Buzz's top 50 NRL players - Part One

[RNA]

Buzz's top 50 NRL players - Part One
7 March 2011, 12:00 am

SEE WHO THE PLAYERS ARE HERE

PREMIERS St George Illawarra and the Wests Tigers dominate our annual list of the top 50 players in the NRL, with five players from each club selected.                          

For the Dragons, only one - blockbusting winger Brett Morris - has made the top 25, which will be revealed in tomorrow's paper.

It is an indication that Wayne Bennett's boys are a champion team more than they are a team of champions.

In today's list, second-rower Ben Creagh (28), fullback Darius Boyd (36), five-eighth Jamie Soward (41) and centre Mark Gasnier (40) earn a start.

The Wests Tigers have two highly placed in the top 25 - champion five-eighth Benji Marshall and skipper Robbie Farah. They also have centre Chris Lawrence, winger Lote Tuqiri and Englishman Gareth Ellis in today's list.

Beaten grand finalists the Roosters, Russell Crowe's Rabbitohs, the Bulldogs and the Panthers each have four players in our top 50.

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The Rabbitohs actually have three of the top 15 in the game - Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess and hooker Issac Luke.

The Warriors are the worst represented of all the teams, with only feared winger Manu "The Beast" Vatuvei getting a guernsey.

Vatuvei comes in at 46th, two spots ahead of the Panthers' much-improved winger Michael Gordon and four ahead of Tigers veteran Lote Tuqiri, who has grabbed the final spot in our Fab 50.

Rookie Sharks fullback Nathan Gardner has forced his way in at 49th, courtesy of the two spectacular length-of-the-field tries he produced last season in his first year of NRL football.The Sharks have two players in the top 50, including inspirational captain Paul Gallen in the top 10.

Panthers veteran Petero Civoniceva, who is in the twilight of an illustrious career, remains one of the most respected front-rowers in the game and has taken 45th spot.

One ahead of him is Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall, who is commanding massive interest from rival clubs who are keen to sign him when his contract expires at the end of the season.

How many players did your club get in the Top 50?

5 Dragons

5 Tigers

4 Panthers

4 Rabbitohs

4 Roosters

4 Bulldogs

3 Broncos

3 Raiders

3 Sea Eagles

3 Storm

3 Eels

2 Sharks

2 Titans

2 Knights

2 Cowboys

1 Warriors

Tomorrow: The No. 1 player

SEE WHO THE PLAYERS ARE HERE

Source: Daily Telegraph | NRL - Raiders

[Territorian]

Heres a tip; there are no Raiders in the first 25

[Raidercast]

Heres a tip; there are no Raiders in the first 25

There is also way too many Dragons. I know they won the premiership and Wayne has them working as a great team but they are all seriously overrated as individuals in my view. You see it very clearly when they are put into Origin and are made to look like park footballers, although a big part of that is just because Qld is just so good.

[Chase94]

Morris goes alright but you are right about the rest of them they should all be kept well away from any rep side.