By Dan Walsh
Champion hooker Cameron Smith, along with fellow Queensland Origin icons Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston, will come under consideration as the next rugby league Immortal after an NRL rule change.
The NRL will announce a 14th Immortal next month – the first to be awarded rugby league’s most prestigious individual honour since 2018.
Previous Hall of Fame rules stipulated that players had to have been retired for five years before being considered for consideration.
That restriction was lowered to three years on Thursday as the NRL announced plans for new Hall of Fame inductees every year.
Smith retired at the end of 2020, but under the new rules is now eligible for both Hall of Fame induction and in turn, Immortal consideration.
His status as the best hooker in the game, and one of the greatest players in history, will establish him as a leading contender for the game’s highest honour.
Slater and Thurston, who both retired in 2018, will also be in the running alongside fellow Maroons teammate Darren Lockyer, rugby league’s all-time leading try-scorer Ken Irvine and six-time premiership-winner Ron Coote.
Lockyer, Irvine and Coote were all considered for Immortal induction alongside 1950s legends Brian Bevan and Duncan Hall in 2018 and can still be considered in the next induction.
Other possible contenders include champion halves Peter Sterling, Allan Langer and Brett Kenny, while Cooper Cronk is also now eligible for Hall of Fame consideration after retiring in 2019.
Mal Meninga, Norm Provan and pre-war champions Dave Brown, Frank Burge and Dally Messenger were the last Immortal inductees in that 2018 announcement, which was also the last time players were added to the Hall of Fame.
Given a six-year hiatus, the NRL will announce 11 new men’s players, six women’s players, two coaches, two referees and four rugby league contributors to the Hall of Fame in an August 21 ceremony.
A new Immortal will be announced every four years under revamped plans for the Hall of Fame, with veteran commentator David Morrow confirmed on Thursday as an inductee this year.
“Those being acknowledged are legends of the game and their achievements through the course of the game’s history will now be honoured in the hall of fame forever,” ARLC chairman Peter V’landys said.
“I’m so pleased that the group were unanimous around the induction of David Morrow.
“David is a legendary contributor to the game over many decades and has provided colourful and insightful coverage of the game in his own unique style.
“He has a health battle on his hands and the committee were steadfast in their view that ‘Thirsty’ should be afforded this recognition as soon as possible.”
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