![\"Johnathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/753c1990473e0f4aec8d0b2217691f840ae67003.jpeg\")
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Johnathan Thurston\u00a0nna\\cdesilva<\/p>\n
In partnership with the NRL<\/a>, Nine.com.au<\/a> is spotlighting some incredible athletes.<\/p>\n Fans can vote on who they believe are the best Indigenous players of the past 50 years in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s game.<\/p>\n In this piece, we\u2019re focusing on the creative geniuses and clutch match-winners in the men\u2019s game, as we take a look at the top Indigenous spine players.<\/p>\n TO VOTE FOR THE BEST INDIGENOUS PLAYER OF THE LAST 50 YEARS, CLICK\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Johnathan Thurston<\/p>\n There aren\u2019t enough superlatives to explain how good Johnathan Thurston<\/a> was, even if his record on both a team and individual basis makes it fairly clear.<\/p>\n From his early days at the Bulldogs<\/a>, a talented yet small halfback clearly existed – but it wasn\u2019t until he moved to North Queensland<\/a> that his game fully flourished.<\/p>\n Thurston\u2019s elite pass selection and astute kicking game was matched by his toughness and desire to take on the line, with his trademark show-and-go setting up or scoring countless tries across his stellar career at club and rep level.<\/p>\n In his first season with the Cowboys, the champion playmaker won the first of his record-setting four Dally M Medals<\/a>, leading his side to a grand final berth.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until a decade and countless close calls later that Thurston etched his name into NRL folklore, nailing a field goal in golden point extra time to give the Cowboys their maiden premiership in a dramatic grand final against Brisbane.<\/p>\n On the biggest stage the game has, Thurston dominated Origin<\/a> like few others and came up with clutch moments a mile long for the Maroons, playing a major role in the eight-straight series victories in his 37 appearances.<\/p>\n Thurston also tasted World Cup success in 2013, taking out Man of the Match honours in the final, proving once again his ability to stand tall under pressure.<\/p>\n After retiring, Thurston has remained entrenched in the Indigenous community and is a respected voice on Nine\u2019s broadcast of major matches.<\/p>\n All that waits for JT – arguably the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of boots – is taking his inevitable spot as a rugby league Immortal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Laurie Daley Blues coach Laurie Daley.\u00a0Getty Images<\/p>\n He\u2019s copped a hammering due to his coaching<\/a>, but as pointed out by Phil Gould, there has perhaps been no player better than Laurie Daley<\/a> on the Origin stage.<\/p>\n Regarded as one of the best ball-running halves in history, who could also slot in at centre with ease, Daley was a superstar of the successful Raiders team in the late-1980s and early-1990s, winning three premierships with the Green Machine.<\/p>\n His size, compared to other five-eighths in his generation, made Daley a threat for defences, but he also had the sleight-of-hand to set up his outside men. Daley was a staple of both the Blues and Kangaroos teams throughout the \u201990s and brought his winning ways from Canberra to the biggest stages.<\/p>\n Anthony Mundine<\/p>\n Younger sporting fans would know him more for his boxing exploits, but there were few more exciting players than Anthony Mundine<\/a> on the footy field.<\/p>\n Mundine was a proud St George junior and came through the lower grades with plenty of hype, before bursting onto the scene in first grade as a teenager.<\/p>\n Anthony Mundine playing for the Dragons.\u00a0nna\\telbra<\/p>\n A brilliant five-eighth with blistering speed and dazzling footwork, Mundine played in two grand finals with the Dragons, but fell short in both.<\/p>\n He received limited opportunities at representative level, managing just three matches for NSW, before he quit rugby league at 25 to pursue boxing.<\/p>\n \u201cChoc\u201d then made a seamless transition to the squared circle, becoming a multi-division world champion and featuring in Australia\u2019s most heated boxing rivalry with Danny Green that spanned more than a decade and two epic fights.<\/p>\n He is still considered one of Australia\u2019s true sporting icons.<\/p>\n Cody Walker<\/p>\n A fiery character who tiptoes and sometimes steps over the line, Cody Walker<\/a> has plenty of detractors – but the one thing you can\u2019t argue about is his talent.<\/p>\n Walker has been likened to a modern-day Cliff Lyons for his vision and ball-playing ability, setting up countless tries over his career with South Sydney.<\/p>\n The five-eighth was a late bloomer, only debuting for the Rabbitohs in his mid-20s, but he has made the most of his decade in the NRL.<\/p>\n Even in his mid-thirties there were calls for him to be recalled to the NSW Origin team this year.<\/p>\n He looks set to continue for another year in 2027 and the only thing eluding Walker at this stage of his career is premiership glory with Souths.<\/p>\n Who would put that beyond him with a classy roster and Wayne Bennett at the helm?<\/p>\n Cody Walker has been a superstar for the Rabbitohs.\u00a0Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow<\/p>\n![\"Blues](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783561392_567_197dbc490efb39f1ed38e818a6d422562bde7b6f.jpeg\")
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