3. He also possessed one of the best short kicking games ever seen. Playing on the flanks of the scrums, hence the name of their position, flankers are often the most agile forwards, and usually the biggest hitters. A man-of-the-match performance on his international debut was a sign of things to come, and he is currently captain of the Kiwis. Pushed into the pack occasionally at representative level, Fittler was capable of mixing it with the forwards in defence as well as dazzling with his footwork, speed and passing game. The debate is always enhanced by those incredible players who fail to earn a spot in such a list. In defence, the lock forward had a roving commission; Coote was among the best cover defenders the game has ever seen. Thurston started out with the Bulldogs where he was part of their 2004 premiership winning team before heading home to Townsville to play out the rest of his career with the Cowboys. Fulton was hailed as one of the game's great attacking geniuses. With the NRL set to restart next week, we have taken on the impossible task of naming the best 10 players ever.
The prince of centres, Gasnier was a key part of St George Dragons' record premiership run in the 1960s. His incredibly consistent play ensured he was the only player never dropped during Sir Clive Woodward's tenure.
If you ever have a chance to watch archive footage of Rabbitohs and Roosters games during Ron Coote's playing days you will notice that most match highlights involve the lanky forward. Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand) Former New Zealand rugby union player Zinzan Brooke is widely considered as one of the best flankers in the history of rugby union. With the NRL set to restart next week, we have taken on the impossible task of naming the best 10 players ever.
• Download ESPN from iTunes App Store Lewis spent his best years in the Queensland club competition before stints with the Broncos and Gold Coast Seagulls. The ten greatest players in rugby league history. NRL teams: Haas exits bubble, Tedesco rested, Six Again: Roosters lock up Tedesco for a song, Sharks take down the Warriors to book finals berth, Keary, Tupou doubles help Roosters to big win, Raiders hammer Dragons with brilliant 2nd half display, Penrith take down Parramatta in top-4 derby, Manly snap losing streak against Canterbury. Despite this he won 29 test caps and is regarded as one of the best players the country has ever produced. Beetson started his career with Redcliffe Dolpins in the Brisbane competition before being lured to Sydney to play with the Balmain Tigers. Despite his huge success, Pienaar had a remarkably short international career, just three years. 7. Get live scores, news and videos ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. Prat also captained his French side from 1954 onwards, and is an inductee into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. Maroons name Kalyn Ponga despite injury cloud, South Sydney to host NRL fixtures at Dubbo, Panthers' Capewell ready to fill Kikau's boots, Storm use training to adapt to crowd noise, Six Again: Rule clarity needed urgently for fans, Injured Cook leads Souths to NRL finals win, Munster hurt as Storm eclipse Eels in NRL, Cleary leads Penrith to win over Roosters. Australian users can personalise their ESPN experience by downloading the App. In 2006, he was rewarded for his fantastic form with the IRB Player of the Year award. Corvo the man behind the Storm's professionalism, Six Again: Some real pretenders going into the finals, Warriors finish season on a high vs. Sea Eagles, Marshall's farewell match ruined by injury, Raiders hold off Sharks in finals preview, Rabbitohs destroy Roosters for biggest win since 1980, Knights stumble as Titans cap off their season in style, Rabbitohs pile on 60 against finals-bound Roosters, Cowboys hand Broncos the wooden spoon with easy win, NRL Round Table: Clear winner in 2020 most disappointing team award, Six Again: Refereeing causes Ricky to blow his stack, Aubusson stars in 303rd game as the Roosters down the Sharks, Bellamy flips Smith the bird in Storm win, Storm score nine tries in emphatic win over Tigers, Panthers clinch minor premiership in Townsville, Bulldogs stun Rabbitohs, win third game of 2020. He scored 139 points in his 51 French caps, in ways ranging from wonderful tries to conversions. Vote for Australia's greatest ever footballer. As well as excellent forward play, Kirkpatrick also had a knack for scoring tries, getting 16 tries for New Zealand (a record at the time), and a phenomenal 115 tries in his provincial career. Seibold officially exits Broncos after horror year, Anthony Seibold's road to Brisbane Broncos ruin, NRL Rnd 16 teams: Several key stars return, Cordner returning for Roosters after 6 weeks out, Robinson: Seibold off-field scrutiny was disgraceful, Six Again: Sharks leave battle for eighth open, Nikorima leads Warriors comeback against Bulldogs, Souths make history to punish sorry Manly, Mitchell masterclass as Rabbitohs smash Sea Eagles, Dragons hold on to beat Broncos in thriller, Bellamy right as officials fall for Eels crusher ploy, Eels score rare win over injury-hit Storm. 6. He was one of just three current players to be named in the Wallabies team of the decade, after going to two World Cups, including one final with them. The middle of a rugby league field isn't a place where someone typically carves out such a long and influential career. Wavell Wakefield (ENG) - Probably the most important figure in the development of back row forwards, Wakefield used his athletic skills to change the flanker from a static player to one who constantly pressurised the opposition half-backs and supported attacks in open play, as well as the standard winning of the ball in rucks. Thurston led the Cowboys to their only premiership in 2015 and was a key part of Queensland's incredible run of 11 from 12 series victories. He won premierships with the Panthers before moving to the Roosters where he established himself as one of the game's greatest five-eighths and captain. Michael Jones (NZ) - Named the third greatest All Black of all time, behind Colin Meads and Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Jones was nicknamed "the Iceman" for the cool way he played, always looking like he was at ease on a rugby pitch, whatever stood before him. He had elusive speed to accompany his ball skills and regularly carved up defences at club and international level. Smith has somehow avoided major injury setbacks while revolutionising the hooker role, steering his club, state and nation to enviable success. Lockyer's running and passing game developed as he represented his state and country, but his strongest attribute was always his competitiveness.
