One of Australian sport's most illustrious clubs has welcomed five Indigenous stars; with the induction of Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis, Steve Renouf, Lionel Morgan and Katrina Fanning into the NRL Hall of Fame on Wednesday night.
Thurston and Inglis entered the Hall of Fame alongside teammates in Queensland's recent period of State of Origin dominance, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Thurston told Fox Sports "never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be standing here amongst this group of men that I'm about to get inducted with".
After his debut years at the Bulldogs, the eventual four-time Dally M medallist carved out the bulk of his career regarded as one of the best ever with North Queensland.
Thurston played close to 40 games for both the Maroons and in the national side, with arguably his defining moments being the drop goal which claimed the Cowboys' maiden premiership in 2015.
Speaking on stage Wednesday night, he credited his high school St Mary's Toowoomba and family for setting him into the right direction and onto a Hall of Fame-worthy career.
Origin teammate Greg Inglis enters the Hall of Fame remembered as one of the modern game's most dominant players.
An early star with Melbourne, Inglis helped South Sydney lift their 21st premiership in 2014.
Of his strength and remaining upright under the weight of opposition, Inglis said it was a talent refined from his early days playing in the street and others' yards.
"There was something that was always around that you didn't want to be tackled on. So, I tried to avoid that as much as I could," he said.
Inglis revealed his iconic 'goanna' try celebration stemmed from a $20 bet to "bring out something" during Indigenous round.
Fellow Queenslander and four-time premiership winner with the Broncos, Steve Renouf said his CV was made possible by the teammates around him during the club's period of success in 1990s and thanks to coach Wayne Bennett.
Renouf also said "keeping things simple" was the secret to overcoming a diabetes diagnosis which threatened to cut his career short, and that his signature headgear was due to a youth concussion and on the counsel of his mum.
Brisbane's all-time leading try-scorer let slip he went an extra week longer than needed to learn of his induction after choosing not to answer phone calls from an unknown number.
The late Lionel Morgan's status as a pioneer in the game was honoured and his son Earl was present for the ceremony.
The Wynnum Manly great had hardly arrived at the Brisbane-based club before being called up to slot into the wing for the Kangaroos' tour of Europe in 1960 - recognised as the first Indigenous sportsperson to represent Australia in any major code.
"(Of his induction) he'd probably think pretty much what happened 64 years ago; 'how did I deserve this?' To come here in the esteemed company that sits before you...he'd be very humbled. And he'd be quite overwhelmed," Earl Morgan said.
Morgan scored two tries on international debut against France. He passed away in September 2023.
Another Australian rugby league pioneer at international level, Katrina Fanning remains a strong presence and motivator in the sport.
Fanning was inducted as one of six inaugural female members of the Hall of Fame, out of a total 17 inductees.
In 1995, she ran out as a member of the inaugural Jillaroos team against New Zealand – a moment of triumph after refusing to be turned away from playing rugby with the boys as an eight-year-old years earlier.
Fanning remains a steadfast supporter of women's footy.
She said the pathways in place for young players are having an impact at all levels of the game.
"Girls don't get to 12 now and have to leave the sport. We don't have to try and fight to get them back. But also, my passion is country rugby league, in particular, and our country clubs realise that the inclusion of women's teams has helped their clubs, has grown the game," Fanning said on Wednesday.
Fanning played 24 Tests, was named ACT Australian of the Year in 2020, and is recognised with the Canberra women's premiership named in her honour.
Thurston, Inglis, Renouf, Morgan and Fanning grow the list of First Nations champions in the Hall of Fame joining the likes of Dally M medallists Laurie Daley and Cliff Lyons and rugby league immortal and the first Indigenous person to captain an Australian national team, Arthur Beetson.
