Almost 100 players were nominated in the NRL.com office for a spot in our list of the best 50 players in the NRL, with a host of quality players just missing the cut. That includes rising fullbacks Matt Moylan and Michael Morgan, star centres Michael Jennings and Konrad Hurrell, big-name playmakers John Sutton, Adam Reynolds and Mitchell Pearce and star wingers Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Josh Mansour.

Top 50 Players in the NRL: 50-41

Top 50 Players in the NRL: 40-31

Top 50 Players in the NRL: 30-21

Top 50 Players in the NRL: 20-11

Top 50 Players in the NRL: 10-1

Halves accounted for 11 spots in the top 50, followed by second-rowers (10), front-rowers (7), fullbacks and locks (6 apiece), hookers (5) and centres (4), with Brett Morris the sole specialist winger to make the cut.

All 16 NRL clubs were represented in the list. The Manly Sea Eagles earned the most inclusions of all clubs, with half a dozen players (Daly Cherry-Evans, Kieran Foran, Brett Stewart, Jamie Lyon, Anthony Watmough and Steve Matai). The Broncos and Storm had five players in the list each, followed by the Bulldogs, Dragons and Roosters (four each), the Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Sharks and Warriors (three), the Panthers, Raiders, Wests Tigers and Titans (two) and the Eels and Knights (one).

Past and present Kangaroos dominated the rankings, with 28 of the top 50 having represented Australia at Test level. There are a dozen more internationals in the list: six New Zealanders, five England players and Samoa's World Cup star Anthony Milford. Thirteen current Maroons stars made the list – including six of the top 10 – while 21 players who have represented New South Wales were included.

The complete NRL.com Top 50

1. Cameron Smith

2. Jarryd Hayne

3. Sam Burgess

4. Johnathan Thurston

5. Greg Inglis

6. Cooper Cronk

7. James Graham

8. Paul Gallen

9. Daly Cherry-Evans

10. Billy Slater

11. Robbie Farah

12. Corey Parker

13. Matt Scott

14. Kieran Foran

15. Sonny Bill Williams

16. Brett Stewart

17. Shaun Johnson

18. Greg Bird

19. Nate Myles

20. Jamie Lyon

21. Jesse Bromwich

22. George Burgess

23. Josh Dugan

24. Brett Morris

25. Anthony Milford

26. Andrew Fifita

27. Trent Merrin

28. Aaron Woods

29. Sam Thaiday

30. Justin Hodges

31. Anthony Watmough

32. Ryan Hoffman

33. Beau Scott

34. Gareth Widdop

35. Boyd Cordner

36. Josh Morris

37. Josh Reynolds

38. Matt Gillett

39. Sam Tomkins

40. Simon Mannering

41. Jake Friend

42. Ben Hunt

43. James Tamou

44. Steve Matai

45. Aidan Guerra

46. Trent Hodkinson

47. James Segeyaro

48. Jamie Soward

49. Luke Lewis

50. Shaun Fensom