View source for New South Wales Rugby League's Team of the Century

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
The '''New South Wales Rugby League Team of the Century''' is a hypothetical team comprising the best players who have played for New South Wales to form a team for 1908 until 2007. [[Rugby league in New South Wales]] was initiated in 1908 with the [[New South Wales Rugby League|New South Wales Rugby Football League]] competition, which evolved into the [[New South Wales Rugby League]] in 1984. Today, ten New South Wales clubs participate in the national competition while thirteen formerly did so.
The team was announced on 19 May 2008, ahead of the first State of Origin game in Sydney.<ref>{{webarchive |date=9 Mar 2016|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309062017/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/nocookies}}{{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
== The team ==
{| border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse;" cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 <!-- width=100% -->
|- bgcolor=#C1D8FF
! No.
! colspan=2 width=100px|Name
!
! Position{{Ref label|Position|A|A}}
! Clubs{{Ref label|Clubs|B|B}}
! New South Wales{{Ref label|New South Wales|C|C}}
! Australia{{Ref label|Australia|D|D}}
! Source
|-
| 1.
|[[Clive Churchill]] (c)
|<!-- Do not use the non-free image:File:Clive Churchill rugby league.jpg-->
|<small>born</small><br/>21 January 1927<br/><small>died</small><br/>9 August 1985
|{{Rlp|FB}}
| Central Newcastle, [[South Sydney Rabbitohs|South Sydney]], [[Norths Devils|Brisbane Norths]]
|36 matches (1948-1957)<br/><small>27 Interstate matches</small><br/><small>9 [[City vs Country Origin|City vs Country]] matches (with [[City New South Wales rugby league team|City]])</small>
|37 matches (1948–1956)<br/><small>34 Test matches</small><br/><small>3 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 2.
|[[Ken Irvine]]
|
|<small>born</small><br/>5 March 1940<br/><small>died</small><br/>22 December 1990
|{{Rlp|WG}}
|[[North Sydney Bears|North Sydney]], [[Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles|Manly Warringah]]
|32 matches (1959–1967)<br/><small>24 Interstate matches</small><br/><small>8 [[City vs Country Origin|City vs Country]] matches (with [[City New South Wales rugby league team|City]])</small>
|35 matches (1959–1968)<br/><small>33 Test matches</small><br/><small>2 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 3.
|[[Reg Gasnier]]
|
|<small>born</small><br/>12 May 1939<br/><small>died</small><br/>11 May 2014
|{{Rlp|CE}}
|[[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|16 matches (1959–1967)<br/><small>16 Interstate matches</small>
|39 matches (1959–1967)<br/><small>36 Test matches</small><br/><small>3 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 4.
|[[Graeme Langlands]]
|
|<small>born</small><br/>1 September 1941<br/><small>died</small><br/>20 January 2018
|{{Rlp|CE}}
|Wollongong, [[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|34 matches (1962–1975)<br/><small>33 Interstate matches</small><br/><small>1 [[City vs Country Origin|City vs Country]] match (with [[Country New South Wales rugby league team|Country]])</small>
|45 matches (1963–1975)<br/><small>34 Test matches</small><br/><small>11 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 5.
|[[Dally Messenger]]
|[[File:Dally Messenger - 1930 - rugby league player.jpg|100px]]
|<small>born</small><br/>12 April 1883<br/><small>died</small><br/>24 November 1959
|{{Rlp|WG}}
|[[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]]
|32 matches (1907–1912)<br/><small>3 Tour matches</small><br/><small>23 Interstate matches</small><br/><small>6 [[City vs Country Origin|City vs Country]] matches (with [[City New South Wales rugby league team|City]])</small>
|7 matches (1908–1910)<br/><small>7 Test matches</small>
|
|-
| 6.
|[[Bob Fulton]]
|
|<small>born</small><br/>1 December 1947<br/><small>died</small><br/>23 May 2021
|{{Rlp|FE}}
|Wests Wollongong, [[Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles|Manly-Warringah]], [[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]]
|16 matches (1967-1978)<br/><small>16 Interstate matches</small><br/>
|35 matches (1968-1978)<br/><small>20 Test matches</small><br/><small>15 World Cup matches</small><br/><small>1 regular match</small>
|
|-
| 7.
|[[Andrew Johns]]
|[[File:Andrew Johns (3036005352).jpg|100px]]
|<small>born</small><br/>19 May 1974
|{{Rlp|HB}}
|[[Newcastle Knights|Newcastle]], Warrington
|26 matches (1995–2005)<small><br/>23 State of Origin matches</small><br/><small>3 [[City vs Country Origin|City vs Country]] matches (with [[Country New South Wales rugby league team|Country]])</small>
|27 matches (1995–2006)<br/><small>18 Test matches</small><br/><small>9 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 8.
|[[Frank Burge]]
|[[File:Frank Burge.jpg|100px]]
|<small>born</small><br/>14 August 1894<br/><small>died</small><br/>5 July 1958
|{{Rlp|PR}}
|[[Glebe (rugby league team)|Glebe]], Grenfell, [[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|6 matches (1912–1926)<br/><small>6 Interstate matches</small>
|13 matches (1914–1922)<br/><small>13 Test matches</small>
|
|-
| 9.
