NRL to Honour Retiring Players

The National Rugby League (NRL) is set to honor 20 retiring players during the NRL Telstra Premiership 2025 Grand Final, featuring a matchup between the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos. This recognition includes notable figures such as 300-game players, Premiership winners, and international Test stars.

Among those celebrated on Grand Final Day as part of the 2025 Class of Retiring Players are Corey Oates, Mariah Denman (Brisbane Broncos), Tim Lafai (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Vanessa Foliaki, Ricky Leutele (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), Kenny Bromwich (Dolphins), David Fusitu'a, Ken Maumalo (New Zealand Warriors), Kieran Foran (Gold Coast Titans), Martin Taupau, Michael Chee-Kam (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles), Christian Welch (Melbourne Storm), Sione Mata'utia (Newcastle Knights), Jordan McLean, Jake Granville (North Queensland Cowboys), Bryce Cartwright (Parramatta Eels), Chad Townsend, Paul Momirovski (Sydney Roosters), Fa'amanu Brown (St George Illawarra Dragons), and Elijah Taylor (Wests Tigers).

Additionally, former Eel Shaun Lane will be honored despite his absence from the event.

Kieran Foran, the Ken Stephen Medal winner, retires after an impressive career spanning 318 games over 17 seasons with teams including the Titans, Bulldogs, Warriors, Eels, and Sea Eagles. He was part of a premiership-winning team in 2011 at just 21 years old.

Players like Bromwich, Welch, and McLean have celebrated grand final victories while playing for the Melbourne Storm, while Leutele and Townsend contributed to Cronulla's historic 2016 grand final win. Granville was instrumental in the Cowboys' 2015 premiership, and Momirovski helped initiate the Panthers' successful reign that began in 2021.

Denman, meanwhile, played a crucial role in the Broncos' NRLW premiership wins in both 2018 and 2019.