SAM THAIDAY
Sam made his NRL debut playing for the Brisbane Broncos in 2003 and has gone on to become a regularly selected second rower for both Queensland and Australia. In 2009, Sam was named Man of the Match in Game II of the State of Origin Series and played for Australia in the successful Four Nations campaign of Europe, earning man of the match honours in the test win against New Zealand. In 2011, Sam played in all three State of Origin matches and was unlucky to not win the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series. He finished the year being named the Dally M Second Rower of the Year for the second year running. In 2012, Sam has been crucial to Brisbane’s strong form. As of Round 14 he has run for over 100m with the ball on five occasions and achieved personal season-high tackle counts of 42 in Round 1 and Round 19.

GREG BIRD
Greg made his NRL debut playing for Cronulla in April 2002 and in 2006 was voted as the Sharks’ Player of the Year. In 2007, he made his State of Origin debut playing for NSW, winning Man of the Match honors in Game III. He also made his Australian Test debut in 2007 and was named the Player’s Player in the one-off test match between Australia and New Zealand. After a brief playing stint with French rugby union club Catalans Dragons, Greg returned to the NRL for the 2010 season – playing with the Gold Coast Titans where he has resurrected his career. Greg earned selection in all three of the Indigenous All Stars teams to date (2010, 2011, 2012) and was arguably the Blues best player during the 2012 State of Origin series – once again winning Man of the Match honors in Game II.

GREG INGLIS
Greg has already won most of rugby leagues major awards and accolades, including a Golden Boot Award, a Wally Lewis Medal and a Clive Churchill Medal to go with several Grand Final appearances. While showing flashes of brilliance in his first season for new club South Sydney in 2011, Greg battled several injuries throughout the season, keeping him from his best. While 2011 may have been a disappointment, 2012 has been a revelation, and Greg has been enjoying the finest form of his career to date since being shifted to the fullback position in Round 4. As of Round 19, Greg has crossed for seven tries in 14 games and made 15 line breaks (4th overall). In the 2012 Origin series, Greg also became Queensland’s all-time leading try scorer, scoring in Games II and III.

BEN BARBA
After breaking several point-scoring records while playing for the Bulldogs Toyota Cup team, and a handful of NRL games in 2009, in 2010, playing at fullback, Ben’s pace and try-scoring instincts were a revelation for the Bulldogs. He finished the 2010 season with 15 tries, and backed that up in 2011 by ending the season as the joint leading try scorer on 22. In his short career, Ben has already scored some of the most spectacular tries in league history. 2012 has been Ben’s best season in the NRL to date, and he has flourished under the coaching of Des Hasler, once again leading the NRL in try scoring, but also improving defensively. As of round 19, Ben has scored 11 tries this season, and is among the contenders to win the 2012 Dally M Medal.

JOHNATHAN THURSTON
One of rugby league’s most influential players, Johnathan’s form in 2011 saw the Cowboys exceed all expectations to play deep into the finals series. The 2012 season, Johnathan has once against been the catalyst for the Cowboys strong season. As of Round 19, he leads the league in line break assists (19), and is third in try assists (17). He played a crucial role in Queensland’s Game III victory in the State of Origin series, scoring a try, setting up two, and creating a crucial line break that helped seal the Maroons seventh straight series win – further entrenching his status as the greatest ‘big game’ player in league. He also became the new QLD games record holder.

Tags: 2012 Deadlys® Nominees, August 2012 No. 186, Deadly Vibe Magazine, Deadlys