Greg Bird representing Australia in 2015. The drum beats have been out for a while, and the vibrations have suddenly got a lot louder. Calf muscles have a funny way of hanging around – like hamstrings – not allowing players to come back as early as they hoped.

Already an international star for England before joining the Rabbitohs, Burgess became a South Sydney legend when he won the Clive Churchill Medal in their drought-breaking 2014 grand final victory over the Bulldogs.

David Long 17:37, Jun 13 2020. A versatile player who could fill a role in the backline but thrived at lock, earning 17 State of Origin selections for NSW and a dozen Tests for Australia, Mackay began his career with St George in the late 1980s before going on to play for the Western Reds, Illawarra Steelers, and the merged St George Illawarra Dragons. Modern-day star Jason Taumalolo has swamped the greats of yesteryear to be crowned Simply The Best lock over the past three decades. His defection from New Zealand to Tonga in 2017 revolutionised the international game, with Tonga reaching the semi-finals in that year's World Cup and going on to defeat Great Britain and Australia in 2019. NRLW Team of the Week: Broncos dominate as a three-peat beckons, Team of the Week: Nine Storm stars chosen as purple reigns. “We’ve got to continue to play, to demonstrate, a toughness about our football – that the jersey and the club mean something.”. Log In, Not sure? Sign up for a free NRL Account to access this video and other exclusive content.

Rampaging 110kg Kiwi forward Jason Taumalolo has arrived as a genuine NRL superstar. I thought our kicking game was poor, especially in the second half. But stats alone can't describe his impact. Hannay said the 40km/h wind blowing down the field didn’t allow either side to use the ball out wide. NRL.com recently launched the search for the Simply The Best players from 1990 to now to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the iconic Tina Turner promotional campaign, which was again featured in this year's advertisement for the Telstra Premiership.

The Cowboys have another long trip to Sydney next week to play the Sharks at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium at Kogarah. A hard-as-nails enforcer who could also find his way to the tryline, Burgess earned Dally M Lock of the Year and RLIF Player of the Year awards in his time at Souths and was one of the NRL's most dominant players of the 2010s. Still, the Cowboys kept the Knights to two tries in a decent defensive display. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The 25-year-old Tongan wrecking ball led all forwards in both running metres with 4104 in 23 games and post-contact metres with 1743 at an average of 77 per game.

The sight of Taumalolo hobbling up the tunnel of McDonald Jones Stadium in the 53rd minute would sent shivers up the spines of North Queensland fans. Bird played 235 matches over a 14-year NRL career with the Sharks and Titans but it was on the representative stage where he really thrived, playing in 18 State of Origins for NSW and 17 Tests for Australia. Widely regarded for his grit and aggression, Bird also had the playmaking nous to star at five-eighth – where he won man of the match honours in consecutive games for the Blues in 2007 and 2008. After scoring six tries in the 31-30 loss to the Rabbitohs a week ago, the Cowboys couldn't cross the line against the Knights. I thought our kicking game was poor, especially in the second half. A crucial cog in the Brisbane line-up for 16 seasons and a goal-kicking forward who was one of the league's most prolific offloaders, Parker could do it all. With a combination of size, speed, power and footwork that is unrivalled in the NRL, Taumalolo is a three-time lock of the year and 2016 Dally M winner who helped the Cowboys to their first premiership in 2015.