Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield reveals his Top 50 players from the 2021 NRL season

Phil Rothfield’s 2021 Top 50 list reflects the current state of play in the Origin arena, with Queensland raising barely a whimper. Did Buzz get it right? Have your say here and vote in our interactive.

Phil Rothfield reveals his top 50 players of the 2021 NRL season.

Clive Churchill medallist Nathan Cleary is the best player in rugby league in a photo finish developed-print ahead of Manly Sea Eagles superstar Tom Trbojevic. Champion Roosters fullback James Tedesco is a close third to complete the top three.

But that’s not the story here.

Our annual list of top 50 players in the NRL shows an alarming imbalance in the rosters around the competition that caused the ugliest season of scoreboard blowouts in decades.

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Three clubs – the Dragons, Cowboys and Wests Tigers – don’t have a top 50 player, certainly not on last season’s form. Ten clubs have only a combined 12 players in the list.

The top six teams that dominated so comprehensively throughout 2021 – the Panthers, Souths, Storm, Roosters, Manly and the Eels - have the rest … 38 of the top 50.

BELOW: BUZZ’S TOP 50 NRL PLAYERS FROM 2021 - DO YOU AGREE WITH PHIL ROTHFIELD?

This is why the NRL had an average score margin of 18.29 this year - the highest since 1935.

No less than 117 of 192 games (61 per cent) had 13 plus margins.

Some will try to blame the new rules, whereas the more obvious reason is this list of players and the gulf between the top and bottom sides despite the fact they all spend the same amount ($9.6 million) in the salary cap.

As usual there will be arguments over the top 50.

Phil Rothfield reveals his top 50 players of the 2021 NRL season.

For starters, Cleary beat Trbojevic, who was such a popular winner of the Dally M award after an absolutely stunning season.

The fact Cleary won State of Origin, the premiership and the Churchill Medal answers that.

Why is young Matt Burton in the top 10? Because he’s a freakish talent in the halves or centres, dominated all season and made the Dally M team of the year.

There will be a debate around Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes at number four yet he is a great player.

To prove the Rabbitohs will remain strong next year, even without Wayne Bennett and Adam Reynolds, is that they still have three top 10 players – Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray and Cody Walker.

Originally published as Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield reveals his Top 50 players from the 2021 NRL season