With the decade about to come to an end, pan66.com assembled an all-star judging panel to determine the best team of the past 10 years and heavyweights Melbourne and the Roosters have dominated.
Both sides won two premierships during the decade - Roosters 2018 and 2013, Storm 2017 and 2012 - and produced an array of the game's finest players who shone at Test, Origin and club level.
The Storm's 'Big Three' Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk all got the nod from a judging panel which included Immortals Mal Meninga, Andrew Johns, Wally Lewis and Bob Fulton.
The other benchmark side of the 2010s, the Sydney Roosters, have premiership captain Boyd Cordner, dual international Sonny Bill Williams, tryscoring machine Brett Morris and champion halfback Cronk in the all-star 17.
Players who played at more than one club across the decade - including Cronk, Morris and Greg Inglis - are counted as a representative of each of those clubs.
Premiership-winning coaches Phil Gould, Craig Bellamy, Trent Robinson and Ricky Stuart were also part of the panel along with Hall of Famers Peter Sterling, Darren Lockyer, Danny Buderus and Laurie Daley.
Unveiling the NRL Team of the Decade
The Team of The Decade 2010-19
The Team of the Decade 2nd XVII
NB: Michael Morgan named at hooker in 2nd XVII after Cameron Smith was unanimously chosen in Team of the Decade. Of all the players who received votes Morgan was the only one who has played dummy half at the top level. James Maloney named at halfback in 2nd XVII after polling votes as a bench player and also a starter.
See the squads chosen by all 23 legends
The Tally of Votes
VOTES | PLAYER |
23 | GREG INGLIS |
CAMERON SMITH | |
JOHNATHAN THURSTON | |
22 | BILLY SLATER |
SAM BURGESS | |
JASON TAUMALOLO | |
21 | COOPER CRONK |
20 | MATT SCOTT |
17 | PAUL GALLEN |
16 | JESSE BROMWICH |
15 | BOYD CORDNER |
SONNY BILL WILLIAMS | |
11 | JARRYD HAYNE |
10 | JUSTIN HODGES |
9 | BRETT MORRIS |
LUKE LEWIS | |
JAMIE LYON | |
8 | SEMI RADRADRA |
JAMES TEDESCO | |
7 | JAMES GRAHAM |
WADE GRAHAM | |
CAMERON MUNSTER | |
JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES | |
4 | ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK |
VALENTINE HOLMES | |
TOM TRBOJEVIC | |
3 | ANDREW FIFITA |
SAM THAIDAY | |
COREY PARKER | |
JAKE TRBOJEVIC | |
2 | GLENN STEWART |
ANTHONY WATMOUGH | |
DAVID KLEMMER | |
JAMES MALONEY | |
LATRELL MITCHELL | |
WILL CHAMBERS | |
JOSH ADDO-CARR | |
MANU VATUVEI | |
JORDAN RAPANA | |
1 | TYSON FRIZELL |
KIERAN FORAN | |
BEN TE'O | |
JOSH PAPALII | |
JOSH MCGUIRE | |
DALY CHERRY-EVANS | |
BENJI MARSHALL | |
MICHAEL MORGAN | |
MATT GILLETT | |
DANE GAGAI | |
PETERO CIVONICEVA | |
DARREN LOCKYER | |
FELISE KAUFUSI | |
COREY OATES | |
DARIUS BOYD | |
SUILASI VUNIVALU | |
SIMON MANNERING | |
STEVE MATAI |
The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of the NRL, ARLC, NRL clubs or state associations.