With the Raiders beginning to cultivate a little England of sorts in the nation's capital, we have decided to look back at the top five players to transition from the Super League to the superior NRL. While the last few years have seen some Englishmen not live up to the hype after arriving in the NRL, such as Lee Mossop, Sam Tomkins, and the supposed English SBW Andre Savelio, the men listed below are on the opposite end of the scale. With a few of them even set to go down as greats at their club.
I have decided to profile players who made the switch after the NRL era (1998-present) began, as well as only picking players who have transitioned from the Super League across to the NRL. Which excludes St George Illawarra’s Gareth Widdop, who came through the junior systems at the Melbourne Storm.
Heading into his fifth season as a Canberra Raider, Josh Hodgson has more than repaid the transfer fee that the Raiders forked out to sign him from Hull KR.
Having acclimatised in his first season by making an impressive 24 appearances, Hodgson would go on to have a breakout 2016 campaign. Leading Canberra to a top-two finish through his creativity from dummy half, with many considering him a front-runner for the Dally M award. Before being virtually ruled out due to a grapple tackle on Melbourne's Jesse Bromwich, resulting in missing out on a vital three points as well as a one-game suspension.
Despite arriving in Canberra with little fanfare or knowledge about his game, Hodgson has proved himself to be one of the most dangerous and influential players in the competition. Going on to register an incredible four tries and 17 try assists from the hooker position in the 2016 season.
His importance to Canberra cannot be understated, who struggled massively without their attacking talisman in the first half of 2018 after Hodgson ruptured his ACL in the World Cup semi-final win over Tonga. Having missed a telling 14 games to start the season, Hodgson displayed his importance and impact on the team in his return against the Wests Tigers in round 15. In which Canberra would go on to win in a blowout 48-12 victory, Hodgson laid on three tries for his teammates in an impressive 46-minute stint on return from a serious knee injury.
Having been appointed as a co-captain alongside Jarrod Croker for season 2019 and being on contract with Canberra until at least the end of 2022, Hodgson looks set to finish his career with the green machine. If he can maintain his current form and influence over his side, he will go down as one of the best and most influential English imports to ever play in the NRL.
Many forget that it was not commonplace for Englishmen to switch the Super League for the NRL in the 2000s, with former Leeds Rhino Gareth Ellis being only the second player after Adrian Morley to switch England for Australia in the NRL era.
England and Great Britain representative Ellis signed a three-year deal with the Wests Tigers commencing in 2009, pointing to a desire to test himself in the world's premier rugby league competition rather than any monetary gain.
If you could hand draw and create a prototype NRL backrower, it would be Ellis. He was big, tough, mobile and skilful. The Englishmen would often cause nightmares for opposing defences with his late footwork at the line as well as possessing the ability to pop an offload from a seemingly impossible position.
While Ellis was a brute, instead of just trying to snap people in half he would utilise his textbook tackling technique to take players down with force and efficiency, rarely missing a game through suspension in his three years at Wests.
In his three-years at the Tigers Ellis was extremely successful, winning the club's Player of the Year award every year. As well as being nominated for the Golden Boot during his first NRL season. With Tigers coach and legend Tim Sheens even saying that "In my time here, dollar-for-dollar, he's been the best buy this club has had."
Having racked up an incredible 225 Super League games for his junior club St Helens before signing for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, James Graham has proven himself to be one of the most durable athletes in the world following his move to Australia.
Having joined the Bulldogs at 26, Graham would go on to have an extremely successful five-year stint at the Bulldogs, cementing himself as a favourite amongst his teammates and fans.
Graham would rack up 135 games for the Dogs, including two Grand Final losses as well as earning the prestige of being named club captain in the Bulldogs' 80th season.
