The one legend who 'gets lost' in Immortal conversation as contenders revealed for 14th nod

As the induction of the next Immortal nears, speculation has been rife as to which former player's contribution and legacy in the game will receive the ultimate honour.

The Immortals concept was introduced by the now-defunct Rugby League Week magazine in 1981 with four legends originally inducted - Clive Churchill, John Raper, Reg Gasnier, and Bob Fulton.

Nine icons have since joined the list - Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Graeme Langlands, Andrew Johns, Dally Messenger, Frank Burge, Dave Brown, Norm Provan, and Mal Meninga.

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The five most recent of those were inducted in 2018 after the NRL took charge of the concept.

A 14th Immortal will be unveiled on Wednesday night.

We run the rule over the leading contenders.

Brad Fittler

His omission from the honour in 2018 left Greg Alexander baffled, however Brad Fittler's legacy is one of the many lost in conversation to be selected as the next Immortal of the game.

Fittler's legacy on the field set the standard for longevity and durability that few players have been able to match.

The two-time Australian Schoolboys representative began his first-grade career with Penrith at age 16.

Over 16 seasons, Fittler played 337 games between the Panthers and the Roosters, won a premiership at both clubs, collected a Golden Boot, and was named Dally M Centre, Lock, and Five-Eighth of the Year.

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He featured in 31 State of Origins for New South Wales and 38 Tests for Australia, of which 25 he skippered.

Yet, according to Paul Gallen, Fittler has flown under the radar as a potential candidate to be immortalised.

"I feel like Brad Fittler gets lost a bit in this conversation, I really do and I don't understand why he's not front and centre on everybody's lips," Gallen told Wide World of Sports this week.

"I feel like he doesn't really get spoken about to be an Immortal and I can't understand why, to be honest."

Allan Langer

Known for his ability to take down his rivals with remarkable ease, Allan Langer was one of the league's most gifted talents.

In a career spanning 15 years, Langer recorded 160 tries, 457 first-class games, and more than 685 points.

A short stint with Warrington in England marked the final years of his league career as he returned for one last season with the Brisbane Broncos.

Langer won a Rothmans Medal in Brisbane, a Clive Churchill Medal, led the Broncos to three premiership victories, won a Super League crown and skippered his country.

He won Dally M Halfback of the Year on three occasions and was the Dally M Medallist in 1996.

"It is pretty clear in my head that Allan Langer is very much underrated as far as elite players go and Immortal players," Broncos coach and former Langer teammate Kevin Walters said.

"They have got a statue of him. All they have got to do now is make him Immortal."

Ron Coote

Splitting his career between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters, Ron Coote started out playing in the shadows of an Immortal.

A gifted athlete when he laced up the boots, Coote possessed many of the traits of his teammate John Raper. He was known for his cover defence strategy and powerful strides with the ball in hand.

Forced to battle with the success of Raper, it took until the Immortal's retirement for Coote to be elevated as lock forward for Australia.

Coote played 257 first-grade games between 1964 and 1978, and was known as a forward who could find the tryline.

At club level, he was a six-time premiership winner and four-time NSWRL player of the year.

He was named the Harry Sunderland Medal winner in 1970 as Australia's strongest player during the Ashes series and later captained the nation to World Cup victory in England.

With both the Roosters and Rabbitohs, Coote played in nine grand finals in the space of 11 seasons, winning four with the Tricolours and two with the Redfern-based team.

He was the first player to appear in 100 premiership matches in two separate uniforms.

Steve Mortimer

A Wagga Wagga local, Steve Mortimer formed the backbone of the Canterbury Bulldogs in the 1980s.

Mortimer made 16 appearances for the Blues before donning the Australian uniform for eight Tests.

He was an instrumental playmaker in the Bulldogs' premiership success, leading the club to back-to-back titles in 1984 and 1985.

In an era of great halfbacks, Mortimer challenged Peter Sterling as the competition's greatest success.

Mortimer's trademark chip-kick and regather assisted him to 104 tries, 355 points and 246 first-class games.

He went on to serve as an administrator for the Bulldogs following a 272-game career with the club that awarded him the title of one of the legends of the game.

Peter Sterling

A display of maturity and footballing instinct were the two components that elevated Peter Sterling from schoolboy football to first grade.

