Another Top 50 Best Players list..

[Guest]

BigPond Sport's Top 50 players in the NRL

50. (previously 44) Nathan Merritt – Rabbitohs winger
49. (38) Kurt Gidley – Knights halfback
48. (35) Shaun Johnson – Warriors and New Zealand halfback
47. (New entry) Ben Matulino – Warriors and New Zealand prop
46. (32) Nathan Hindmarsh – Retiring Eels second-rower
45. (34) Anthony Watmough – Sea Eagles, NSW and Australia second-rower
44. (40) Akuila Uate – Knights, NSW and Australia winger
43. (New entry) Michael Ennis – Bulldogs hooker
42. (49) Gareth Widdop – Storm and England five-eighth
41. (43) Ben Hannant – Broncos and Queensland prop
40. (27) Kieran Foran – Sea Eagles and New Zealand five-eighth
39. (21) Luke Lewis – Departing Panthers captain and NSW and Australia forward
38. (33) Corey Parker – Tireless, goal-kicking Broncos and Queensland lock
37. (New entry) Sam Kasiano – Ball-playing Bulldogs big man and the Dally M Prop of the Year
36. (30) Dave Taylor – Towering and talented Rabbitohs, Queensland and Australia second-rower
35. (29) Greg Bird – Titans and NSW back-rower seemingly built for Origin football
34. (39) Brent Tate – Super-consistent Cowboys and Queensland centre/winger
33. (New entry) Aidan Tolman – Bulldogs prop who led the NRL in hit-ups in 2012
32. (New entry) Josh Reynolds – Arguably the most improved player in the NRL, and the Bulldogs' key playmaker this season
31. (New entry) Aaron Woods – A standout for the Wests Tigers and surely a future NSW Origin front-rower
30. (New entry) Ryan Hoffman – Returned from the UK this year and instantly resumed his status as one of Melbourne's best
29. (17) Sam Thaiday – Replaced Darren Lockyer as Broncos captain and continued to be a leader of the pack for Queensland and Australia
28. (16) Jarryd Hayne – Still a weapon on the wing for NSW, but couldn't help the Eels avoid the wooden spoon
27. (50) Adam Reynolds – The NRL Rookie of the Year has a lock on the Rabbitohs halfback spot for years to come
26. (New entry) Josh Dugan – Played a big role in Canberra's late-season winning run, at fullback and five-eighth
25. (22) Tony Williams – The Manly and NSW back-rower is inconsistent but unstoppable on his day
24. (37) Feleti Mateo – One of the game's best ball-playing big men, Mateo led the league for offloads at the Warriors
23. (8) Todd Carney – One of the signings of the season, but a mediocre Origin series and a quiet end to the year for the Sharks sees Carney slide down our list
22. (14) Justin Hodges – A quality performer for Broncos, Queensland and Australia when fit... but the next injury always seems to be just around the corner
21. (45) Nate Myles – The State of Origin man of the series for Queensland and a tireless worker in the Titans pack
20. (36) Brett Morris – The Dragons flyer was a standout in both attack and defence and earned a welcome Origin call-up alongside brother Josh
19. (10) Glenn Stewart – A class act in the back row for Manly, NSW and Australia
18. (20) Brett Stewart – The NSW fullback can't stop scoring tries for the Sea Eagles
17. (31) Josh Morris – Has stepped up a level since the arrival of Des Hasler, with the defensive game to defuse Greg Inglis at Origin level and the running game to notch 17 tries for the Bulldogs
16. (28) Sam Burgess – The super-talented England forward played a big role in the Rabbitohs' top-four finish
15. (12) Daly Cherry-Evans – No second-year syndrome for Manly's 2011 Rookie of the Year
14. (13) James Tamou – Proved why Australia and New Zealand were fighting over his services with a string of dominant performances up front for the Cowboys
13. (7) Benji Marshall – Not a great year for the Wests Tigers and New Zealand playmaker, but still one of rugby league's great talents
12. (23) Matt Scott – We rate the Cowboys, Queensland and Australia stalwart as the second-best prop in the business, just behind...
11. (19) James Graham – A sensational buy for the Bulldogs and comfortably the best bench player in the NRL
10. (9) Robbie Farah – In what was a rough year off the field, Farah cemented his place as NSW hooker and the Wests Tigers' most important player
9. (11) Jamie Lyon – Simply a class act in the centres for the Sea Eagles
8. (15) Matt Bowen – Electrifying with the ball in hand and a terrific playmaker to boot, producing more try assists in 2012 than Johnathan Thurston
7. (18) Ben Barba – He was a huge talent in 2011 but this year became the complete package, producing try-saving tackles, laying on 23 try assists and leading the NRL try-scorers list with 22 four-pointers on the way to the Dally M medal
6. (6) Cooper Cronk – The Storm, Queensland and Australia halfback is as consistent as they come
5. (5) Johnathan Thurston – The Cowboys and Queensland star still gets our nod as rugby league's best playmaker, but only just
4. (3) Paul Gallen – The hardest-working player in the game and an inspiration for the Sharks, NSW and Australia
3. (4) Greg Inglis – Already the game's best centre, Inglis's switch to fullback made the Rabbitohs one of the most scintillating attacking teams in the NRL
2. (1) Billy Slater – In an era of great fullbacks, Slater remains the first-choice No.1 for Queensland and Australia for a reason. Brilliant in all facets of the game
1. (2) Cameron Smith – Exceptional in defence, controls the game in attack, a winning captain for club, state and country, probably the best No.9 of all time, and he kicks goals too for good measure.

