St George legend Norm Provan is one of 10 players shortlisted to become the next rugby league Immortal.
The NRL named Provan alongside Dally Messenger, Frank Burge, Dave Brown, Brian Bevan, Duncan Hall, Ken Irvine, Ron Coote, Mal Meninga and Darren Lockyer on Thursday as players in the running for the honour.
St George graded Provan in 1950 where he went on to play 15 first-grade seasons with the Dragons, playing in 10 winning grand finals including his last four as captain-coach.
Provan played 18 Tests and 27 games for NSW and also coached St George to a preliminary final in 1968 before a season with Parramatta. He also coached Cronulla for two seasons, including the 1978 grand final loss to Manly.
“The calibre of players to be shortlisted for Immortal status is quite simply incredible,” NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said.
“These are unquestionably the elite rugby league players. Representatives with thousands of matches between them and thousands of tries.
“And quite fittingly, we have a group which has collectively played in every single decade since rugby league was formed in Australia.
“All these players deserve their place in such an esteemed group.
“Clearly having players eligible for induction from the pre-war era has opened up the prospect of some wonderful players and some of the game’s pioneers, joining Immortal status.
“This is an illustrious group and I congratulate all the players who will now be considered for Immortality.”
The 10 shortlisted players were chosen by the NRL’s Immortals Screening Committee made up of journalists Roy Masters and Paul Kent, former referee Bill Harrigan, historians Gary Lester and Steve Haddan, statistician David Middleton and former Rugby League Week editor Martin Lenehan.
Up to two Immortals will be selected by the Immortals selection panel – different from the screening committee – as part of a ceremony in August which will include the induction of six players into the NRL hall of fame.
The next batch of inductees are the first since Andrew Johns in 2012, when he joined Clive Churchill, Bob Fulton, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper, Graeme Langlands, Wally Lewis and Arthur Beetson.