An unsung hero, every team has got them. They're not flashy and they won't have a massive highlights reel on YouTube for you to watch, but each club can't do without the men listed below.

6. Sea Eagles: Joel Thompson

After being released a year early from his Dragons contract on compassionate grounds, second-rower Joel Thompson has displayed exactly why Trent Barrett was so desperate to get him to the peninsula.

Known by former teammates at the Dragons as "the toughest man in the NRL", Thomspon earned this nickname due to having played through multiple injuries, including corks, twice splitting his tongue and also playing on with floating bone’s in his elbow.

Nonetheless, the childhood Sea Eagles fan doesn’t let these ailments influence his high levels of performance. With the Indigenous All Stars representative averaging an impressive 94.4 running meters per game, 25 tackles per game and 7 tries in his debut season for the Silvertails.

The man who is known as 'Goat by his teammates has more than proved to be the hardman the Sea Eagles needed to round out an already impressive forward pack, providing aggression, speed and surprising agility for a man of his size.

He may not possess the speed of Tyson Frizell or the offloading prowess of Villiame Kikau, but Thompson is the tough no-nonsense player that every club requires. A man who for his team would put his head where most wouldn’t even put their feet. 

GLADSTONE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 08: Joel Thompson of Manly is tackled by Kevin Proctor of the Titans during the round five NRL match between the Gold Coast Titans and the Manly Sea Eagles at Marley Brown Oval on April 8, 2018 in Gladstone, Australia. (Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)

16 COMMENTS

  1. Mitch Aubusson might go under the radar with opposition fans but EVERYBODY at the Sydney Roosters know that this bloke is no unsung hero.

    Mitch Aubusson has been a tackling machine and a great runner of the ball for a decade or so and we at the Roosters know how vital he is to the team. A Mr Fix it with his utility skills covers 2nd row, Lock, 5/8, centre and hooker.

    Has played over 260 NRL games and if he plays one more season after this year injury free then he will be the most capped Roosters of all time Minichelio holds that with 302 games, Aubo is less than 40 away from breaking that.💪🐔👍🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓

  2. O look it’s woodcrower, posting in the same lingo, with back to back comments……astonishing that someone can claim to have to rival clubs that “hate” each other but then posts stuff like this

  3. Despite common misconceptions, Mitch Aubusson is our least talented player and I wish I had never given him that brown paper bag.

  7. It’s true and I think even the commentators have raised this on a regular basis. He’s a solid all-rounder, not an unsung hero.

    Unsung hero? I’d be thinking Liu or Toops. Both get picked every week, play big minutes and have a direct impact on results. However, neither get a lot of talk.

  11. Clowns.🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

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