TOP 10 GUTSIEST PLAYERS

1. John Sattler
His heroic effort to lead South Sydney to their grand final win over Manly in 1970 after having his jaw smashed in the opening minutes is enshrined in the game’s folklore.

2. Alan Prescott
The Great Britain captain played 77 minutes of the second Test against Australia in Brisbane in 1958 with a broken arm. Prescott refused to have a pain-killing needle at halftime, instead returning to the field to steer the tourists to a remarkable 25-18 victory.

3. Andrew Johns
In one of the game’s more celebrated stories, Andrew Johns took his place in Newcastle’s grand final line-up in 1997 only days after leaving hospital where he was being treated for a punctured lung. Ignoring medical advice, Johns declared himself fit and went on to inspire victory when he sent winger Darren Albert over for the match-winner.

Craig Gower ©Action Photographics

4. Dave Parkinson
Australian fullback who played 73 minutes of the third Test against England in 1946 with a broken bone in his ankle. He went close to passing out late in the game.

5. Dan Dempsey
Australian forward Dempsey broke his arm in the second Test match against England in 1932, known as the Battle of Brisbane and several times made his way back onto the field of play before he was finally replaced.

6. Jason Croker
With no fit replacements remaining, Jason Croker was forced to play on for Canberra in a match against the Sydney Roosters in 2001 despite serious knee and ankle injuries. A day later he was ruled out for the season with a ruptured cruciate ligament, a torn medial ligament and a damaged ankle.

7. Clive Churchill
In a celebrated achievement in 1955, Churchill landed a conversion from the sideline to secure a crucial victory against Manly despite the handicap of a broken arm.

8. Craig Gower
Renowned for his ability to play with injury, Gower produced an effort in 2006 that was brave even by his standards when he took the field less than a week after being admitted to hospital with a bruised lung. Crunched in a tackle by Parramatta rookie Marcus Perenara, Gower coughed up blood in the dressing room before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

Shane Webcke ©Action Photographics

9. Chris Mortimer
Experienced Penrith centre Chris Mortimer was not about to let a broken thumb keep him out of the 1989 final series so in a graphic display of toughness, he removed a surgical pin in front of team-mates before taking the field in a semi-final. 

10. Shane Webcke
The Brisbane Broncos prop defied medical advice to play in the preliminary final and grand final of 2000 after breaking his arm only a month earlier. With his forearm encased in a heavy cast, Webcke was in obvious pain but pushed through it to help Brisbane secure their fifth premiership title.