. Josh Dugan
44. Beau Scott
45. Trent Hodkinson
46. Matt Moylan
47. Boyd Cordner
49. Trent Merrin
50. Anthony Milford
51. Luke Lewis

52. Ryan Hoffman
53. Andrew Fifita
55. Josh Jackson
56. Simon Mannering
58. Darius Boyd
59. James Tamou
60. Josh Morris
61. Sam Tomkins
62. Josh Charnley
63. John Sutton
64. Dylan Walker
65. Ben Matulino
66. Konrad Hurrell
67. Sam Moa
68. Kallum Watkins
69. Aiden Tolman
70. Kevin Proctor
71. Tariq Sims
72. Semi Radradra
73. Michael Morgan
74. Josh Papalii
75. Jarrod Mullen
76. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
77. Manu Vatuvei
78. Chris Hill
79. Wade Graham
80. James Roby
81. Josh Mansour
82. Luke Brooks
83. Brent Tate
84. Greg Eastwood
85. Peter Wallace
86. Jamal Idris
87. Alex Johnston
88. Joel Monaghan
89. Jarrod Croker
90. Will Chambers
91. Shaun Fensom
92. Ryan Hall
93. Jamie Peacock
94. Daniel Tupou
95. Elijah Taylor
96. James Maloney
97. Daryl Clark
98. Michael Gordon
99. Morgan Escare
100. Joe Burgess
NOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2015
H, WHAT A YEAR! The Cowboys broke their drought and Bronco hearts all in the same
night. The Mighty Maroons broke the Blues spirit and all sorts of records in a Game
Three romp that returned the Origin Shield to Queensland. A runaway Fijian winger
broke a club legends tryscoring record at Parramatta and a pair of rampant Roosters
ran for almost 8000 metres between them to storm into the top 10 of RLWs Top 100 Players.
Thats elite company indeed when you look at the names that feature in our fifth annual Top 100
and then consider those who have missed out! From premiership heroes to Origin legends and
rookie Sharks who regularly put the bite on more seasoned rivals, the Top 100 for 2015 makes for
compelling reading. We trust youll enjoy it . . . and give us your feedback. Theres another issue
of The Bible on sale October 26 and well feature some of the best responses to our list.
So turn the page and let the debate begin. RLW
JOSH
BEAU
TRENT
oN 100 JOEBURGESS No99DANIEL
o
o
o
N 98HODGSON N 97 SCOTT N 96 HODKINSON
TUPOU
WIGAN
LAST YEAR: 100
Not every Burgess playing in England

this year has come under fire. No sir.
Winger Joe Burgess no relation to
those Burgess brothers has been in
outstanding form for Wigan, scoring
26 tries from 29 appearances this
year and earning a place in the Super
League Dream Team. A towering
flyer, he has freakish aerial skills and
scorching pace in open play. Sam
Tomkins modest impact in the NRL
with the Warriors may have softened
expectations, but even so, the Sydney
Roosters appear to have pulled off
a coup by recruiting the 21-year-old
flanker on a three-year deal from
2016. PHIL WILKINSON
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 94
Daniel Tupou might not remember his

patchy 2015 season as one of his best,
but Roosters fans will never forget
the loyalty he showed by re-signing
with the Tricolours until the end of
2017 for $300,000 less than he was
offered in French rugby, and also
turning down junior club Parramatta
when the salary-cap squeeze seemed
certain to shoo him out of Bondi.
Tupou overcame a mid-year form
slump, which cost him his NSW jersey,
to finish with 16 tries from 27 games,
using the NRLs longest Go-Go-Gadget
arms to great effect in the Roosters
charge to a third straight minor
premiership. TOM SMITH
RAIDERS
NEW ARRIVAL
If Blake Austin was the buy of the year,

his team-mate Josh Hodgson wasnt
far behind. The English hooker came
to Canberra as a relative unknown but
had a superb debut season, playing
every game and immediately adapting
to the tough school that is the NRL.
His 12 try assists were second only to
playmaker Sam Williams and he gave
the Raiders direction and impetus
out of dummy-half. On the tackle
count, he was second behind only the
workaholic Shaun Fensom and held up
the middle well. Few Englishmen have
adapted to the NRL more smoothly
and the 25-year-old from Hull will only
get better in 2016. TONY ADAMS
KNIGHTS
LAST YEAR: 44
A big drop from No.44 on this list

last year, but a man who could be
excused for playing like his mind
was elsewhere. After cutting short
his Knights contract to sign with
Parramatta, Scott revealed that his
sons medical complications were a
heavy consideration. If that wasnt
enough, he had to contend with a
Newcastle team that spluttered from
a brilliant start to a wooden-spoon
finish, the departure of his coach
and a meek surrendering of the
Blues hard-fought Origin crown from
last season. Wouldnt be surprising
to see him thrive with a change of
environment. ROBERT BURGIN
BULLDOGS
LAST YEAR: 45
Trent Hodkinson may have dropped

down the list of our Top 100 players
but he remained a vital cog in
the Bulldogs and Blues attacking
machinery in 2015. And the Knights
are pinning their hopes on Hodkinson
to be their main man next season, so
the somewhat maligned halfback still
has plenty to offer. Injuries affected
Hodkinson in 2015 he played only
19 games and was restricted in his
running game, yet still came up with
11 try assists, many via his radar right
boot. If the Knights can get him fit
and firing, he will be a very handy
asset and the answer to their halfback
problems of recent years. TA
DYLAN
MICHAEL
oN 92 GREG
o
o
EASTWOOD N 91 WALKER
N 90GORDON
BULLDOGS
LAST YEAR: 84
Beast by name, beast by nature.

The Kiwi lock is perhaps the most
fearsome player in the games most
imposing pack. A hulking mass of a
man, Eastwoods ability to force his
way through the tightest of defences
is matched only by his ability to
rock opponents with brutal hits.
Dogs coach Des Hasler will often
look for the Keebra Park graduate
to get his side rolling early on and
he never disappoints. Eastwood is
also a surprisingly disciplined player
having conceded only one penalty
in 24 matches this year, although he
did earn a one-week suspension for a
dangerous tackle. SR
RABBITOHS
NEW ARRIVAL
The agile Souths centre showed that

last years Kangaroos call-up was no
fluke with a series of mature displays
in 2015. Initially regarded as just a
flashy finisher, Walker, still only 21,
proved that he also has plenty of grit
by tearing the Tigers apart in round
three, despite playing most of the
game with a broken hand. Walkers
combination with Alex Johnston
should ensure that Souths score a
stack of four-pointers through their
left edge in the years to come. Made
headlines for all the wrong reasons
in September after overdosing on
prescription painkillers and ending up
in hospital for three days. SR
TOHU
oN 87 JOSH
o
REYNOLDS N 86 HARRIS
BULLDOGS
LAST YEAR: 42
Reynolds 2015 season was almost

as erratic as the man himself. One
of the nicest blokes youll ever meet
off the field, the man known as
Grub is often a maniac on it. The
26-year-old had a shocking start to
the season, with ill-discipline earning
him three suspensions twice for
blatant trips. Reynolds bounced
back from losing his NSW jersey
with a handful of match-winning
performances for Canterbury late
in the season. With Trent Hodkinson
leaving for Newcastle, Des Hasler will
be expecting a lot more maturity from
Reynolds as the senior halves partner
with Moses Mbye in 2016. SR
SHARKS
LAST YEAR: 98
Flash Gordon was the saviour of the

universe according to the Queen
song from the film Flash Gordon
and had Cronulla gone further
than that semi-final flogging by the
eventual premiers, Sharks fullback
Michael Flash Gordon . . . mightve
. . . given the journo a better segue
than this one which has petered out
into nothingness. Regardless, the
quicksilver custodian emerged from
the funk of Parra politics to play a
super hand in the Sharks charge
deep into September. Fast, smart,
direct, above-average goalkicking.
Not allowing him to leave early was
a wise move by Sharkie suits.
MATT CLEARY
STORM
NEW ARRIVAL
Tohu Harris might look like hes

just wandered out of a cave or
a convention of Geoff Robinson
look-alikes straight into the Storm
dressing room, but the wild-andwoolly 23-year-old is the model of
consistency for Craig Bellamys men.
Harris has missed only one match
since making his debut for Melbourne
in the opening round of 2013 and
quickly developed into a reliable
80-minute second-rower when
Bellamy shifted him into the starting
side this season, forming a formidable
back-row partnership with fellow
hirsute New Zealander Kevin Proctor
at both NRL and Test level. TS
PETA
oN 95 COREY
o
NORMAN N 94 HIKU
oN 93 JASON
NIGHTINGALE
Playing on a team that was a laughing

stock at times this year, Norman has
perhaps become
one of the most
overlooked and
undervalued
players in the
competition. When
hes on song,
Norman can control a game like few
others. Growing with the maturity and
added responsibility that each season
brings, and no longer the bit-player he
was in Brisbane. His relationship with
Eels recruit Kieran Foran will be one of
the biggest talking points to come out
of 2016. RB
The Warriors pushed very hard to

sign the ultra-consistent Dragons
winger, reportedly throwing a
truckload of money to lure him
to Auckland. But in spite of his
nickname, Gypsy decided to stay
at Kogarah for two more seasons.
Nightingale, 29, averaged 127
running metres a game this year,
the third-best figure recorded by a
Dragons player. Hes clearly a pretty
loyal bloke as well, judging by the
fact he took a sizeable pay cut to
remain with the Red V. Has 86 tries
from 197 games, which is a decent
strike rate. SR
EELS
NEW ARRIVAL
DRAGONS
LAST YEAR: 48
SEA EAGLES
NEW ARRIVAL
The 22-year-old has everything you

look for in a modern winger speed,
a good leap and a pair of hands
stickier than flypaper coated in
honey. Hiku grabbed eight tries this
year, including a hat-trick in Manlys
28-8 win against Souths in round 22.
Capable of playing almost anywhere
in the backline and showed off that
versatility by slotting in at centre in
Dean Whares absence as the Kiwis
belted Australia in Mays Anzac Test
at Suncorp Stadium. Hiku will no
doubt prove an important attacking
asset for Trent Barrett when the
rookie coach arrives at Brookvale
next season. STEVEN RUSSO
BENJI
o
oN 89 DEAN
N 88 MARSHALL
WHARE
PANTHERS
NEW ARRIVAL
DRAGONS
NEW ARRIVAL
Theres not enough Os in smooth to

describe this silky Panthers centre,
who would have clawed his way higher
up this list if thumb and hamstring
injuries didnt limit him to only 13
matches in 2015. Lightning-fast feet
and rock-solid defence make Whare
one of the classiest three-quarters
in the game. The Rotorua-born
speedster made 25 appearances
in three seasons at Manly but has
blossomed since joining the Panthers
in 2013. A torn hammy sidelined the
25-year-old from Mays Anzac Test
but hes back for the Kiwis tour of
England next month . . . and Pommies,
you better look out. TS
When Benji made his calamitous

return to the NRL against the Eels
in round 10 last year it appeared
he was destined for the scrap heap.
The Dragons got flogged 36-zip and
the magic was gone. But rather than
wallow in self-pity, Benji got on with
improving his game and re-igniting
the passion that made him a hero to
so many kids during his time at the
Tigers. And thats exactly what the
30-year-old did in 2015, producing
18 try assists and 13 linebreak assists
as the Red V marched to an unlikely
finals berth and gave their legion of
fans confidence for 2016. Nice to have
you back, Benji! MARTIN LENEHAN
WARRIORS
LAST YEAR: 56
BRONCOS
NEW ARRIVAL
ANDREW
JOSH
ROBBIE
CAMERON
oN 85SIMON
o
o
o
o
MANNERING N 84 McCULLOUGH N 83 McGUIRE N 82 FARAH
N 81MUNSTER
In a way, Warriors skipper Simon
Mannering doesnt fit in at the
Warriors at all. Were not for moment
suggesting that hes unpopular.
Its just that unlike most of his
team-mates who drift in an out of
games, Mannering is the picture of
consistency. The Nelson-born backrower barely ever misses a tackle
and can always be relied upon for a
vital hit-up when the chips are down.
Quieter than a mute church mouse
off the field, Mannering remains
a bit of a mystery to most New
Zealanders, despite having played
236 games for the Auckland outfit
since his 2005 debut. SR
Durability is part of what makes a

great athlete, said Bill Russell, one of
the NBAs greatest players of all time.
If so, then Broncos hooker Andrew
McCullough is set
for a great career.
At age 25 he has
already played 175
first-grade games
and is on track to
hit the 300 mark
by age 30. McCullough isnt flash or
fancy, although his trademark dummy
still fools the best defenders in the
game. Averages 50 tackles a game
and shares a great partnership with
No.7 Ben Hunt. JOEL GOULD
BRONCOS
NEW ARRIVAL
Its a big feather in Josh McGuires

cap that he made this list despite
missing more than three months of
the season through injury. McGuire
was a standout for Samoa during
last years Four Nations and carried
that form into the 2015 NRL season.
His blockbusting runs and offloading
ability earned the 25-year-old a
Queensland debut in Origin One.
Unfortunately, The Big Show missed
the Maroons victory in Game Three
as well as the Broncos charge to the
grand final after tearing his Achilles
in June. If he fully recovers, McGuire
looks set to swap Samoan blue for
Aussie green and gold. SR
TIGERS
LAST YEAR: 19
This will be forever remembered as

the year Robbie Farah took a oneway trip from the penthouse to the
outhouse. First his club tried to punt
him, and now indifferent form has
caused him to plummet an incredible
63 places on RLWs Best 100 list. On
his day Farah is one of the games
most dynamic attacking hookers and
he also defends like a man possessed,
racking up 60 tackles in Origin One.
But Tigers coach Jason Taylor has
already told Farah that hes likely to
play NSW Cup if he remains at Camp
Concord in 2016, and if the 31-year-old
wants to avoid this fate hell need to
pick up his act . . . and fast! SR
STORM
NEW ARRIVAL
Hands up anyone who predicted

this time last year that Melbournes
21-year-old tattooed tyro would burst
into such an esteemed list? No one
I know, thats for sure! Twelve months
ago, Munster hardly set the world on
fire deputising at fullback for Billy
Slater in a 22-0 loss to the Cowboys
in his only NRL start. But by the end
of 2015, after injury ended Slaters
year in June, Munster had made the
rugby league world stand up and take
notice. As Sam Thaiday remarked to
fellow Maroons star Cameron Smith
after Munster starred against the
Broncos in round 26: Im glad hes a
Queenslander! PHIL MITCHELL
SAM
o
oN 80 ZAKHARDAKER No79 TYSON
N 78 MOA
FRIZELL
DYLAN
oN 77 RYAN
o
HOFFMAN N 76NAPA
Move over, Rangi Chase. Theres now

a recipient of Super Leagues coveted
Man of Steel award with an even
cooler name! Leeds No.1 Hardaker has
been sensational for the Challenge
Cup winners, and rightly took home
the prize for the English comps
best player. His electric bursts have
been replayed on highlight reels but
the 24-year-old has been equally
impressive in defence, too. As elusive
as hes been, Hardaker hasnt dodged
controversy he feared the sack after
an assault on a student in March, only
a year after copping a five-match ban
for homophobic abuse during a game
against Warrington. PW
Ryan Hoffman joined the Warriors as

a marquee signing in 2015 and only
injury prevented him from fulfilling
his destiny. Hoffman began his new
career across the ditch well, and was a
key figure in the Warriors mid-season
run that made the Kiwi outfit the talk
of the NRL. But when the rot set in
for the Warriors towards the end of
the season, Hoffman had fallen to
injury, like many of his team-mates.
Several concussions also dulled his
impact during the season but with
no end-of-season commitments with
the Kangaroos, Hoffman should come
back fresh and fit and be a danger
lurking on the edges. TA
LEEDS
NEW ARRIVAL
DRAGONS
NEW ARRIVAL
When Blues legend Brad Fittler labels

you definite Origin material theres
clearly something special about you.
This was a breakout year for Dragons
forward Frizell, who evolved from
being a stock-standard first-grader
to a Blues shadow player. The Welsh
international is one of the games
best edge runners and hes also a
tireless defender, having racked
up an average of 37 bone-rattling
tackles a game in 2015. Thats not to
say hes just a battering ram Frizell
is quick on his feet despite his 108kg
frame. The Corrimal product will
almost certainly represent NSW in
2016. SR
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 67
Built like a pocket battleship, Sam

