Six Tackles: Greatest Wales internationals in Super League era
We have taken a look at the six best Wales internationals in the Super League era and there have been some immensely talented players for the Dragons.
We have included players who have also played for Great Britain, but we have excluded those who have played for other countries.
Iestyn Harris
The 41-year-old was one of the best players in the Super League era, nevermind one of the best Welsh players in Super League! Harris scored 146 tries and kicked 902 goals in 376 career games at club level. He also scored a total of 145 points in 18 caps for Wales. Harris was part of Wales’ 1995 and 2000 World Cup squads and went on to coach them in the 2011 Four Nations and 2013 World Cup.
Ben Flower
The 30-year-old is one of the best front-rowers in Super League at the moment. The Cardiff-born prop joined the now defunct Crusaders in 2008 from rugby union and went on to make 53 appearances for the Welsh outfit. Wigan Warriors signed him in 2012 and he has been there ever since, playing over 130 games for the club to date. Flower has earned 17 caps for Wales and was part of their 2011 Four Nations and 2013 World Cup squads. He was ruled out of the 2017 World Cup due to injury.
Keiron Cunningham
The 41-year-old is regarded as a legend in St Helens after a very successful player career. Cunningham played nearly 500 games for Saints, scoring 175 tries from the hooker role. He made nine appearances for Wales between 1995 and 2000. Cunningham also earned 14 caps for Great Britain.
Dai Young
The 50-year-old may not have had as successful a career in rugby league as he did in rugby union, but he was still a tough and uncompromising player for Wales’ rugby league side. He crossed codes to rugby league in 1990, signing for Leeds for a then world record fee of £150,000. He later went on to play for Salford. He last played for Wales in 1996 so he just makes the cut for the Super League era. He made 14 appearances for Wales and captained the team in the 1995 World Cup. He is the current coach of Wasps in rugby union.
Kelvin Skerrett
Like Young, the 51-year-old only just makes the cut for the Super League era. Skerrett enjoyed his best rugby at Wigan between 1990 and 1996, scoring 21 tries in 176 games for the club. At international level, he played 16 times for Great Britain and played three games for Wales. He was a fantastic front-rower back in the day, just ask any Wigan fan who are old enough to remember the ‘90s.
Lee Briers
The 39-year-old is also one of the best half-backs to ever play in Super League. Briers joined Warrington Wolves from St Helens in 1997 and enjoyed a 15-year spell at Warrington, scoring a whopping 155 tries, 972 goals and 74 drop-goals in 425 games. He earned 23 caps for Wales, scoring 100 points. He also made one appearance for Great Britain. Briers will go down as an all-time great in Welsh rugby league.
Could we possibly add Port Talbot-born Regan Grace into this list in a couple of years? It is certainly looking that way…
