The NRL have confirmed they will name another Immortal in August, and reports have already jumped to the conclusion that Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston are in the mix.

That comes with the NRL altering the rules, allowing players to be addmitted to the Hall of Fame just three years after their retirement.

There is little doubt that Smith and Thurston will be among the group of players added to the Hall of Fame at the ceremony, with a fair chance Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk will join them.

But the NRL simply can not admit any of those players as Immortals yet. The Immortals concept is supposed to recognise the greatest players in the history of the game, and while there is little doubt those players are going to be there one day, now would be too soon.

They were widely panned for adding Andrew Johns too early back in 2012, and can't afford to make the same mistake here, particularly given the number of other candidates who should be considered from previous generations, including one of Johns' great rivals.

Here are ten players the NRL should be considering for the next Immortal spot.

This story was originally published in July.

2. Brad Fittler

Fittler may be most recently remembered as a State of Origin coach, but his legacy as a player far exceeds anything he did with the clipboard in hand.

One of the greatest of all-time, Fittler played 336 top-flight games between 1989 and 2004 with the Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters, while he played 31 State of Origins for New South Wales and 38 Tests for Australia, of which 25 were as captain.

Starting his career in the centres, Fittler was named the Dally M Centre of the Year in 1992 and 1993 before being named Dally M Lock of the Year in 1994.

He then shifted into the halves and won the Dally M five-eighth of the year award in 1998, 1999, and 2002. He never won the Dally M Medal, but he was close on occasion and took out the Rugby League Week Player of the Year award in 1997.

The 2000 Golden Boot winner took out an NRL premiership with the Roosters in 2002 and an NSWRL one with the Panthers in 1991 and was eventually named in the NRL's team of the 1990s.