For a Super League player to be given an opportunity in the NRL, they have to be at the top of their game in the English top-flight. Some British players that have gone Down Under have often failed to live up to expectations; the likes of Sam Tomkins, Joe Burgess and Joe Wardle have all returned to the British game with their tails between their legs. But, just a few make it in the southern hemisphere's most-prized Rugby League competition.
Adrian Morley
A very physical, hard-hitting front-rower, Adrian Morley made his name as a youngster with the Leeds Rhinos.
After six seasons with the West Yorkshire club - the club at which he earned his first Great Britain and first England call-up, the Salford-born prop/back-rower moved to NRL side Sydney Roosters ahead of the 2001 season. Despite taking a year to settle, Morley was instrumental in the Roosters' 2002 NRL Grand Final triumph, and then their 2003 World Club Challenge victory over Super League champions St Helens.
Morley became an extremely key figure for the Sydney club and would go on to play in two more Grand Finals in 2003 and 2004. In fact, Morley is one of only eight English players to have played in an NRL Grand Final winning side, and, is the only player to have earned Great Britain caps whilst at the Roosters.
In seven seasons Down Under, Morley made over 100 appearances, firmly establishing a reputation as one of the most formidable English forwards to grace the Australian league. At the end of 2006, Morley returned to England, snapped up by Warrington Wolves with whom he played over 170 games with. In 2014, Morley moved to hometown club Salford for 2014 before retiring at the end of 2015.
Gareth Ellis
For nearly 20 years Gareth Ellis plied his trade for West Yorkshire clubs Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (as they were known then) and the Leeds Rhinos before a move to Wests Tigers materialised in February 2008; Ellis signed a three-year deal commencing in 2009. After leaving Super League champions Leeds, Ellis was looking for a new challenge, but, boy did he take the challenge head-on.
In his four seasons at the club, Ellis won the Player of the Year three times in succession and was even nominated for the Golden Boot Award.
The former Wakefield and Leeds man quickly became a fans' favourite for his NRL club and earned himself massive raps for the physical way he played the game Down Under. His former teammate, Liam Fulton, stated that Ellis "has no body fat, he has an 'eight-pack', will run for 200m and leave six players being taken off on stretchers. He has to be the best forward I've ever played with." Quite an astonishing compliment of a player that had just a humble Yorkshire upbringing.
Ellis made 17 appearances for Great Britain and 16 for England.
James Graham
James Graham signed with local side St Helens as an Academy player and went on to make his debut for the club in August 2003.
In his nine seasons at the club, Graham won three Challenge Cups, one Grand Final and one World Club Challenge and even won the most prestigious individual accolade in the British game: the Man of Steel, in 2008. At the end of the 2011 season, Graham moved to Canterbury Bulldogs.
Unfortunately for Graham and his new club, the red-haired prop forward could not break his Grand Final hoodoo as Canterbury lost the 2012 NRL Grand Final, just as Saints had lost the English equivalent five years in a row. The reputation Graham had earned in Britain for his explosive running, aggressive defence and general determination and spirit was soon replicated Down Under and by the start of the 2015 season, Graham was now captain of the NRL club.
During that year, he received a call-up to the NRL All Stars team to compete against the Indigenous equivalent. And, in five years at Canterbury, Graham notched up almost 150 appearances. It was then announced in September 2017 that the formidable forward would be a St George Illawarra player from 2018. And, if Graham's recent form has shown us anything it is that he still has a long way to go in the NRL and as an England player - in fact, Graham is now the most capped England player since the move away from Great Britain with 39 caps.
Sam Burgess
"Slammin' Sam" just has to be on this list. Born in Dewsbury, Burgess - along with his two twin-brothers, Tom and George - was signed by Bradford Bulls as a youngster and made his debut in 2006 aged just 17.
The following year, aged just 18, Sam made his Great Britain debut against New Zealand; the writing was on the wall that Sam was heading for greatness. In four seasons with the Bulls, Burgess registered 85 appearances.
In September 2009, NRL side South Sydney Rabbitohs announced the signing of Burgess - still just 20 years of age - on a four-year deal starting in 2010. For four seasons the Rabbitohs enjoyed some stunning performances from a ferocious forward determined to succeed in the NRL. Indeed, before his departure to Rugby Union side Bath for a two-year hiatus from the sport, Sam played alongside brothers Tom and George in Souths' 2014 NRL Grand Final victory. Burgess, adamant that he would stay on the field despite suffering a broken cheekbone, won the Clive Churchill Medal for his performance in leading the Sydney club to their first Grand Final win in 43 years.
In November 2015, Burgess returned to the Rabbitohs after his two-year Union stint. Still aged just 29, Burgess is a remarkably talented Rugby League player and is one that can continue in the NRL for many years.
Sam has two Great Britain caps and 22 England caps to his name and even captained England in their World Cup Final loss against Australia in 2017.
Josh Hodgson
Josh Hodgson actually began his career with Hull FC rather than KR - the team he would later make his name with. Picked up by FC's youth scholarship, Hodgson would go on to register just two first-team appearances as a back-rower in 2009 before departing to bitter rivals KR at the end of that season.
In 2010, Hodgson burst onto the scene with the Robins as a hooker, registering 20 appearances in what can be described as a breakthrough season.
From that season onwards he went from strength to strength, and, in 2012 and 2013 Hodgson won the Player of the Year award and was even named co-captain with Travis Burns ahead of the 2014 season. Despite this accolade, Hodgson would move on at the end of that year to NRL side Canberra Raiders on a two-year deal.
Though some pundits and supporters believed Hodgson would flop, he has instead become a vital figure for the "Green Machine" in recent years, helping the Raiders to a second-place finish and a semi-final berth in 2016. Still contracted to Canberra, Hodgson suits the NRL game perfectly and was within touching distance of winning the Dally M Medal in 2016.
For England, the hooker has won 15 caps.