Moa makes up for what he lacks in
size with a whole-hearted approach
every time he takes the field. After
modest stints at Cronulla and Hull FC,
the 183cm, 105kg front-rower has
proved a revelation for the Roosters
since debuting in 2013. He goes about
his business with a minimum of fuss
and when the Roosters lost Jared
Waerea-Hargreaves for the run home,
it was Moa who put his hand up to
shoulder the extra workload. His
influence had a huge effect on young
lions Dylan Napa and Kane Evans and
he is a great role model on and off the
field. TA
WARRIORS
LAST YEAR: 52
If praise from a respected fellow

player is the biggest rap a footballer
can receive, then Dylan Napa is
entitled to puff his chiselled chest
out. Upon announcing his retirement
from the NRL in August, Panthers
hitman Nigel Plum surprisingly chose
Napa as the toughest player he had
faced during his decade of rattling
ribcages. Thats some rap for a bloke
who doesnt turn 23 until next month
and has only 58 NRL appearances
on his resume. But already Napa has
delivered more big hits than a pub
jukebox on a Saturday night, and Plum
will be delighted to see the Ginger
Ninja break into the Top 100. PM
MARIKA
JOSH
o
o
oN 70 LACHLAN
N 69PAPALII N 68 KOROIBETE
COOTE
COWBOYS
NEW ARRIVAL
For the first six years of his career

the Cowboys fullback seemed to
be the victim of some kind of evil
curse. Three shoulder surgeries,
a torn pectoral, ACL and groin
injuries seemed destined to bring a
premature end to what promised to
be a wonderful career. The 25-yearold thought about giving the game
away at his lowest ebb. But 2015 gave
Lachlan Coote the opportunity to
showcase his game sense, speed
and precision left-foot kicking
game. JT used to have his
electric partner in crime,
Matty Mango Bowen, at
the back to finish off the
magic he created and
now he has Coote, who has
proved to be one of the
Cowboys best buys in their
history. JG
RAIDERS
LAST YEAR: 74
STORM
NEW ARRIVAL
The Raiders hitman produced

arguably his most consistent season
in 2015, playing every game and
coming up with a career-high eight
tries. Papalii was a handful for rival
defences and enhanced his reputation
as one of the hardest tacklers in the
NRL. At 23, he passed the 100-game
mark in round 22 against the Tigers
and is developing into a forward
leader for Ricky Stuart. The nuggety
Auckland-born enforcer capped a
fine year by winning a recall to the
Queensland team for the final Origin
game, scoring a try in the Maroons
record 52-6 romp against the Blues at
Suncorp Stadium. TA
Take a poll of NRL wingers about

who is the hardest opponent to mark
and plenty will write down Marika
Koroibetes name. The Fijian flyer
had another superb season for Craig
Bellamys Stormtroopers, leading
their tryscoring with 16 strikes from
23 games. Koroibete also finished
second behind boom youngster
Cameron Munster in tacklebreaks and
linebreaks, and if given half a chance,
often converted busts into tries. Fast,
strong and fearless, Koroibete is a
crowd favourite at AAMI Park and
destined to score many more tries
for the Purple People in seasons to
come. TA
CATALAN
NEW ARRIVAL
BRONCOS
NEW ARRIVAL
JACK
oN 65 TODD
o
CARNEY
N 64 REED
Carney has long been a player to
polarise opinion should he have
been sacked by the Sharks or not?
And his inclusion on RLWs Top
100 list will be no different. Has he
carved up Super League? No. Injuries
restricted Carney, the 2010 RLIF
International Player of the Year, to
only 12 appearances for French Super
League club Catalan. But his stock
remains high and when he did play,
his quality was present in abundance,
particularly his varied and razor-sharp
pass selection. Catalan rewarded him
with a new three-year deal which, on
the surface, would appear to delay an
eventual return to the NRL. PW
ROOSTERS
NEW ARRIVAL
You cant help but admire a bloke

who plays through a grand final after
twice dislocating his shoulder. But
what else would you expect from
Reed, who has battled back from a
broken collarbone, a busted leg and
ongoing neck complaints in his five
seasons of first grade. The resilient
Reed is one of the best defensive
centres in the comp, and was among
the Broncos best during their
heartbreaking grand final loss to the
Cowboys. Not only did he help lay
on Corey Oates runaway try, he also
made two try-saving tackles on Justin
ONeill and Kyle Feldt within three
minutes of each other. SR
oN 75JACK
BIRD
JAMES
RYAN
oN 74 KALLUM
o
o
WATKINS N 73 SEGEYARO N 72 HALL
oN 71 JAMES
ROBY
Some dudes just look like they

belong. And 20-year-old Sharks
five-eighth Jack Bird, floating
around a couple off the ruck, ripping
off various moves, running, passing,
kicking, or all three in the one slick
movement, has first grade stamped
upon him as with cattle mans
branding iron. And if youre playing
first grade aged 20 and looking
like the idea of dominating a game
isnt going to freak you out, indeed
you see no big deal about it, youve
got something a bit out of the box.
Josh Reynolds has the same stuff.
And the Sharkies have a hot one in
Bird. MC
For a nation that used to provide

truckloads of world-class centres
from Gary Connolly to Garry Schofield
the Poms have struggled in that
position in recent years. Leeds Kallum
Watkins has ended that drought. He
could be the best British centre we've
had, enthused former captain Jamie
Peacock. The 24-year-old rockets out
of the blocks like a drag-racing car,
and his silky footwork stop, step,
shimmy, go again is capable of
unlocking the tightest of defences.
Signed a long-term, five-year deal
with Leeds last season . . . but that
hasnt stopped cashed-up rugby clubs
circling him. PW
How good is he? Really? I was a

pretty decent No.9, offered St Helens
coach Keiron Cunningham, with no
shortage of modesty. But I'm telling
you, I never came close to this kid.
He is a machine and easily one of
the best players in the comp. Easily.
Robys fantastic engine he made 61
tackles in a match against Wigan last
month often propels him through
80 minutes, and is complemented
by deceptive pace and a complete
dummy-half skillset. Look out for the
29-year-old in Englands series against
the Kiwis this November, where hes
likely to share the dummy-half duties
with Raider Josh Hodgson. PW
SHARKS
NEW ARRIVAL
LEEDS
LAST YEAR: 68
JAMES
oN 67 MANU
o
VATUVEI
N 66 MALONEY
WARRIORS
LAST YEAR: 77
The Beast is a frightening prospect in

full flight. With his gold teeth, gentle
nature and undoubted charisma,
Manu Vatuvei is a cult figure at the
Warriors and a fan favourite wherever
he goes. The 29-year-old winger more
than makes up for an occasional error
with his freakish try-scoring abilities.
Easily the Warriors greatest tryscorer
of all time with 146 touchdowns from
210 games, Vatuvei played only two
of the clubs final nine games in 2015
due to injury, and boy, big Manu was
sorely missed. Vatuvei rejected offers
from rugby union this year to re-sign
with the Warriors until the end of
2018. JG
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 96
A key figure in the Roosters title

triumph in 2013, James Maloney
suffered from a bit of a grand final
hangover in 2014. But he more than
made amends this year with a stellar
season for the Tricolours, playing
every minute of every one of the clubs
27 games. The 29-year-old was also up
in runs per game, metres per game,
try assists and linebreak assists on the
previous year. Maloney nearly doubled
his try tally in 12 months (from five to
nine) and proved the link man in one
of the NRLs most lethal backlines. The
Roosters loss will be Cronullas gain,
as he joins the Sharkies on a threeyear deal next season. TA
JOSH
oN 63 JAMIE
o
SOWARD N 62 JACKSON
PANTHERS
LAST YEAR: 33
When Jamie Soward is bopping

about behind a dominant forward
pack hes capable of all the moves
of rugby league derring-do. Highskilled hands, hot feet, 40-20s and
fizzing torpedo spiral passes that
set wingmen free. And he looks to
enjoy the game like few others. This
season, behind a decimated Penrith
Panthers pack, Soward has slipped
from 33rd to 63rd on the Bibles
man-rankings. Yet he played a heap
of fine footy and was mentioned in
despatches for a gig back in Blue.
Haters gonna hate, as they say. But at
30, theres still plenty of juice left in
Jamie Soward. MC
PANTHERS
LAST YEAR: 37
While he probably didnt reach the

heights of last year, Segeyaro still
had a reasonably successfully season.
With halves Jamie Soward and Peter
Wallace out for large portions of
2015, the livewire No.9 was forced
to take over the playmaking reins
at the foot of the mountains and
did an admirable job. A whiz out of
dummy-half, Segeyaro made the most
linebreaks for Penrith this season
and was rewarded with a call-up to
the Prime Ministers XIII side against
his native Papua New Guinea. He
probably would have been higher on
this list had Penriths injury crisis not
caused him to be spread so thin. SR
LEEDS
LAST YEAR: 92
His nickname is WBW World's Best

Winger. Many will argue he hasn't even
been the best winger in the Super
League this season, with Roostersbound Joe Burgess and Huddersfield's
Jermaine McGillvary both picked
ahead of him in the fictitious Dream
Team line-up. But Hall's big-game
credentials are unquestioned. When
Leeds needed a try in their last game
to win the League Leaders Shield, he
scored. When they needed a winning
try in the semi-final to book a grand
final place, he scored. Blessed with
freakish power, Hall has frequently
been one of England's best at Test
level, too. PW
ST HELENS
LAST YEAR: 80
oN 61 MATT
GILLETT
BRONCOS
LAST YEAR: 32
Matt Gillett is a typical Wayne

Bennett player and thrived when
the Mastercoach returned to the
Broncos in 2015. The 27-yearold played the most games in
his six-year NRL career (26) and
was a workhorse in both attack
and defence just what Bennett
ordered from his strongly built
back-rower. It wasnt Gilletts
most spectacular season for the
Broncos he scored only three
tries and laid on two more, well
down on his career average but
Gillett had a huge work-rate in
all aspects of the game and again
represented Queensland with
distinction in Origin. TA
BULLDOGS
LAST YEAR: 55
The hard-nosed Doggie continued to

develop into one of the NRLs most
polished forwards in 2015, adding
NSW State of Origin honours to an
already impressive resume. At only 24,
the laconic country lad has played two
grand finals, represented his country
and looked right at home when given
his chance in the Origin arena. Jackson
came of age last year, helping the
Bulldogs to the grand final, and was
again solid in 2015 shining in a
pack that struggled for consistency.
While some of the Dogs big men went
missing in vital games, Des Hasler
knew he could count on Jackson to do
the dirty work week in, week out. TA
No60
ANDREW
FIFITA
SHARKS
LAST YEAR: 53
Separating Fifita the player from

