Eight True Blues are among the 11 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks legends named in the club’s newly established Hall of Fame.
Andrew Ettingshausen and Gavin Miller, along with the late Steve Rogers and Greg Pierce, were granted automatic entry due to their previous recognition as Sharks Immortals in 2003 and 2005.
Last night they were joined by Paul Gallen, Brett Kimmorley, David Peachey, and Jason Stevens as the other True Blues to be honoured.
One of the criteria the selection panel used to decide which players would be inducted was that they played State of Origin. They also had to play more than 100 games for the Sharks and have won a Dally M positional or other NRL-recognised award.
"Our newly established Hall of Fame, along with our set criteria, now provides clear and concise guidelines for the future," Sharks historian Ashley Taylor told sharks.com.au
"This inaugural class of inductees not only comprises club legends but also suitably represents the first half-century of our club.”
One of the inductees was Mat Rogers, who played for the Maroons, and with dad Steve became the first father-son inductees.
Steve Rogers, who died in 2006, played 21 games for NSW – 17 Interstate Series matches, and four State of Origin when the concept began in 1980. He also won the 1981 Dally M Player of the Year, was inducted into the NSWRL Hall of Fame in 2008 and the NRL Hall of Fame in 2008.
Pierce, who died in 2016, played six games for NSW (1976-78) along with 13 Tests for Australia.
Miller is a two-time Dally M winner (1988, 1989) and also won Super League’s Man of Steel (1986). He also played five Origins and two Tests.
Ettingshausen scored 166 tries in his 328 Sharks matches, crossed seven times in his 27 Origins (1987-98) and was part of five winning series over Queensland – 1990, 1992-94 and 1996.
Gallen (pictured above, Photos: Courtesy Sharks) was captain in 2014 when NSW broke Queensland’s eight-year streak, winning the Wally Lewis Medal that year, and he skippered the Sharks to their maiden NRL premiership in 2016. He was a three-time Dally M Lock of the Year in a 19-year career with the Sharks.
Kimmorley is a Dally M Halfback of the Year and a Clive Churchill Medallist. He played 10 Origins for NSW being part of the 2000 and 2005 series wins.
Peachey scored a try in the 2000 State of Origin series along with being named Dally M Fullback of the Year in 1999 and 2000.
Stevens was the third Sharks player in the victorious 2000 NSW Origin team and went on to play eight times for the Blues and 14 Tests for Australia.
