Super League sides are filled with stars in every position, but, only a few seem to attract all the attention - whether rightly or wrongly - whilst others are often left unappreciated by their supporters or just in general. Here are five players that deserve more recognition for the role they play for their teams..
Hep Cahill
Hep Cahill first appeared in the Super League in 2011 as a signing for Crusaders RL in what would be their final season in the top flight. After appearing 17 times for the Welsh club and impressing with his physicality and no-nonsense attitude, Cahill earned a move to Widnes Vikings - whom had just been given a Super League licence for 2012-2014 - and has never looked back since.
His reputation at the club has grown with every passing season which perhaps makes it surprising that Cahill has not found a club that is battling for the play-offs rather than one languishing near the bottom of the table. With four tries in 71 appearances for the Cheshire club, Cahill has established himself as one of the toughest back-rowers in the league. Now aged 31, he still has a lot to offer the Vikings. However, Cahill rarely receives the plaudits he deserves despite being one of Widnes' most consistent Super League performers.
Paul McShane
Paul McShane has had somewhat of an inconsistent career in Rugby League, but, in the past few years, the talent which most knew he possessed has come right to the fore.
After making his debut for hometown club Leeds Rhinos in 2009, he failed to stamp down a regular playing berth and instead found himself loaned out to both Hull FC (in 2010) and Widnes (in 2012) before moving to West Yorkshire rivals Wakefield Trinity ahead of the 2014 season. There, he established himself as first-choice hooker, but still did not reach his full potential, scoring six tries in 51 appearances before a move to Castleford Tigers materialised, midway through the 2015 season.
This move proved to be the catalyst for Paul to kickstart his career. With performances getting better each season, he has laid down a marker as one of the best hookers in the competition since making the move. And, he played a starring role in the Tigers' magnificent 2017 season where they finished top for the first time in their history.
Half-backs cannot operate without quick and accurate distribution from dummy half and McShane excels in this area. He has been key to getting the Tigers on the front foot in recent years and is a real aggressive character in defence despite his 5 ft 6 stature. McShane however, does still get overlooked by Rugby League supporters despite being so integral for Castleford.
Matty Ashurst
Since bursting through the St Helens' academy setup in 2009, Matty Ashurst has been a real solid performer at all of his three clubs: St Helens, Salford and Wakefield Trinity. It is at Wakefield however where Ashurst has played and is playing the best rugby of his career so far. In his three seasons in West Yorkshire so far, Ashurst has notched up 24 tries in 70 appearances and is now generally considered to be one of the best forwards at the club.
His performances in 2017 earned him a new four-year deal with Trinity after he was a vital figure in the club's fifth-placed finish.
Ashurst has been one of Wakefield's most consistent players since his move in 2015; he is an honest, tough workhorse - the type of player each club needs - but rarely is his name shouted from the rooftops. Still only 28, Ashurst has years ahead of him at the top level and with the stability of a four-year contract behind him, Wakefield fans should see Ashurst take his game to yet another level in the next few seasons.
Ukuma Ta'ai
The 6 ft 1, 105kg Ukuma Ta'ai moved to Huddersfield Giants in 2013 from the New Zealand Warriors. Since making the move, Ta'ai has transformed into one of the powerhouses of Super League.
During the five seasons he has enjoyed so far at the Giants, Ta'ai has scored 38 tries in 131 appearances and regularly impresses with his barnstorming runs and hard-hitting defence. Seriously skilful with ball in hand also, Ta'ai has been a crucial weapon in recent years for Huddersfield, allowing the team to get on the front foot by causing the opposition a whole host of problems with both his power and his wicked offload. Though appreciated by the Giants' faithful, Ta'ai's name never seems to be bounded around the Rugby League fraternity despite him excelling for Huddersfield.
Josh Bowden
Josh Bowden has spent all of his career so far at Hull FC. Since emerging as an academy product in 2012, Bowden has gone on to make over 100 appearances for the Black-and-Whites.
Standing tall at 6 ft 2 and weighing in at a monstrous 110kg, Bowden is a real handful, but his name rarely gets a mention as other forwards such as Gareth Ellis, Sika Manu and Liam Watts have received the adulation in previous years. Yet, he is a powerful, direct forward with an aggressive running style and a defence as good as any.
His 2017 stats were mightily impressive; an average gain of 7.42 metres was the second highest amongst the Airlie Birds' forwards - just behind prop Scott Taylor - whilst he also made 538 tackles in just 18 appearances. Clearly, the FC coaching staff see Bowden's talent having awarded him the No.13 shirt to replace the retiring Gareth Ellis for 2018. Will 2018 finally be the Super League year in which Bowden, aged just 25, is finally given the acknowledgement that he richly deserves?