Fifita the personality is becoming
harder and harder as his profile
grows. He makes this list for the
devastating on-field qualities he
brings to the Sharks, despite the
six-week suspension for threatening
a park footy referee. Interestingly,
Cronulla won four of their six games
during his suspension, including a
win against the eventual premiers.
Has the game at his feet if he can
conquer his demons and refine the
technical points of his game, while
still retaining that ad-lib style that
fans love to watch. RB
JAMES
MARTIN
oN 59 ADAM
o
o
N 58 ROBERTS N 57 TAUPAU
BLAIR
BRONCOS
NEW ARRIVAL
From barnstorming with the Storm

to turning it up at the Tigers and now
blitzing at the Broncos, it has been
quite a journey for the 29-year-old
forward. With his Tigers nightmare
behind him, Blair flourished under
Wayne Bennett in 2015 and by the
time the grand final rolled around he
was making metres and massive hits
with monotonous regularity. Blair
relished his move to prop, thriving on
the responsibility when Josh McGuire
went down with injury. The beaming
smile was back, the passion was
back and the vice-captaincy of New
Zealands squad to tour England was
just reward for a super season. ML
TITANS
NEW ARRIVAL
Rugby league has had more

redemption stories than big Georgie
Rose has had hot dinners, but James
Roberts promises to be one of the
more memorable turnaround tales
our game has seen. Sacked by Souths
in 2012 and Penrith in 2014 for offfield misbehaviour, the jet-heeled
centre has found a home on the Gold
Coast, closer to his home town of
Ballina and settled with his partner,
Anna. In 2015, the 22-year-olds
sizzling speed bagged him 16 tries,
the sixth-most tackle breaks in the
comp (96), and the Dally M Centre
of the Year award . . . not bad for a
bloke punted by two clubs. TS
TIGERS
NEW ARRIVAL
We all have our favourites, some for

no reason we can put our fingers on.
They neednt be the fastest, most
skilful, biggest, whatever, theres just
something about them. We just like
em. And for this journo, that man
is our man Martin Taupau, the aptly
named Ka-pow Taupau, the Wests
Tigers all-action prop. What a ripper.
Barnstorming charges and hard
barges. Full frontal, sweat-jolting
defence. Blood, spit and vigour. Even
hints of the bloodthirsty crazy man,
the Bond villain with throat-slitting
gestures and gold teeth. First time in
RLWs top man ton and it sure as hell
wont be the last. MC
MATT
JAKE
MICHAEL
JAKE
oN 54 MICHAEL
o
o
o
o
N 53 MOYLAN N 52 GRANVILLE N 51JENNINGS N 50 FRIEND
ENNIS
SHARKS
NEW ARRIVAL
Some critics at Cronulla werent happy

that the club signed veteran Ennis in
2015 to replace the much younger
Michael Lichaa. But the 31-year-old
enjoyed one of the finest seasons
of his 13-year NRL career, revelling
in his new Shire surroundings. He
gave the Sharks a much-needed new
hard edge with his uncompromising
style of play and was instrumental in
the turnaround that resulted in the
club going from wooden spooners to
semi-finalists. Ennis came up with 16
try assists the second highest tally
of his career to more than pay his
way and prove hes still got what it
takes. TA
PANTHERS
LAST YEAR: 46
Matt Moylans brilliance is shown by

how badly Penrith struggled without
him in 2015. From the moment Moylan
injured his ankle in a fateful local
derby against the Eels in May, the
Panthers were shot ducks. They lost
nine of 13 games in his absence and
never looked like a finals team. Still
only 24 with exactly 50 NRL games
to his name, Moylan has the ability
to become the games next great
fullback, following in the footsteps of
the likes of Jarryd Hayne, Billy Slater
and Greg Inglis. Cool under pressure, a
brilliant reader of play and deceptively
quick, he has superstar written all
over him. TA
BLAKE
oN 47 BOYD
o
CORDNER N 46 AUSTIN
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 47
Boyd Cordner capped a productive

season for the Roosters in 2015 by
collecting the Jack Gibson Medal
the much sought-after prize for
the clubs best player. Big, strong
and mobile, Cordner was a constant
threat on the edges and played
25 games this season his most
in the top grade since debuting in
2011. Throw in his State of Origin
commitments and the wide-running
back-rower can look back on 2015
with plenty of satisfaction . . . and
hes a player who will only get better.
Mature and a class act, he is seen as
a future first-grade captain at the
Tricolours. TA
RAIDERS
NEW ARRIVAL
If they gave out a Dally M for best

buy of 2015, Blake Austin would
have romped home to take the
trophy. Unwanted at both Penrith
and the Tigers, he joined the
Raiders with his career at the
crossroads his third club in as
many years. His signing barely
created a ripple but Austin was
soon the name on everyone's lips
as his speed and instinctive attack
broke open defences on a weekly
basis. The classy utility finished
as the Raiders top tryscorer
with 14 more than in his entire
four previous seasons in the NRL
combined. TA
COWBOYS
NEW ARRIVAL
Equally at home on a surfboard as he

is at dummy-half, the Cowboys hooker
has the demeanour of a laid-back
Byron Bay regular off the field. On
the field, though,
theres nothing
relaxed about
the premiershipwinning pocket
dynamo. A
livewire No.9 in
the mould of Cowboys legend Aaron
Payne, theres no doubt the 26-yearolds arrival in Townsville this year
was crucial to the clubs maiden
premiership. Set up the first two tries
in NQs grand final triumph. JG
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 54
The 2015 season was slim pickings for

electrifying centre Michael Jennings
but he remains one of the most
dangerous outside backs in the NRL.
Jennings scored only eight tries in 24
games the second-worst return of
his top-grade career. But even though
his try return was disappointing,
the former Panthers speedster still
posed a threat. Jennings made 14
linebreaks, created five tries for his
outside men and beat 83 tackles in
his 24 games. The 27-year-old again
played Origin for the Blues and is
certain to be a key figure in the
Roosters premiership quest next
season. TA
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 27
The former firebrand is closing in

on 200 first-grade games and was
this year rated by veteran coach
and RLW expert columnist Brian
Smith as superior to Cameron Smith.
High praise indeed. Dropped from
No.27 on this list from last year but
theres no doubt the boy from the
Sunshine Coast has steered his career
in a better direction over recent
seasons. Secured yet another minor
premiership and plays a big part in
making the forwards around him
reach their potential. His ability to
read and react to the movements of
team-mates in attack and defence
places him in the upper echelon. RB
BRETT
oN 45 LUKE
o
LEWIS
N 44 STEWART
SHARKS
LAST YEAR: 51
There have been few more popular, or

consistent, players in the NRL over the
past decade than this bloke. Lewie
passed the 250-game milestone
in 2015 and more importantly
re-established himself as an NRL
force. After injury limited him to only
eight games in 2014, some questioned
whether the 32-year-old was past his
prime. Lewis responded with a fine
2015 campaign, playing a key role in
the Sharks revival in an impressive
22 matches, showing all his old zip
and guile with the football. Also
rediscovered his tryscoring touch with
11 four-pointers to win the Sharkies a
couple of crunch matches. TA
SEA EAGLES
LAST YEAR: 29
The man they call Snake will be 31

by the time the 2016 kicks off but
theres plenty of life in the old boy
yet. Stewarts late try in the round 23
clash with Canberra
kept Manlys finals
hopes alive, and
although they were
dashed a week
later the Baron of
Brookie had proved
yet again that the flair is still there.
His tally of 16 tries in 2015 was his
highest in seven years and took him
to 162 for his career, only 50 behind
the all-time record of the legendary
Ken Irvine. The chase continues! ML
VALENTINE
oN 56 JARROD
o
N 55 HOLMES
CROKER
RAIDERS
LAST YEAR: 89
Jarrod Croker came of age after

inheriting the Raiders captaincy in
2015. The goalkicking centre played
every game and finished as the
NRLs top pointscorer with 236 a
remarkable feat in a team that didnt
make the finals. He scored 12 tries
only the freakish Blake Austin scored
more for the Green Machine and
created countless chances for his
outside men. Crokers career tally of
1128 points has him poised to surpass
David Furners Raiders record of 1218
next season, and with three years left
on his current deal, the 25-year-old
seems certain to post a club record
that may never be beaten. TA
SHARKS
NEW ARRIVAL
Movie star name, movie star looks

and a Hollywood sense of timing
when the blockbuster games reached
their climax this year. Holmes slotted
decisive golden-point field goals
against the Gold Coast in round
10 and Canberra in round 19, as
well as another pivotal point in the
comeback victory against Parramatta
in round 25, displaying a cool head
well beyond his 20 years of age.
The Townsville native led Cronulla
for tries (16) and linebreaks (17)
this season, and hell play an even
bigger starring role in 2016 if Shane
Flanagan hands him Michael Gordons
No.1 jumper, as expected. TS
DARIUS
oN 49 MITCHELL
o
N 48 BOYD
PEARCE
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 21
Few players in the NRL have more

critics than Mitchell Pearce but he
continues to come up with the goods.
Was a key figure in the Roosters third
straight minor premiership and they
may well have gone on to take the title
had Pearce not been struck down by a
hamstring injury late in the year, such
is the No.7s influence on the team.
The 26-year-old was a consistent
performer for the Roosters and passed
the 200-game milestone, becoming
the youngest player in premiership
history to reach that mark. His
combination with James Maloney
was again fruitful and he will miss his
partner in crime in 2016. TA
BRONCOS
LAST YEAR: 58
This year has been a triumph for the

Broncos fullback both on and off the
field. To fight back from a pre-season
Achilles injury within six months and
play some of the best football of his
career was remarkable enough. Off
the field, Boyd would be at the top
of the list of Brisbane footy writers
favourite players to deal with. Its a
far cry from the dubious reputation
he once had and a tribute to the real
Darius that has always lurked beneath
his formerly aloof exterior. The
28-year-old is now a contender to be a
future Broncos captain, a remarkable
transformation and one of the great
stories of the 2015 season. JG
oN 43 GREG
BIRD
KEVIN
oN 42 PROCTOR
There were times this year when Greg

Bird probably wished that he could
just fly away in 2015. First he was
dumped as Titans co-captain after
taking a leak in public, then in March
he was charged with supplying cocaine
at his bucks party. Things werent
great on the park either. An ugly tackle
on Kiwi winger Jason Nightingale
earned an eight-week suspension and
rubbed the Blues enforcer out of the
entire Origin series. He returned in
round 19 but only managed six more
games before tearing his quad while
taking a kick-off, ending his season. On
the bright side, he was cleared of the
drugs charges. SR
Kevin Proctors story is in many ways

the tale of the Melbourne Storm itself.
The robust back-rower was nurtured
by coach Craig Bellamy from his
teenage years, developed into a Kiwi
international and 2012 premiership
winner. The 26-year-old turned down
bigger bucks at the Raiders last year
to re-commit to the Storm until the
end of 2018. That four-year deal
tells you all you need to know about
how highly Proctor is regarded at
Melbourne. Tough as teak, reliable and
creative when he needs to be, Proctor
and his famous dreadlocks have
hardly missed a match in his past six
seasons. JG
TITANS
LAST YEAR: 18
STORM
LAST YEAR: 70
oN 41 TRENT
MERRIN
DRAGONS
LAST YEAR: 49
Few players had more ups and downs

in 2015 than Trent Merrin. The chunky
Dragons forward started the year
on the bench and was none too
pleased about it announcing his
decision to sign with Penrith for 2016
early in the piece. A series of solid
performances saw Merrin win back
his starting spot and he became the
Dragons go-to man as they launched
their unlikely finals charge. He led the
Red V forwards in metres gained and
was always a handful for the defence,
producing 21 offloads and 38 tackle
breaks. Despite the dramas, he won
Test and NSW selection and captained
the Prime Ministers XIII to cap a fine
farewell to the Dragons. TA
AIDAN
NATE
o
o
oN 40 BLAKE
N 38 MYLES
FERGUSON N 39 GUERRA
ROOSTERS
NEW ARRIVAL
And the Dally M for Redemption Story of

the Year goes to . . .
If such an award existed then Ferguson
would have bolted in after an outstanding
first season at Bondi Junction as
runaway a winner as Johnathan Thurston
was of his fourth Dally M Player of the
Year gong. The strike centre looks to have
finally put his troubled past behind and
his best years should now be ahead of
him. Dont be surprised if the 25-year-old
wins back his Blues State of Origin jersey
in 2016 and rockets up the list when RLW
compiles our next Top 100. PM
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 41
The man whose surname literally

translates to war showed his
breakout 2014 season was no flash in
the pan by starring in all three Origin
games this season. Indeed, he scored
the final four-pointer as Queensland
put the icing on a rampant 52-6 result
in Game Three. Of the 19 games he
played for the Roosters, the minor
premiers won 16, a statistic that
doesnt happen by mere fancy for a
forward. Unfortunately it may be his
controversial last play of the year that
is remembered most supporting
Justin Hodges at the judiciary by
indicating he played for a penalty
when subjected to a lifting tackle. JG
TITANS
LAST YEAR: 25
Darren Lockyer has said time and

again that the greatest test of a
players quality is the State of Origin
arena, which is why rugged forward
Nate Myles figures so highly on
this Top 100 list. The Maroons have
won nine series out of the last 10
and Myles has played in 29 of the
30 games. He plays tough. He plays
busted. He is relentless in the grind.
But the 30-year-olds frame has taken
plenty of punishment in Origin and it
has taken a toll on his club football.
Myles played only five games in the
last three months for the Titans and
looked like a man needing the fresh
start Manly will provide in 2016. JG
JAMIE
oN 37 PAUL
o
N 36LYON
GALLEN
SHARKS
LAST YEAR: 13
To call Paul Gallens last 12 months

turbulent would be like saying Syria
is in a spot of bother or Johnathan
Thurston is a good player: a big, fat,
whopping understatement. ASADA
suspension, Sharks resurrection,
giving and receiving Origin hidings,
Twitter rants, labelling Queensland
grubs, newspaper headlines
accusing him of being a drug cheat
and playing selfish and swearing at
kids . . . the NSW and Cronulla skipper
was never far from controversy. Didnt
stop him from doing his thing on the
field, though big Gal averaged more
runs (22.5) and metres (197.6) than
any forward in the comp. TS
SEA EAGLES
LAST YEAR: 16
After being named Dally M Centre of

the Year four out of the previous five
seasons, Lyon was tamed in 2015.
Still boasting an all-round game
that most players would kill for,
the Wee Waa warrior had his most
unproductive season since arriving
at Brookvale Oval in 2007, scoring
only four tries in just 17 appearances.
Injuries in particular a dodgy
hamstring played a big part in that
reduced output. You cant keep a
champion down, however, and as the
sun gets closer to setting on a stellar
career, you suspect the 33-year-old
Manly skipper still has something in
reserve to give. RB
JAMES
DAVID
oN 35 WADE
o
o
GRAHAM N 34 TEDESCO N 33 KLEMMER
oN 32 GEORGE
BURGESS
Sharks icon Paul Gallen showed

exactly what he thought of Wade
Graham at the start of the season
when he named the back-rower the
man to succeed him as Cronulla
captain in the years to come. And
Graham only enhanced his growing
reputation with a superb season,
playing every game in the Sharks
brave charge to the finals. Graham
proved a machine, averaging 125
metres a game a number bettered
only by Gallen and Andrew Fifita.
When Gallen was absent, Graham
stepped up, showing maturity beyond
his years to lead the Sharks to some
memorable wins. TA
With big brother Sam leaving, Baby

