This was published 8 years ago
The contenders to become the ninth Immortal
Darren Lockyer
Equally brilliant at both five-eighth or fullback, Lockyer's 355 games for Brisbane stood as an NRL record until Cameron Smith bettered the mark in 2017. Lockyer's 17-year career also saw him play 59 Test matches for Australia and 36 State of Origin games for Queensland.
Brad Fittler
A premiership winner with both Penrith and the Sydney Roosters, Fittler is the only player to captain his country to two World Cup victories. He played a record 31 State of Origin games for New South Wales, and will take over as coach of the Blues for the 2018 season.
Bob McCarthy
A brilliant ball-player who knew how to sniff out a try, he revolutionised the role of the back-rower during his 251-game career. He was a member of South Sydney's premiership winning sides in 1967, 1970 and 1971, as well as representing Australia on 15 occasions.
Ron Coote
A premiership winner with both South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs, Coote enjoyed a remarkable record in grand finals, winning nine of the 11 deciders he played in. Coote was named in the second row in the "Team of the Century" in 2008.
Norm Provan
One half of the iconic NRL premiership trophy, Provan played in 10 of St George's incredible 11 consecutive titles in the 1950s and 1960s, including a stint as captain-coach. Current Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett is amongst those who believe Provan should be the next immortal, with Bennett saying, "I don’t know of anyone in the game that did more than Norm Provan ever did."
Mal Meninga
The only player to go on four Kangaroo Tours, and the only player to captain on two Kangaroo tours, Meninga's decorated career saw him play 140 matches in the Brisbane competition before joining Canberra in 1986. Meninga was part of the Raiders' side that won premierships in 1989, 1990 and 1994.
Allan Langer
Thrust into the cauldron of State of Origin as a 20-year-old while playing for Ipswich in the Queensland competition, Langer went on become one of the most influential halfbacks of his era. He was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal following Brisbane's first premiership victory in 1992, and in 2001 made a shock Origin comeback to lead Queensland to victory.