| [[Sandy Pearce]]
|[[File:Sandy-Pearce-1910.jpg|100px]]
|<small>born</small><br/>1883<br/><small>died</small><br/>1930
|{{Rlp|HK}}
|[[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]]
|6 matches (1910-1920)<br/><small>6 Interstate matches</small>
|14 matches (1908-1922)<br/><small>14 Test matches</small>
|
|-
| 10.
| [[Glenn Lazarus]]
|[[File:GlennLazarus.jpg|100px]]
|<small>born</small><br/>11 December 1965
|{{Rlp|PR}}
|[[Canberra Raiders]], [[Brisbane Broncos]], [[Melbourne Storm]]
|22 matches (1989–1999)<br/><small>19 State of Origin matches</small><br/><small>3 Super League matches</small>
|22 matches (1990–1999)<br/><small>15 Test matches</small><br/><small>6 World Cup matches</small><br/><small>1 Super League match</small>
|
|-
| 11.
|[[Ron Coote]]
|
|<small>born</small><br/>25 October 1944
|{{Rlp|SR}}
|[[South Sydney Rabbitohs|South Sydney]], [[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]]
|13 matches (1965–1975)<br/><small>13 Interstate matches</small>
|23 matches (1967–1975)<br/><small>13 Test matches</small><br/><small>10 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 12.
| [[Norm Provan]]
|
|<small>born</small><br/>18 December 1932<br/><small>died</small><br/>13 October 2021
|{{Rlp|SR}}
|[[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|19 matches (1954–1961)<br/><small>19 Interstate matches</small>
|25 matches (1954–1960)<br/><small>21 Test matches</small><br/><small>4 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 13.
|[[Johnny Raper]]
|[[File:Johnny Raper.jpg|100px]]
|<small>born</small><br/>12 April 1939<br/><small>died</small><br/>9 February 2022
|{{Rlp|LK}}
|[[Newtown Jets|Newtown]], [[St. George Dragons|St. George]], [[Western Suburbs Rosellas|Wests Newcastle]], Kurri Kurri
|24 matches (1959–1970)<br/><small>24 Interstate matches</small>
|39 matches (1959–1968)<br/><small>33 Test matches</small><br/><small>6 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 14.
| [[Wally Prigg]]
|[[File:Wally Prigg.jpg|100px]]
|<small>born</small><br/>17 October 1908<br/><small>died</small><br/>8 September 1980
|Reserve
|[[Western Suburbs Rosellas|Wests Newcastle]], Centrals Newcastle
|35 matches (1929–1939)<br/><small>35 Interstate matches</small>
|19 matches (1929–1938)<br/><small>19 Test matches</small>
|
|-
| 15.
|[[Dave Brown (rugby league, born 1913)|Dave Brown]]
|[[File:Dave Brown rugby league.jpg|100px]]
|<small>born</small><br/>4 April 1913<br/><small>died</small><br/>23 February 1974
|Reserve
|[[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]], Warrington
|19 matches (1930-1936)<br/><small>19 Interstate matches</small>
|9 matches (1933-1936)<br/><small>9 Test matches</small>
|
|-
| 16.
| [[Steve Rogers (rugby league)|Steve Rogers]]
|
|<small>born</small><br/>29 November 1954<br/><small>died</small><br/>3 January 2006
|Reserve
|[[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks]], [[St. George Dragons]], Widnes
|21 matches (1973–1982)<br/><small>17 Interstate matches</small><br/><small>4 State of Origin matches</small>
|24 matches (1973–1982)<br/><small>21 Test matches</small><br/><small>3 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| 17.
| [[Roy Bull]]
| <!-- Do not use the non-free image:File:Roy Bull 1951.jpg-->
|<small>born</small><br/>12 June 1929<br/><small>died</small><br/>29 June 2004
|Reserve
|[[Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles|Manly-Warringah]]
|26 matches (1949–1956)<br/><small>26 Interstate matches</small>
|23 matches (1949–1957)<br/><small>20 Test matches</small><br/><small>3 World Cup matches</small>
|
|-
| '''Coach'''{{Ref label|Coach|E|E}}
|[[Jack Gibson (rugby league)|Jack Gibson]]
|
|<small>born</small><br/>27 February 1929<br/><small>died</small><br/>9 May 2008
|
|[[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]], [[St. George Dragons|St. George]], [[Newtown Jets|Newtown]], [[South Sydney Rabbitohs]], [[Parramatta Eels]], [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks]]
|6 matches (1989–1990)<br/>as coach<br/><small>2 wins</small><br/><small>4 losses</small>
|
|
|-
|}
==Notes==
<!-- NOTES TO GO HERE USING {{tl|note label}} -->
:{{note label|Position|A|A}} The position the player were chosen in the Team of the Century.
:{{note label|Clubs|B|B}} The Australian clubs/teams the player played for during his career.
:{{note label|Queensland|C|C}} The number of games he played at state level for New South Wales during his career.
:{{note label|Australia|D|D}} The number of games he played at national level for Australia during his career.
:{{note label|Coach|E|E}} The Clubs, New South Wales and Australia columns are in terms of his coaching career, not his playing career.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{New South Wales rugby league team of the century}}
[[Category:New South Wales rugby league team|Century]]