NRL Hall of Fame: How voting panel will decide

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Author: Dan Walsh NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp: Sun 6 May 2018, 08:01 AM

To those about to select the six inductees to the NRL's revamped Hall of Fame, we salute you.

If rugby league's love of a debate – from the pub to the papers and back again – tells us anything, few others will.

From the 9827 players to lace a boot since 1908, an elite 25 have been presented in a shortlist.

A voting college of 25 experts must now boil that list of legends down to the six most worthy of joining the 100 Hall of Fame members announced in March.

Such is the pressure on this judging panel – comprising 10 current Hall of Famers, five media members, five historians and five independents – their identities will be kept under wraps, from the public and each other.

No collusion, no conspiring, no comparing of notes as has been whispered, rightly or wrongly, at plenty of selection tables through league's history. Just votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis.

How do you weigh up Ruben Wiki's cement-cast shots and record 55 Kiwi Tests against Ian Moir's 105 tries in 110 games for Souths?

1. Billy Cann: New South Wales v New Zealand at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, August 17, 1907

2. Tedda Courtney: New South Wales v New Zealand at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, August 17, 1907

3. Dally Messenger: New South Wales v New Zealand at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, August 17, 1907

4. Sandy Pearce, New South Wales v New Zealand at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, August 17, 1907

5. Albert Rosenfeld: New South Wales v New Zealand at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, August 17, 1907

6. Arthur Halloway: New South Wales v New Zealand at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, August 21, 1907

7 Daniel Frawley: Eastern Suburbs v Newtown at Wentworth Park, Glebe, April 20, 1908

8. Howard Hallett: South Sydney v Balmain at Birchgrove Oval, April 24, 1909

9. Chris McKivat: Wallabies v Kangaroos at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, September 4, 1909

10. Viv Farnsworth: Wallabies v Kangaroos at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, September 11, 1909

11. Charles Fraser: Balmain v North Sydney at North Sydney Oval, August 13, 1910

12. Frank Burge: Glebe v Western Suburbs at Sydney Sports Ground, April 29, 1911

13. Les Cubitt: Western Suburbs at Sydney Sports Ground, April 29, 1911

14. Herb Gilbert: South Sydney v North Sydney at Sydney Sports Ground, April 29, 1911

15. Harold Horder: Harold South Sydney v Glebe at Wentworth Park, Glebe, Sydney, August 24, 1912

16. Cecil Blinkhorn: North Sydney v South Sydney at North Sydney Oval, August 15, 1914

17 Duncan Thompson: Queensland v New South Wales at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, June 5, 1915

18. Jim Craig: Balmain v North Sydney at Birchgrove Oval, August 14, 1915

19 Frank McMillan: Western Suburbs v Newtown at Pratten Park, Ashfield, April 23, 1921

20. Benny Wearing: South Sydney v Eastern Suburbs at Sydney Cricket Ground, April 30, 1921

21. Tom Gorman: Queensland Country v City at Davies Park, South Brisbane, May 28, 1921

22. Vic Armbruster: New South Wales v Queensland at Sydney Sports Ground, September 23, 1922

23. Eric Weissel, Combined Districts v England at Fisher Park, Cootamundra, May 27, 1924

24. Dan Dempsey, Toowoomba v England at Athletic Oval, Toowoomba, June 18, 1924

25 Herb Steinhort: Toowoomba v England at Athletic Oval, Toowoomba, June 18, 1924

26. Peter ‘Mick’ Madsen. Toowoomba v Brisbane at Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, May 2, 1925

27. George Treweek: George South Sydney v Western Suburbs at Sydney Cricket Ground, May 30, 1926

28. Joe ‘Chimpy’ Busch: Eastern Suburbs v University at Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney, April 21, 1928

