NRL Immortals 2024 live: Who will become 14th Immortal? Full list, nominations, shortlist, hall of fame
Ron Coote was a genuine champion as a player and in retirement he gave back even more to the game and those that play it - Phil Rothfield pays tribute to the latest man to join the Immortals.
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Ron Coote’s induction as an Immortal was long overdue.
He would not have been out of place alongside the four originals in 1991 – Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, Bob Fulton and
Johnny Raper.
Coote played in nine grand finals and won six of them.
He was a genuine champion – there was nothing between him and Raper.
So what was he like as a player? Well, imagine a combination of the best parts of Angus Crichton, Steve Menzies and Cameron Murray – that was Cootey.
A long-striding second-rower, a weapon with the football in his hands, Coote was one of the greatest cover defenders I have ever seen.
And he was as tough as any player to wear the Roosters, Rabbitohs, NSW or Australian jerseys.
All up, Coote played 257 first grade games, and played 24 Test matches for Australia, a remarkable achievement given that he played in much the same era and position as Raper.
Coote has always belonged in the game’s most exclusive club – and last night it was finally made official at a gala ceremony.
And I say this not only because of what he did on the football field in the toughest era of them all. What he did in retirement to launch the Men of League organisation, which has cared for and supported so many former players and their families, is of as much importance as what any player has ever achieved in retirement.
That was so typical of Coote.
A truly great player, a champion human and now an Immortal.
Good on ya Cootey.
RELIVE THE BIG NIGHT IN OUR BLOG BELOW
‘He said no at first’: Marshall’s hilarious Black Carpet interview
The 2024 Hall of Fame induction has wrapped up, with some of rugby league’s greatest ever officially inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Ron Coote was officially announced as the 14th Immortal in an incredibly emotional moment.
All the men’s Hall of Fame inductees took to the stage to be presented with their Hall of Fame jacket and ring: Earl Morgan on behalf of Lionel Morgan, Les Boyd, Ben Elias, Steve Renouf, Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess, Benji Marshall and Johnathan Thurston.
This was followed by the first women into the Hall of Fame being officially inducted: Karyn Murphy, Katrina Fanning, Tarsha Gale, Nat Dwyer, Tahnee Norris and Veronica White.
Catch up on our live coverage below.
LEGENDS OF THE GAME ARRIVE
Some of rugby league’s greatest ever have started to arrive at Sydney Cricket Ground ahead of tonight’s Hall of Fame and Immortal Induction.
Ron Coote and Ray Price, both NSW and Australian reps of generations past, have arrived at the event.
Maroons State of Origin legends Wally Lewis, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis are in the house as well.
Karyn Murphy has also arrived ahead of the induction of the first ever women to the Hall of Fame.
Benji Marshall has unveiled former Tigers teammate Chris Heighington as his date for the evening, with the two exchanging a few laughs and cheeky digs in a Black Carpet interview.
BENNETT SNUBS HALL OF FAME DINNER
Wayne Bennett is the latest rugby league identity to sensationally snub Wednesday night’s NRL Hall of Fame dinner.
Just 24 hours after Darryl Brohman confirmed he was not attending in protest at Les Boyd’s elevation to the Hall of Fame, rugby league super coach Bennett has informed the NRL he will not be present.
It is a major blow for the gala black-tie event at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which will witness the unveiling of rugby league’s 14th Immortal.
Bennett will also be celebrated with his induction in the Hall of Fame — but the 74-year-old won’t be there to formally receive the honour.
Instead, one of Bennett’s favourite players from South Sydney and England, Sam Burgess, will accept the award on his behalf.
Burgess, the current head coach of English Super League side Warrington, has flown to Australia for his induction into the Hall of Fame.
Dolphins mentor Bennett is widely regarded as the greatest coach in rugby league history.
He is a seven-time premiership-winning coach, having delivered six titles to the Broncos - the first in 1992 - and more than three decades later, Bennett remains in charge as the foundation mentor of the expansion outfit the Dolphins.
For all his profile, Bennett is a notoriously private individual and is known for his dislike for attending public ceremonies.
Bennett rarely attends private functions, but this decision will raise eyebrows given the gravity of the NRL Immortals concept and the coach’s induction to rugby league’s Hall of Fame.
Bennett usually has Wednesdays off as Dolphins coach and spends the day tending to his cattle at his family farm near Warwick.
WHY BENJI IS ‘EMBARRASSED’ BY HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
When Benji Marshall looks at the 10 other rugby league greats that have joined him in the Hall of Fame, the Wests Tigers coach can’t help but feel ‘embarrassed’.
The Dally M winner is proud to receive one of the game’s highest individual honours but has admitted to being humbled by the company he is joining, which includes figures considered pioneers and all-time greats of the game like Cameron Smith.
“For guys to say that about me, it’s humbling. But at the same time I get embarrassed if I’m being honest,” Marshall said.
