'A special player': Legend's Immortal vouch as 13-player NRL ...

The NRL will announce the first Immortal since 2018 on Wednesday night, with 121 players eligible for the illustrious honour.

Those inducted into the Hall of Fame will also be honoured, with 11 men’s players to be celebrated alongside six women’s players, two coaches and four contributors.

Cameron Smith is being widely tipped as the favourite to become the 14th Immortal following changes to eligibility rulings.

Meanwhile it’s been revealed Darren Lockyer could have become the NRL’s ninth Immortal, if it wasn’t for a change of ownership of the rights.

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SMITH THE “RED-HOT FAVOURITE” AS FULL SHORTLIST REVEALED

Melbourne Storm legend Cameron Smith looms as a “red-hot favourite” to become rugby league’s 14th Immortal.

Changes to eligibility rules mean players who retired as little as three years ago can be inducted, pushing Smith firmly into contention.

“If you’re framing a market about who is going to become an Immortal then Cameron Smith would be the red-hot favourite,” Greg Alexander told The Daily Telegraph.

Queensland great Gorden Tallis agreed: “All the players have had stellar careers, but if you had to pick just one, and they all put their resumes on the table, Cameron Smith wins.”

Smith himself said on Fox League he has “no expectations” regarding his potential induction and tipped a Rabbitohs and Roosters legend to have his name called out.

The NRL Hall of Fame ceremony will be broadcast live on Fox League (Channel 502) and streaming platform Kayo Sports from 7:30pm AEST.

“I’ve come here tonight with no expectation around the Immortal announcement, everyone who has been shortlisted has a fair resume behind them,” Smith said.

“And they’ve done some wonderful things for the game. If my name was to be read out I’d certainly be honoured.

“But if it’s not and it’s someone else, they are very much deserving of it. Someone like Ron Coote who has been retired now for quite some time and done some wonderful things in the game.

“He’s won multiple premierships with a couple of clubs and I look at a couple of guys too I looked up to as a young man in Alfie Langer and Darren Lockyer.

“It’s a wonderful list, I’m just happy to be here tonight.”

According to the News Corp publication, the final Immortals shortlist for the 2024 induction includes Ron Coote, Allan Langer, Smith, Darren Lockyer, Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling, Laurie Daley, Glenn Lazarus, Bradley Clyde, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Ken Irvine and Brad Fittler.

It’s expected that only one player will be inducted, however there could be two.

The other 13 Immortals are John Raper, Andrew Johns, Wally Lewis, Reg Gasnier, Clive Churchill, Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands, Mal Meninga, Dally Messenger, Arthur Beetson, Norm Provan, Frank Burge and Dave Brown.

Meanwhile, the latest 11 Hall of Fame inductees are Lionel Morgan, Les Boyd, Ben Elias, Steve Renouf, Smith, Thurston, Slater, Benji Marshall, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess.

LOCKYER’S TOUGH BREAK

Broncos legend Darren Lockyer was reportedly a shoe-in to be named the ninth Immortal before the NRL bought the rights to the Immortals concept.

Rugby League Week magazine founded the Immortals concept and in 2012, the year following Lockyer’s retirement, he was leading the race within the publication to be inducted.

However, in 2017, the first year he became eligible during the old five-year retirement rulings, RLWP closed, with it’s intellectual property being bought by the NRL.

That purchase included the Immortals concept, meaning a full new panel began presiding over the players inducted into the prestigious group.

“If we had inducted an Immortal in 2017 then ‘Locky’ would have been an absolute certainty,” former RLW editor Martin Lenehan said to AAP in 2018.

“Because we would have had the same judging panel and probably added to it.

“The same people in 2012 who thought he should be an Immortal would have been involved again.”

In 2018, the NRL’s panel then voted in Dally Messenger, Frank Burge, Dave Brown, Norm Provan and Mal Meninga.

While Lockyer still remains as an Immortal candidate, he believes a fellow Bronco should be inducted in Alan Langer.

“I played a lot of footy with Alf and he just won so many games for us with the Broncos and for Queensland at Origin level,” Lockyer said previously.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played with someone in my career who had that same individual impact. He was a special player.”

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CONTENDERS: Top candidates broken down as fan vote reveals surprise runaway leader

ULTIMATE GUIDE: Everything you need to know

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