George needed to step up in 2015.
And Baby George did to some extent,
busting more tackles in the season
than any Bunnies forward (50) but
was ironically just shaded by underrated brother Tom in the all-important
average metres gained category (127
to 126). Big, strong and mobile, George
was the Rabbitohs go-to man up front
and played 24 of the clubs 25 games,
regularly putting the opposition on
the back foot with his gallops up the
middle. And the best thing for Bunnies
fans? Hes still only 23 and should be
hitting his peak as a front-rower over
the next couple of years. TA
SHARKS
LAST YEAR: 79
TIGERS
NEW ARRIVAL
I cant afford to get injured again,

said James Tedesco last January
. . . so this season, for the first time
in his career, he didnt. The 22-yearold fullback played every minute of
every game for the Wests Tigers,
and showed the rugby league world
exactly what hes capable of. Tedesco
tore his ACL in 2012, cracked his
fibula in 2013 and fractured his
patella in 2014 but the only thing
the Tigers ace broke in 2015 was his
way into the NRLs top 10 for tries
(17), linebreaks (17), tackle breaks
(156) and total metres (3336). An
Origin call-up cant be far off for the
shining light of the Tigers 2015. TS
BULLDOGS
NEW ARRIVAL
The Beast of Belmore backs down

to no-one . . . not even snarling
Maroons veterans who reckon he
owes them respect. The giant
21-year-old played 21 games,
leading the charge for Des Haslers
massive pack, and broke into the
Origin arena in fine style. After
averaging only 22 minutes per
game in his first two seasons,
Klemmer doubled that in 2015
a sign of his new-found fitness and
maturity. He averaged nearly 140
metres a game and has shown he
has the ability to change games
with his fearsome charges. TA
RABBITOHS
LAST YEAR 24
oN 31 GAVIN
COOPER
COWBOYS
NEW ARRIVAL
Forget the Mini Cooper its Gavin Cooper

that has the best handling on the road to
success in 2015. The Cowboys back-rower
boasts, without doubt, one of the best
attacking combinations with a halfback in
the modern era. JT to Cooper . . . try. JT to
Cooper . . . try. North Queenslands maiden
premiership owed a lot to that reliable
formula. The opposition knows its coming,
but they cant stop it. Johnathan Thurstons
passes are top shelf, but Cooper is one of
the best hole-runners you will ever see. To
hit a Thurston ball at pace and catch it when
the defenders want to flatten you is no easy
feat. But 30-year-old Cooper has mastered
the art. Cooper is a wonderful ambassador
for the Cowboys and a vocal advocate for
the style of play that bore the club the
sweetest of fruit. A stellar media performer,
Coops will tell you how he has embraced
the accountability, discipline and confidence
that drives the Cowboys success under
Paul Green. Before the grand final he was
proud to say he hailed from the south-east
Queensland town of Murgon, and related
how he was stoked to give an interview to
the local paper about the Cowboys rise.
Thats Cooper all over. He loves the game and
respects the fans who make it prosper. He
may not be a spring chicken anymore but a
Maroons jumper surely cant be far away. JT
to Cooper . . . try. It will work in Origin
footy, too. JG
BEN
SHAUN
WILL
MICHAEL
oN 30 JOSH
o
o
o
o
N 29 MATULINO N 28 KENNY-DOWALL N 27 CHAMBERS N 26 MORGAN
MORRIS
BULLDOGS
LAST YEAR: 60
After 12 months without scoring a

try, the monkey on Morris back had
grown into a hairy
silverback but
when he finally
crossed the stripe
in round four,
the 29-year-old
bounced back to
form handsomely.
Formed a deadly combination with
Curtis Rona on Canterburys left
flank, which netted 33 tries and 39
linebreaks in 2015. A strong defender
and a clean finisher, Morris has
bagged 99 tries in 196 NRL games.
Bring on the century. TS
WARRIORS
LAST YEAR: 65
There is a feeling in New Zealand that

if Ben Matulino was playing on the
other side of the Tasman, he would
be rated among the best props in
the game. The Kiwis feel he doesnt
get enough recognition playing for
the Warriors, a team renowned for
backline flair rather than forward
muscle. Coach Andrew McFadden is a
huge Matulino fan and worked hard
on increasing the big mans motor
in 2015 his average of 58 minutes
per game was easily the highest of
his career. Mobile for a big man, the
26-year-old is the prototype modern
front-rower and will love running off
Issac Luke next season. TA
ROOSTERS
NEW ARRIVAL
Shaun Kenny-Dowalls 2015 was

defined by the 11 domestic violence
charges he fought in court, and
the inch-perfect intercept pass
he delivered Darius Boyd in the
Roosters disastrous preliminary
final against the Broncos. But hed
prefer we focus on his football.
After all, this was a year SKD scored
17 tries in 20 games either side of
two stints in rehab and he wasnt
afraid of rolling his sleeves up either,
averaging 14 runs and 125m a game,
behind only Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
at the Chooks. Thats why hes the
second-highest winger on this list, as
well as the loftiest new arrival. TS
STORM
LAST YEAR: 90
Despite playing wing for Queensland

in the first two Origins, Chambers has
claims as the games best centre. The
former BMX champ from a remote
corner of the Northern Territory
has always been one of the best
line-runners in the game, but his
toughness, selflessness, discipline
and hunger have gone to new levels
in the last 18 months. Scored on
debut for Australia and was one of
the Maroons best this year, but there
were also disappointments in the
Kangaroos loss and Melbournes
limp exit from the finals. Can he
stamp himself as an elite player for
the next five years? RB
COWBOYS
LAST YEAR: 73
Morgans spectacular flick pass in the

final moments of the grand final will
define his career. It also spoke of the
qualities the 23-year-old possesses
now. Awareness. Confidence. Speed.
Power. Skill. It was all there. Andrew
Johns famously found Darren Albert
on the inside with a deft pass to give
the Knights a premiership in the final
seconds of the 97 grand final. Morgan
had far more to do to force the 2015
decider into extra-time. He raced
between three desperate defenders
and sent a Matt Gidley-style flick pass
to Kyle Feldt to score . . . all that after
he caught a JT pass running backwards
and off balance. Magic. JG
oN 25 SAMTHAIDAY No24 SEMIRADRADRA No23 JAMES

TAMOU
BRONCOS
LAST YEAR: 14
Sam Thaiday has been one of the

leading Brisbane forwards for
the past decade, but 2015 will be
remembered as the year when
he displayed immense resolve
after a stern test of character
to start the season. When coach
Wayne Bennett singled Thaiday
out for a lack of discipline after
the round-one loss to Souths,
and then benched him, some
wondered whether the 30-yearold had a future at the club. But
Thaiday, who is now signed until
the end of 2018, responded in
style. His energy, physicality
and grit were all on show in
abundance as he won back his
starting spot and powered all
the way through to a grand final,
where his bell-ringer on good
mate JT rocked the foundations
at ANZ Stadium. JG
EELS
LAST YEAR: 72
The critics who questioned whether

Fijian powerhouse Semi Radradra was
merely a one-season wonder after
his amazing deeds of 2014 were left
red-faced in a big way. After bagging
19 tries in 24 games in his first full
season last year, the Semi Trailer
blew that out of the water in 2015,
scoring 24 tries in only 18 games and
rocketing a massive 48 spots up our
Top 100 list. The charismatic 23-yearold revived memories of the great
Eric Grothe as he powered his way
down the sideline and the frightening
prospect for rivals is that Semi is still
learning the game and will be even
better in 2016. TA
oN 22 AARON
WOODS
COWBOYS
LAST YEAR: 59
James Tamou started 2015 with

question marks over his career after
a serious neck injury that required
surgery . . . then finished the season
with a premiership ring. Such was
the rollercoaster ride of the 114kg
front-rower, who started the season
slowly, still clearly hampered by the
neck injury. After knocking back an
approach from the Raiders, Tamou
gradually found form and confidence
and developed into a leading
light in the Cowboys premiership
charge. The man who made only
one linebreak last season multiplied
that by four in 2015 and produced 17
offloads, compared to a mere four
last season. But most importantly, his
combination with Matt Scott up front
gave the Cowboys a solid foundation
on which to write history. TA
TIGERS
LAST YEAR: 35
Photos: Getty Images
You cant help but love a bloke

who lets his pet pooch loose on
Leichhardt Oval after his 100th game
for the Wests Tigers in August. Some
long-suffering Tigers fans reckon it
was one of the highlights of another
dog of a season for the club! All
jokes aside, its a credit to Woods
class and character that he has shot
up this list for the second straight
year, despite running around with a
bunch of perpetual battlers. In 2014
the NSW and Kangaroos prop rose a
massive 41 places; this year hes up
another 13. Imagine the heights he
could reach if the Tigers got their act
together! PM
ANTHONY
oN 21 MILFORD
BRONCOS
LAST YEAR: 50
Backyard footy. Dont underestimate its

impact on the NRL. Take Broncos star fiveeighth Anthony Milford, for example. Granted,
he played it as a youth with his mates. But
an interview Milford gave to Triple M after
winning a man-of-the-match award in a club
game this year revealed he is still playing footy
in the backyard. After receiving a football as
the award for his starring role, the 21-yearold was asked by the commentators what he
was going to do with it. He said, My cousins
are coming around tomorrow and well have
a game with it. When a once-in-a-generation
talent then showcases a play what you see
style in an NRL grand final the punters are
always going to be in for a treat. Milford would
have surely won the Clive Churchill Medal if the
Broncos had not lost the lead with one second
to go in the season decider. His tackle-breaking
ability was a highlight of one of the great grand
finals, as it has been all season. Give him the
ball and watch him dance, dazzle and destroy.
Coach Wayne Bennett believed in Milford as a
five-eighth when others didnt, and Bennetts
offsiders Kevin Walters and Allan Langer also
encouraged the Souths Acacia Ridge junior to
run free and play a style of football that has
Brisbane legends salivating. Milford plays
like we did in the 1990s, legendary centre
Steve Renouf says. He will score a long-range
try from 80 out . . . just by backing himself.
Because he has the confidence to do that at
a young age, I look at it and go, Thats the
Wayne Bennett influence. Wayne understands
the type of attacking players hes got and
has built the self-belief into them,
as he did with us. JG
oN 20 BRETT
MORRIS
BULLDOGS
LAST YEAR: 30
Who said this bloke couldnt play fullback? One of Canterburys real weaknesses
in 2014 was a lack of backline spark, and poaching Brett Morris from the
Dragons went a long way to rectifying that problem. It was a massive punt to
shell out bucks to lure the former Test flanker, but the move paid dividends.
Morris made a seamless transition into the No.1 jersey, and soon became the
focal point in Canterburys attack. Speed was obviously a big factor in his
success in the new position, but in 2015 he also exhibited the kind of support
play that would make Bulldogs legend Terry Lamb proud. His early-season form
was so good that some pundits were calling for the Kiama junior to play fullback
for the Blues. The 29-year-old ultimately missed Game One of the series with a
hamstring injury but was rushed back onto the wing by coach Laurie Daley the
second he was declared fit for Game Two. That same hamstring injury caused
Morris to miss six club games, and it was no coincidence that Canterbury
dropped four of them. Their attack looked pedestrian without him! Evidence
of his attacking genius is found in his 16 linebreaks from only 16 games. Attack
wasnt the only area in which Morris shone. He proved an excellent last line
of defence on more than one occasion this year, often by pulling off an expert
cover tackle or by holding an opponent up over the line. His combination with
twin brother Josh also made exciting viewing for the Belmore faithful. SR
oN 19 GARETH
WIDDOP
DRAGONS
LAST YEAR: 22
Widdop is the second-highest Dragon,

second-highest Englishman and
second-highest five-eighth on this list
. . . not bad for a bloke in his second
year at St George Illawarra, chasing
his second NRL title after his 2012
triumph with Melbourne. And hes
key to the Red Vs chances thats
why Paul McGregor rushed Widdop
back for the Dragons elimination final
against Canterbury, where he landed
two clutch penalty goals with a badly
corked thigh before a mistimed 40-20
attempt allowed the Dogs to clinch
it. The miskick was a rare blip for the
cucumber-cool 26-year-old, one of the
NRLs premier playmakers. TS
No18
JESSE
BROMWICH
STORM
LAST YEAR: 23
If stats decided the hotly contested

Worlds Best Prop debate, then Jesse
Bromwich is the runaway winner. He
made more runs (413), metres (3811)
and tackles (874) than any other big
bopper in the comp this year. But
footys played on grass, not paper.
The Cowboys monstrous performance
against the Storm in their preliminary
final, when Bromwich was limited
to just 75 metres while five Cowboys
forwards racked up big tons, explains
why the 26-year-old Kiwi is only the
fourth-highest front-rower on this
list, behind the more influential and
explosive Matt Scott, Jared WaereaHargreaves and James Graham. TS
oN 17JASON
TAUMALOLO
COWBOYS
LAST YEAR: 40
Call him the other JT if you like,

because Jason Taumalolo is the
Cowboys cannonball who runs like
the wind, hits like a rampaging rhino
and steps like a gazelle. Give him a
few seasons and the 112kg lock will
be widely regarded as one of the
best forwards the game has seen in
the NRL era. It s hard to believe that
the Auckland-born Kiwi international
made his NRL debut five years ago.
Hes still only 22, and with another
decade ahead of him the sky really
is the limit. His 14th charge into the
Broncos defence in the last minute of
play in the grand final was decisive in
the Cowboys epic victory. Taumalolo
is as loyal as they come, too he
rebuffed the Warriors and took a
$1 million pay cut to stay with North
Queensland. JG
BILLY
oN 16JOSH
o
N 15 SLATER
DUGAN
DRAGONS
LAST YEAR: 43
Hes famous for the tattoos all over

him but at times during 2015 youd
have sworn the elusive No.1 had
spiders all over him! Dugans unique
running style makes him a nightmare
to tackle and a dream to play
alongside. He got the Dragons out of
trouble with monotonous regularity
and carried that form on for NSW,
scoring a memorable try at the MCG
as the Blues levelled the Origin series
in Game Two. Without this bloke at
the back, the Dragons would have
conceded many more points and
most likely missed the eight . . . he
was that good! ML
STORM
LAST YEAR: 10
The Storm led the competition when

their star fullback played his last
NRL game for the season in round
10 and underwent shoulder surgery.
The fact they recovered from a midseason slump was largely due to the
man Billy Slater helped mentor. The
extraordinary form of his replacement
Cameron Munster, who he worked
closely with while injured, may well
be the greatest legacy the 32-year-old
leaves on the 2015 season. But Slater
is far from finished as a strike No.1.
He re-signed with the Storm until the
end of 2017 and is keener than ever to
finish his career on a high. JG
oN 14
BULLDOGS
LAST YEAR: 7
JAMES
GRAHAM
When it comes to passion for the jersey he wears,