“When it comes to the hall of fame, the guys I have been inducted with , it makes me a little bit embarrassed because some of the calibre of those guys is phenomenal.
“As much as I am happy to be there, also those guys, they blow me away too.”
The former New Zealand great was inducted alongside Smith, Lionel Morgan, Les Boyd, Ben Elias, Steve Renouf, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess.
Marshall helped guide the Tigers to the joint venture’s first ever title in 2005 during a 346-game career that spanned over 19 seasons. Marshall also played 31 Tests for the Kiwis, captaining the side on 19 occasions.
His magical flick pass to Pat Richards in the 2005 grand final has been etched in rugby league folklore.
That moment, and Marshall’s natural flare, made him an inspiration to the next crop of NRL talent in New Zealand.
“I was lucky, I was just a young boy from Whakatāne,” Marshall said.
“I had some great people around me and I had guys that I looked up to growing up, like Stacey Jones. I liked watching Andrew Johns, Darren Lockyer and Brad Fittler play.
“I just played footy. I just loved playing footy. I’m proud of the way I did it because I was true to myself and how I like to play. That’s what I try to teach these blokes (Tigers), to be yourself and play the way you play.
“No one is making you play like anyone else.”
Marshall is just the fourth New Zealand great to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and joins Mark Graham, Stacey Jones and Ruben Wiki.
The NRL will announce the 14th Immortal at tonight’s Hall of Fame gala at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
When asked who should join the exclusive group, Marshall was reluctant to weigh in on the significant decision.
“I honestly don’t know,” he said.
WALLY AND MAL WEIGH IN ON NEXT IMMORTAL
Queensland’s NRL Immortals Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga are adamant Maroons champion Cameron Smith deserves to be eligible for his shot at rugby league Immortality on Wednesday night.
Lewis and Meninga are just two of three living NRL Immortals and the legendary duo will attend rugby league’s gala event at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the unveiling of the code’s 14th Immortal.
The ARL Commission’s surprise decision to change the post-retirement eligibility period from five to three years has opened the door for Storm great Smith to rocket into contention for NRL Immortal status.
Under the previous five-year rule, Smith, who retired from the NRL at the end of 2020, would have had to wait until at least 2028 to be considered for rugby league Immortality.
But a recent overhaul of the qualification process has rubber-stamped Smith’s candidacy alongside the likes of Allan Langer, Glenn Lazarus, Peter Sterling, Ron Coote, Darren Lockyer and Brett Kenny.
Other more recent modern-day legends eligible for elevation to the NRL’s most elite club include Cowboys champion Johnathan Thurston and Smith’s former teammates Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk.
Lewis and Meninga both declined to nominate a winner ahead of the gala event, but the rugby league icons gave their seal of approval for Smith to be in the mix to become an NRL Immortal.
“I think Cameron deserves to be considered,” said ‘The King’ Lewis, who was crowned an Immortal alongside Graeme Langlands in 1999.
“There’s a whole pile of guys that could easily be an Immortal and it’s not too soon for Cameron.
“The sad thing is that some of the candidates played before we could see their performances on a weekly basis on television.
“I think that’s where the modern-day players such as Cameron get the benefit because every game of football these days is screened, nothing gets missed.
“I won’t go into who I think should win but it’s great to see ‘Alf’ (Allan Langer) being considered.
“There were so many people that suggested he wouldn’t make it, that he didn’t have the size and strength, but Alf went on to prove that you don’t need that.
“Being named an Immortal was so special to me and it will be a thrill to see who gets chosen.”
Of the 13 Immortals, just three remain alive – Lewis, Meninga and Andrew Johns, who was added to the champion of champions stable in 2012.
There is a fear that choosing Smith on Wednesday night could see a whole previous generation of legends, such as Lockyer and Langer, overlooked for NRL Immortal status.
Meninga was one of five legends who were named NRL Immortals in 2018 and ‘Big Mal’ says Smith, his former Queensland Origin skipper, had earned the right to be a candidate.
The 41-year-old is the NRL’s most-capped player with 430 appearances, State of Origin’s most-capped player with 42 games and also amassed 56 Tests for Australia in a glittering career.
“I’ve coached guys like Darren Lockyer and Cameron and it’s up to the decision makers now,” Meninga said.
“They have set a precedent before where Andrew Johns got chosen (in 2012) and then they went back to picking older players, such as myself, in 2018.
“Whoever gets it will deserve it, put it that way.
“I just know I was fortunate to be nominated and to be given the honour of being an Immortal … it’s certainly the greatest accolade you can get in our game.”
Former Queensland prop Darryl Brohman, now a respected commentator, believes Smith shapes as the favourite to be the NRL’s 14th Immortal.
“Cam’s record is phenomenal,” he said.
“No-one could possibly argue with Cam Smith becoming an Immortal.
