Who would you choose if you could only induct one of Johnathan Thurston and Nathan Cleary as an Immortal?
It’s a conversation that we should be having, but only when the dust has settled on their careers. Under the new induction cycle, whereby a new Immortal is named every four years, there will probably be room for both.
However, to ensure it remains the most exclusive of clubs, the NRL should reconsider its stance and wait at least a decade before each new member is added.
Ron Coote became just the 14th to be recognised across the 116-year history of the game at a ceremony at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
After being passed over on four occasions, it was a fitting tribute to a man who has given so much, both on and off the field. Yet, the decision to name the next Immortal in just four years has the potential to dilute the concept.
The rarer something is, the more valuable it becomes. After taking 31 years to name the first eight members, we’ve now had six additions over the last six years. And now we’ll be adding another one every four years.
Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Glenn Lazarus and Darren Lockyer are the leading contenders to become the next Immortal.
If we all agree that Cameron Smith will one day join the esteemed group, what is the rush? It’s understandable that voters wanted to honour the 79-year-old Coote while he is still with us, but why not space out future selections to ensure only the best of the best get in.
Coote’s inclusion, one that has been universally embraced, has seemingly put a cap on stars who played the game before 1980. That would leave Glenn Lazarus, Billy Slater, Darren Lockyer, Billy Slater and Smith as the leading contenders to next battle it out.
A strong case could be made that Smith has the most complete curriculum vitae and deserves to be next. Given his career spanned a record 430 NRL games – former teammate Cooper Cronk is next on the list with 372 – and included four premierships from eight grand final appearances, as well as 42 Origins for the Maroons and 56 Tests for Australia – it would be hard to argue otherwise.
Compare the pair: Nathan Cleary is ahead of where Johnathan Thurston was at the same point in their respective careers.Credit: NRL Photos
So who would be next after Smith? Is Slater more worthy than Lazarus? Does Lockyer make the cut? Does it mean Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny and Brad Fittler miss out altogether?
Under the “every four years” rule, all could become Immortals. This would be missing the point.
The red velvet rope should keep out all but the truly elite, to the point that it is almost impossible to enter the club. There is no harm in waiting another decade to install Smith. And then, in 20 years, we can have another entrant after we compare Cleary’s career – which has already garnered three premierships – to that of Thurston.
After Cleary steered the Panthers to their third-straight title with a masterclass in the final quarter of last year’s decider, I asked Thurston how their careers compared at the same point.
“No comparison,” said the Cowboys legend with his trademark chuckle. “He’s achieved far more than me at that age.
“Barring injuries, he’s probably still got another eight or nine years to go. He’s done it all and the sky’s the limit for him.”
Should Cleary’s body hold together – and Thurston’s prediction transpire – there may only be room for one of them at the Immortals table. This is not a bad thing.
There is still the Hall of Fame to acknowledge the champions of the past, those who don’t quite make the cut as an Immortal. It may mean that some of the greats get overlooked for the highest honour in the game. That is all right because when it comes to the Immortals, less is more.
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