The real team won't be unveiled before Thursday night's gala ceremony in Sydney but rugby league fans have already had their vote on who should make up the team of the century.

In what is the highlight of the NRL's calendar of centenary celebrations, 13 players, four reserves and one coach will be afforded the highest honour by being named the best in their position over the first hundred years of the game in Australia.

The selection process has already caused much debate, which will only heighten once the team is actually named, with the likes of Bob Fulton, Wally Lewis and Brett Kenny all going head to head for the one jumper.

Fans in an online competition have already had their say with former Newcastle halfback Andrew Johns appearing to have been forgiven for his admission of illicit drug use throughout his brilliant career after attracting the majority of votes.

The former Test and NSW playmaker was named in 69.5 per cent of fans' teams with Immortal Clive Churchill the next best with 59 per cent of the vote for the fullback position.

Fellow Immortal and Queensland Origin great Lewis was third with 58 per cent of fans selecting him at five-eighth.

The selection of the greatest ever side will come from the game's 100 greatest players - who were honoured in February this year.

Of that selection Test skipper Darren Lockyer is the only active player, though his season is threatening to be derailed by a knee injury which has kept him out for the second week in a row.

The team of the century, and the 100 greatest players, were selected by the Australian rugby league voting college which contains more than 130 league experts, including former players, coaches, administrators, journalists and historians.

No member of that group selected in the 100 greatest players was permitted to vote on the team of the century.

The candidates for the team of the century are:

1908-1945: Vic Armbruster, Jack Beaton, Cec Blinkhorn, Dave Brown, Frank Burge, Joe Chimpy Busch, Billy Cann, Ted Courtney, Jimmy Craig, Les Cubitt, Dan Dempsey, Viv Farnsworth, Charles Chook Fraser, Dan Frawley, Herb Gilbert, Tom Gorman, Howard Hallett, Arthur Pony Halloway, Vic Hey, Harold Horder, Chris McKivat, Frank McMillan, Peter Mick Madsen, Dally Messenger, Herb Narvo, Ernie Norman, Andy Norval, Sid Joe Pearce, Sid Sandy Pearce, Wally Prigg, Albert Rosenfeld, Ray Stehr, Herb Steinohrt, Viv Thicknesse Duncan Thompson, George Treweek, Benny Wearing, Eric Weissel.

1946-2007: Keith Barnes, Harry Bath, Arthur Beetson, Brian Bevan, Kerry Boustead, Roy Bull, Brian Carlson, Clive Churchill, Brian Clay, Arthur Clues, Bradley Clyde, Ron Coote, Michael Cronin, Laurie Daley, Brian Davies, Graham Eadie, Andrew Ettingshausen, Brad Fittler, Bob Fulton, Peter Gallagher, Reg Gasnier, Eric Grothe, Duncan Hall, Brian Hambly, Keith Holman, Ken Irvine, Andrew Johns, Les Johns, Ken Kearney, Noel Kelly, Brett Kenny, Johnny King, Terry Lamb, Allan Langer, Graeme Langlands, Glenn Lazarus, Wally Lewis, Darren Lockyer, Eddie Lumsden, Bob McCarthy, Mal Meninga, Gene Miles, Steve Mortimer, Barry Muir, John O'Neill, Kel O'Shea, Wayne Pearce, Ray Price, Norm Provan, John Raper, Tom Raudonikis, Steve Roach, Steve Rogers, John Sattler, Billy Smith, Peter Sterling, Arthur Summons, Ken Thornett, Ian Walsh, Steve Walters, Shane Webcke, Harry Wells.

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