Once again, the Roosters are the only team to have not one player in the Top 50.
If this is so, then we should definitely have enough money to fit SBW, Maloney, Pearce and even Q Cooper for the next couple of years. The telecrap is full of sh!t

[Guest]

Also, 6 of the Top 50 players were from the Bulldogs, including three in the top 20. How is this possible, if you have teams like us who dont have any in the top 50. Everyone gets the same Salary Cap, right?

[davos]

I do not understand the hype behind Aaron Woods.

I've watched him play twice against us and both times JWH and FPN made him and the entire Tigers pack look like a big wet noodles.

I think he may be one of those supercoach type of players who make the easy metres but not the tough metres.

This year I reckon JWH has been in the top 3 front rowers in the game. If you watch his game carefully, every hit up he has puts us on the front foot and gives us momentum. He also takes many hitups down in our own end when the metres are tough to make and the oppsition defence is rushing off the line to tackle. In any other team, playing long minutes he'd be making close to 200m per game week in week out. One of the few shining lights this season, along with Cordner, Guerra and Anasta's performance in Auckland(only because it made me PMSL).

[Guest]

Also, 6 of the Top 50 players were from the Bulldogs, including three in the top 20. How is this possible, if you have teams like us who dont have any in the top 50. Everyone gets the same Salary Cap, right?

Coach with a gameplan that doesn't rely on improvising.

[Guest]

I think Pearce deserves to be there somewhere,,,
7th in dalyMs
Third best stats as a halfback
Just looked bad in a loosing & coachless team

Biest Bastards!!!!

[Guest]

I think Pearce deserves to be there somewhere,,,
7th in dalyMs
Third best stats as a halfback
Just looked bad in a loosing & coachless team

Biest Bastards!!!!

Agree there (except the spelling of bias-insert smiley face). Pearce had a good year under crap circumstances. Some he brought on himself, some were forced upon him.

[HEGtheROOSTER]

Ben Matulino.......

in the Top 50 NRL players from all 16 clubs.......

Hmmmm......... interesting.....

[Rooster_6]

I think Pearce deserves to be there somewhere,,,
7th in dalyMs
Third best stats as a halfback
Just looked bad in a loosing & coachless team

Biest Bastards!!!!

Not in a winning side, logic usually doesn't apply to these type of lists. I mean Ben Barba is supposedly a top 5 player after one season? Please.

[Cockadoodledoo]

Not in a winning side, logic usually doesn't apply to these type of lists. I mean Ben Barba is supposedly a top 5 player after one season? Please.

7th best is not in the top 5. Barba certainly deserves his spot.

[Chook Norris]

I do not understand the hype behind Aaron Woods.

I've watched him play twice against us and both times JWH and FPN made him and the entire Tigers pack look like a big wet noodles.
.

Maybe because both games the Roosters were dominant? Woods is a good front rower

This year I reckon JWH has been in the top 3 front rowers in the game. If you watch his game carefully, every hit up he has puts us on the front foot and gives us momentum. He also takes many hitups down in our own end when the metres are tough to make and the oppsition defence is rushing off the line to tackle. In any other team, playing long minutes he'd be making close to 200m per game week in week out. One of the few shining lights this season, along with Cordner, Guerra and Anasta's performance in Auckland(only because it made me PMSL)

lol.

need i say more?

[Thirteen]

I stopped reading when I saw Nathan Merritt in the top 50.
He shouldn't be in the top 100!

[ROC181]

Not in a winning side, logic usually doesn't apply to these type of lists. I mean Ben Barba is supposedly a top 5 player after one season? Please.

But isn't this list on this years performance? We have to give credit to Barba for having a great year. As for our players...I agree with none of them making it. You may have had one or two players having a great game but no one was consistent for the whole season? IMO Pearce to me was wastefull in 80% of the matches. Every time he gets the ball I was expecting some hospital pass or a kick back to the opposition. The only reason he makes it in SOO is because there isn't a better half in NSW to pick from.

[Guest]

Seriously this is a joke!!!

Just wait and watch Cherryevans? Lets see how good he goes when he hasnt got such a dominant pack,

Both Reynolds 2nd year syndrome for sure .. "Josh form slumps after barba gone for the year"
adam injury prone next season



Honestly Graham is one player we should sign Awesome front rower, Throw money at him atleast he;ll teach our forwards how to hit up,

Pearce is hard done by he should be their somewhere

Foran Should be above most of these deadwood!!

[Guest]

Cherry-Evans the only ever player to get picked in the Australian 17 and not play a minute !!

[ROC181]

Seriously this is a joke!!!

Just wait and watch Cherryevans? Lets see how good he goes when he hasnt got such a dominant pack,

Both Reynolds 2nd year syndrome for sure .. "Josh form slumps after barba gone for the year"
adam injury prone next season



Honestly Graham is one player we should sign Awesome front rower, Throw money at him atleast he;ll teach our forwards how to hit up,

Pearce is hard done by he should be their somewhere

Foran Should be above most of these deadwood!!

That's not the point... Cherry Evans still had a good 2 years. You can be critical of every player for the team they play with. Cherry Evans kicking and passing, IMO, is far better than Pearce. If C.E. was from NSW, Pearce would not get a look in.