REACHING 400 career games is one of rugby league’s great milestones, and over one weekend in April, Paul McShane, Josh Charnley, Liam Watts and Matty Ashurst all joined that exclusive club.

Here Rugby League World looks at six other players who have also reached — and even surpassed — the 400-game mark.

ROB BURROW

THE majority of Rob Burrow’s 523 career games came in the blue and amber of Leeds Rhinos, with the mercurial half-back defying external doubts about his small stature to feature 492 times for the West Yorkshire club between 2001 and 2017.

Add to this, 31 representative appearances for Great Britain, England, England A, England Under-21s and Yorkshire, and it’s clear to see why Burrow will go down as a modern-day legend of the game and why the grief at his early death from Motor Neurone Disease in June 2024 was so widespread across the sport.

ELLERY HANLEY

PERHAPS one of the greatest players to ever play the game, Ellery Hanley made a huge impact on both sides of the world.

Having racked up over 300 appearances for Bradford Northern and Wigan, Hanley headed down under where he earned celebrity status during one season apiece with Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs. A move back to the UK followed, where he dazzled at his hometown club Leeds before returning to the Tigers to end his career.

Hanley also made over 40 international appearances, many of which saw him captain Great Britain.

ANDY LYNCH

A CAREER bookended at Castleford saw Andy Lynch carve out a reputation as a fearsome prop forward.

After making a name for himself at the Tigers, Lynch joined Bradford Bulls where he missed out on a place in the 2005 Grand Final team in favour of short-term loan signing Adrian Morley. He spent a further six seasons with the Bulls before spending two years at Hull FC and later returning to Castleford – retiring after 452 Super League games.

A handful of international games was highlighted by a Great Britain appearance against France in 2007.

SEAN O’LOUGHLIN

LOCAL lad Sean O’Loughlin has Wigan Warriors running through his veins.

His dad and his uncle both played for the club, while his brother-in-law is Warriors legend Andy Farrell, and even after his retirement in 2020, O’Loughlin has remained at the Brick Community Stadium as part of the coaching staff.

His 38 international caps saw him captain England following the retirement of Kevin Sinfield, while many of his 459 club appearances saw him lead from the front as Wigan’s skipper.

CAMERON SMITH

IN terms of career appearances down under, former Melbourne Storm hooker Cameron Smith is leading the way, being the only player to have played over 400 games in the NRL.

Over 19 years with the Storm, Smith ran out 430 times, as well as making 42 Queensland Origin appearances, 56 for Australia and appearing in the NRL All Stars team on four occasions.

It is perhaps no surprise then that he has been inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame and is considered by many as a future Immortal.

CLIVE SULLIVAN

CLIVE Sullivan defied early injuries that threatened his hopes of becoming a professional to go on and enjoy one of the most decorated careers in the game.

Making a combined total of over 550 appearances on both sides of Hull, Sullivan became a cult hero across the city and earned the same status when he helped Great Britain win the 1972 World Cup.

Over a 24-year career, Sullivan also had short spells with Oldham and Doncaster, but his heart remained in Hull, where he will forever be remembered with the main route in and out of the city named in his honour.

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 521 (June 2026)