29 Wally Prigg: Newcastle v England at Newcastle Sports Ground, July 11, 1928

30. Ray Stehr, Eastern Suburbs v University at Sydney Sports Ground, April 20, 1929

31. Joe Pearce: Eastern Suburbs v Western Suburbs at Pratten Park, Ashfield, June 29, 1929

32. Dave Brown: Eastern Suburbs v St George at Earl Park, Arncliffe, August 9, 1930

33. Ernie Norman: Eastern Suburbs v University at Sydney Sports Ground, April 25, 1931

34. Viv Thicknesse: Eastern Suburbs v North Sydney at North Sydney Oval, April 16, 1932

35 Vic Hey: Western Suburbs v University at Pratten Park, Ashfield, April 25, 1933

36. Jack Beaton: Eastern Suburbs v South Sydney at Sydney Sports Ground, April 25, 1934

37. Andy Norval, Eastern Suburbs v South Sydney at Sydney Sports Ground, April 25, 1934

38. Herb Narvo: Country Firsts v City Firsts at Sydney Cricket Ground, May 9, 1936

39. Brian Bevan: Eastern Suburbs v South Sydney at Sydney Sports Ground, May 2, 1942

40. Harry Bath: Southern Suburbs v Past Brothers at Oxenham Park, Nundah, June 13, 1942

41. Arthur Clues: Western Suburbs v Balmain at Leichhardt Oval, April 24, 1943

42. Roy Bull: Manly v South Sydney at Sydney Sports Ground, April 26, 1947

43. Clive Churchill: Country Seconds v City Seconds at Sydney Cricket Ground, May 8, 1947

44. Duncan Hall: Brisbane v Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) at Brisbane Exhibition Ground, March 29, 1948

45. Keith Holman: Western Suburbs v Eastern Suburbs at Pratten Park, Ashfield, June 26, 1948

46. Ken Kearney: Ken Leeds v Bramley at Headingley, Leeds, August 21, 1948

47. Brian Davies: Brothers v Valleys at Oxenham Park, Nundah, April 2, 1949

48. Norm Provan: St George v Manly Warringah at Kogarah Oval, April 7, 1951

49. Harry Wells: Harry South Sydney v Western Suburbs at Sydney Cricket Ground, April 28, 1951

50. Brian Carlson: Newcastle v France at No. 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle, May 26, 1951

51. Ian Walsh: Western Division v France at Spooner Oval, Forbes, May 30, 1951

52. Kel O’Shea: North Queensland v New Zealand at Townsville Sports Reserve, June 22, 1952

53. Brian 'Poppa' Clay: Newtown v Parramatta at Erskineville Oval, August 22, 1953

54. Keith Barnes: Country Seconds v City Seconds at Sydney Cricket Ground, May 8, 1954

55. Eddie Lumsden: Manly Warringah v Balmain at Leichhardt Oval, April 2, 1955

56. Brian Hambly: South Sydney v North Sydney at Redfern Oval, May 27, 1956

57. Peter Gallagher: Brothers, April 6, 1957

58. Johnny Raper: Newtown v Manly Warringah at Henson Park, April 6, 1957

59. Noel Kelly: Ipswich v Toowoomba at Athletic Oval, Toowoomba, April 27, 1957

60. Barry Muir: Western Suburbs v Northern Suburbs at Oxenham Park, Nundah, April 13, 1958

61. Ken Irvine: North Sydney v Parramatta at North Sydney Oval, June 28, 1958

62. Reg Gasnier: St George v Canterbury-Bankstown at Belmore Oval, April 11, 1959

63. Ken Thornett: Leeds v Batley at Headingley, Leeds, March 19, 1960

64. Arthur Summons: Western Suburbs v North Sydney at Pratten Park, Ashfield, May 7, 1960

65. Johnny King: St George v Newtown at Kogarah Jubilee Oval, July 24, 1960

66. Les Johns: Country Seconds v City Seconds at Sydney Cricket Ground, June 3, 1961

67. Billy Smith: St George v Manly at Sydney Sports Ground, July 16, 1961

68. Graeme Langlands: Country Firsts v City Firsts at Sydney Cricket Ground, May 12, 1962

69. John Sattler: Newcastle v Great Britain at No 1. Sports Ground, Newcastle, June 4, 1962

70. Bob McCarthy: South Sydney v Canterbury Bankstown at Belmore Oval, April 6, 1963

71. Ron Coote: South Sydney v Balmain at Redfern Oval, March 12, 1964

72. Arthur Beetson: Redcliffe v Northern Suburbs at Lang Park, Brisbane, April 5, 1964

73. John O’Neill: Northern Division v France at Rugby League Park, Armidale, July 12, 1964

74. Bob Fulton: Country Seconds v City Seconds at Sydney Cricket Ground, May 22, 1965

Tommy Raudonikis played 29 Tests for Australia.

