As rugby league icon Karyn Murphy prepares her side for Sunday's NRLW grand final, there are renewed calls for the Jillaroos legend to be honoured as the first female Immortal.
There are currently 13 Immortals, Clive Churchhill, Bob Fulton, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper, Graeme Langlands, Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Andrew Johns, Dave Brown, Frank Burge, Mal Meninga, Dally Messenger and Norm Provan.
Murphy played 27 tests for Australia over 14 years when participation was self-funded and served as the team's captain for 13 of those years.
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After retiring from professional rugby league and finishing her career as a distinguished police investigator, Murphy spent seven years leading the NRL's integrity unit.
In August 2022, Murphy became the Gold Coast Titans' director of female rugby league and signed on as the club's NRLW head coach.
The Titans have undergone an astonishing transformation under Murphy in 2023, going from wooden-spooners to grand finalists and potentially premiers, if all goes to plan in the decider.
As the Titans' CEO Steve Mitchell accepted Murphy's latest accolade, the 'Champion of Sport' award at the Gold Coast Bulletin Women of the Year Awards, he called for Murphy to be recognised as an Immortal.
"We currently have 13 Immortals in the NRL, who have all made extraordinary contributions to the game, but they are all men," he said.
"It is time we had a female Immortal and Karyn is added to this group.
"There is arguably no person who has been more influential to the female game of rugby league than Karyn.
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"She represented the country for 15 years as a passion, when there was no support, and continues to inspire the next generation of female athletes."
Speaking on Wide World of Sports' NRLW Weekly, fellow women's rugby league trailblazer Ruan Sims backed the proposal.
"The work that Karyn Murphy has done, and her team, in the background to make this a reality speaks for itself, it shows," she said.
Murphy was named NRLW Coach of the Year at Wednesday's Dally M awards.
The Titans meet the Knights in the NRLW grand final at 3.55pm (AEDT) on Sunday 1 October at Stadium Australia.
Following the match, the medal named in Murphy's honour will be awarded to the player judged best afield.
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