Almost 100 players were nominated in the NRL.com office for a spot in our list of the best 50 players in the NRL, with a host of quality players just missing the cut. That includes rising fullbacks Matt Moylan and Michael Morgan, star centres Michael Jennings and Konrad Hurrell, big-name playmakers John Sutton, Adam Reynolds and Mitchell Pearce and star wingers Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Josh Mansour.
Top 50 Players in the NRL: 50-41
Top 50 Players in the NRL: 40-31
Top 50 Players in the NRL: 30-21
Top 50 Players in the NRL: 20-11
Top 50 Players in the NRL: 10-1
Halves accounted for 11 spots in the top 50, followed by second-rowers (10), front-rowers (7), fullbacks and locks (6 apiece), hookers (5) and centres (4), with Brett Morris the sole specialist winger to make the cut.
All 16 NRL clubs were represented in the list. The Manly Sea Eagles earned the most inclusions of all clubs, with half a dozen players (Daly Cherry-Evans, Kieran Foran, Brett Stewart, Jamie Lyon, Anthony Watmough and Steve Matai). The Broncos and Storm had five players in the list each, followed by the Bulldogs, Dragons and Roosters (four each), the Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Sharks and Warriors (three), the Panthers, Raiders, Wests Tigers and Titans (two) and the Eels and Knights (one).
Past and present Kangaroos dominated the rankings, with 28 of the top 50 having represented Australia at Test level. There are a dozen more internationals in the list: six New Zealanders, five England players and Samoa's World Cup star Anthony Milford. Thirteen current Maroons stars made the list – including six of the top 10 – while 21 players who have represented New South Wales were included.
The complete NRL.com Top 50
1. Cameron Smith
2. Jarryd Hayne
3. Sam Burgess
4. Johnathan Thurston
5. Greg Inglis
6. Cooper Cronk
7. James Graham
8. Paul Gallen
9. Daly Cherry-Evans
10. Billy Slater
11. Robbie Farah
12. Corey Parker
13. Matt Scott
14. Kieran Foran
15. Sonny Bill Williams
16. Brett Stewart
17. Shaun Johnson
18. Greg Bird
19. Nate Myles
20. Jamie Lyon
21. Jesse Bromwich
22. George Burgess
23. Josh Dugan
24. Brett Morris
25. Anthony Milford
26. Andrew Fifita
27. Trent Merrin
28. Aaron Woods
29. Sam Thaiday
30. Justin Hodges
31. Anthony Watmough
32. Ryan Hoffman
33. Beau Scott
34. Gareth Widdop
35. Boyd Cordner
36. Josh Morris
37. Josh Reynolds
38. Matt Gillett
39. Sam Tomkins
40. Simon Mannering
41. Jake Friend
42. Ben Hunt
43. James Tamou
44. Steve Matai
45. Aidan Guerra
46. Trent Hodkinson
47. James Segeyaro
48. Jamie Soward
49. Luke Lewis
50. Shaun Fensom