Coral’s Dream Team of the Super League era

With the new season edging closer, Coral have decided the time is ripe to compile an all-time 17 of the Super League era. If you’re lucky, you may be treated to some video clips of our choices. Read on to see who we came up with.

Check out the latest rugby betting odds at our Sportsbook!

Full Back: Kris Radlinski
It just wouldn’t be right to leave out what is regarded as a Wigan legend. Radlinski dominated the full-back position for the cherry and whites, scoring 183 tries in 322 games. “Radders” also won 20 caps for Great Britain, where he was a mainstay for eight years.

Watch below as he scores a last minute try against Bradford in 2000 to secure a win for the Lancashire side in August of that season.

Wing: Jason Robinson
Wigan have had some outstanding wingers down the years. Had the Super League started in the 1980’s, Ellery Hanley and Martin Offiah would shade a place in these positions, though undoubtedly, one of the best wingers of the competition’s era has to be Robinson.

Affectionately nicknamed “Billy Whizz”, the rapid winger notched up 685 points in 302 appearances. Enjoy one of his
trademark tries below, as he runs the length of the field to score against rivals St Helens.

Centre: Jamie Lyon
He may have only been in Super League for two seasons, but that is all he needed to leave his mark. The former Saints player, is arguably one of the best centre’s in modern times. His hand skills and awareness were sublime and he featured in a St Helens side which played some of the silkiest football of the last decade.

In 60 Saints appearances, the Australian, who also featured for his country, scored 44 tries and kicked 205 goals, notching up a total 586 points. Check out an example of his handiwork, with a sensational flick pass before he hit the deck against Leeds.

Centre: Keith Senior
A Leeds legend in every sense, the multiple trophy winner started his career with Sheffield Eagles where he won the Challenge Cup in 1997 against an exceptional Wigan side. In 365 appearances for the Rhinos, he 227 tries and was a permanent fixture as the West Yorkshire outfit triumphed in the Grand Final against St Helens three years in a row, between 2007 and 2009.

Wing: Ryan Hall
A human wrecking ball, the Leeds winger has won it all with the club, including four Super League titles, plus one Challenge Cup and World Club Championship apiece. In 216 appearances for the Rhinos, he has scored 174 tries, while at international level for England his record is exceptional. It reads 23 games played, 24 tries scored. Below we show some of Hall’s best tries for club and country.

Stand-off: Sam Tomkins
The former Wigan player has the potential to become one of the best players in the world. Aged just 25 years old, Tomkins burst onto the scene in 2008 and went on to make 151 appearances, scoring 144 tries, before making a switch to NRL side New Zealand Warriors in 2013. He has also crossed the whitewash on 22 occasions in 28 matches for England.

See his outstanding try against rivals St Helens below.

Scrum-half: Henry Paul
One of the best players to grace the Super League, Kiwi Henry Paul represented both Wigan and Bradford making a combined 247 appearances, racking up a 1510 points. It is a tough choice between him and his brother Robbie, with the latter more of a natural fit for the number seven position, though Henry just shades it. Enjoy footage of him in action below, as we show some of his best flicks, tricks, kicks, tries, sidesteps and dummies.

Prop: Terry O’Connor
A mainstay in Wigan’s team between 1994 and 2004, O’Connor is well regarded among rugby league’s elite and was a model professional. Although not a try scorer, he won respect for his terrific work ethic and never-say-die attitude. Fully deserving of a place in this side.

Hooker: Keiron Cunningham
A true rugby league great in every sense. One-club man Cunningham started his career in 1994 with St Helens and stayed there until he retired in 2010, playing 496 games scoring 175 tries, translating to 700 points. He was also a mainstay for Great Britain and Wales. Anywhere near the try-line, once Cunningham picked the ball up for a drive, he could usually be relied on to score. See below for his final action in a Saints shirt!

Prop: Adrian Morley
He may have split opinion, though his teammates were always grateful that the hard-hitting prop was on their side. Starting his career for Leeds in 1995, he went on to feature for Sydney Roosters, Bradford Bulls and Warrington Wolves, while he is still playing for Salford Red Devils.

Second-row: Paul Sculthorpe
Dubbed the best player in the world at one point, the former St Helens man featured 247 times for the Cheshire-based club scoring 113 tries, 392 conversions and 10 drop goals, equating to 1232 points. Also a regular for Great Britain, Sculthorpe is the face of Super League partners Gillete, and is an MBE.

Second-row: Jamie Peacock
Retiring at the end of last season, the 37-year-old has been a vital cog in Leeds’ remarkable success over the last decade and made 247 appearances, scoring 24 tries. He did, however start his career at Bradford, scoring 42 tries in 207 matches. Peacock is arguably one of the best second row forwards to have played in Super League.

An all-round nice guy, though, mess with one of his teammates and you knew about it, as Aussie prop Willie Mason found out in the tri-nations series when Peacock starred for Great Britain, as featured below!

Loose-forward: Andy Farrell
A legend of the game, the former Wigan player was as tough as they came and scored 3135 points for the club between 1991 and 2004. Part of a side that dominated the 1990s, Farrell made the loose-forward position his own for club and country.

Interchanges
Centre: Gary Connolly
One of the most durable players of his generation, the former St Helens, Wigan, Leeds and Widnes centre, who could also play on the wing was one of the best centres to ever play for Great Britain, and started his career in 1998. Check out this very rare footage of Connolly scoring for Wigan against Leeds, with legendary commentator Ray French talking you through the action.

Scrum-half: Rob Burrow
Having lit up the Leeds team for more than a decade, Burrow has racked up 950 points in 410 appearances, and at 32 is still going strong. His low centre of gravity and quick change of direction has caught out many a team and his combination with Danny McGuire, is one of the best partnerships in the game. Check out the best of Burrow below!

Loose-forward: Kevin Sinfield
Still playing, the 34-year-old is widely regarded to have been the key to Leeds’ success over the past decade, and has been one of the best goal-kickers in the modern game. Having notched up 3641 points over 485 matches, he will be sorely missed.

Prop: Stuart Fielden
Another fearsome Super League prop who turned out for Bradford, Wigan and Huddersfield, he played 372 matches in Super League, scoring 46 tries and was a tough customer for any opposition.

So there you have it! Our all-time Super League squad, without a doubt there are others who could have been included, though honourable mentions go out to Robbie Paul, Lesley Vainokolo, Sean Long and Paul Wellens, with the latter unlucky to lose out on the full-back spot.