76. Michael Cronin: Southern NSW v Great Britain at Wollongong Showground, July 5, 1970

77. Graham Eadie: Manly Warringah v Western Suburbs at Pratten Park, Ashfield, May 29, 1971

78. Steve Rogers: Cronulla-Sutherland v South Sydney at Endeavour Field, Woolooware, April 8, 1973

80. Ray Price: Parramatta v Balmain at Cumberland Oval, Parramatta, February 28, 1976

81. Mal Meninga: Southern Suburbs v Brothers at Davies Park, South Brisbane, February 18, 1978

82. Kerry Boustead: North Queensland v Gold Coast at Owen Park, Southport, March 29, 1978

83. Wally Lewis: Valleys v Northern Suburbs at Neumann Oval, Albion, April 9, 1978

84. Peter Sterling: Parramatta v St George at Cumberland Oval, July 23, 1978

85. Eric Grothe: Parramatta v Balmain at Leichhardt Oval, March 3, 1979

86. Wayne Pearce: Balmain v North Sydney at Leichhardt Oval, March 1, 1980

87. Terry Lamb: Western Suburbs v Balmain at Lidcombe Oval, May 18, 1980

88. Brett Kenny: Parramatta v South Sydney at Redfern Oval, June 15, 1980

89. Gene Miles: Wynnum-Manly v Northern Suburbs at Bishop Park, Nundah, March 1, 1981

90. Steve Roach: Balmain v Canberra at Leichhardt Oval, May 9, 1982

91. Andrew Ettingshausen: Cronulla-Sutherland v Newtown at Orana Park, Campbelltown, March 27, 1983

92. Steve Walters: Northern Suburbs v Redcliffe at Bishop Park, Nundah, May 27, 1984

93. Allan Langer: Ipswich v Valleys at Neumann Oval, Albion, March 2, 1986

94. Laurie Daley: Canberra v Cronulla-Sutherland at Endeavour Field, Woolooware, May 31, 1987

95. Glenn Lazarus: Canberra v Western Suburbs at Orana Park, Campbelltown, July 26, 1987

96. Bradley Clyde: Canberra v Western Suburbs at Orana Park, Campbelltown, May 1, 1988

97. Brad Fittler: Penrith v Western Suburbs at Orana Park, Campbelltown, August 20, 1989

98. Andrew Johns: Newcastle v Gold Coast at Seagulls Stadium, Tweed Heads, April 17, 1993

99. Shane Webcke: Brisbane v North Sydney at North Sydney Oval, May 19, 1995

100. Darren Lockyer: Brisbane v Parramatta at Parramatta Stadium, June 25, 1995

Or Kevin Walters' six premierships as a critical cog in champion Raiders and Broncos teams of the 90s?

Or Paul Harragon's Churchill-esque leadership in 1997 of Newcastle, a town brought to its knees by the closure of BHP steelworks, then reinvigorated by a footballing fairy tale?

A sounding board and a stiff drink for all involved. Guiding principles too, hand-crafted by a 10-man group with a combined century of first-grade experience, who were asked in essence "how do you measure excellence on the field?"

Among them are Nathan Hindmarsh, Andrew Ryan, Jason King and Dene Halatau, who have created a 14-point list of criteria for candidates to be evaluated on – from vision and kicking ability in attack, to defensive technique, leadership, tenacity and consistency.

Each member of the voting college has a copy of these guiding principles, but their own way to skin a cat.

The latter retains the beauty of rugby league's boundless want for an argument, the subjectivity and passion of a selection stoush.

The former, according to NRL Awards manager Frank Puletua, a bit of method to the madness.

"The process has been implemented - introducing players to not only be involved in the voting process, but also be involved in the actual crafting of the metrics - with an informed view as opposed to just having a stab at who should be inducted and why," Puletua says.

"The guiding principles looks at fundamental aspects of the game, which all of the judges receive when they start their assessment process.

Former Newcastle captain Paul Harragon represented NSW and Australia. ©NRL Photos

"It's a clear description of those aspects and a reference point to guide decision making, it was drafted by a group of former players.

"But it will still come down to the individual – you might value creativity in attack differently to how I look at leadership, we wouldn't want to lose that opinion element to the judging. You couldn't anyway."

Case in point: the views and opinions of the nominees themselves since being unveiled last week.

Steve Menzies rates Cliffy Lyons the best ball-player he ever ran off in a career that tallied over 500 first grade games.

Greg Alexander had never seen a more accomplished 18-year-old than Stacey Jones in 1995, the first season in a career that eventually crowned his Warriors teammate as New Zealand's greatest halfback.

Walters was kept on the bench of the Raiders famed 1989 grand final triumph by Ricky Stuart, the most competitive No.7 he has even seen.

Beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder. Heaven help the 25 judges beholden to it.