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Most Tries in NRL History: Top 10 Highest NRL Try Scorers

04/08/2026|Joel Caine|NRL News
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At the end of the day the main objective in footy is to find the line as many times as possible. Well, you don’t need to remind these guys about that.

This cast of characters love an NRL meat pie more than anyone in history. Free scoring wingers, dynamic fullbacks and even a back rower currently make up the list of players with the most tries in NRL history.

Want to keep an eye on the elite try scorers currently plying their trade in the NRL? Check out our weekly NRL tips and predictions to see who is poised to find the line in upcoming games.

But for now, have a gander at the Top 10 Highest NRL Try Scorers of All Time.

 

Top 10 Highest NRL Try Scorers of All Time

 

10. Brett Stewart – 163 Tries

Kicking off our list is Manly legend Brett Stewart. The man they call the Snake scored a mind blowing 163 tries in just 233 games.

This is an insane strike rate for a player that wasn’t a winger, with Stewart plying his trade instead at fullback.

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9. Terry Lamb – 164 Tries

Throwing it back to the 1980s, the next entrant on this list is legendary standoff Terry Lamb.

Nicknamed “The Back-up Man” for his impeccable support play, Lamb was in the right place at the right time more often than not and crossed for 164 tries in his storied career.

He played 350 games across 16 years at two clubs and represented both New South Wales and Australia.

 

8. Josh Addo-Carr – 165 Tries

The first of three players on this list who are still currently active in the NRL, Josh Addo-Carr trots into number eight on the all-time four-pointier list. 

One of the most prolific speedsters of his generation, the Foxx has run in 165 tries* and counting over the last decade for the Tigers, Storm, Bulldogs and currently the Eels. 

 

7. Andrew Ettingshausen - 166 Tries

Affectionately known as ET, Andrew Ettingshausen was a try scorer that was truly on another planet.

An out and out Cronulla legend, ET played 328 games for the Sharks over 17 years crossing for 166 tries, making him the seventh highest try scorer in NRL history.

He too played for both NSW and Australia during his career and even after finishing up in the NRL decided to try his luck in England, where he scored a further 30 tries in 41 games.

 

6. Brett Morris – 176 Tries

You’d be forgiven for confusing the next bloke on this list for someone else. Yes, it’s Brett Morris, not his identical twin Josh (who was no try scoring slouch either, he’s 14th on the all-time list – so close!).

Brett, who started his career as a fullback but quickly reverted to the wing, crossed for a whopping 176 tries in 281 games across stints with the Dragons, Bulldogs and the Roosters. 

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5. Steve Menzies – 180 Tries

Leave it to Beaver to score 180 tries while playing the majority of his career in the forwards.

Known for his iconic headgear, unwavering loyalty to Manly and his uncanny ability to find the try line, Steve Menzies is the most prolific try scoring forward in NRL history.

The back rower scored 180 tries during his NRL career, which makes him the fifth highest NRL try scorer of all time.

 

4. Billy Slater – 190 Tries

Billy the Kid as well as being the current Queensland State of Origin coach and the greatest fullback of his generation, is also the fourth highest try scorer the NRL has ever seen.

He may have been bumped clean off the podium this season, but the 190 tries he scored are still nothing to scoff at.

One of the most decorated players of all time, Slater has won it all and his try scoring ability only furthers his legend.

 

3. Daniel Tupou - 195 Tries* 

You’d be forgiven for thinking the bloke next on this list has been soaring over defenders forever - because, well, he kind of has. 

Yes, it’s Daniel Tupou, the towering Roosters winger who has made a career out of finishing tries with ease.

Since making his debut in 2012, Tupou has been a mainstay on the wing for the Tricolours, racking up an impressive try tally with his trademark aerial skills and deceptive speed. 

A three-time Premiership winner, he’s been a crucial part of the Roosters’ success, proving time and time again why he’s one of the best finishers in the game.

With a knack for finding the line and an ability to rise above defenders in clutch moments, Tupou’s legacy as one of the NRL’s great try-scorers is well and truly cemented, but he’s far from finished yet. 

 

2. Ken Irvine 212 Tries

The award given to the leading try scorer in the NRL every season isn’t called the Ken Irvine Medal for nothing.

It is named after the man, who until recently, held the rank of the highest try scorer in NRL history for more than half a century – the late, great Ken Irvine.

Widely considered to be Australia’s greatest ever winger, Irvine scored a once unparalleled 212 tries in an astonishing 236 matches.

Irvine possessed blinding speed which he put to good use, making him the first person in NRL history to score over 200 tries.

He is also the second highest try scorer of all time for the Australian national team, second only to Darren Lockyer.

Irvine sadly passed away in 1990, but his legacy lives on through his exploits on the field and he was an automatic selection for Australian Rugby League’s Team of the Century in 2008. 

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1. Alex Johnston 232 Tries*

He’s done it, he’s finally done it. After scoring a double against the Roosters and sparking scenes that will never be forgotten, Alex Johnston officially wrote himself into rugby league folklore as the new highest try scorer in NRL history.

Still only 30, Johnston has amassed 232 tries (and counting*) in just 259 games. The combination of the Rabbitohs lethal left edge and his blinding speed has proved to be a match made in try scoring heaven.

On the way to hunting down Irvine, he became the second ever player to score 200 tries, the Rabbitohs all-time leading try scorer and the first player in the history of the game to score 30 tries in consecutive seasons.

Now he stands alone as the game’s greatest ever try scorer, as well as the player who has scored the most tries for a single club.

Contracted for another two years with the Bunnies and then going to PNG, Johnston has the potential to run up a tally that may never be caught.  

Ladies and gentlemen, the highest try score in NRL history - Alex Johnston. 

 

*Denotes a player that is still currently active. 

 

Some of the teams these legends played for no longer exist or have merged with other storied juggernauts of the Rugby League world. Discover the full list of todays teams and where they stand on paper with our Weekly Expert NRL Tips and Predictions. While you’re at it why not check out our How to Bet on NRL guide!

Penrith Panthers
Sydney Roosters
New Zealand Warriors
Cronulla Sharks
Dolphins
Newcastle Knights
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Nth Queensland Cowboys
Canterbury Bulldogs
Melbourne Storm
Manly Sea Eagles
Canberra Raiders

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