After taking 2012 Dally M Prop of the Year Sam Kasiano's starting jersey, Graham would go onto collect the honour himself in 2014. Coming as a result of his hard-hitting and brave carries, but Graham also has other subtleties to his game that set him apart from other front rowers. Particularly his late ball-playing ability at the line, which Des Hasler would often utilise to suck in wide defenders before Graham would throw a more often than not perfectly executed pass out the back.
While his on-field ability speaks for itself, Graham is also widely renowned as one of the most inspirational players in the competition. With his leadership qualities often being cited by other teammates for taking their game to the next level. Graham displayed this inspirational sentiment in the 2017 RLWC final against Australia, in which he effectively took on a stacked Australian forward pack alone after an underwhelming performance from the Burgess boys.
After being forced out of the Bulldogs due to salary cap issues, Graham was chased heavily by the Dragons, who believed his leadership skills could have a positive influence on the spate of young forwards they had coming through. Graham went onto sign a three-year deal with St George Illawarra.
To date, the man known as Bupa has played an incredible 435 games for club and country, a testament to his durability. With Graham on contract with the Dragons for another two seasons, he harbours hopes of claiming an elusive NRL premiership with the Red V.
Having originally plied his trade for Leeds in the Super League, Adrian Morley swapped the doom and gloom of North England for the glitz and glamour of Bondi after signing with the Roosters for season 2000.
Morley would go on to feature 114 times for the Tri-colours, adding a 2002 premiership ring to his cabinet as well as featuring in two more grand finals.
Although he was prone to suspension, Morley was an integral member of the Roosters' successful sides in the early 2000s, giving them a fear factor, that other teams didn't possess.
Morley was old school, in that he was tough, uncompromising and loved doing the dirty work. He was always good for a fearless carry or a bone-rattling hit that many an opposition player would not get up from.
While many also remember him for being sent off 12 seconds into the 2003 Ashes Series against Australia, Morley will go down as the first player to win both a Super League and an NRL competition.
His lack of self-preservation and inspirational style of play drew many admirers during his six-year stint in Sydney's East, and he paved the way for other Englishmen to test themselves in the new professional era.
After debuting for the Bradford Bulls at the tender age of 17 and forging a reputation for himself as a hard man after his massive shoulder charge on Kiwis prop Fuifui Moimoi while still only 19, Sam Burgess was one of the most sought-after forwards on the market in 2009.
After some stringent negotiations and a request from Burgess himself, Bradford gracefully agreed to release him from the final year of his contract after negotiating a compensation fee with the South Sydney Rabbitohs for his transfer. The Bunnies would then go on to sign the man known as Slammin' Sam to a four-year contract.
Following his arrival in Australia, not even the most devout Souths fan or Englishmen would have predicted the career that the Dewsbury junior has gone on to have in the red and green of Souths.
While he had a shaky start, suffering numerous injuries and regularly featuring on the match review committees charge sheet, Burgess got over those slight bumps in the road and has gone onto cement himself as not only one of the best English forwards to ever play in the NRL, but one of the best forwards to play in the NRL full stop.
While there was a slight mid-career blip in the form of a sojourn with English rugby union side Bath, we will forgive big Sam and not discuss that mistake any further.
Having feature 164 times for his beloved Rabbitohs since coming down under, Burgess has cemented himself as a leader and icon in Redfern having captained Souths in 2017 in Greg Inglis' absence, as well as England in the latest edition of the Rugby League World Cup.
After breaking his cheekbone in the first play of the 2014 NRL Grand Final against the Bulldogs, Burgess etched himself into South Sydney folklore by playing on and assisting his team to their first premiership in 43 years. He was also awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for the best player on the ground.
Premiership aside, Burgess has year in, year out displayed himself to be one of the finest forwards to ever grace a rugby league field. Consistently winning the battle of the middle almost single-handedly, as well as regularly taking on the arduous task of stopping his opposing teams’ gun forward.
Burgess also possesses the rare ability for a forward to change a game, whether that be with a big tackle or barnstorming run. Big Sam will certainly go down as one of the finest forwards to ever lace a boot.