The NRL’s introduction of the two-point field goal for successful kicks from beyond the 40-metre line was derided as one of the more pointless rule changes of recent times.
But despite the assumption that it would be a rarely-used commodity, we’ve already seen Adam Reynolds boot the first two-point field goal in Round 5 and Nathan Cleary slot a crucial deadlock-breaker a week later.
To celebrate the elusive art of the field goal, Will Evans from This Warriors Life ranks the best exponents of the NRL era in this week’s Zero Tackle Top 8.
Some the most clutch, sweet-striking field goal kickers of the modern era, including Shaun Johnson, Anthony Milford, and icon match-winners Johnathan Thurston and Andrew Johns, couldn’t squeeze into this list.
Check out This Warriors Life’s website and podcast, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
And give Will's other Top 8 stories a read below!
Best rugby league wing giants
Miraculous comebacks of the NRL era
NRL teams’ season revivals after horror starts
Without further ado, here is this week's edition: field goal exponents.
3. Adam Reynolds
The South Sydney linchpin had already established his legacy as a field goal great before landed the historic maiden 40-metre two-pointer against Brisbane this season. Reynolds has slotted 22 in 213 NRL games, including match-winners in one-point results against the Dragons (2012), Panthers (2017), Cowboys (2018), Sea Eagles (2019) and Cowboys again (2020).
But arguably his greatest performance with the ‘droppie’ came in the 2018 semi-final against the Saints, kicking three field goals in the last 10 minutes to get the Rabbitohs home 13-12.
