The top five most unique goal-kickers in Super League history

To turn four points into six often takes a lot of skill, but to have an accomplished goal-kicker in a side makes it a lot easier.

Over the 25 years of Super League, many have come and gone, but some stick in the mind because of how unique their kicking stance or run-up is.

Here are the top five.

5. Krisnan Inu

He’s been in Super League since 2015, but it still takes a lot to get used to the “Smiling Assassin” and his kicking style. Everything appears rather normal as Krisnan Inu sets the ball down for the conversion, but rather inexplicably, the Kiwi then proceeds to smile as wide as possible. To make matters worse, Inu’s gum shield usually has mock fangs, making the smile look even more sinister. It really is bizarre.

4. Michael Witt

A former NRL favourite for Parramatta, Manly and New Zealand Warriors, Michael Witt played for both Crusaders RL and London Broncos in Super League. The halfback spent four years in the UK, but it was his kicking style which seemed to bring him the most attention. A little knee lift was involved in a bid to slow his approach to the ball, and, although it looked rather embarrassing, it certainly worked for Witt.

2. Jamie Soward

He was only in Super League for nine games, but Jamie Soward got people talking with a run-up style that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Broadway. A bow, a step, the tapping of his boots on the ground, a turn, a catwalk-on-the-spot, a puff of the chest and then finally a little dance before striking the ball must go down in history as the most complicated, but also the most entertaining, kicking style.

2. Mark “Piggy” Riddell

It was a gimmick that started back in Australia when Mark Riddell played for St George, but it quickly caught on in Wigan too in the two years that “Piggy” was with the Warriors. The raising of the left arm before the hooker went to kick the ball was copied by his own sets of supporters. Unfortunately, it was a gesture that could well have been mixed up with something far more sinister, even if fans had a lot of fun with it.

1. Marc Sneyd

I’m not sure that Marc Sneyd’s stance has ever been seen before. By first aligning himself almost facing the posts at the other end of the field, the halfback turns his head on a sixpence to eye up the Hs. It obviously works as Sneyd is one of the most accurate in the game which is surprising considering his ’round the corner’ technique is almost a roundabout.