League: Top 10 league players of all time

Herbert Henry 'Dally' Messenger was the backbone of the Eastern Suburbs sides that won the premiership in 1911, 1912 and 1913. Photo / Supplied

How do you pick the top 10 league players of all time? How do you compare those who played before 1970, when there was little television coverage, with those of the 1970s-80s, when all still had day jobs? And what to make of the professionals of the 1990s-onwards, who are bigger, faster and stronger because they have hours to spend in the gym? That's a tough call. And how can you leave out the likes of Darren Lockyer and Garry Schofield? Only if someone else is better. Peter Jessup makes his picks.

1. Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger

He wasn't known as "The Master" for nothing. Historians in the sport tend to agree that the goal-kicking centre who played seven tests for Australia and three for New Zealand (1908-1910) was probably the greatest player the game has known. He was already a rugby union great when he played against and then joined the touring All Golds from New Zealand as they went through England, his popularity having much to do with the early success of the new game in Sydney. He was the backbone of the Eastern Suburbs sides that won the premiership in 1911, 1912 and 1913. The NRL's annual awards ceremony and trophies for individual feats still carry his name.

2. Mal Meninga

Played 45 tests for Australia 1982 to 1994 and 35 tour games on four tours, for two of which he was captain. He won two Brisbane premierships with Souths then played nine seasons for the Canberra Raiders and led the club to the premiership in his last year there in 1994. His total of 455 first-grade games is bettered by only two Australians, Harry Bath and Brian Bevan who played for substantial periods in England. He set numerous records, including most points scored in tests (268), most points in all matches for Australia (545) and most points in all games for Canberra (864). He scored five tries and kicked nine goals against the Eastern Suburbs for a 38-point haul that is the second-best ever behind Norths' Dave Brown (45 in 1935). He played 32 State of Origin games and eight other matches for Queensland. And that despite suffering broken arms four times during his career.

3. Ellery Hanley

The man nicknamed "Ellery the Salary" generally earned every cent of his pay. He was the outstanding player of the late 1980s-1990s, an era that featured greats such as Peter Sterling and Wally Lewis. Hanley started as a five-eighth or centre with Bradford then shifted to Wigan where he guided the Warriors through a great period when they won the championship three times in 1987, 1990 and 1991 and four straight Challenge Cup finals in 1988-91. He played 32 tests for Great Britain and was captain in 1990. He won one Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match in the Challenge Cup, two premiership title man-of-the-match awards, the Man of Steel three times and the World Golden Boot Award in 1990. In Sydney, he starred for Balmain as they made the 1988 Grand Final.

4. Bob Fulton

It was no coincidence that the Manly Sea Eagles won their first premiership title when Fulton was at his best in 1972 and he carried that form on to earn further title success for the club in 1973 and 1976. "Bozo" played 35 tests and 25 other games for Australia between 1968 and 1978. He was in the 1968 World Cup-winning squad and in 1978 he was captain.

In 1973, Manly beat Cronulla in a Grand Final still described as the most brutal title match of all time, the score 10-7 thanks to two great individual tries to Fulton. He won the title as coach of the Roosters in 1980, then returned to Manly to guide them to the Grand Final in 1983 and the title in 1987. He was Kangaroos coach from 1988 to 1990 and in 1993.

5. Wally Lewis

Don't dare say anything bad about this guy north of the New South Wales border. Lewis was in the Australian Schoolboys rugby union side with the Ella brothers Glen, Gary and Mark, Michael O'Connor and Tony Melrose. He led Queensland in the first State of Origin game and played a record 22 games straight until injury kept him out in 1988. He played 29 Origins in all and won nine man-of-the-match awards for his accurate kicking, long cut-out passes and sparkling footwork. Lewis was the backbone of the first Brisbane Broncos sides. He played the first of his 34 tests against France in 1981 and later captained the Kangaroos on tours of England in 1984 and 1986. He won the world Golden Boot award in 1985.

6. Ken Irvine

Irvine is rated as the fastest winger ever to play the game, and during his career from 1959 to 1968 he set try-scoring records that still stand. Irvine scored the most tries in the NRL premiership during a first-grade career, 212 in 176 games for the North Sydney Bears. He played 35 tests for Australia as well as 68 other tour games. In 1963 he set the world record for 100 yards for professional athletes at 10.3 seconds and it stood for many years. He scored 96 tries for the Kangaroos, 31 in tests, with opponents telling how they would line him up and prepare to show him the sideline, only for Irvine to swerve and accelerate away at a blistering pace.

7. Mark Graham

The Otahuhu-raised second rower lifted the Kiwis to a period of glory in the 1980s through sheer courage and outstanding skills. He reunited with his Otahuhu coach Graham Lowe at Brisbane Norths and they won the city title in 1980 before Graham shifted south to captain the North Sydney Bears. They were struggling financially and for players at the time he was the inspiration that kept the club competitive. He played 29 tests for New Zealand and is the only skipper to lead two tours of the UK, 1980 and 1985. He led the Kiwis to an 18-0 defeat of Australia at Carlaw Park in 1985, the first time the Kangaroos had been held scoreless.

8. Ruben Wiki

The all-time test record-holder with 55 games for the Kiwis from 1994 to 2006, a phenomenal effort. Wiki played 225 games for the Canberra Raiders and won a title there in 1994, he and the Raiders' other centre, Mal Meninga, making an almost unstoppable partnership. Later he moved into the second row and then to prop, but his power never diminished. He captained the Kiwis in 2002 and led them to the Tri-nations victory over Australia and Great Britain in 2005 before retiring from the international game. In 2006 Wiki led the haka at Buckingham Palace before the All Golds played an English selection. He played his last four years at the Warriors where his mana among the younger players is still palpable.

9. Dennis Williams

Williams was an artist when he had the ball in his hands. He was the youngest ever Kiwi when chosen to play Great Britain at Salford in 1971, the day after his 18th birthday. He scored the first time he touched the ball and sparked the Kiwis to an eight-point win. He went on to play a record 29 consecutive internationals at centre or five-eighth in a 31-test career that included 30 other games on two tours of the UK, two of Australia and two of Papua New Guinea. His footwork and ability to beat a man were unsurpassed and his silky skills created plenty of opportunity for his outsides.

10. Steve Menzies

Menzies is the face of Manly. The grandson of club pioneer Mackie Campbell made the Aussie schoolboys side in 1992, and by 1994 was a Kangaroo after scoring 20 tries in his first year in the Sydney competition as a 20-year-old. A tall, fast ball-playing centre-turned-lock, Menzies had an uncanny understanding with Manly great Cliff Lyons in the halves and frequently turned up to take the last pass to score. After a career spanning 16 years in the NRL, Menzies finished up last year with his second premiership title ring. The try he scored in the Grand Final victory over Melbourne made a total of 180, second only to Norths winger Ken Irvine on 212.