Current NRL star power proves why the best time in rugby league is now

Tina Turner was onto something when she belted out the rugby league anthem Simply the Best. But it turns out she was about 30 years too early, with today’s footy stars making right now the best time in rugby league history.

PENRITH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 04: Nathan Cleary of the Panthers celebrates scoring a try with team mates during the round 22 NRL match between Penrith Panthers and Newcastle Knights at BlueBet Stadium, on August 04, 2024, in Penrith, Australia. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

The great Tina Turner was onto something when she belted out the rugby league anthem Simply the Best.

But it turns out she was about 30 years too early because what you get isn’t always what you see, with today’s footy stars building on the past and taking it to new heights which is why the best time in league is now.

We used to cheer on Sterlo and Wally and Joey and JT because they were the greats with no debates.

But now you can sit in the pub or have lunch in the office and spend half an hour arguing who the best NRL player is today with every team stacked with superstars who would have dominated in any era.

You’ve got your triple premierships winners in Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo, then there’s Cameron Munster who shines when the lights are brightest, and throw in Reece Walsh who is lightning on the field and leaves his fans thunderstruck by handing out his jersey and boots after every game.

Nathan Cleary is one of the headline acts of the best time in rugby league. Picture: Getty Images

Then we’ve got the guys who are so big that they only need one name. Teddy, Turbo, Latrell and ‘Paps’ dazzle with every touch, while ‘KP’ rounds out the fab five fullbacks who have fans glued to their TV screens every week.

The depth these days is so good that the Storm can lose a future Immortal in Cameron Smith and replace him with Harry Grant who broke new ground by scoring a hat-trick in the first week of the finals, while Cooper Cronk is gone but they’ve developed Dally M favourite Jahrome Hughes.

Even the bottom teams are stacked with stars with State of Origin hero Mitch Moses the man who can make Parra matter again, while Jahream Bula and Lachie Galvin are the Tiger cubs who can turn wooden spoons into silverware one day.

It’s easy to go back in time and look at those footy cards you collected when you were a kid, but there’s no time like the present with TikTok and Instagram the new norm for fans to watch their heroes on loop do things people couldn’t even dream of 30 years ago.

And with dozens of genuine superstars everywhere you look, it’s further proof that we are the blessed generation because the best time in rugby league is now.