NRL Immortals debate: Recency bias has no place in the concept so recently retired stars must wait

Now that Ron Coote’s 43-year wait is over, we cannot let recency bias take over the Immortals, writes DEAN RITCHIE. Which means recently retired stars like Cameron Smith will have to wait.

Recently retired stars like Cameron Smith must wait their turn, writes Dean Ritchie. Picture: Getty Images

The Immortal concept has a problem.

As wonderful as Wednesday night was at SCG, it was among the best rugby league functions I have attended, we all left asking the same question: Do we go back in time at the next induction or will all future Immortals come from the modern day era?

The push for Ron Coote was irresistible and his inclusion was universally accepted, a rare phenomenon in the usually divisive rugby league.

But with Coote now immortalised, do future judges hark back again or do we only focus on current players? Was Coote the last inductee from by-gone eras?

Ron Coote’s Immortal wait is over, but that doesn’t mean we should let recency bias take over. Picture: Getty Images

We cannot and should ignore the past just because Coote is now an Immortal.

I have genuine fears that all future Immortals will come from players who played over the past 20 years.

There are no rules stating the game cannot revert back in history if a player has a compelling case for inclusion.

I would even be comfortable if we at least jumped back to the 1970s and 1980s.

We cannot ignore players from former era’s of rugby league like Ken Irvine.

As close as they no doubt came to becoming Immortals in the 2024 induction, I still believe recently-retired players Cam Smith, Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston must wait their turn.

We cannot overlook older players like Ken Irvine, Ray Price, Steve Rogers, Ricky Stuart, Allan Langer, Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling, Laurie Daley, Glenn Lazarus, Bradley Clyde and Brad Fittler.

What about Duncan Hall, Duncan Thompson, Tom Gorman, Jim Craig and Keith Holman, who played between 1920 and the late 1950s?

And what players from the wonderful Queensland side who dominated NSW between the 1920s and 1940s?

Recently retired stars like Cameron Smith must wait their turn, writes Dean Ritchie. Picture: Getty Images

Coote should not end rugby league’s history when it comes to Immortals.

It would be a travesty to reject any player simply because we suffer from recency bias.

Modern-day players no doubt have a right for induction but ignoring the past and rejecting those that dig the well would be sad and dangerously dismissive.