Canterbury captain James Graham is unmatched.
He hates to lose, which is why the 30-year-old couldnt
contain himself when he believed his beloved Dogs had
been wronged in the closing stages of the round five
loss to the Rabbitohs. His remonstrations with referee
Gerard Sutton were a bad look for the game and led to a
contrary conduct charge and a four-match suspension.
But Graham is also one of the more thoughtful men
in the game. He was remorseful about his actions and
pulled his head in after his suspension.
You can imagine him in a 1980s Dogs of War pack giving
it to the likes of Graeme Wynn the way the great Peter
Kelly used to do. But the England warhorses brand of
football is equally as damaging in the modern era.
The concept of bend the line is one that Graham puts
into operation each time he motors along. His white legs
are always pumping. His flame-red beard and ginger
hair create theatre with each rampaging hit-up that is
ferocious in its intent. Graham, signed at Belmore until
the end of 2018, issues a challenge to each defender with
every charge: Stop me if you dare!
The versatile prop has many strings to his bow. He also
functions as another playmaker at times and can throw a
slick ball any half would be proud of.
The Dogs signed a good un when they acquired Graham
in 2012, another uncompromising forward in the long
tradition of blue-and-white hardheads. JG
No13
DALY
CHERRY-EVANS
SEA EAGLES
LAST YEAR: 8
If this list ranked rugby leagues best gymnasts, Daly Cherry-Evans

would sit a lot higher than No.13. DCEs backflip on his Titans deal was
the finest acrobatic manoeuvre our game has ever seen.
Cherry-Evans ended three months of tongue-wagging when he reneged
on a four-year, $4.4 million deal with the Gold Coast to re-sign with
Manly for $10 million over eight years the richest contract in rugby
league history.
After close mate Nate Myles penned a deal with the Sea Eagles in May,
the Redcliffe-born 26-year-old teased fans of both clubs with comments
that poured gallons of petrol on a fire that was already raging.
I guess it would be a curious situation to see what does eventuate
if (Manly) do offer something, Cherry-Evans said in May, daring the
Silvertails to up their offer. Theres still two weeks left, so two more
weeks of speculation.
That speculation was finally quashed on June 3 at a flashy press
conference that would have been better handled if DCE eyeballed the
gaggle of journos and said, Is there a single soul in this room who could
honestly turn down $10 million?
DCE is a gold-class playmaker with 11 Tests and six Origins under his
belt, but an eight-figure salary is a lot to gamble on a bloke wholl be 34
when his deal expires.
Cherry-Evans has dipped from No.8 on last years list perhaps some
mud has stuck from his contract saga or his lacklustre performance in
Origin Two. And with $10 million riding on it, hed want to climb a few
spots in 2016. TS
oN 12 BENHUNT
BRONCOS
LAST YEAR: 26
The Broncos halfbacks season will

not be defined by the way it ended.
Sure, the horrors that befell Ben Hunt
in the grand final will be replayed for
the rest of his career and will take
some getting over. But the 25-year-old
is proving to be a worthy successor
to the great Allan Langer, whose
tip sheet as an assistant coach has
helped Hunt unleash his own genius.
The St Brendans College, Yeppoon
product is not in Alfies league yet,
but give him time. The Broncos
believe Hunt is the long-term answer
in the No.7 jersey and you can expect
him to play out his career in the
jumper he has always craved. JG
SHAUN
oN 11 KIERAN
o
N 10JOHNSON
FORAN
SEA EAGLES
LAST YEAR: 11
Parramatta won nine games in 2015

but the clubs biggest victory this
year was securing Kieran Forans
signature. The classy five-eighth
looked certain to follow the lead of
Manly halves partner Daly CherryEvans and backflip on a four-year,
$4.8 million contract when the Eels
tried to revise the terms of the deal
but Foran stayed loyal to former Sea
Eagles assistant Brad Arthur despite
the debacle. Manly returned to form
as soon as the 25-year-old Kiwi gun
returned to fitness late in the season,
and the blue-and-gold army will be
praying their messiah has the same
impact on their fortunes in 2016. TS
WARRIORS
LAST YEAR: 28
The fact that the Warriors crashed

and burned as soon as Shaun
Johnson broke his ankle shows just
how influential the Kiwi half can
be. Had a slow start to the season,
but as soon as he hit some form the
Warriors started to look like genuine
premiership contenders. With
blinding pace and a pair of feet that
can shuffle faster than a Las Vagas
card shark, Johnson, 25, is one of the
games real entertainers and RLW is
positively salivating at the prospect
of seeing him link up with fellow Kiwi
superstars Issac Luke and Roger
Tuivasa-Sheck when they join the
Warriors next year. SR
oN 9 ISSAC
LUKE
RABBITOHS
LAST YEAR: 17
He won the World Cup in 2008, the

Four Nations in 2010 and 2014 . . .
and Issac Luke will have his eyes set
on bringing some NRL silverware
to the Shaky Isles when he joins the
Warriors on a three-year deal next
season. And wont he be hungry for a
crack at the premiership after missing
Souths 2014 triumph with suspension.
After 189 games with the Bunnies, the
potent 28-year-old hooker Bully
to his mates will join a fit Shaun
Johnson and a white-hot Roger
Tuivasa-Sheck in a Warriors side that
now boasts three quarters of the
No.1-ranked Kiwis spine. TS
oN 8 COREY
PARKER
BRONCOS
LAST YEAR: 15
With his salt-and-pepper hair, the Broncos

lock is the ultimate seasoned professional to
look at. But it doesnt stop there.
The word professional in the dictionary
should now have an extra definition: Corey
Parker. On and off the field there can be no
greater example of excellence.
Parker, a veteran of a remarkable 323 NRL
games for Brisbane since his 2001 debut,
likes to do up vintage cars and have them
shining in mint condition.
The 33-year-old treats his body the same way.
Thats why he is able to more than match it
with players a decade younger than him.
Not noted for his ball skills early in his career,
Parker is now the offload king of the NRL. He
can disappear upside down into a three-man
tackle but the ball still pops up for a support
player to grab and advance downfield.
In the grand final he made 44 tackles, 18
hit-ups, ran for 169 metres and had two
offloads to boot. He left nothing in the tank
and was one of the outstanding players on
the park. Its a benchmark he set all season
for the Broncos, Australia and most notably
the Maroons. He took out the RLPAs rep
footballer of the year award, and the Wally
Lewis Medal for best player from either side
in Queenslands 2-1 series victory.
While only signed for next season at this
stage, if Parker decides to play on in 2017 he
will likely surpass Darren Lockyers 355-game
premiership record.
Either way, he has already etched his name
in the pantheon of the greats that have called
Red Hill home. JG
oN 7
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 57
JARED WAEREAHARGREAVES
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is the biggest thing to come out of New Zealand since
Jonah Lomus fend. Since Shaun Johnsons sidestep. Since Russell Crowes ego.
Absolutely massive.
The 193cm, 116kg, Rotorua wrecking ball has steamrolled 50 places up this
list to charge into 2015s top 10. JWH now trails only Cowboys hardman Matt
Scott at the top of the props after a career-best season, driving the Roosters to
their third consecutive minor premiership.
A torn ACL in round 24 ended Waerea-Hargreaves year but not before the
Bondi beefcake turned in 19 high-octane performances that convinced RLWs
expert columnist Brian Smith to judge him the best of the big boppers in
August, when Smith ranked the NRLs finest front-rowers.
JWH has a bit of the old bull rather than the young bull about him in 2015,
said Smith, impressed that the Roosters enforcer had cut his number of
penalties conceded from 30 in 2014 to 16 in 2015.
He has retained the win-at-any-cost mentality, but also shown improvement
in reducing penalties . . . Hes found the right balance.
Waerea-Hargreaves numbers this year dont stand out 109 running metres
and 28 tackles a game is nothing special.
But you know the old clich about stats and bikinis . . . and JWHs figures
conceal just how important he is to Trent Robinsons operation.
Brian Smith described his old charge as a one-man army and after WaereaHargreaves went down in August, thats exactly how the Roosters looked in
September. While rival clubs kicked it up a gear in the play-offs, the Tricolours
struggled to find another level without their forward leader.
Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney hasnt called on JWH since 2013 due to the belief
he goes missing in big games, but if the blockbusting bookend can recapture
this years form after his knee reco, hell leave Kearney no choice. TS
oN 6
STORM
LAST YEAR: 6
COOPER
CRONK
The only thing more unusual than Cooper Cronks name

is the man himself.
Log onto the Storm halfbacks personal website and
youll discover that he draws inspiration from Princess
Charlene of Monaco, a former Olympic swimmer who
now travels the world teaching underprivileged children
how to swim, picking up new techniques from every
corner of the globe.
This impressed me because it showed she was always
looking out for better ways to do things, Cronk writes.
She wasnt stuck in a rut and was open to learning
something new.
Within this anecdote lies the secret to Cronks
success. Like a lot of footy players hes meticulous in
his preparation but, unlike most NRL stars, hes always
looking outside the box for inspiration and improvement.
How many NRL players would have even heard of
Monaco, let alone read articles about its princess?
Sure, Cronk may not possess the raw ability of halves

such as Anthony Milford and Johnathan Thurston, but he
always gets the job done. Thats why hes never sat lower
than 14th since RLW started ranking the Top 100 in 2011.
While 2015 didnt yield a premiership for the
Melbourne Storm, Cronk will still be able to look back
on the season with satisfaction. The 31-year-old was a
driving force behind the Storms preliminary final finish,
leading his side for both linebreak assists and try assists.
He was also equal third in the NRL for the latter statistic.
Cronk also reinforced his status this year as one of
Queenslands most important Origin players. He was
the Maroons hero in Origin One, scoring the opening
try before slotting the winning drop goal in the 11-10
thriller, and its no coincidence the bananabenders
went down 26-18 when a knee injury forced him out of
Game Two. While Thurston was the star of Queenslands
crushing 52-6 win in the series decider, Cronks steady
presence gave JT the freedom to go on his rampage at
Suncorp Stadium. SR
oN 5
COWBOYS
LAST YEAR: 9
MATT
SCOTT
Introducing the prop of the decade.

Glenn Lazarus was arguably the best front-rower off the 1990s, and
Petero Civoniceva and Shane Webcke the leading bookends of the 2000s.
But in the 2010s there have been none better than Cowboys co-captain
Matt Scott.
The story of the 30-year-old premiership winner tells you he is a quick
learner, a consummate competitor and a rare talent.
Several years ago, Webcke told RLW Scott had surpassed him as a prop.
Scott, like Webcke, is the most eloquent and intelligent front-row forward
you could hope to meet.
But its what Scott does with and without the ball that makes him the
games best in his position. Fearless and ferocious with his rampaging
runs and relentless and reliable with his defensive workload, Scott can be
depended on to do the job.
He arrived at the powerhouse St Brendans College, Yeppoon, on a wing
and a prayer as a youth.
Legendary coach Terry Hansen had a rule that he didnt pick anyone in
his teams until they could do 10 wide-grip chin-ups.
Scott couldnt do one when he arrived.
Within a week he could do 10 with ease and became a regular fixture in
the side.
Scott secured a contract at the Cowboys as a 17-year-old after winning
man of the match with a busted knee for St Brendans in front of
then-coach Graham Murray.
He won an NRL premiership this year playing with a pinched nerve in his
neck that had rendered his left arm numb.
Scott has been the first prop picked for the Maroons for the past six
seasons and shows no sign of slowing down.
You can only imagine that after off-season neck surgery he will return
better than ever in 2016. JG
oN 4
ROOSTERS
LAST YEAR: 76
ROGER
TUIVASA-SHECK
At the end of season 2014 this esteemed journal

ranked 75 players above Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in its
annual ratings.
For all their glory-boy reputation, wingers dont get
a lot of love from the Russian judges. But fullbacks do.
And RTS is one of them. And 12 months later there are
only three men deemed to have more influence on the
winning of games of rugby league. And as you will see,
they are all quite good.
Fourth! RTS. Up in the superstar stratosphere now,
buddy-roo. How good has he gone? Answer: very,
very good. All those metres. The greatest yardage
man in the game ever. The ultimate running man. He
fairly marauds up field, super-strong, funky stepping.
Ridiculous set of steps. More steps than the Russian
Steppes. More steps than that film The 39 Steps.
RTS can shoot off his pins like hes trod on a

firecracker bang! And hes gone, through em, this
nuggety, strong, swift, fast-twitching bullock of a man.
Now, a lot of people can step. Everyone can step.
You cant just run straight at defensive lines, you
would be lined up and picked off and hurt quite badly.
So everyone has tactics for evasion.
But Tuivasa-Sheck has something else. He has
otherworldly evasion. No-ones seen this action. Hes
invented footwork. Head down to your local park,
watch the kids ripping off moves. Once it was Benji
Marshalls sort of floating hop and two-step jackrabbit. Now theyre all little RTS men, fronting up to
tacklers, chest on, the barest pause as they float in
the air before deciding which leg to shoot off on at
impossible tangents, jackhammer style. And defenders
are left to clutch at the very air. He is 22. He could be
the Warriors greatest buy. MC
oN 3
GREG
INGLIS
RABBITOHS LAST YEAR: 1
When you say the two letters GI, they conjure up an image of a colossus who
stands as a true giant of the game.
Greg Inglis is an imposing figure just to stand next to.
While not quite as dominant as last season, when he led the Rabbitohs to a
long-awaited title and topped our list for a third successive year, theres still
no more destructive runner in the game than Inglis. And perhaps there never
has been one.
The 28-year-old fullback toys with defenders and seems to get a buzz out
of it. Theyre rag dolls in his presence.
The powerhouse fend unfurls and opponents are whacked, as though with
the most solid limb of an ancient gumtree. Inglis has done everything in the
game but his record-breaking 17 tries in 27 appearances for the Maroons and
dominance of the Origin arena reveals a star who shines brightest when the
stakes are highest.
A proud indigenous man, Inglis brings a new dimension to the term the
strong and silent type because thats the way he often carries himself in his
public outings where members of the media are close at hand.
With GI you always get the sense theres far more to him than he is
prepared to let on.
Its no surprise hes studying business at university, has a bevy of
blue-chip sponsors and is highly regarded at the Rabbitohs for the work he
does in the community.
No player in the game attracts more speculation about his future
whether it be a conversion to NFL, a twilight-years sojourn in Super League
or European rugby or a final hurrah at the Broncos, a club he nearly
joined in 2011. That constant attention goes hand in glove with being a
sporting superstar. With Inglis about to enter his 12th season in the NRL, its
extraordinary to think that he may yet have another five seasons at the top
level ahead of him.
JOEL GOULD
oN 2
CAMERON
SMITH
STORM LAST YEAR: 5
He was never known to make a foolish move.