“There’s definitely an argument for Ron Coote (South Sydney legend), and in my own opinion I’d probably go for Ron, but if Cameron Smith is named an Immortal on Wednesday night, I wouldn’t have any problem with it.”
COOTE OR A QUEENSLANDER?
Will the great Ron Coote finally be elevated into immortality or will a Queenslander steal rugby league’s greatest individual honour?
The NRL will formally announce a 14th Immortal at a black-tie gala event at the SCG on Wednesday night with Coote, Allan Langer, Darren Lockyer and Cam Smith among the favourites.
Coote, 79, has been close to becoming an Immortal since the concept was first developed by the now defunct Rugby League Week magazine back in 1981.
Remarkably, Coote played for Souths and Easts in nine grand finals, winning six, and also captained Australia.
And few should forget Coote’s contribution in establishing the Men of League charity, now known as Family of League, who support former players.
There is little doubt Queenslanders Langer, Lockyer and Smith would have secured considerable support among the 15-member voting panel.
Who could forget the utter brilliance of Brett Kenny and Peter Sterling, who inspired Parramatta to four premierships in the 1980s? Or the unforgettable Canberra trio of Laurie Daley, Bradley Clyde and Glenn Lazarus?
The final Immortals shortlist for the 2024 induction were Coote, Langer, Smith, Lockyer, Kenny, Sterling, Daley, Lazarus, Clyde, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Ken Irvine and the amazing Brad Fittler. It’s expected just one player will be inducted.
This masthead asked a cross-section of the rugby league community for their prediction on who they thought should be named rugby league’s next Immortal.
Mark Geyer on Ron Coote: “He is rugby league royalty who should not be forgotten and should be immortalised. He had a remarkable playing career and unmatched grand final record. He also started the Men of League foundation that has helped thousands of players post-footy.”
Bradley Clyde on Laurie Daley & Peter Sterling: “Sterling turned up and played his best footy every week to steer an Eels team to greatness. Laurie was as dynamic in defence as he was in attack. He had unprecedented strength, speed and football knowledge that delivered success to the teams he played with.”
Gorden Tallis on Cameron Smith: “All the players have had stellar careers but if you had to pick just one, and they all put their resumes on the table, Cameron Smith wins.”
Andrew Ettingshausen on Ron Coote & Darren Lockyer: “Coote if they are looking at the best from the post war era or Lockyer from the latest era.”
Greg Alexander on Cam Smith: “If you’re framing a market about who is going to become an Immortal then Cameron Smith would be the red-hot favourite. Because of that, I think he will be the next (inductee) but that’s not to say I wouldn’t be happy if Ron Coote, Brett Kenny or Peter Sterling were immortalised.”
Noel Cleal on Ron Coote: “Coote’s grand final record speaks for itself and his contribution to the Family of League foundation post-playing days just adds to the stature of the man.”
Ben Elias on Allan Langer: “He had the second-most impact on State of Origin since Wally Lewis. Also established the Broncos as the powerhouse team of the 1990s.”
Craig Gower on Allan Langer: “His all-round game was there for all to see and his creativity with ‘ball-in-hand’ was special to watch, as was his amazing short kicking game.”
Max Krilich on Brett Kenny, Ron Coote & Ken Irvine: “’Bert’ (Kenny) was brilliant and scored two tries in three straight grand finals. He was better than ‘Prince’ Wally (Lewis). Coote was nearly as good as John Raper while Ken Irvine scored more than 200 tries with the ‘losers’ Norths in only 170-odd games with the corner post in play. If he was playing now with a top side he would have easily scored more than 300 tries.”
Craig Coleman on Ron Coote: “Starred in Souths’ golden era before playing in Jack Gibson’s Roosters team. They were as good a teams as we’ve seen. He’s been an outstanding role model for the great game of rugby league.”
Mark Carroll on Brett Kenny: “In recent times, everyone wants to be a Nathan Cleary or Andrew Johns. But when I was a kid, I wanted to be Brett Kenny. He’s an Immortal; a one-of-a-kind player who should be acknowledged.”
Peter Peters on Ron Coote & Brett Kenny: “It has to be Brett Kenny or Ron Coote. Kenny was as good, if not better, than Wally Lewis, who is an Immortal, while Coote was as good, if not better, than original Immortal, Johnny Raper. They would be greats in any era.”
Paul Langmack on Royce Simmons: “He was part of Panthers’ first-ever premiership. He walks every year with past players to raise money for dementia – a killer illness of the world and rugby league players.”
The new inductee will join Raper, Johns, Lewis, Reg Gasnier, Clive Churchill, Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands, Mal Meninga, Dally Messenger, Arthur Beetson, Norm Provan, Frank Burge and Dave Brown as Immortals.
There will also be additions to rugby league’s men’s and women’s Hall of Fame on Wednesday night.
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