NRL: Most appearances by current players – Rankings and stats
NRL season 2020 has begun! Let's look at the top 50 players in the current competition ranked by their number of appearances.
It wasn't that long ago that reaching 300 games in the hardest rugby league competition on Earth was a rare feat. However, the arrival of sports science and a better understanding of injury rehabilitation, ideal game preparation and nutrition has seen players' NRL careers elongated. Now we have a player well over 400 games in Cameron Smith.
But who is behind Smith? Who are the next players breaking past that 300-game barrier and etching their names further into NRL rugby league folklore? Which players from the NRL 2020 season have a major milestone in sight if they stay fit and healthy?
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Finder has crunched through the numbers and has the answers for you. Below you will find a list of the Top 50 most capped players running around in the NRL competition in 2020. This is followed by a list of all those players in reach of a milestone.
If you want to watch these stars make their next NRL appearance, we have a full guide to watching rugby league in Australia here.
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List of NRL players in order of appearance
Note: The below data as valid as of Round 1 of the NRL 2020 season. We will periodically update the below content as the season rolls on.
Rank | Player | NRL Appearances | Career Tries | Age | Position | Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cameron Smith | 411 | 45 | 36 | Hooker | Storm |
2 | Darius Boyd | 317 | 84 | 32 | Fullback | Broncos |
3 | Adam Blair | 311 | 14 | 33 | 2nd Row | Warriors |
4 | Benji Marshall | 308 | 91 | 34 | Five-Eighth | Wests Tigers |
5 | Gavin Cooper | 308 | 78 | 34 | 2nd Row | Cowboys |
6 | Mitchell Aubusson | 289 | 63 | 32 | 2nd Row | Roosters |
7 | Josh Morris | 286 | 137 | 33 | Centre | Sharks |
8 | Michael Jennings | 278 | 147 | 31 | Centre | Eels |
9 | Mitchell Pearce | 276 | 71 | 30 | Halfback | Knights |
10 | Issac Luke | 271 | 50 | 32 | Hooker | Dragons |
11 | Andrew McCullough | 258 | 32 | 30 | Hooker | Broncos |
12 | Aiden Tolman | 258 | 12 | 31 | Prop | Bulldogs |
13 | Jarrod Croker | 257 | 127 | 29 | Centre | Raiders |
14 | Matt Prior | 253 | 14 | 32 | Prop | Sharks |
15 | Brett Morris | 252 | 153 | 33 | Winger | Roosters |
16 | James Tamou | 245 | 21 | 31 | Prop | Panthers |
17 | Jake Friend | 244 | 26 | 30 | Hooker | Roosters |
18 | Chris Lawrence | 240 | 84 | 31 | 2nd Row | Wests Tigers |
19 | Kevin Proctor | 240 | 36 | 30 | 2nd Row | Titans |
20 | Ben Hunt | 233 | 60 | 29 | Halfback | Dragons |
21 | Wade Graham | 229 | 43 | 29 | Lock | Sharks |
22 | Jesse Bromwich | 229 | 28 | 30 | Prop | Storm |
23 | Joel Thompson | 220 | 60 | 31 | 2nd Row | Sea Eagles |
24 | Jared Waerea-Hargreaves | 219 | 11 | 31 | Prop | Roosters |
25 | Daly Cherry-Evans | 216 | 56 | 30 | Halfback | Sea Eagles |
26 | Blake Ferguson | 211 | 112 | 29 | Winger | Eels |
27 | Andrew Fifita | 211 | 38 | 30 | Prop | Sharks |
28 | Josh McGuire | 211 | 11 | 29 | Prop | Cowboys |
29 | Trent Merrin | 205 | 20 | 30 | Lock | Dragons |
