Flying bunny Nathan Merritt ready to hop over an 80-year tryscoring record QUEENSLAND great Steve Renouf says Souths flyer Nathan Merritt, about to overtake rugby league Immortal Bob Fulton on the NRL's all-time tryscoring list, is one of the most underrated wingers in the game's history. Merritt enters tonight's clash with Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium as the season's equal leading tryscorer, with Newcastle's Akuila Uate, with eight tries from seven games. But the in-form Rabbitohs winger, who has 145 career tries from 207 games, can leapfrog Manly icon Fulton (147) into eighth place on the NRL's all-time tryscoring chart with three more tries. Further underlining his potency, Merritt needs eight more tries to become the greatest tryscorer in Souths' history. Still just 29, Merritt has 137 tries in 188 games for Souths - he added eight with former club Cronulla - and is poised to break an 80-year record set by Benny Wearing, who scored the last of his 144 tries in 1933. The totals of Harold Horder (152 tries), Fulton and Frank Burge (146) are within range for Merritt this season to leap to No.7. Incredibly, Merritt is on course to surpass Manly and Norths wing legend Ken Irvine (212) as the greatest tryscorer in rugby league history. The Aboriginal speedster is still 67 tries adrift, but could challenge Irvine's benchmark if he maintains his tryscoring strike-rate and plays until the age of 34 or 35. South Sydney try scoring machine Nathan Merritt. Renouf, who scored 142 tries for the Broncos from 183 games, lauded the consistency of Merritt, who has reached double figures for the past seven seasons, even during the Rabbitohs' lean years. In 2006, when Souths claimed the wooden spoon, he managed 22 tries in 24 games. "It's not just the way he's going this year, Nathan has been doing it his whole career," Renouf said. It's not easy to play good football in losing teams but Nathan has been able to do that. He hasn't really faltered over the years. That shows his character. Renouf said he believed Merritt deserved a maiden NSW jumper after repeated snubbings at the Origin selection table. "It's time Nathan was given a chance for NSW - what more can he do?" said Renouf, the former Maroons and Test centre. Nathan Merritt slides over to score one of his eight tries this season. It surprises me he hasn't played Origin but then it doesn't totally shock me when it comes to NSW. I think for a long while now, part of their problem has been their selection process. I really believe that. You can name other players, too, who are in form but just don't get a look in for NSW and Nathan Merritt is a perfect example. Souths boss Shane Richardson said the prospect of Merritt breaking Wearing's record was an incredible feat. The great finishers just find a way to the tryline and Nathan Merritt does that.