Ben Ikin

Ben Ikin was fresh out of school when he became part of Queensland's State of Origin fairytale in 1995.

However, it wasn't always plain sailing for the Palm Beach Currumbin High product, who needed three reconstructive operations on the one knee in 2001-2002.

Ikin finished his career with 17 Origin caps, including three in 2003, an amazing effort considering what he had been through, since his knee buckled making a sidestep at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland in Round 6, 2001.

He played in all three games of the landmark 1995 series, crossing for a crucial try in Game III, as the Maroons completed a remarkable 3-0 series win.

He also played all three games in 1998, when Queensland regained the shield. At the end of the season, he realised his childhood dream of representing Australia, playing in two Tests against the Kiwis.

A former Queensland under 17s and Australian Schoolboys representative, he signed with Gold Coast Seagulls at the end of the 1994 season.

He joined North Sydney in 1996, and remained with the Bears until the end of the 1999 season, when they merged with Manly, to form the Northern Eagles.

In 2000, Ikin was five-eighth outside Kevin Walters in the Broncos' 14-6 win over the Sydney Roosters in the NRL grand final.

He remained part of the Broncos' top squad until the end of the 2003 season, when he decided to play "just for fun", with feeder club, Toowoomba Clydesdales.

Ever since I was a kid, every part of me every year wanted to play rugby league for the Maroons.

Ben Ikin FOG #89

Still, his football was of such a high standard, he was called on by the Broncos to play 11 NRL games in 2004, including the 10-0, season-ending loss to North Queensland in Townsville. Those games took his tally to 150 across 10 seasons.

Ikin had returned to university, and worked for a time in the Broncos' commercial department. His post football life has been a mixture of corporate and media work, and for nine years he was the face of FoxSports' NRL360 program.

A North Queensland Cowboys' Board member and Independent Director for the Queensland Rugby League, Ikin took on the post of Broncos' Football and Performance Director in 2021.

He also continues to play a mean game of golf, and remains the youngest player to represent at Origin level. He was 18 years, 83 days when he made his debut.