Never beaten, Lockyer led teams by example. NRL Round Table: Will SBW make an impact for Roosters? 8. The tenth installment of my Greatest Ever series is here! The debate is always enhanced by those incredible players …
Penrith beat Brisbane to bring up twelfth straight win, Six Again: Lethal Latrell cut down by cruel misfortune, Raiders second half dominance crushes Bulldogs, Panthers crush Tigers to go 11 wins in a row, Sharks rip apart sorry Cowboys to move into top 8, Warriors run riot in Tamworth with statement win, Roosters run riot in high-scoring win vs. Broncos, Titans stun Dragons with second half fight-back, Rabbitohs take down 3rd placed Eels in statement win, Rabbitohs power past Parramatta but Latrell injured. 9. In 2003 Kirkpatrick was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. There can only be one man at right-back for Argentina, and that is Javier Zanetti. He won 71 England caps, scoring 60 points, and was named on three British and Irish Lions Tours, winning five caps. The wirey young man with the colourful headgear would go on to be one of the game's greatest ever halves, whether wearing the No.7 for his club or the No.6 for Queensland and Australia. Without further ado, here’s our countdown of the best rugby players to have ever graced the sport: 10. Richie McCaw (NZ) - He has been the best in his position for a while now, and Richie McCaw is fast becoming an All Black legend. There are two types of flanker - blindside and openside, so called for the side of the scrum they go. He was the first English inductee into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. In this series I will look at the greatest talents to grace various sports. Despite this he won 29 test caps and is regarded as one of the best players the country has ever produced. He made a science out of his kicking game and his passing was unrivalled. Jean Prat (FRA) - A 2001 inductee into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, Prat was a fantastic all-round player. • Get NRL news and more in your inbox Once described as "an almost perfect player", Jones is deserving of his place as the greatest flanker of all time. Fulton was named one of the original four Immortals and went on to successful coaching and administrative careers. This time I continue to look at Rugby Union, and, following my "Top Ten Second Rows of All Time," I will look at the top ten players ever to play in the flanker positions. A difficult man to tackle, he would slice through even the best defences and always managed to set up support players with perfectly timed passes. • Download ESPN from Google Play Store The Roosters secured the hard-to-tackle, deceptively quick ball-playing prop forward and he enjoyed premiership success while at the club. 5. He led Auckland Blues to victory as a captain in the Super 12 championships in 1996 and 1997. NRL Round Table: Who should coach the Broncos next? He holds many distinctions, but perhaps the biggest is that he was the first ever player to score a try in a Rugby World Cup.
He was greeted and awarded the trophy by Nelson Mandela. He played 29 Tests with distinction for Australia and led Queensland to victory in the first ever interstate game played under State of Origin selection rules. He played with Manly before moving to the Roosters, and he represented Australia 35 times. Francois Pienaar (RSA) (pictured) - Arguably South Africa's most successful captain ever, Francois Piemaar's crowning glory came in 1995 when he guided the Springboks to a World Cup success in South Africa. Fleet of foot and ever-elusive, he averaged over one try per game during his nine years at the Dragons, as well as setting up plenty for his winger Johnny King. Many would name Johns the greatest ever, he is certainly in our top three for the same reasons. NRL Round Table: Are the Eels still in with a shot. This total made him one of the few forwards to reach the century mark.
Argentina’s most capped player Javier Zanetti. 18 of these were as captain, including the 1979 tour to Australia, regarded as Ireland's most successful tour ever. Despite a short international career (1903-1906), Gallaher became a force to be reckoned with, as he started revolutionising the role of a back-row forward. He started his career as a schoolboy in the centres for the Panthers and was playing for New South Wales and Australia not long after. • Buying success: League's greatest signings. NRL Round Table: What does the future hold for Wests Tigers? Finally, after dozens of less good (but still pretty damn good) players, here we have the greatest rugby league champions of modern times. He was called up on two Lions tours, winning four caps overall, all coming in the hugely successful 1974 tour to South Africa. In 2007, Slattery was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
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