Rugby league, specifically the NRL, is the toughest sport in the world. A natural response to playing the toughest sport in the world are injuries. And while it would be awesome if they didn't exist, unfortunately, that comes with the territory.
With injuries, comes players playing with and through them. And while you may find yourself grimacing at the gladiatorial nature of a player playing through a broken bone, nothing makes for a better story. It's moments like these that turn great plays, games and players into legends that will far outlast the player that did it.
You only have to look as far back as Round 3 of the 2022 season to find the latest one. Sure, if Ray Stone scores the game-winning try by trying harder than everyone andย doesn'tย injure himself, it's awesome. The fact he tore his ACL and still got the job done, while horrible and sad, makes it a legendary moment.
So, with that being said, let's take a look at some of the toughest, most memorable and most heroic moments and games the game has seen.
2. Tackle Four: Andrew Johns
A week before the biggest game of his and the Newcastle Knight's life, Andrew Johns was laying in a hospital bed with three broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Told his life would be at risk if he played, Johns defied anyone who told him he could not or should not play and laced up his boots for the grand final. He went on to make one of the most replayed and most famous plays the game has ever seen.
"Down the blind with Andrew Johns, inside to Albert" is a piece of commentary that every footy fan has heard a million times. If Johns does what he probably should have done, and nurses his ribs at the behest of his doctor, it never happens and Newcastle doesn't win.
