Three former Saints players named in IRL Hall of Legends

The trio are Great Britain’s Alex Murphy and Mick Sullivan along with Kangaroos great Mal Meninga.

A further two iconic figures, who played elsewhere but coached Saints to trophy success, are also listed: Jim Sullivan and Ellery Hanley.

Murphy, who signed for Saints on his 16th birthday, went on to become a star for club and country and the biggest name in rugby league for decades.

He became Great Britain’s youngest ever tourist aged 18 in 1958 and would go on to play in all three Ashes tests on that trip.

After playing his part in the decisive 40-17 third test win over Australia, he famously responded to the hostile response of the home fans by picking up one of the beer glasses that had been thrown on to the pitch and toasting all four sides of Sydney Cricket Ground.

He played 27 times for Great Britain between 1958-71 with a further two appearances for England in 1969.

Alex Murphy with a selection of Saints cups (Image: Archive)

Wingman Mick Sullivan, who holds the distinction of being the only Englishman to win two World Cups – in 1954 and 1960 – as well as being the joint holder of the record number of Great Britain caps with 46 between 1954 and 1963, is also enlisted.

He scored 41 tries for Great Britain, including four hat-tricks with the most important being the treble he bagged in the aforementioned 1958 third Ashes test at Sydney.

He started off at Huddersfield and then Wigan, before signing for Saints in early 1961 – playing in that famous Wembley win over his former club in May of that year.

Mal Meninga playing for Saints in 1985 (Image: Eddie Whittham)

Australian test legend Mal Meninga, who enjoyed a momentous year at Saints in 1984-85, is also recognised for his career in the Green and Gold spanning 1982-94 in which he won 46 caps.

He first shot to prominence on the 1982 tour to Great Britain in which they became known as the Invincibles.

Two years later he enjoyed 31 mostly magical matches with the Saints, helping Billy Benyon’s side to their first silverware in seven years with the Lancashire Cup and Premiership Trophy.

Sir Billy Boston, who died in August at the age of 92, is joined by fellow Welsh greats Jim Sullivan and Gus Risman, while England and Great Britain stars Malcolm Reilly, Roger Millward and Neil Fox are also honoured.

England and Great Britain pioneers Harold Wagstaff and William ‘Billy’ Batten are also recognised.

The initial intake spans eight nations, with 10 players in the pre-1954 category, six women and 26 men from the post-1954 era.

IRL Chairman Troy Grant said: “The inaugural IRL Hall of Legends Inductees is a special group of players and a real who’s who of International Rugby League.

“This is long overdue recognition for these players whose contribution to international rugby league was not just confined to the playing field but transcended into the betterment of the game and into the lives and memories of rugby league fans worldwide.

“The list of nominees was exceptional and there will be further inductions to come into the IRL Hall of Legends. We simply couldn’t induct every deserving nominee at our first attempt; their recognition will come.”

Tonga’s Jason Taumalolo is the only current player inducted.

The women’s inductees are Australia’s Ali Brigginshaw, Karyn Murphy and Tahnee Norris, and New Zealand’s Honey Hireme-Smiler, Trish Hina and Luisa Avaiki, who also represented Samoa.

Other inductees include New Zealand’s Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki and Mark Graham; Australia’s Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga; and France’s Puig Aubert and Jean Galia.

An international committee of Rugby League coaches, players, administrators, journalists and commentators selected the inductees from more than 240 nominees.

Candidates must meet one or more eligibility criteria: a significant contribution to international Rugby League; membership of their nation’s Hall of Fame or equivalent recognition; an IRL Golden Cap for 50 Tests; or an IRL Golden Boot or RLIF International Player of the Year Award.

IRL Hall of Legends

Pre-1954.

CLIVE CHURCHILL (Australia).

37 Internationals 1948-1957.

DALLY MESSENGER (Australia/New Zealand).

12 Internationals 1907-1910.

PUIG AUBERT (France).

46 Internationals 1947-1956.

JIM SULLIVAN (Wales/Great Britain/Other Nationalities).

60 Internationals 1924-1933.

HAROLD WAGSTAFF (England/Great Britain).

21 Internationals 1911-1921.

DAVE BROWN (Australia).

9 Internationals 1933-1936.

GUS RISMAN (Wales/Great Britain).

36 Internationals 1932-1946.

FRANK BURGE (Australia).

13 Internationals 1914-1922.

WILLIAM ‘BILLY’ BATTEN (England/Great Britain).

25 Internationals 1907-1921.

JEAN GALIA (France).

4 Internationals 1934-1936.

Post-1954

DARREN LOCKYER (Australia).

63 Internationals 1997-2011.

JOHN RAPER (Australia).

40 Internationals 1959-1968.

WALLY LEWIS (Australia).

34 Internationals 1981-1991.

REG GASNIER (Australia).

39 Internationals 1959-1968.

MAL MENINGA (Australia).

46 Internationals 1982-1994.

CAMERON SMITH (Australia).

56 Internationals 2006-2017.

ARTHUR BEETSON (Australia).

29 Internationals 1966-1977.

GRAEME LANGLANDS (Australia).

45 Internationals 1963-1975.

SIR BILLY BOSTON (Great Britain/Other Nationalities).

34 Internationals 1954-1963.

BOB FULTON (Australia).

37 Internationals 1968-1978.

ANDREW JOHNS (Australia).

26 Internationals 1995-2006.

ELLERY HANLEY (England/Great Britain).

38 TESTS 1984 – 1993.

MARK GRAHAM (New Zealand).

29 Internationals 1977-1988.

JOHNATHAN THURSTON (Australia).

38 Internationals 2006-2017.

RON COOTE (Australia).

24 Internationals 1967-1975.

RUBEN WIKI (New Zealand).

55 Internationals 1994-2006.

STACEY JONES (New Zealand).

46 Internationals 1995-2006.

BRAD FITTLER (Australia).

40 Internationals 1991-2001.

ALEX MURPHY (England/Great Britain).

29 Internationals 1958-1971.

MALCOLM REILLY (England/Great Britain).

12 Internationals 1970-1977.

ROGER MILLWARD (England/Great Britain).

47 Internationals 1966-1978.

NEIL FOX (England/Great Britain).

30 Internationals 1959-1969.

PETERO CIVONICEVA (Australia/Fiji).

51 Internationals 2001-2014.

MICK SULLIVAN (England/Great Britain).

51 Internationals 1954-1963.

BILLY SLATER (Australia).

30 Internationals 2008-2017.

JASON TAUMALOLO (Tonga/New Zealand).

34* Internationals 2014 -

Women

ALI BRIGGINSHAW (Australia).

29 Internationals 2009-2025.

KARYN MURPHY (Australia).

28 Internationals 1998-2013.

HONEY HIREME-SMILER (New Zealand).

32 Internationals 2003-2019.

LUISA AVAIKI (New Zealand/Samoa).

25 Internationals 1995-2008.

TAHNEE NORRIS (Australia).

33 Internationals 1998-2013.

TRISH HINA (New Zealand).

22 Internationals 1999-2010.