Former Rugby League great Cameron Smith has named what he believes are the three greatest fullbacks in the modern era.
Smith opened up the batting with Billy Slater, a player he had played alongside at club level, Origin and also on the international stage.
โEasy one, Iโm going to start with Billy Slater. The way he played the game, it really changed the way that fullbacks play the game and the way they look at the game now,โ Smith said onย SEN 1170 Breakfast.
โThe influence that they (fullbacks) have particularly on the attack and how much ball they actually touch throughout a match.
โItโs not just about the kick returns, so I think Slater is most definitely the number one.โ
On top of this Slater also carries an array of awards that he picked up over the duration of his career which include.
- Peter Frilingos Memorial Award 2004
- Dally M Fullback Of The Year 2008, 2011, 2017
- Golden Boot Award 2008
- RLIF Fullback Of The Year 2008, 2011
- RLIF Player Of The Year 2008, 2011
- RLW Player Of The Year 2008
- Clive Churchill Medal 2009, 2017
- Dally M Representative Player Of The Year 2010
- Wally Lewis Medal 2010, 2018
- Dally M Player Of The Year 2011
- Ron McAuliffe Medal 2018
Alongside his individual accolades are multiple Rugby League World Cup titles, State of Origin titles and NRL Premierships.
As his second choice Smith went with current NRL players, Roosters' captain and dual international James Tedesco.
โIโm going to say (James) Tedesco just because of the form that heโs at over the last three or four years and the ability to keep that high level over that period of time,โ Smith added.
โHeโs won premierships, won State of Origin series and some big Test matches as well with the Kangaroos.โ
As Smith alluded to Tedesco's consistency has been extremely prevalent over the past few seasons. More specifically in 2019 where the Italian Stallion received the Dally M Medal and Wally Lewis Medal in a year where he scored one of the most important tries in his career against the Maroons in game 3 to seal the Blues' Origin fate.
For his last pick the former Storm captain picked another dual international and Sydney Roosters product Anthony Minichiello.
โI guess the third spot for me is the more difficult one,โ Smith said.
โThereโs a few guys who you named there like Garry Jack and Badge (Gary Belcher), I watched those guys, but I didnโt get the opportunity to play with them.
โCertainly great players, Brett Mullins as well, he was fanstastic, but all of those guys played when I was a little fella.
โRoger (Tuivasa-Sheck) was at a very high standard, but Iโm going to say itโs a split decision between (Darren) Lockyer โ he was a fullback to start before ending as a five-eighth and was regarded as the best in the world in the number one jersey โ but Iโm going to put in Anthony Minichiello.
โWhen Billy (Slater) came into first-grade as well, heโd do a lot of homework and vision on Minichiello, because he was the best fullback in the world.
โHe won the golden boot, so Iโm throwing โMiniโ in there as number three.โ
