Frank Burge /

Year inducted: 2023

True Blue number: 80

Born: 14 August, 1984, Darlington, NSW

Club/s: Glebe, St George

Position: Lock

Premiership career: (1911-27) 167 games, 146 tries, 50 goals, 538 points; (Glebe 1911-26, 149g, 137t, 50g, 511p; St George 1927, 18g, 9t, 27p) 

First Grade debut: Glebe v Western Suburbs at Sydney Sports Ground on 29 April, 1911

Representative honours: Australia 13 Tests (1914-22); NSW 26 interstate matches

Other honours: Rugby League Immortal 2018, NRL Hall of Fame 2008, ARL Team of the Century 2008, NSW team of the Century 2008

Frank Burge was one of the greatest try-scoring forwards to play Rugby League and he still holds the record for most tries in a match after scoring eight for Glebe against University in 1920.

Burge was playing first grade rugby union at age 14 before making the switch to Rugby League. He was playing first grade for Glebe at age 16 and was selected to play his first game for NSW at age 18. He would go on to represent his state 26 times from 1912-26.

Standing at 183cm and weighing a lean 90kg, Burge scored tries at a phenomenal rate for a forward and maintained an average of better than a try per game in a career that lasted 17 seasons. His career tally of 146 first grade tries stood for 80 years as the most for a forward until True Blue and former Manly Warringah Sea Eagles premiership-winner Steve Menzies broke it in 2004.

He was a chance of being selected for the 1911-12 Kangaroo tour but selectors decided he was too young. He would still play 13 Tests for his country and was selected for the 1921-22 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain where he played in all three Tests and 20 representative tour matches where he scored 33 tries.

Burge retired after one season at St George in 1927 and went on to become a respected coach with St George, Easts, Newtown, Canterbury, Wests and Norths.