Some of the greatest players in NRL history have played bald, whether by choice or just losing the age-old battle.
Hair loss isn't exactly an uncommon thing among men, but giving up the battle to keep your hair and shaving it all off doesn't need to happen, with options available to beat the biological timeline.
Pilot has a 92 per cent success rate when it comes to men either keeping or regrowing their hair. If only your footy team had the same level of success!
Most men give up after just two months of hair treatment because they don't see immediate results. But it's not as if you change footy teams after a losing streak, is it?
Plenty of players, both past and current, either didn't know there was hair loss treatment available, or just decided against it, simply favouring to remove it all during their playing days (just ask Darren Lockyer about what can happen though).
So let's run the rule over the best bald players in recent times.
Tom Hazelton
A cult hero at the Cronulla Sharks, Hazelton is affectionately known as “big bald Tom” by a number of Sharks fans.
He has his own fan club, has his own chants, and loves finding the tryline.
He elected to shave the locks a few years ago, and at just 27 years of age, has plenty of upside left in his NRL career.
Glenn Stewart
One of the best forwards of the early 2000s, Stewart goes down in the books as a Manly legend.
He started his career with a thinning mop on top, and got rid of it not long after, following in the footsteps of another ex-Manly forward in Ben Kennedy.
Stewart wound up playing 258 games at the top level, with 204 of those coming in the NRL across his time at Manly and South Sydney.
David Klemmer
David Klemmer is not the kind of person you'd want to cross in a dark alley. Scary might as well have been his middle name during the peak of his career.
An absolute weapon at both ends of the park, there were - and still are - few players who put up as much of a fight for winning as Klemmer.
There are countless stories of him storming off to the sheds after a loss rather than hanging around for a laugh with the other team.
His bald look didn't exactly do much to change that impression - the scary one, that is.
Dylan Edwards
Dylan Edwards dumped the locks about two years ago, and, while he has started 2026 like a house on fire, it's tough to suggest 2025 was his best season.
Penrith's first that didn't end in a premiership since 2020 saw Edwards well below the level he had produced over the previous four years.
At just 30 years of age, he has embraced the bald look - but will it stick?
Ben Kennedy
Kennedy started his career in the late 1990s and quickly developed a fearsome reputation for his hard-hitting ways in the middle of the park.
That only grew when he lost the locks in the early 2000s, cracking the Australian side in his first year at the Knights in 2000.
He played for Australia right through to the end of his career, hanging up the boots in 2006, while he also played 13 State of Origin games for New South Wales.
Darren Lockyer
One of the greatest players of all-time played the majority of his career with a shaved bonce.
A near-certain future Immortal, Lockyer was a Queensland and Australian captain, and goes down as maybe the greatest Bronco. Ever.
The fullback-turned-five-eighth wound up with 355 games for the Broncos, 36 Origins and 59 Tests.
Since retiring in 2011, he has undergone a successful hair restoration process and now appears on Channel Nine's coverage with a full head of hair.
The thing most men don't realise about hair loss and preventative treatments is that it's not an overnight magic trick.
When following the process, 92% of Pilot men kept or regrew their hair.
In Phase One, known as 'The Shed', the Telogen Reset occurs - that is, old weak hairs fall out to make room for stronger ones. This is the “Valley of Disappointment” where most men quit the process, unable to see visible results.
But here is why it's not worth giving up.
In Phase Two - 'The Awakening' - many men experience new hairs beginning to sprout, stabilisation may occur, and hair loss typically stops by the end of six months.
Over the next six months during Phase Three, known as 'The Thickening', fine hairs can transition into terminal hairs. This is what is described as “The Photo Moment”, where visible density returns.
Consistency, even after a year, is important as the "New Normal' phase - the long-term phase of keeping your hair - begins.
Unlike over-the-counter "miracle cures," Pilot connects you with registered Australian practitioners who provide evidence-based, medical-grade treatments.
Complete your consultation in minutes, and have your treatment package delivered discreetly to your door, and, your practitioner is available for follow-ups to ensure your plan is working exactly as it should.
Take control of your hair health. Check out Pilot's Hair Loss Treatment services today.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning the website may earn a commission from any revenue generated from this article.
