This is the second instalment of an article that explore the heroes and villains from each NRL club.
We all have our rugby league heroes. Those players who epitomise everything that’s great about the greatest game of all. They are the players who typically give the obligatory 110 per cent, week in and week out, and play the game in a manner that brings credit to themselves, their club and the game.
They are generally not only admired by the club’s fans, team mates, and the mothers of aspiring footballers, but also by their opponents, and even, if at times begrudgingly, by the one-eyed supporters of opposing clubs. They are not necessarily the best players in the game, but they are the players you’d be happy to invite home for a family barbecue. They are the good guys.
Of course, just to balance the ledger of human behaviour, the game also has more than its fair share of villains. That group of rogues, scoundrels and sometimes outright thugs who, while probably loved by their own team mates and supporters, are openly disliked by everyone else, and often deservedly so.
These are the game’s anti-heroes who the opposition supporters just love to hate; the targets of their boos, and far too frequently the media cannon fodder that feeds the 24 hour news cycle.
So who are the heroes and villains at each club? Do some clubs attract more than their fair share of villains? Are some clubs just made up of heroes? Let’s take a look at each of the clubs and reveal more.
Melbourne Storm
Now for someone we can really sink our teeth into. Is there a bigger villain in today’s game than Melbourne’s towering brute Nelson Asofa-Solomona? NAS is the epitome of the rugby league bully. He loves to niggle the opposition at every opportunity, and manages to infuriate opposition fans by regularly avoiding any punishment for his many crimes for reasons known only to the Judiciary.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona is one of rugby league’s most controversial figures. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Asofa-Solomona has the chance to take his villainy to the next level this year, now that fellow scoundrels Felise Kaufusi and Brandon Smith have left the club. The season’s still young, and I know you won’t disappoint us big fella.
As far as heroes go, it would be hard to go past Ryan Papenhuyzen, who is probably the only Melbourne player in history to be universally admired by both Storm fans and opposition supporters alike. Pappy is not just a great player, but is also a fine sportsman who gives it his best for the full 80 minutes. Not even his mullet can reduce his popularity.
Newcastle Knights
The Knights must have thought that their lack of success on the field could be addressed by signing some villains, so they rushed out and added Tyson Gamble, Adam Elliott and Jack Hetherington to their squad. Throw in Dane Gagai, Jackson Hastings and the Saifiti brothers, and the Knights have enough rascals to cause a stir, but will it get them off the bottom of the ladder?
Kalyn Ponga stands tall as the Knights biggest and highest paid hero, but if he wants to see his statue erected outside McDonald Jones Stadium he’ll need to spend less time in the toilet cubicle and more time on the field.
New Zealand Warriors
The Warriors carry a lot of collective goodwill as a club, given the sacrifices they made during the COVID lockdown. Not everyone could cope with living a luxury lifestyle on the Gold Coast at someone else’s expense while just going through the motions on the footy field, but the Warriors somehow managed. Heroes one and all.
On a personal level, it’s hard to go past Bunty Afoa and Jazz Tevaga for playing despite their Christian names, while club captain and gentle giant Tohu Harris continues to be one of the good guys of the game.
It’s well known that the land of the long white cloud is inhabited by villains and the tradition continues in the shape of Addin Fonua-Blake, who is now joined by the pizza loving, on-line gamer Dylan Walker, and the slightly crazy former Novocastrian Mitch Barnett.
North Queensland Cowboys
It doesn’t seem to matter how many times I read through the Cowboys team list, I still struggle to find any bad guys. Luciano Leilua may yet prove me wrong for his off-field actions, but let’s wait and see what the courts say.
No shortage of heroes though, with coach Todd Payten leading the way after lifting the Cowboys from the depths in no time flat. Throw in the likes of Reuben Cotter, Valentine Holmes, Tom Dearden and Jason Taumalolo, and you have a club that’s very hard to dislike, unless of course you’re from Brisbane.
Jason Taumalolo is a much loved and respected Cowboy. (Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Parramatta Eels
The Eels are another club that’s hard to dislike, as they’re increasingly unlikely to ever win another premiership. Still, both Ryan Matterson and Mitchell Moses leave a lot to be desired. What sort of player sits out three games rather than pay a piddling fine, leaving his team short-handed?