That line from a Bob Dylan song called John Wesley Harding
sums up Storm captain Cameron Smith perfectly.
Every move he makes on a football field is a checkmate on
the opposition.
Captain Cam is wisdom personified.
From the kick-off to the final siren, few players in the
history of rugby league have possessed the same capacity to
control the destiny of a match.
Case in point was the Storms 20-18 qualifying final win
against the Roosters last month.
Despite being laid low during the week by a nasty virus, he
landed four goals from four attempts, all from difficult angles.
But it was how the 32-year-old had his fingerprints all over
the tempo of the game that stood out. When it needed slowing
down, Smith slowed it down. When the switch needed to be
flicked and the pace quickened, he had his hand on the levers
and made it happen.
The way he moved swiftly into dummy-half and threw a
perfectly weighted pass that led to a crucial Kurt Mann try in
the corner after half-time was all class.
Storm legend Matt Geyer once famously said that his former
housemate was a footballer in an accountants body.
Physically, Smith is no Adonis.
But hes a natural footballer. Between the ears is where the
magic starts.
The Queensland captain was able to regain State Of Origin
supremacy for his beloved Maroons in 2015 with a 2-1 series
win. Now level with Darren Lockyers record 36 Origin matches,
Smith will surpass that remarkable milestone next year.
Lockyers record 355 NRL games is also within Smiths grasp
as he already has chalked up 309 matches for the Storm.
The Logan Brothers junior turned down a lucrative offer to
join the Broncos last year the club he supported as a youth
to ink a new four-year deal that means he will finish his
career in Melbourne at the end of 2018.
Camerons father, Wayne, summed up his sons reason for
doing so in one sentence when he spoke to RLW last year.
The young boy wanted to play for the Broncos, but the
mature man has Melbourne in his veins, Wayne said.
Cam Smith bleeds purple. Long may he reign.
JOEL GOULD
N 1 JOHNATHAN THURSTON
O
COWBOYS LAST YEAR: 2
THE MAN. THE KING.

THE OWNER OF
EVERYTHING
Just as it was only a matter of time before he delivered the Holy Grail to North Queensland,
so too it was only a matter of time before the great JT ascended to the top of RLWs annual
Best 100 list . . . that time has come! BY MATT CLEARY
ELL. WHAT MORE

can you say? Johnathan
Thurston owned the 2015
season, premiership, the
Clive Churchill Medal, a
thumping big ring, a fourth Dally, all
of North Queensland, and the hearts
of all in Australia and greater Planet
Rugby League. How about him?
What a player. What a good bloke.
This goofy kid with a thatch of messy
hair is now The Man. The King.
Owner of everything.
Again where do you start? That
theyre comparing him to Andrew
Johns is probably one place. Johns!
No-ones seen a better halfback
than Joey. There hasnt been one.
And our JT, they reckon is up there
with him.
Considered better than Langer,
Stuart, Holman, Raudonikis,
Sterling, Smith, all of those
magnificent sevens who probably
wont be touched on the forehead by
the magic wand of immortality.
But thats a funny, subjective and
dry old argument that well leave
for another time. For now well just
say: How about him? The ball in
two hands, Thurston is a master, a
craftsman. He knows the Steeden,
knows its dimples and weight and
shape and its very feel. His passes
never miss. He never drops the ball.
How do you never drop the ball?
What is he, a robot? Are you a robot,

JT?
Hes not a robot. Hes flesh and
blood and balls.
In the preliminary final against
Melbourne he was busted, groin
hanging out, and one leg was able
to feint and conjure and put Gavin
Cooper over for the match-defining
play. The play that shouted, We are
Cowboys and we are coming to the
grand final after being stiffed by the
gods for so long.
And so to that epic, epic decider.
How about that game? That finish.
That last try. That delicious backhanded pass that Michael Morgan
dished to Kyle Feldt to tie up the
match, that doesnt happen unless
Thurston does what he does. Check
out the last minute on YouTube.
Thurston handles the ball four times.
He passes the ball four times. Try
as they might, the mighty Broncos
The ball in two hands, Thurston is a master,

a craftsman. He knows the Steeden, knows
its dimples and weight and shape and its
very feel. His passes never miss. He never
drops the ball
cant get him. He beats a thundering

Adam Blair hit. He stiffly fends off
Andrew McCullough to keep the
dream alive. Hes belted low and
hard by Corey Parker but flops a
piece of perfect for Morgan to . . .
well, you saw what Morgan does.
Fair old play.
And then, those glorious elongated
minutes which allowed us to sit back
and suck up what wed just seen, and
hang on to the person next to us, and
say, How about this! as Thurston
prepared for the most important
shot for goal of his life.
He started in and smacked a
searing, stinging low draw of a kick
that curled and curled and . . .
straightened up! What? Hit the post!
Boom. Golden point. Extra-time.
And we dived back into the cruel sea.
And there was no-one else on earth
youd prefer to shoot for field goal.
Immortal? Probably. But well
leave that debate to the historians
and legacy-makers, the learned
men and conversation shapers. In
here well use a piece of Australian
rules nomenclature: the champion.
Adam Goodes is a champion, Buddy
Franklin is not (yet). Its the mark
of the great player. Thurston is a
champion.
That were all very pleased he has
a title of his own is another mark of
the man. Good for him. RLW
50
16
Here are 2015s big climbers, bad sliders and a World Team from every corner of the rugby league globe
Anthony Watmough
is the loftiest casualty
from the 2014 list
remaining in the NRL
he came in at No.34
in Manly colours last
season but doesnt
feature with the Eels in
2015s top ton.
The first New South Welshman

on the list is Blues fullback
Josh Dugan at No.16. The top
15 places are occupied by nine
Queenslanders, five Kiwis and
a Pom.
2011
That was the

last time Adam
Blair (No.59)
and Jack
Reed (No.64)
appeared in
our Top 100.
Theyre the only
two blokes with
such a long wait
between drinks.
Number of places Roosters

hardman Jared WaereaHargreaves jumps from last
year (No.57 to No.7), while
his fellow Kiwi Roger TuivasaSheck made an even more
astonishing leap from No.76 in
2014 to No.4 this season.
Of the 30 players to slide off

the list from 2014, the top
three were sport-swapping
superstars Sam Burgess
(No.3 in 2014), Jarryd
Hayne (No.4) and Sonny Bill
Williams (No.12).
30
INTERCHANGE
RLWS 2015 WORLD TEAM
2. SEMI RADRADRA
(Eels, Fiji)
8. JARED
WAEREA-HARGREAVES
(Roosters, New Zealand)
7. JOHNATHAN THURSTON
(Cowboys, Australia)
3. WILL CHAMBERS
(Storm, Australia)
11. GAVIN COOPER

14. COOPER CRONK

(Storm, Australia)
15. SAM THAIDAY

(Broncos, Australia)
9. CAMERON SMITH
(Storm, Australia)
1. GREG INGLIS
(Rabbitohs, Australia)
13. COREY PARKER
(Broncos, Australia)
16. JAMES GRAHAM

(Bulldogs, England)
12. WADE GRAHAM

(Sharks, Australia)
4. JOSH MORRIS
(Bulldogs, Australia)
5. SHAUN KENNY-DOWALL
(Roosters, New Zealand)
6. KIERAN FORAN
(Sea Eagles, New Zealand)
10. MATT SCOTT

17. JESSE BROMWICH

(Storm, New Zealand)
New arrivals on
RLWs Top 100
list in 2015
11 have featured
on the list in
previous years,
and 19 are
brand new.
CLUB REPRESENTATION
Roosters 13
Broncos 10
Storm 9
Cowboys 8
Bulldogs 8
Sharks 8
Dragons 6
Sea Eagles 5
Warriors 5
Rabbitohs 4
Panthers 4
Tigers 4
Raiders 4
Titans 3
Leeds 3
Eels 2
Knights 1
Catalan 1
St Helens 1
Wigan 1
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ARKOS
ARCHIVE
BORN
October 1, 1929,
Glebe, NSW.
CLUB FOOTY
Manly 1950-52,
41 games, 14 tries,
42 points.
Played junior
football for Freshwater
Surf Club.
Played halfback in
Manlys first grand final
side in 1951.
Coached Manly from
1957 until 1961,
including grand final
losses in 57 and 59.
Manly secretary
from 1963 to 1983.
In 1965 became only
the second full-time
club secretary behind
St Georges Frank Facer.
Executive chairman
of the ARL from 1983
until 1997.
NSWRL chairman
from 1987 until 1997.
In 1988 received
an AM in the
Bicentennial Australia
Day Honours List.
Inducted into the
Sport Australia Hall of
Fame in Melbourne in
2010 (pictured).
( League Information Services)
Photography by Getty Images, RLW Archives & Manly Sea Eagles
LEGEND Q&A: KEN ARTHURSON

From near death to living treasure, Manly godfather and ARL supremo Ken Arthurson has a ripping tale to tell
By STEVEN RUSSO
I had Terry Lamb signed, sealed and delivered in 1984,

but I let him go when he told me his mum would probably
never speak to him again if he signed with Manly
Youre Manly through and through, but
you werent actually born on the Northern
Beaches, were you . . .
I was actually born in Glebe. I thought it
was very funny being labelled a Silvertail
during the late 70s because I came from
very humble beginnings. I was born during
The Depression and my father was out of
work of a lot. When I was young we were
living in Bondi and we used to hide from
the landlord when the rent was due.
I didnt move to the Northern Beaches
until I was 12, when my parents found
some cheap accommodation in the
Fairlight area. Ironically, I played up
something awful when we had to move
away from Bondi to Manly.
Youre universally known as Arko, but
theres a pretty funny story behind that
nickname, isnt there?
In 1947 I won the beach sprint
championship at Freshwater Surf Club.
I was really looking forward to reading my
name the next day in the paper. When it
came it out it didnt read K.Arthurson,
it read K.Arkansas (laughs). Everyone
thought it was a great joke, so everyone
started calling me Arko.
You played 41 first-grade games for
Manly between 1950 and 1952. So why
did you decide to play bush footy with
Parkes only three years into your topgrade career?
Former Eastern Suburbs prop Ray Stehr
was coaching Country that year and he
told me that he wanted me in the team.
I wanted to play representative football,
and I figured if I won a game with Country
I would have been a shot at a NSW jersey.
Manly made me a very good offer to
stay, but the great Wests halfback Keith
Holman was the dominant figure at the
time and playing in Sydney it would have
been difficult getting past him.
Tell us about the dummy that changed
your life forever . . .
Its amazing how a single decision can
change your life. Early in 53 I was playing
an intergroup match in Parkes, which
doubled as a selection trial for the Western
Division team. Ian Walsh won a scrum
for us on the 50m line. I got the ball from
the scrum, dummied to a winger inside
shouldnt admit this but we intentionally

kidded England into a fight because we
knew it was our only chance of winning. At
full-time the Poms were that dirty on us
that their winger John Atkinson punched
Eric Simms in the jaw when Eric went over
to shake hands. After that, all hell broke
loose, with all the spectators jumping
over the fence. Harry and I had to literally
fight our way out of the dug-out into the
dressing-room. We also ended up losing
the trophy. Some irate English fans had
stolen it from the hotel lobby! It didnt
surface until 20 years later in a rubbish tip
in Leeds!
CHEEKY HALFBACK, CHAMPION ADMINISTRATOR: The great Arko found his true calling after a shocking
injury during a Western Division selection trial in Parkes almost cost him his life.
me and ran down the right flank. When

I scored, an opposition winger who had
been chasing me came through with his
knees at a hell of a speed and went crash
right into my head. I suffered a severely
depressed skull fracture and was rushed
to hospital. They gave me 48 hours to live
and organised a special mass, but by some
miracle the bones that were shattered were
only resting on the brain. If even one bone
had penetrated it, it would have been the
ball game. I was forced into retirement.
I never really got over not being able to
play. Its great to coach and administrate
but nothing ever takes the place of playing.
Did you plan to be a club administrator
after retiring?
Administration was the furthest thing
from my mind when I retired. But in 1954,
unbeknownst to be me, my old team-mate
Gordon Willoughby nominated me for the
Manly committee. In 62, after coaching
Manly for five seasons, I became treasurer
and in 1963 I took over as secretary when
Jack Munro passed away. In 1965, I left my
administrative job at the Australian Police
College and went full-time.
You must have seen some amazing things
during all those meetings at Phillip St . . .
I was in the committee room the awful
night when Easts delegate Jack Lynch died
of a heart attack. I was also there one night
when two blokes called John OToole and
Eric Cox came bursting through a door

wildly swinging punches. I really enjoyed
those league meetings because even
though we represented clubs that opposed
each other on the field, we all cared about
the game. Sure, our debates used to get
very heated, but after every meeting wed
all get together and have a beer!
You signed some of the games greats
while at Manly who are a couple of big
one you missed out on?
I missed signing Graeme Langlands by a
whisker. St George was the wealthiest club
in the game during the 60s because they
were first to have a leagues club so (Saints
club secretary) Frank Facer had a bit more
money and was able to lure Langlands to
Kogarah. I also had Terry Lamb signed,
sealed and delivered in 1984, but I let
him go when he told me his mum would
probably never speak to him again if he
signed with Manly!
You nominated Australias brutal World
Cup final win against England in Leeds
in 1970 as one of the proudest moments in
the ARLs history. Why was that?
England had a fantastic team that year
and had won all three of their qualifying
games to make the final. We had won
just one game against New Zealand
47-11 and only made the final on forand-against. Harry Bath was Australian
coach and I was co-manager. I probably
During the Super League war you said

adding the Broncos to the competition
was one of the worst decisions Phillip St
ever made. Do you stand by that?
Not anymore. At the time I genuinely
believed that in the early days the Broncos
were run by the most difficult people
I have ever dealt with. They carried on big
time when we tried to expand further into
Queensland and were instrumental in the
Super League. Having said that, Im now
a big admirer of the Broncos club. Theyre
now one of the best-run clubs in the game
and make an enormous contribution to its
well-being.
Why did you oppose Super League?
I thought rugby league belonged to
the people, not a newspaper company.
Everyone knew the war was about pay
television and Murdoch obviously wanted
subscribers. To tell you the truth, I hoped
at the time that hed get it because if he
had got it straight off the bat thered be no
war. In the 90s Packer owned the pay TV
rights and wouldnt release them. A bloke
called Ken Cowley asked me whether Id
mind if News went to Packer and asked
for the rights. I didnt mind but obviously
Kerry did. I was actually offered an
opportunity to join Super League but they
would have had to kill me before Id have
given up the fight on behalf the ARL.
You retired from football administration
in 1997. What are you up to these days?
Not a great deal. I live up on the Gold
Coast and just try and keep myself fit.
I swim every day and go to the gym four or
five times a week. RLW
NSW STATWIDE
SPUDDIES LOSE BATTLE

BUT WIN THE WAR
Despite enduring a not-so-super comeback season, Guyra are upbeat about the future BY STEVEN RUSSO
HEY MAY HAVE LOST

every game in 2015 but the
Guyra Super Spuds are
anything but cooked. After
two years in the rugby league
wilderness, the former Group 19
powerhouse returned to the big time
this year, and while results on the
field didnt make pretty reading,
president Peter Presnell assures
RLW that the Super Spuds took
massive strides off the paddock.
Sure, we didnt win a game but
it was a great experience to have
football back in Guyra, Presnell
says. To have a first-grade side full
of young boys that just wanted to
have a game of footy was brilliant.
Guyra were runaway wooden
spooners in 2015, finishing the
season on -10 points after forfeiting
a game in the final three rounds
of the competition, but Presnell
says the year was still a resounding
success with crowds flocking back to
the Guyra Sporting Complex.
Were not like Inverell we
havent got the money to actually get
players from competitions like the
Queensland Cup, Presnell says.
We relied on local talent, just
blokes from around the town.
We played a Sunday game against
Ashford and it was one of the best
crowds Ive ever seen in Guyra. We
wouldve had 400 people thats a
great crowd for a town of 5500.
It wasnt easy getting the Spuds
out of the oven and back on the
park, though.
While most Group 19 clubs have
boards made up of 10 to 15 people,
Guyra got by with only four on theirs.
Presnell hopes the clubs spirited
showings in 2015 will encourage more
volunteers to get involved.
It was hard. I did most of the
legwork by myself, like setting up on
game day, he says. Id like to get
some more people from around the
town on the committee next year.
While the Super Spuds were
forced to rely on a lot of young
blokes this year, Presnell says it was
a couple of the older heads who

really stood out.
Our front-rower, a local school
teacher called Scott Miller, and the
local mechanic Beau Orchard both
had great years, Presnell says.
Scott did really well considering
ITS MILLER TIME!

