Origin captains, Dally M gun snubbed for top 10 honour

We’ve arrived at the business end of Nine’s countdown, with just the top 20 NRL players still to be unveiled.

This is the cream of the crop, with every player on the list having reached the top levels of the game.

Our panel of 10 judges, including Andrew Johns, Allana Ferguson, Darren Lockyer and Brad Fittler, as well as an esteemed list of journalists have deemed a recent runaway Dally M winner not worthy of the top 10.

The captains of the two Origin teams have also missed out on the final cut of the countdown, to be unveiled on Friday.

Scroll below to find out who was voted in from 20-11 – and if you want to find out more about how the judges gave their verdict, click here.

Origin captains, Dally M gun snubbed for top 10 honour

20. TINO FA’ASUAMALEAUI (113)

This guy is a beast. He’s an intimidating presence and the kind of front-rower any player would love to play with because he leads from the front. He’s got the size and power to dent defensive lines but he’s also very fit.

He’s the prototype of a modern NRL forward and he’s a real competitor. A great leader for the Titans and someone that they can build a competitive outfit around. Danika Mason

19. ADDIN FONUA BLAKE (114)

Let me just say this – good luck trying to stop him! He’s one of the hardest props to put down at first contact. To make matters worse for defenders, he can also put on some late footwork and has a great offload in him. 2023 was the best season of his career and he was a big part of the Warriors push to a prelim final. He’ll be hard to replace when he heads to the Sharks next year. Emma Lawrence

18. TOM TRBOJERVIC (18)

We all know how good Turbo is. If not for all the injuries that have disrupted his career he’d be a consistent lock in the top five players in the game and he’d probably be competing for No.1. But when we’re ranking players we have to do it based on recent performances and Turbo simply hasn’t been on the field enough to push his claims for higher honours. When he is on the field his impact is elite. He’s quick to see opportunities to sweep from the back and create overlaps and once he’s got the ball in those situations he’s almost unstoppable. But he’s also superb at organising the defensive line, he makes his cover tackles and when the ball is kicked to him he almost always gets the set off to a positive start. Allana Ferguson

17. JOEY MANU (117)

He’s sometimes spoken about in the ‘best player in the world’ conversations and that’s because he’s a freakish sort of player who can do things that few others can. He’s capable of moving up this list into the top five but he could also fall down the list because one of the biggest issues with Manu is getting him involved. His best position might be fullback and at the Roosters that’s blocked by James Tedesco. When he’s in the game he can be untouchable but there’s still too many games where he doesn’t get involved or he doesn’t get the ball when he should, or he’s out of balance. It’s hard to be an amazing centre because you’re relying on what happens inside you to be the best version of yourself. Brad Fittler

16. LATRELL MITCHELL (118)

There’s no player in the NRL who has more eyes on them or is more talked about than Latrell Mitchell. Some good, some bad, but he’s just so good for the game. Fingers crossed he’s injury free this year. I do worry about South Sydney a little bit this year given the way they finished last season, and it has to be a big season for Latrell. When he’s on, there’s no more devastating player in the game. Andrew Johns

15. DYLAN EDWARDS (129)

He’s just a workhorse and I think what makes him so effective is that he works really hard to get to kicks on the full and he’s immediately at you. Other fullbacks don’t position themselves as well to take the ball on the full and even if they do, they’re not as quick to attack the line once getting to the ball. The big advantage in the way Edwards attacks the football is that his big forwards don’t have to retreat so far back, so that conserves energy for them.

His work rate is phenomenal, he rarely makes errors and even though he’s not the biggest fullback he’s incredibly strong with his carries, which allows him to act as an extra forward and run the ball one off the ruck when his team needs him to. Darren Locyker

14. JAMES TEDESCO (137)

He’s the man who has done everything but, in pressure situations, tries to do everything. A champion fullback who has won trophies for his country, state and club, he is now in the twilight of his career. Last year, as NSW captain, he over-played his role, filling in as first receiver and second receiver when his greatest effect is as a support player in broken field running. Troubled by injuries, he added to his burdens by trying too hard, confusing team mates whose roles he usurped. With club mate Joey Manu wanting to play fullback; Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic eyeing off the Blues No 1 jumper and Reece Walsh and Kayln Ponga rivalling him for the Australian one, he’s under pressure but still runs the ball more than his rivals. Roy Masters

13. STEPHEN CRICHTON (142)

Crichton has proven himself to be one of the best clutch players in the NRL, coming up with big plays in the biggest moments at club, state and international level. The Bulldogs have invested significantly in his services and have been impressed with his leadership qualities as well as the natural football talent he possesses. Crichton also has one of the best goal-kicking boots in the NRL but hasn’t been able to hold down a spot as a regular goal-kicker in a Panthers team that has sharp-shooter Nathan Cleary at their disposal. Crichton has been voted the best centre in the game. Michael Chammas

12. ISAAH YEO (145)

If not for Nathan Cleary, then how many headlines would be written about Isaah Yeo? Former Panthers assistant Trent Barrett arrived at Penrith and told Yeo he wanted to turn him into Penrith’s answer to Jake Trbojevic: a thinking lock.

Play big minutes, tackle everything in sight, but more importantly be the link between the ruck and halves, almost running the side’s attack. The level to which Yeo has graduated has surpassed all expectations. He has three premiership rings and is the closest thing to the NRL’s human metronome. Adam Pengilly

11. DALY-CHERRY EVANS (158)

At one point, the Manly captain was a rugby league pariah: within the game; within the Queensland; and even within his own club. He’s always been a fine player, winning a premiership with the Sea Eagles in his debut season in 2011, but it wasn’t until he became Queensland captain in 2019 that he evolved into the bankable player he’s become. His finest hour was leading the Maroons to an upset Origin series win in 2020. At 34, he’s one the best game managers in the NRL, whether it’s kicking 40-20s, landing match-winning field goals or leading his side around the Park. Andrew Webster

Graphics – Tara Blancato