NRL 2024 Hall of Fame: Panthers demand answers over Royce Simmons, Greg Alexander snubs
With just two inductees, Penrith boss Brian Fletcher has questioned whether Greg Alexander and Royce Simmons’ absence from the NRL Hall of Fame is an oversight.
Penrith are demanding to know why club legends Greg Alexander and Royce Simmons have not been included in the NRL’s Hall of Fame.
“It doesn’t make sense – it must be an oversight,” said Panthers Group CEO Brian Fletcher.
Only two Panthers players — Brad Fittler and Petero Civoniceva — are in the Hall of Fame and both played more games at other clubs.
Eleven players were added to rugby league’s Hall of Fame last week – Lionel Morgan, Les Boyd, Ben Elias, Steve Renouf, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Benji Marshall, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess.
While Fletcher didn’t cast doubts over the merits of this year’s inductees, he remains stunned that Alexander and Simmons have been consistently overlooked.
Alexander was among the finest halfbacks of the modern era, playing 228 games for Penrith, captaining the 1991 side to the club’s first premiership while representing Australia in six Tests and playing six Origin games for NSW. He also scored 101 first grade tries for Penrith.
Simmons is a rugby league legend at Penrith having played 237 first grade matches for the Panthers, 10 Tests for Australia and 10 matches for the Blues.
“It doesn’t make sense when you look at the list of who is in there,” said Fletcher.
“I’m not saying any of the inductees shouldn’t be there but how come Royce and Greg Alexander haven’t also been added?
“When it was broadcast the other night, we had that many fans and local sponsors asking why those two players weren’t in the Hall of Fame.
“All those inducted deserve to be there but you’d have to think that Royce and Greg would be a ‘must’ for that list.
“I think it’s more or less been an oversight.
“You get a chap like Royce and what he’s done off the field by raising money for Alzheimer’s. He is still doing it.
“He’s played Tests, played State of Origin.
“And ‘Brandy’ (Alexander) is probably one of the greatest footballers of all time. You’d have to say Royce and Greg are as good as those on the list.”
Fittler is a Panthers’ Hall of Famer although he played nearly 100 more games for the Roosters than Penrith. Prop Civoniceva played 74 games for the Panthers but is better known as a Bronco.