School teacher and
rugby convert Scott
Miller was a leading
light for Guyra in a
tough return season
for the Super Spuds.
hed never played prop before, while

Beau played in that many positions
is wasnt funny.
Were pretty hopeful to be
back next year, and if we do, well
be targeting a few older blokes to
support our younger boys.
Despite playing in a side that

conceded more than 80 points four
times this season, Miller says he had
an absolute ball running around for
the Super Spuds.
A former rugby union flanker,
Miller swapped codes this year after
Guyras rah-rah side folded.
Despite coming from Glen Innes,
60km north of Guyra, the 24-yearold prop now considers himself a
Super Spud for life.
Im originally from Glen Innes
. . . but I moved to Armidale to teach
agriculture at the high school in
Guyra, Miller says.
When Guyras rugby side folded
I was considering going back to
play rugby in Glen Innes but as an
agriculture teacher I rely so heavily
on the community, so I thought
I might as well support the
community that supports me.
I jumped ship to league and
surprisingly I absolutely loved it,
despite having to play front row.
Miller reckons that one of the
clubs great drawcards was the
phenomenal community support in
the league-mad town.
I thought we had decent support
at the rugby club, he says.
But when the league arrived it
just left the rugby crowds for dead.
A lot of people used to stick
around and have a chat, passing on
some words of wisdom.
Ill definitely be sticking around
next year.
For Miller, one of the highlights of
the year was facing the Glen Innes
Magpies in Glen Innes.
Despite the Magpies beating
their local rivals 44-22, Scott found
himself being the centre of attention
in the local media.
I actually got a write-up in the
paper, he says with a laugh.
We went down by a fair margin
but I was the focus on the opposition
sports page.
I think the headline was Great
Scott . . . I guess any publicity is
good publicity. RLW
Photography by Guyra Argus, Port Macquarie News & Ballina Seagulls
THE 2015 HONOUR ROLL

NSW CUP GRAND FINAL
Newcastle 20 (H.Tuha 3, K.Holland tries; Holland, G.Ndaira

goals) beat Wyong 10 (N.Smith 2 tries; T.Cornish goal).
Player of the Year: Mitch Barnett (Mounties)
RON MASSEY CUP
Mounties 30 (W.Dargan 2, J.Kennedy, D.Cahalane, B.Ritchie,

G.Aiga tries; J.Walsh 2, S.Dugan goals) beat Asquith 14
(G.Davis, J.Makatoa, M.Pearsall tries; J.Hawkins goal).
Player of the Year: Alofi Mataele (Concord Burwood Wolves)
SYDNEY SHIELD
Wentworthville 26 (D.Sisifa, R.Rona, C.McKenzie, K.Leha,

A.Niusela tries; Sisifa 3 goals) beat Hills District 22 (S.Hogan
2, E.Holmes, D.Baumann tries; J.Boustani 3 goals).
Player of the Year: Ben Baker (East Campbelltown Eagles)
NSW COUNTRY
CENTRAL COAST
The Entrance 22 (G.Nelson 2, S.Corrigan, T.Nawaqatabe

tries; A.McInnes 3 goals) beat Kincumber 14 (J.Duchatel,
T.Woodley tries; B.Cain 3 goals).
Players of the Year: Aja Roberts (Central Wyong) and Brad
Bennett (Kincumber)
NEWCASTLE
Lakes United 24 (J.Vaka, M.Craig, J.Mackin, J.Charles tries;

B.Murray 4 goals) beat Macquarie 18 (B.Gallen, I.Briggs,
J.Schmiedel tries; M.Hay 3 goals).
Player of the Year: Chris Adams (Lakes United)
ILLAWARRA
Helensburgh 16 (J.Raper 2, K.Salamalikis tries; G.Smith 2

goals) beat Wests 10 (B.Goodwin 2 tries; M.Porter goal).
Player of the Year: Grant Smith (Helensburgh)
CANBERRA
Queanbeyan Blues 24 (J.Wheeler 2, T.Ruediger, C.Wilkinson

tries; Wilkinson 4 goals) beat Goulburn 14 (C.Medway,
B,Marmont, M.Worboys tries; B.Picker goal).
Player of the Year: Jack Miller (Queanbeyan Kangaroos)
NORTHERN RIVERS
Ballina 34 (J.Jackey 3, J.Perry, T.Foster, T.Watkins tries;

N.Roberts 5 goals) beat Murwillumbah 6 (G.Cook try;
T.McIntosh goal).
Player of the Year: Jack Wythes (Evans Head)
GROUP 2
South Grafton 46 (A.Cowan 2, H.Stanley 2, O.Monaghan 2,

C.Carr, I.Leota tries; R.Bell 7 goals) beat Coffs Harbour 18
(S.Perham 2, J.Clift tries; N.Curry 3 goals).
Player of the Year: Jay Melrose (Nambucca Heads)
GROUP 3
Port Macquarie 20 (Z.Alyward, B.Cudmore, T.Maguire,

L.Sprague tries; D.Geary 2 goals) beat Port City 8 (K.Lewis,
R.Roberta tries).
Player of the Year: Joe Cudmore (Port Macquarie)
GROUP 4
North Tamworth 48 (S.Wadwell 3, D.Boland 2, H.Falkenmire,

R.Clegg, K.Fisher, L.Burnes tries; Clegg 6 goals) beat West
Tamworth 25 (S.Nean, P.Beaton, M.Carter, J.McLoughlin tries;
D.Taylor 4 goals, field goal).
Player of the Year: Chris Vidler (West Tamworth)
GROUP 6
Picton 46 (M.Lett 2, N.Taylor, B.Carroll, M.Dengate,

D.Thompson, J.McIlvenny, R.Vale tries; A.Provost 7 goals)
beat Camden 0.
Player of the Year: Donny Thompson (Picton)
GROUP 7
Gerringong 28 (A.Brookes, R.Russell, M.Brown, R.Garrick

tries; J.Roberts 6 goals) beat Shellharbour City 24 (K.Field 2,
M.Carroll, J.Field, R.McCracken tries; Carroll 2 goals).
Player of the Year: Adam Stone (Milton-Ulladulla)
GROUP 9
Gundagai 28 (P.Latu, M.Rose, D.Willis, M.Sivo, C.Woo tries;

J.Luff 3, Rose goals) beat Junee 16 (L.Sweeney, W.Merritt,
S.Wilson tries; C.Hands 2 goals).
Player of the Year: James Luff (Gundagai)
GROUP 10
GROUP 10
Orange CYMS 14 (T.Bassmann, S.Hill, M.Sullivan tries;

B.McAlpine goal) beat Lithgow Workies 10 (W.Egan, B.Van
Veen tries; J.Van Veen goal).
Player of the Year: Benjamin John (Bathurst St Pats)
GROUP 11
Dubbo CYMS 18 (K.Shipp, B.Sing, J.Powyer tries; M.Naden 3

goals) beat Parkes 6 (B.Tago try; D.Moran goal).
Player of the Year: Justin Toomey-White (Wellington)
GROUP 16
Moruya 50 (P.McMahon 3, J.Clarke 2, A.Brierley, C.Brierley,

B.Halligan, D.Green tries; Green 7 goals) beat Bega 12
(M.Carter, J.Bower-Scott tries; Bower-Scott, C.Child goals).
Player of the Year: Clint Wright (Narooma)
GROUP 19
Inverell 26 (H.Duncan 2, L.Deaves, J.Ballinger, G.Mepham

tries; Mepham 3 goals) beat Moree Boomerangs 24
(R.Roberts 2, B.Wright, M.Weldon, S.Porter tries; L.Munro,
J.Saunders goals).
Player of the Year: Guy Mepham (Inverell)
SEAGULLS SOAR
The boys from
Ballina celebrate
their third
consecutive
Northern Rivers
title, beating
Murwillumbah 34-6
in the grand final.
Bottom left: Port
Macquaries Joe
Cudmore had plenty
to celebrate in 2015.
GROUP 20
Waratahs Tigers 50 (L.Farmer 2, S.Finefeuiaki 2, J.Teleaga,

M.Ngu, M.Ioapo, K.Lelei, E.Tia tries; Farmer 5, Lelei, Tia goals)
beat Darlington Point Coleambally 22 (R.McGoldrick,
J.Williams, N.Briggs, T. Fox tries; J.Vievers 3 goals).
Player of the Year: Glenn Dumbrell (Yanco-Wamoon)
GROUP 21
Denman 24 (J.Ball, H.Wolfgang, G.McKeon, I.McCormick tries;

L.Hasselmann 2, A.Nicholls 2 goals) beat Scone 20 (T.Smith,
J.Watson, T.Watson, D.Ritter tries; J.Wicks 2 goals).
Player of the Year: Marcus Marsh (Aberdeen)
CASTLEREAGH LEAGUE
Gulgong 40 (B.James, J.Morrison, A.Stott, K.Gudgeon,

L. OConnell, S.Dermott, N.Harvey tries; M.Stott 6 goals) beat
Gilgandra 14 (C.Carr, J.Towney, J.Nixon tries, L.Ritchie goal).
Player of the Year: Brad James (Gulgong)
WOODBRIDGE CUP
Binalong 30 (C.Irwin 2, S.Naughton 2, G.Sherratt tries;

Irwin 4, P.Sparnon goals) beat Trundle 28 (B.Ross 2,
S.Boland, B.Ridges, J.Van der Stock tries; L.Taylor 4 goals).
Player of the Year: Torin Hando (Peak Hill).
QUEENSLAND STATEWIDE
DUSTBOWL OF DREAMS
Billy Slater and co give the kids of a drought-devastated region the thrill of their lives BY ROBERT BURGIN
OULL NEVER GET

Billy Slater to visit here.
We dont even have a
blade of grass on our
footy field.
Central West Rugby League
president David Kerrigan reckons
that was the common reaction when
drought-stricken Ilfracombe started
dreaming up something big.
Better known in footy circles as the
home of Cowboys prop Matt Scott,
Ilfracombe has a population of only
300 and sits on the Landsborough
Highway, 12 hours drive from
Brisbane.
Of the clubs that play footy
in this region, theres no doubt
Ilfracombe has been the hardest
hit, Kerrigan affirms.
They couldnt play a single home
game this year because of the state
of their field.
Not only have the locals
missed out on events and
social interaction, but
theres been no way to raise
money either for the club,
because theres been no gate
fees or canteen.
You drive along the
highway here, half the
properties dont have grass
and its just kangaroo and
sheep carcasses everywhere,
and well . . . theres
absolutely zero cattle left.
People living out here are
confronted with that every single
day.
One of the landowners of those
properties without grass, Penny
Taylor, thrust aside her own woes to
lift the districts spirits.
Along with colleagues such as
Rebecca Lacey and Sandy Williams
from the Ilfracombe Progress
Association, they organised a
Drought Relief Day and sportsmans
dinner that doubled the towns size.
Not only were they successful in
luring Slater out of Melbourne, they
were also graced by the presence of
Petero Civoniceva and the return of
grand final hero Scott.
Ex-Cowboys coach Murray Hurst
was the MC for the evening.
I tell you, Billy and Petero flew
into Longreach, hopped straight in
the car and drove out to Ilfracombe
to meet the kids in some pretty hot
and dry conditions, Kerrigan says.
The big talking point was that
You drive along

the highway
here, half the
properties dont
have grass and its
just kangaroo and
sheep carcasses
everywhere, and
well . . . theres
absolutely zero
cattle left
HOT PROPERTY
Maroons greats
Billy Slater and
Petero Civoniceva
went above and
beyond the call of
duty during their
trip to Ilfracombe.
Billy signed autographs for more

than an hour, then when we went
looking for him, he was out on the
dustbowl field kicking the footy
around.
I dont just mean he kicked one
or two footies and then walked off
. . . he was out there for at least
another half-hour with the children.
People were saying these guys
were too high-profile to come to
a place like Ilfracombe but they
showed they were down-to-earth
and theyd all been kids with a
dream at one stage, too.
The afternoon on the field was
followed by a function at local
watering hole The Wellshot Hotel,
where Slater donated one of his
State of Origin jerseys for auction.
As the event coincided with
Mental Health Week, there were also
discussions led by Hurst, now QRL
welfare officer, and Dennis Hoiberg,
an expert on resilience and facing
change.
Attendees stayed well into the
night and much-needed funds were
raised for not only the Ilfracombe
Scorpions, but several other worthy
community groups as well.
Word on the street and social
media the following day was
overwhelmingly positive.
People are trying their hardest
out here. They know it will rain
eventually, Kerrigan says.
Events like this take their mind
off it, especially when rugby league
is the one constant in many of their
lives.
It was interesting too, hearing
when the Queensland boys were up
on stage, that they felt coming to fan
days like this were part of what made
them so successful in Origin.
They said Mal Meninga was really
big on rubbing shoulders with people
who might be doing it tough, then
taking that away and thinking, This
is who we represent.
Remarkably, despite not playing
any home games in 2015, Ilfracombe
made it all the way to the grand
final, where they unfortunately
became victim to the red-hot Winton
Diamantina Devils.
The Devils have now won six
Central West premierships in a row.
Ilfracombe had three players
selected in this years Queensland
Outback side, which was coached
by Kerrigan. RLW
Photography by Nadia Hoad & SMP Images
THE 2015 HONOUR ROLL

