Shock as NRL announces five Immortals
DALLY Messenger, Dave Brown, Frank Burge, Mal Meninga and Norm Provan were added to the NRL's most exclusive club - the Immortals - in a shock move on Wednesday night.
The ceremony was originally tipped to announce two players from opposite sides of rubgy league history from a list of 10 nominees.
The first three players were leaked midway through the live television broadcast, leading fans to believe post-war players were given the cold shoulder.
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The NRL announced later in the proceedings that Meninga and Provan had become the 12th and 13th Immortals.
Messenger, widely acclaimed as one of the most important men in the sport's history, joins Clive Churchill, Bob Fulton, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper, Graeme Langlands, Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson and Andrew Johns alongside Brown and Burge.
The decision to add three players to the renowned list was met with praise from fans as the news broke on social media.
Messenger
— James Smith Inside Sport (@JamesSmith1001) August 1, 2018
Burge
Brown
Provan
Meninga
Fantastic inductees. 🔥🔥🏉🏉 #Immortals
Dally Messenger, Frank Burge, and Dave Brown announced as pre-war Immortals. Fitting tribute to the early history of rugby league. #NRL
— Caden Helmers (@cadenhelmers) August 1, 2018
Brilliant. All 3 pre world war 2 nominees are now immortals. Well done. Herbert Dally Messenger, Dave Brown & Frank Burge. Great move @NRL @Todd_Greenberg
— Peter Psaltis (@peterp79) August 1, 2018
Reckon the NRL has got that right, albeit in a roundabout way. #nrl #IMMORTALS
— Travis Meyn (@travismeyn) August 1, 2018