Taking charge of the Eels' celebrated backline, which featured Brett Kenny, Steve Ella and Mick Cronin, Sterling's eye for the game and talent brought out the best of those around him.

Sterling was an integral force in Parramatta's last run of dominance, assisting the club to take out premierships in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1986.

He was named the Dally M Player of the Year in 1986 and 1987, before claiming the Golden Boot in 1987.

The blond prodigy played in two undefeated Kangaroos tours, 13 State of Origins, 18 Tests for Australia, in which only two he suffered defeat.

Brett Kenny

A four-time premiership winner, Brett Kenny was a member of the Parramatta juggernaut of the early 1980s.

Forming a formidable scrum-base partnership with Peter Sterling and Ray Price, Kenny was the connector for the Eels' spine.

Between 1980 to 1993, Kenny played 265 games with Parramatta, toured with the Kangaroos twice, was crowned winner of the Golden Boot in 1985, as well as receiving the title of man of the match in back-to-back grand finals.

In 1986, as a centre, he scored eight tries in five Tests for the unbeaten Kangaroos.

He hung up the boots for the final time in 1993.

Setting up numerous intercept tries in key moments to being acclaimed the best player in league history by Billy Boston, Kenny's legacy lives on.

Darren Lockyer

The Brisbane Broncos great's achievements speak for themselves.

Four premiership titles, a Clive Churchill Medal, plus Golden Boots at both fullback and five-eighth. He is one of the greatest talents of the modern era.

At age 18, Lockyer burst onto the first-grade scene and never looked back.

A one-club player, Lockyer played 355 in the Broncos outfit in a career that spanned from 1995 to 2011.

He represented Australia across 59 Tests, 38 of which he captained, and 36 Origin matches for Queensland.

His versatility to shift from fullback to the halves without dropping form was an admirable trait to many, with his daunting kicking game forcing rivals to tremble with fear.

He won Dally M Fullback of the Year three times and Five-eighth of the Year three times, crowned Wally Lewis Medallist in 2006 and named in Queensland's Team of the Century in 2008.

Cameron Smith

Regarded by many as an Immortal-in-waiting - whether it happens this week or not - Cameron Smith's longevity and footballing instinct is unparalleled.

The Melbourne Storm great played a premiership-record 430 games and never failed to lose composure at dummy-half.

He led the Storm to three premierships victories - as well as two grand final wins that were later stripped - Queensland to lift the Origin shield 11 times, played 56 Tests for Australia including at three World Cups.

Smith's illustrious list of achievements range from nine Dally M Hooker of the Year honours, five Dally M Captain of the Year medals, and two Golden Boot awards.

The two-time Dally M Medallist remained at his peak in the backend of his career, retiring as he lifted the premiership shield in his 19th top-grade season.

Under the new rules, Smith is eligible to be inducted as an Immortal, however, his fate lies in the consideration of what the NRL deems to be too soon.

Johnathan Thurston

A magician with the ball, Johnathan Thurston's glittering career saw him dominate at club, state and international levels.

He consistently elevated his movement in the halves to becoming an inspiring role model for the Indigenous community and powerful threat for those he faced.

Thurston was a member of two premiership winning teams, with the Bulldogs in 2004 and his heroic crescendo for the Cowboys in 2015.

A remarkable career that stretched over 16 seasons, he won four Dally M Medals as well as the Clive Churchill Medal.

He represented Queensland 37 times, including a record 36 in a row, scoring 212 points. The Cowboys great also recorded 382 points in the Kangaroos outfit.

Hindered by a shoulder injury, Thurston retired in 2017.

Billy Slater

An all-time Melbourne Storm great, Billy Slater revolutionised the game for fullbacks.

Making his NRL debut in 2003, Slater was a one-club man who formed part of Melbourne's 'big three' alongside Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.

Together, the trio won four premierships (two were later stripped) and dominated in the Origin arena.

Playing for Australia, he was the 2008 international top try-scorer, player of the tournament and recipient of the Golden Boot Award for world player of the year.

Slater's speed and durability defined his performance, but his intelligence with the ball and commitment to the game was unmatched.

In 2021, Slater signed a two-year contract as head coach of the Queensland Maroons, where he helped the team secure back-to-back Origin victories.