30 | Joseph Leilua | 204 | 89 | 28 | Centre | Wests Tigers |
31 | Leeson Ah Mau | 203 | 6 | 30 | Prop | Warriors |
32 | Iosia Soliola | 200 | 38 | 33 | Prop | Raiders |
33 | Kieran Foran | 199 | 41 | 29 | Five-Eighth | Bulldogs |
34 | Josh Papalii | 197 | 47 | 27 | Prop | Raiders |
35 | Josh Dugan | 191 | 71 | 29 | Centre | Sharks |
36 | Aidan Guerra | 190 | 47 | 31 | 2nd Row | Knights |
37 | Josh Hoffman | 189 | 62 | 31 | Fullback | Eels |
38 | Corey Norman | 188 | 29 | 29 | Five-Eighth | Dragons |
39 | Aaron Woods | 188 | 14 | 28 | Prop | Sharks |
40 | Gerard Beale | 187 | 48 | 29 | Centre | Warriors |
41 | Jayson Bukuya | 186 | 26 | 30 | 2nd Row | Sharks |
42 | Dale Finucane | 186 | 13 | 28 | Lock | Storm |
43 | Dane Gagai | 184 | 47 | 29 | Centre | Rabbitohs |
44 | Adam Reynolds | 183 | 27 | 29 | Halfback | Rabbitohs |
45 | Josh Jackson | 181 | 23 | 29 | 2nd Row | Bulldogs |
46 | Shaun Johnson | 180 | 66 | 29 | Five-Eighth | Sharks |
47 | Jason Taumalolo | 180 | 34 | 26 | Lock | Cowboys |
48 | James Graham | 180 | 10 | 34 | Prop | Dragons |
49 | Mitch Rein | 179 | 28 | 29 | Hooker | Titans |
50 | Bryson Goodwin | 176 | 70 | 34 | Centre | Rabbitohs |
Which NRL stars will hit a major appearance milestone in season 2020?
Of the players running around in the NRL in season 2020, a number are in line to hit major milestones. Of course, it all depends on players staying fit and – in some instances – how State of Origin selection and making the NRL finals play out. But the following achievements are possible.
NRL 300 game milestone in 2020
- Mitchell Aubusson in 11 games
- Josh Morris in 14 games
- Michael Jennings in 22 games
- Mitchell Pearce in 24 games
- Issac Luke in 29 games (would have to play every game of the finals, too)
NRL 200 game milestone in 2020
- Kieran Foran in 1 game
- Josh Papalii in 3 games
- Josh Dugan in 9 games
- Aidan Guerra in 10 games
- Josh Hoffman in 11 games
- Aaron Woods in 12 games
- Corey Norman in 12 games
- Gerard Beale in 13 games
- Dale Finucane in 14 games
- Jayson Bukuya in 14 games
- Dane Gagai in 16 games
- Adam Reynolds in 17 games
- Josh Jackson in 19 games
- Jason Taumalolo in 20 games
- James Graham in 20 games
- Shaun Johnson in 20 games
- Mitch Rein in 21 games
- Russel Packer in 24 games
- Bryson Goodwin in 24 games
- Elijah Taylor in 25 games
- Tariq Sims in 26 games
NRL 100 game milestone in 2020
- Waqa Blake in 3
- Latrell Mitchell in 4
- David Fusitu'a in 4
- Cody Walker in 4
- Suliasi Vunivalu in 6
- Sam Williams in 6
- Jack Stockwell in 7
- Clinton Gutherson in 8
- Ben Hampton in 9
- Joe Ofahengaue in 10
- Tom Trbojevic in 11
- Ken Maumalo in 13
- Daniel Alvaro in 13
- James Fisher-Harris in 13
- Daniel Saifiti in 15
- Sam Lisone in 15
- Ryan Matterson in 16
- Josh Addo-Carr in 16
- Jack Bird in 17
- Danny Levi in 17
- Addin Fonua-Blake in 18
- Nathan Brown in 18
- Coen Hess in 19
- Angus Crichton in 19
- Ashley Taylor in 20
- Nathan Cleary in 21
- Christian Welch in 23
- Mitchell Barnett in 23
- Corey Thompson in 23
- Michael Chee-Kam in 24
- Adam Elliott in 25
- Connor Watson in 26
- Shaun Lane in 27
- Tevita Pangai Junior in 27
- Danny Fualalo in 27
- Josh Aloiai in 28
- Herman Ese'ese in 28
- Hymel Hunt in 29
Image source: NRL