I’m sure that not even the Parramatta fans will forgive Matterson anytime soon, particularly if the 2022 Grand-Finalists continue to lose week after week. Moses is no doubt a very talented player, but he’d be far more likeable if he just focused on his game and left the match refereeing to the guy or girl with the whistle. Perhaps the coach’s son Jake Arthur can also claim some villain status, as he’s the player most likely to be booed by the Eels’ faithful.
When it comes to Parramatta heroes, King Gutho reigns supreme, while giant back rower Shaun Lane also has his admirers.
Penrith Panthers
Nobody is more deserving of villain top billing status than the polarising Jarome Luai, and he’d be very disappointed if anyone came along to take his place. No one likes a smart ass, particularly when they keep winning premierships, and Luai has seemingly made niggle an art form, managing to constantly annoy opposition fans and players alike. Jarome is the master of his craft.
Because of their success, it’s hard for the NRL world at large to feel warm and fuzzy about the Panthers, but there are three notable exceptions. Who doesn’t like Brian To’o, Isaah Yeo and Dylan Edwards? These three are all elite performers who play the game hard but fairly, and are true role models of the game.
Dolphins
After bringing unexpected early season success to the NRL’s newest team, the old coach Wayne Bennett has been basking in the glow of widespread adulation. He’s delivered what was thought impossible by all but the most fervent Dolphins faithful, and no one will be walking taller in Redcliffe anytime soon than the coach.
Wayne Bennett – local hero.
Surprisingly joining Bennett in the heroes que is perennial villain Felise Kaufusi. It seems that his special style of on-field brutality that saw him despised during his years with the Storm has everyone cheering for more when he’s wearing the Dolphins jersey. Go figure?
As for Dolphins villains….surely there aren’t any.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Now we’re talking! Villains seemingly breed like rabbits at Redfern. Take your pick, the polarising Latrell Mitchell, the permanently enraged Cody Walker, the dastardly Tom Burgess and his disciple Jai Arrow, or the head-high specialist Taane Milne.
Cody Walker manages to get under the skin of many. (Getty Images)
If you can’t find someone to boo in that lot you’re not trying. Are you paying attention Roosters fans?
Fortunately, Souths also have more than their fair share of good guys. Who doesn’t love the try scoring freak Alex Johnston? Who doesn’t admire the professionalism, on-field performances and off-field demeanour of Cameron Murray. Who could dislike young gun Campbell Graham?
St George-Illawarra Dragons
If the Dragons wanted to feature heavily in the villain stakes they should have held on to serial thug Josh McGuire instead of the harmless Aaron Woods. Fortunately they still have a few to wave the villain’s flag.
Zac Lomax is about as popular a Chokito in a public swimming pool, Jack De Belin, “The Hammer” Amone and Zane Musgrave all leave a lot to be desired for their off-field activities, while Tyrell Fuimaono has a terrible judiciary record, and most people have trouble spelling his name.
Heroes at the Dragons don’t come any more saintly than Ben Hunt, unless you don’t think he’s worth the investment, and everybody loves Cody Ramsey and the increasingly cuddly Blake Lawrie.
Sydney Roosters
Who to choose…..who to choose? Jared Waerea-Hargreaves or Nick Politis. Serial bad guy JWH has his own parking space at the judiciary, has been suspended more times than anyone else since making his first grade debut way back in 2009, and his fines have become an important source of revenue for the NRL.
He really is a bad man and he loves the infamy. Meanwhile, uncle Nick is universally despised for his financial sleight of hand and allegedly, the endless supply of brown paper bags that have led to the Roosters’ recent run of success, both in the player market and on the field.
Few play the game on the edge quite like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Nelson Asofa-Solomona. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
I looked hard for a Roosters hero or two, but it appears that even quality players like Joey Manu, Luke Keary and Daniel Tupou are unfavourably tarred with the red, white and blue brush of Bondi’s latte sipping set.
Wests Tigers
If being overpaid, unpopular and an under performer for as long as anyone can remember makes you a villain, then Luke Brooks is your man. I doubt if even Wests supporters like him. Brent Naden has also been on the nose prior to joining the Tigers and I wouldn’t rule out him being in the headlines for all the wrong reasons once again in the near future.
Trying to find a heroic character in last year’s wooden spooners isn’t easy, but perhaps old Tim Sheens deserves a mention for taking on an impossible coaching mission at an age when most men with any sense spend their remaining days in their shed trying to remember what they are in there for.
Of the Tigers players, it’s hard not to like fullback Dane Laurie for playing well above both his weight and pay grade each week, and prop forward Alex Twal, who is well on the way to finishing his NRL career without a single four pointer.
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