Which winger has been the pick of the bunch from the many speedsters who have dazzled from the flanks during the past three decades?
NRL.com has launched the search for the Simply The Best players from 1990 to now and is calling on the fans to have their say. Billy Slater kicked off proceedings by winning the fullback poll in a landslide.
A poll is being launched each Friday for each of the nine positions on the field as well as the coach who has been better than all the rest during the past 30 years.
You can vote via the poll at the bottom of this article. The 10 nominees have been trimmed to the final two candidates for each position - polls on the NRL Instagram and Facebook accounts deciding once and for all which player is Simply The Best. Manu Vatuvei is up against Wendell Sailor for one flank with Hazem El Masri and Brett Morris battling it out for the other wing.
The NRL.com newsroom initially narrowed the race to be the best winger down to a shortlist of 10.
Such was the talent on offer, we could find no room for some fantastic finishers, including Fijian flyers Noa Nadruku and Semi Radradra, former Knights star Adam MacDougall, modern-day internationals Josh Addo-Carr and Valentine Holmes, or greats from yesteryear in the form of Brett Dallas, Willie Carne, goal-kicking guru Daryl Halligan and prolific try-scorers Nathan Merritt and Timana Tahu.
Simply The Best winger nominees
(in alphabetical order)
Nathan Blacklock
A prolific try scorer, the winger from Tingha was a fan favourite during his career, particularly during a golden run from 1998-2001 with St George Illawarra in which he scored 96 tries in just less than one per game. Although he never played Origin for NSW and represented Australia just twice, he finished his decade-long NRL career after crossing the stripe 121 times in just 142 games.
The best of Hazem El Masri
Hazem El Masri
The greatest pointscorer in premiership history had to be on this shortlist even though he was also rarely given a call-up by representative selectors. El Masri ended his 317-game NRL career, all at the Bulldogs, with 159 tries and 891 goals for the grandest of all grand totals of 2418 points and was also a key member of the 2004 premiership-winning side.
Michael Hancock
The Brisbane stalwart's career coincided with the Broncos' entry into the premiership, racking up 123 tries in 276 appearances for the club before his retirement after the 200 grand final. A member of four premiership-winning squads, he also represented Queensland 16 times and Australia in 14 Tests.
Brett Morris picks the favourite tries of his career
Brett Morris
One of the most accomplished finishers in NRL history, the Kiama Knights junior kicked off his first-grade career with St George Illawarra in 2006 and after a four-year stint with the Bulldogs, is still going strong at the Roosters after joining the club last year. Morris has scored 153 tries in 254 games at club level and represented NSW in 15 Origins and Australia in 18 Tests.
Mat Rogers
A teenage prodigy and son of club legend Steve Rogers, he made his debut for Cronulla in 1995 and rose to representative level with Queensland and Australia while shining for the Sharks in their finals teams of the late 1990s. After becoming a dual international at the Wallabies, he returned to the NRL to play for the Titans before retiring in 2011.
Sailor destroys Dragons with career best four-try haul
Wendell Sailor
One of the most naturally gifted athletes in premiership history, Sailor embodied the flashy and powerful Broncos premiership-winning sides of the late 1990s. He also excelled for the Maroons and Kangaroos, became a dual international after switching to rugby before returning to league to finish his career with two seasons at St George Illawarra.
Matt Sing
An under-rated performer, he enjoyed a lengthy career over 14 seasons with Penrith, the Roosters and North Queensland, scoring 159 tries along the way. Sing represented the Maroons in 24 Origins and Australia in 12 Tests, retiring at the end of the 2006 season.
Lote Tuqiri
Another phenomenally athletic powerhouse, the Fijian-born burst onto the NRL scene in 1999 with the Broncos and scored a try in their grand final win the following season. After representing the Maroons and Kangaroos, he also became a Test player in rugby with the Wallabies before returning to rugby league with four seasons at the Wests Tigers and then bowing out following South Sydney's 2014 grand final victory.
Manu Vatuvei
The "Beast" was just that to opposing wingers for the Warriors over a memorable career from 2003-16, which also included 28 Tests for New Zealand and two more for Tonga. He touched down a club record 152 times for the Warriors, often overpowering opponents with his raw power close to the try line.
Wishart takes a walk down memory lane
Rod Wishart
A goal-kicking centre from Gerringong, he was quickly switched to the wing after making his debut with Illawarra in 1989 and graduated to Origin level with NSW the following year and the Test arena, representing Australia in 1990. A mainstay for the Blues and Kangaroos throughout the decade, he retired after St George Illawarra's grand final heartache in 1999 with 78 tries, 1092 points, 22 Origins and 15 Tests in his resume.
The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of the NRL, ARLC, NRL clubs or state associations.
