From Sonny Bill Williams to Brett Morris and Paul Gallen, the NRL Team of the Decade named this week created plenty of debate.
Now cue even more discussion as we unveil the NRL.com Stats Team of the Decade for 2010-19.
NRL.com Stats have crunched the numbers and come up with a 17-man team weighted by individual performance statistics and Dally M results.
Of the 17 players named in the NRL Team of the Decade on Wednesday, only six have made this side based on statistics.
Longevity during the period of 2010-2019 played a big part in the results with several surprises coming up in our final 17 and also those who filled the top five in each position.
NRL.com Stats Team of the Decade
Fullback
Reigning Dally M medallist Roger Tuivasa-Sheck pips an elite group of fullbacks for the position after eight seasons in the NRL. The Kiwi international's overall statistics haven't wavered since he moved from the Roosters to the Warriors four years ago with a total of 48 tries, 50 try assists, 89 line breaks. RTS has averaged an astonishing 185 running metres per game across that time.
He's taken out Dally M fullback of the year award on two occasions and was voted the game's best winger while at the Roosters in 2013.
- Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
- Jarryd Hayne
- Billy Slater
- James Tedesco
- Greg Inglis
Wing
Former Blues and Kangaroo wingers Josh Mansour and Akuila Uate grab the No.2 and No.5 jerseys after dominant times early on in their respective careers through mammoth workrates.
Panther Mansour's tryscoring ability has dipped in recent years but at his peak his tally included 15 (2014) and 16 during a dominant 2016 season, where he was named Dally M winger of the year.
Uate played out an impressive career that spanned across 200 NRL games at Newcastle and Manly. Between 2010 and 2015 the flying Fijian scored 98 tries in 130 games.
Uate was named Dally M winger of the year for three consecutive years from 2010 before a Test debut for Australia a year later.
- Josh Mansour
- Akuila Uate
- Jordan Rapana
- Blake Ferguson
- Valentine Holmes
Centres
Former Sea Eagles legend Jamie Lyon and current Storm centre Will Chambers stand tall among an interesting top five that ranked best in the edge position.
The likes of Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges don't feature in the top five despite their dominance at representative level prior to retirement.
Lyon and Chambers battled each other on four occasions for two victories apiece as the Sea Eagles-Storm rivalry continued to live on.
Lyon was in career-best form around 2010 where he took out consecutive Dally M centre of the year awards, while Chambers came back from a stint in rugby union in 2012 at the top of his game.
- Jamie Lyon
- Will Chambers
- James Roberts
- Dylan Walker
- Josh Morris
Five-eighth
Departing veteran James Maloney tops a list of playmakers who were either in the peak of their career or the end of their career during the past decade.
The NRL journeyman made his mark on the competition in 2011 when he linked with Shaun Johnson for the Warriors and hasn't really looked back since. His overall numbers speak for themselves with two premierships, 64 tries and 161 try assists.
- James Maloney
- Cameron Munster
- Anthony Milford
- Michael Morgan
- Benji Marshall
Halfback
Not many words are required to justify the inclusion of Cooper Cronk statistically, where he just edged Johnathan Thurston, who has been included on the bench.
Cronk has won Dally M halfback of the year on four occasions during the allocated period with numbers to match his efforts, while he was crowned Dally M player of the year on two occasions in 2013 and 2016.
- Cooper Cronk
- Johnathan Thurston
- Daly Cherry-Evans
- Shaun Johnson
- Chad Townsend
Props
A pair of hard-nosed forwards who have been at the top of their games finish in the top two.
St George Illawarra forward James Graham could've been team-mates with Andrew Fifita at the Bulldogs in 2015 if the Tongan international hadn't reneged on a four-year offer.
Fifita took out Dally M prop of the year in 2013 and 2018, while he helped the Sharks secure their maiden premiership after a 50-year drought.
Graham arrived at the Bulldogs in 2012 and has called Australia home since, earning instant respect for his high work rate and attention to detail in every aspect of the game.
- Andrew Fifita
- James Graham
- Aaron Woods
- Aiden Tolman
- Nate Myles
Hooker
No surprises here with Cameron Smith, the most capped player in NRL history, having the statistics to back up his unanimous selection by 23 legends in the Team of the Decade earlier in the week. He's taken out the Dally M hooker of the year award on five occasions during this voting period, as well as two major Dally M awards.
- Cameron Smith
- Robbie Farah
- Cameron McInnes
- Jake Friend
- Andrew McCullough
Second row
A pair of workhorses finish on top in the back row with former internationals Simon Mannering and Josh Jackson recognised for their efforts over the past decade.
Mainstays for their respective club sides, both were turned to as captains and well received among the wider rugby league community.
Jackson has been acknowledged in the past with Dally M second-rower of the year wins in 2015 and last season but Mannering has never taken out the award.
- Simon Mannering
- Josh Jackson
- Matt Gillett
- Gavin Cooper
- Boyd Cordner
Lock
Cronulla veteran Paul Gallen made the bench for the Team of the Decade but from a statistical perspective he's well in front and starts ahead of Jason Taumalolo in the stats team. The pair finish the decade with three Dally M lock of the year awards each.
- Paul Gallen
- Jake Trbojevic
- Corey Parker
- Jason Taumalolo
- Sam Burgess