Ranking Super League’s 10 greatest centres: SIX St Helens stars included but Leeds man on top

Over the first 30 years of Super League, some of the finest centres to have appeared in the world of rugby league have graced the competition.

Of course, some of those huge megastars haven’t quite had stints in England that they would have hoped – but others have excelled and are still looked upon as the best in their position.

So we’ve taken the plunge and ranked them – the top 10 centres in the Super League era based on a variety of metrics. It’ll be controversial, we’re sure: but here’s our 10..

10. Michael Shenton

We start with a Castleford Tigers icon. While he may not have the major honours of many of the other centres on this list, Shenton was a star of Super League for so long. His form, in particular, during the Daryl Powell era at the Tigers established him as one of the best in the business.

9. Kirk Yeaman

Perhaps a forgotten centre to many Super League fans – but obviously not to Hull FC fans! Yeaman made well over 400 appearances over 15 years for the Black and Whites, representing England and Great Britain in the process too.

8. Paul Newlove

Newlove may have made over 200 career appearances before the Super League era began, but his big-money move to St Helens in 1995 took him to new heights. At the Saints, he was a star of their early success in the modern era – scoring 134 tries in 208 league appearances.

7. Mark Percival

An integral member of St Helens’ four-peat title-winning squad and one of two centres still playing today, Percival has been at the top of the British game for a prolonged period. While he has struggled with injuries at times during his career, when he has been on the pitch, he’s been one of the best around.

6. Martin Gleeson

Whether it was with the likes of St Helens, Warrington Wolves or Wigan Warriors, Gleeson was one of Super League’s standout centres for a lengthy period.

5. Gary Connolly

Although he enjoyed a chunk of his career pre-Super League, there’s no doubting Connolly was a pure world-class player for Wigan Warriors in the early years of the summer era.

A Dream Team inclusion in three of the first four Super League seasons, Connolly was a superstar in the early years of the competition. A true class act.

4. Jamie Lyon

We may be slightly breaking our rule of preferring longevity here: but it’s with good reason. He only spent two seasons in Super League but Lyon wasn’t just one of the best centres in the competition in 2005 and 2006: he was one of the very best in the world.

His stats are astonishing. He won a Man of Steel, he was named in the Dream Team each of the two seasons he was in England and he was influential in St Helens winning a treble in 2006. He would return to the NRL and continue his world-class form. It was a joy to see him in England.

3. Shontayne Hape

The New Zealand international spent six seasons in England, all of them with Bradford Bulls, winning two Grand Finals in 2003 and 2005. During that time he formed arguably the best and most devastating wing-centre partnership in Super League history with Lesley Vainikolo.

Vainikolo’s tries got all the headlines but it was the class of Hape which was huge in allowing The Volcano to what he did so well. One of the classiest centres we’ve ever seen in the summer era without question.

2. Kallum Watkins

For almost 20 years, Watkins has been at the top of the British game and while he now primarily operates as a second rower, it doesn’t change the fact he was one of the best centres in the world for a prolonged period.

A star of Leeds Rhinos’ golden generation, Watkins is rightly in the top two on this list when it comes to talent, ability and longevity. However, we’ve just edged one man above him..

1. Keith Senior

Probably the best centre of the entire Super League era? It’s tight between the top few, but we’re opting for Senior as our number one. A star at Sheffield Eagles, his move to Leeds Rhinos saw him become a star for club and country, with Senior winning countless major honours.

He takes top spot – but feel free to disagree and let us know below!