MOUNT ISA
Wanderers 40 (C.Carlson 2, C.Saltmere, D.Simmons, M.Toby,

R.Cassady, B.Stonier, M.Bull tries; A.Saltmere 4 goals) beat
Town 36 (T.Donald, B.Smith, D.Dunne, R.Francis, N.Cooke,
J.Wilson tries; M.Paulson 6 goals).
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
South Kolan 50 (M.Tua 2, S.Tua 2, C.Nielsen, S.Tonga,

S.Manufekai, S.Poasi, A.Havea tries; F.Blake 7 goals)
beat Miriam Vale 14 (J.Kellet, B.Walker, J.Gower tries;
C.Griffiths goal).
Player of the Year: Tim McIntosh (Agnes Water)
ROCKHAMPTON
Yeppoon 34 (J.Russell 2, D.Still 2, J.Still, S.Holzeimer tries;

C.Grills 4, L.McPhail goals) beat Norths 24 (M.Smith,
J.Clayton, D.Allen, B.Williams tries; Smith 4 goals).
Player of the Year: George Grant (Yeppoon)
ROMA & DISTRICT
Chinchilla 24 (M.Hooper 3, R.Mitchell; J.Gilbert 4 goals) beat

Cities 16 (B.Coonan, W.Waites, B.Grulke tries; D.Murray 2
goals). Player of the Year: Steve Brownhalls (Chinchilla)
SOUTH BURNETT
Kingaroy 26 (J.Hopkins 2, M.Crossley, L.Taufa tries;

A.Smallwood 5 goals) beat Wondai 24 (S.Borinkohf 2, B.List,
J.Porter tries; D.Alberts 4 goals).
Player of the Year: Luke Hedges (Wondai)
SUNSHINE COAST GYMPIE
Kawana 24 (J.Sumpton, J.Meads, M.Gilliman, T.Long, K.Busiko

tries; A.Forrest 2 goals) beat Maroochydore-Coolum 12
(T.Mendham, J.Ah-See tries; K.Bacon 2 goals).
Player of the Year: Alex Forrest (Kawana)
TOOWOOMBA
INTRUST SUPER CUP GRAND FINAL
Ipswich 32 (C.Anderson, M.Barba, N.Valekapa, D.Phillips,

M.Parcell, K.Lander tries; Anderson 2, Barba, Lander goals)
beat Townsville 20 (J.Hughes, Z.Santo, T.Humble, R.Lui
tries; Lui 2 goals).
Player of the Year: Patrick Templeman (Wynnum Manly)
NRL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Ipswich 26 (M.Parcell, B.McConnachie, M.Barba, R.Griffin

tries; C.Anderson 5 goals) beat Newcastle 12 (G.Ndaira,
J.Feeney tries; Ndaira 2 goals) at ANZ Stadium.
Man of the match: Matt Parcell (Ipswich)
A.Behns, L.Field tries; A.Skrzypa, P.Stanley goals) beat

Dayboro 21 (D.Harris, A.King, A.Harris tries; K.Zalewski 4
goals, field goal).
Player of the Year: Jacob Thomas (Normanby)
NORTHSIDE 2: Banyo 34 (B.Robinson 2, C.Davies,
L.Sanderson, B.Chilton, S.Ray tries; M.Coulson 3, Davies,
M.Walker goals) beat Morton Bay 8 (D.White, C.Maliko tries).
Player of the Year: George Curry (Mitchelton)
NORTHSIDE 3: Norths St Josephs 28 (I.Gordon 2, S.Bowman,
J.Roberts, T.Spence tries; Bowman 3, M.Lonergan goals) beat
Brighton 16 (K.Fuli, J.McReaddie, N.Zell tries; J.Renehan 2
goals). Player of the Year: Adam Pratt (Pine Rivers)
BRL
QLD COUNTRY
BRISBANE SECOND DIVISION
Stanthorpe 35 (J. Swan, T. Cameron, N. Brannigan,

G. Skimmings, Z. Hendry, B.Perkins tries; J. Wilmot 5 goals;
Swan field goal) beat Wallangarra 10 (S. John, S. Hooper
tries; R. Bartholomew goal).
Player of the Year: Jason Wilmot (Stanthorpe)
Ipswich 26 (J.Tighe, C.Ash, P.Whittaker, M.Tuite, I.Hafoka

tries; H.Lipp 3 goals) beat Wynnum Manly Redland City 16
(M.Lollback, Z.Koitka, P.Matulino tries; J.Goodrich 2 goals).
Player of the Year: Hayden Lipp (Ipswich)
PREMIER GRADE: Bulimba Valleys 44 (T.Betham 2,

T.OConnor, L.Hay, J.Kendall, B.Seaton, A.Brown, D.Waterson
tries; J.Smith 6 goals) beat Brothers Juniors 22 (W.Senior,
B.Munro, T.Swift, A.Crear tries; J.Marshall 3 goals).
Player of the Year: Adam Crear (Brothers Juniors)
SOUTHSIDE 1: Redlands District 12 (N.Tanna, B.Wamsley,
S.Campbell tries) beat Beenleigh Seniors 0.
Player of the Year: Craig Mathieson (Redlands)
SOUTHSIDE 2: Carina 34 (D.Browne 2, S.Heyden 2, M.Potts,
J.Delange tries; Browne 5 goals) beat Bulimba Valleys 16
(M.Sailor, A.Ogden, C.Rafter tries; L.Bell, Ogden goals).
Player of the Year: Luke Bell (Bulimba Valleys)
SOUTHSIDE 3: Greenbank 38 (N.Knoble 3, S.Talavave 2,
P.Faamita, M.Knoble tries; P.Faamita 5 goals) beat Easts
Mt Gravatt 12 (R.Tukavin, N.Carey tries; R.Biles 2 goals).
Player of the Year: Ashley Karklis (North Stradbroke Island)
NORTHSIDE 1: Wests Mitchelton 24 (N.Kisi 2, K.Yow Yeh,
BORDER LEAGUE
PRIDE OF THE
BAYSIDE
Wynnum Manlys
Patrick Templeman
was a runaway
winner of the Intrust
Super Cup
player-of-the-year
award.
beat Eidsvold 12 (D.Luani, D.Jenkin, I.Loloha tries).

Player of the Year: Shane Carter (Monto)
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
Bluff 36 (L.Law 3, J.Byrne 2, P.McLaughlin, C.Conway tries;

M.Power 4 goals) beat Clermont 20 (E.Kennedy, J.Johnson,
J.Williams, L.Bobongie tries; A.Nunan 2 goals).
CENTRAL WEST
GLADSTONE
Brothers 31 (J.Cridland, L.Tanzer, J.Taylor, B.Crisp, B.Crawford,

R.Nona tries; Crisp 3 goals, field goal) beat Valleys 22
(D.West, H.Rabakewa, S.Collins, H.Davis, A.Watson tries;
D.Knight goal).
Player of the Year: Brent Crisp (Brothers)
GOLD COAST
BUNDABERG
CAIRNS
Norths 24 (M.Bettiens 2, A.Fesolai, J.Roberts tries; S.West

4 goals) beat Brothers 22 (T.Graff, S.Daylight, A.Bennett,
J.Boettcher tries; J.Leisemann 3 goals).
Player of the Year: Steven West (Norths)
Innisfail 30 (M.Healey 3, B.Reuter, L.Romano, R.Jensen tries;

Healey 3 goals) beat Ivanhoe 20 (Z.Prior, T.Barnard, M.Toko,
A.Henley tries; Prior 2 goals).
Player of the Year: Colin Wilkie (Innisfail)
CENTRAL BURNETT
Monto 18 (T.Mitchell 2, J.Dahtler, L.Lee tries; S.Carter goal)
TOWNSVILLE & DISTRICT
Burdekin 20 (Z.Heron 2, R.Power, G.Hendley tries; S.Kaifota

2 goals) beat Herbert River 18 (K.Inserra , T.Cockburn ,
L.LaRosa tries; M.Seri 3 goals).
Player of the Year: Mitchell Seri (Herbert River).
Winton 26 (R.Ellis, T.McQueen, J.McGill, R.McLeod tries; Ellis 5

goals) beat Ilfracombe 4 (K.Lacey try).
Burleigh 36 (J.Anderson 2, W.Wanahi, S.Maloney, C.Rhodes,

C.Toia, J.Grant tries; K.Ahwang 4 goals) beat Tugun 24
(T.Matenga 2, B.Clarke, B.Wilson tries; K.Te Kiri 4 goals).
Player of the Year: Jamie Anderson (Burleigh)
Brothers 36 (T.Nguyen 3, M.Templeman 2, M.Martin,

A.Kuskey tries; Martin 2, J.Carl 2 goals) beat Hervey Bay 24
(B.Eldridge, B.Stefaniuk, C.Horne, A.Roderick tries; Horne 4
goals). Player of the Year: Alex Braun (Hervey Bay)
Wattles 52 (B.Ciesiolka 3, M.Gordon, A.Scheid, J.Koina,

B.Wilson, H.Fulwood, C.Blades tries; M.Duggan 8 goals) beat
Dalby 26 (M.Jensen 2, J.Wreford, P. Manley, N.Champney
tries; Jensen 3 goals). Players of the Year: Mitchell Carpenter
(Pittsworth) & Justin Croft (Warwick).
IPSWICH
MACKAY & DISTRICT
Whitsunday 21 (D.Kay, A.Blackwood, A.Clare, D.Wright tries;

P.Ramage 2 goals, field goal) beat Sarina 12 (L.Galbraith,
D.Hall, B.Lui tries). Players of the Year: Laine Wyper (Sarina)
& Grant Rovelli (Souths)
CARINA RUGBY LEAGUE

FOOTBALL CLUB
PLAYERS WANTED
BRISBANE RUGBY LEAGUE
A GRADE COMPETITION
Feeder Team For Easts
Tigers Intrust Super Cup
Great Facilities
Competitive Match Payments
Professional Atmosphere
GREAT CLUB | GREAT PEOPLE | GREAT TIMES
Please send your player resume to
petertedwards@bigpond.com
SUPER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
ANOTHER DAY,
ANOTHER
TROPHY
A
Mitch Garbutts midseason switch from

Brisbane to Leeds
works a triple treat
BY PHIL WILKINSON
T LEAST ONE PLAYER ON

Brisbanes payroll enjoyed
grand final success this
season. Mitch Garbutt only
joined Leeds in July yet,
remarkably, has already won three
trophies with the English outfit.
Its very surreal to get the treble
is something Ill always remember,
Garbutt told RLW after the Rhinos

22-20 grand final win against Wigan.
I was under contract with
Brisbane for a couple more years
but I was lucky enough to get the
opportunity to come here and
I couldnt have asked for a better
bunch of people to come to. Im
loving it.
Leeds chief executive Gary

Hetherington revealed the prop has
been a gift for this season, because
he is being paid by Brisbane.
Like the NRL grand final, the
Super League decider was on a knifeedge until the end, with a dazzling
Matty Bowen try in his farewell
appearance not enough for Wigan.
THREE CHEERS!
Ex-Bronco Mitch
Garbutt (bottom row,
far left) has won a
treble of trophies
since joining Leeds in
July, while the Super
League GF wasnt the
perfect send-off for
Wigans Matty Bowen.
JUICING REVOLUTION - KUVINGS COLD PRESS JUICING
AVAILABLE AT
Its scripted like a movie . . . its the

greatest achievement Ive been
involved with Jamie Peacock
It seems to be the trend, the close
games, added Garbutt, nodding to the
Cowboys golden-point win against the
Broncos. Theyre good for fans but not
for the players!
A few of my mates back home had a
big party at 4am, so itd be interesting
to know how they were doing . . . they
would have been a bit dusty. But it was
one of those games no-one deserved to
lose Matty Bowen grew an extra leg
for them, hes an unbelievable player.
While Cowboys cult hero Bowen
didnt manage to win the silverware
which has eluded him throughout his
career, Leeds stalwarts Jamie Peacock,
Kevin Sinfield and Kylie Leuluai
received the fairytale farewells they
craved in the same season they
landed the Challenge Cup and League
Leaders Shield. And former GB captain
Peacock reckons their treble-winning
achievement may never be emulated.
Its scripted like a movie, the
37-year-old offered. I had a dream
wed beat Wigan in the grand final . . .
I was like Martin Luther King!
Its the greatest achievement Ive
been involved with. Without a doubt,
the treble is tougher to do now. With the
structure of the league and the Challenge
Cup where it is (in August), Im doubtful
whether itll be done again, and I say
that with the greatest respect to everyone
involved next year, including Leeds.
In the most exciting Super League
decider since the grand final concept
was introduced in 1998, Wigan led twice
but couldnt conjure a Cowboys-esque

late score. The game was not without
controversy, with Wigan players adamant
Joel Moons first-half try should have
been disallowed because of a knock-on
in the build-up, but the video refs
refused to overturn the on-field try call.
It was a knock-on, 100 per cent,
said Roosters-bound winger Joe
Burgess. Whether they were looking at
the same screen I was, Ive not a clue. It
only needed one look to see, thats why
Im fuming, to be honest.
Bowens parents, wife and three
children including daughter Tatum,
who was born the night before the
game were among the capacity 73,000
crowd at Old Trafford.
I enjoyed my time here, said the
ex-Maroons and Kangaroos No.1.
Everyone at home thinks its a
second-rate competition, but it showed
its a fast game and Id encourage
anyone to give Super League a try.
My career exceeded all my
expectations. I was happy to just play
one first-grade game but I played 270
for the Cowboys and however many for
Wigan. I didnt win a title but I made a
raft of friends and played the game
I love at the highest level for such a long
time. I wont regret any moment. RLW
Leeds 22 (D.McGuire 2, J.Moon, J.Walters
tries; K.Sinfield 3 goals) beat Wigan 20
(J.Burgess, D.Manfredi, M.Bowen tries;
Bowen 4 goals). Harry Sunderland
Trophy: Danny McGuire (Leeds).
WHOLE
FRUIT &
VEGGIE
COLD NEW
PRESS RELEASE
JUICER
BPA
FREE
AWARD
WINNING
JUICE
YOUR WAY
TO GOOD
HEALTH
MORE
FLAVOUR,
BETTER JUICE,
TASTE THE
DIFFERENCE
NO NEED
TO CUT!
JUST FEED
THROUGH
THE CHUTE
599
ecipe
R
e
c
i
u
J
Super
1 Carrot
ot
Beetro
talk
S
ry
le
1 Ce
Lemon
1 Slice of
1 Apple
iinger
of fresh G
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c
i
ie
P
2cm
For more iinformation

rmation check out
w
www.kuvings.net.au
uvings.net.au
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Gby League Week Issue 37 2015

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