101 Great Rugby League Players

[JD Tiger]

I know Cam Smith, Cronk, Slater and Thurston are great, but I hope they don't come close to Churchill, Gasnier, Raper, Langlands and Dally. I never saw those generations play, but for some reason I like to think the previous guys were better.

Why I have no idea. Nostalgia for a time I never saw?

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

The full list is now posted up above.

 

[Spud_Murphy]

Thurston at 84? He's better by far than most of those in front of him! This list is very subjective.

 

[Tigerdon]

101 Great Rugby League Players
1\. C. Churchill
2\. R. Gasnier
3\. J. Raper
4\. G Langlands
5\. D Messenger
6\. Andrew Johns
7\. W Lewis
8\. B Fulton
9\. A Beetson
10\. M Meninga
11\. D Lockner
12\. K Irvine
13\. Dave Brown
14\. Harold Horder
15\. Ron Coote
16\. Vic Hey
17\. Brian Carlson
18\. Norm Provan
19\. Frank Burge
20\. Duncan Hall
21\. Wally Prigg
22\. Peter Sterling
23\. Brian Bevan
24\. Tom Gorman
25\. Keith Holman
26\. A Langar
27\. M Cronin
28\. Duncan Thompson
29\. Billy Slater
30\. Sid Sandy Pearce
31\. Steve Rogers
32\. Brad Fitler
33\. Eric Weissel
34\. Graham Eadie
35\. Ian Walsh
36\. Chris McKival
37\. Harry Bath
38 Cameron Smith
39\. Joe Chimpy Busch
40\. Bob McCarthy
41\. Noel Kelly
42\. George Treweek
43\. Brian Davies
44\. Jim Craig
45\. Les Johns
46 Brett Kenny
47\. Ken Thornett
48\. Billy Smith
49\. Charles Chook Fraser
50 Laurie Daley
51\. Sid Joe Pearce
52\. Harry Wells
53\. Herb Narvo
54\. Keith Barnes
55\. Ray Price
56\. Howard Hallett
57\. Barry Muir
58\. Glen Lagarus
59\. Cec Blinkhorn
60\. Tommy Raudonikis
61\. Andrew Ettinghausen
62\. Shane Webcke
63\. Lionel Cooper
64\. Roy Bull
65\. Terry Lamb
66\. Eric Grothe
67\. Herb Steinohrt
68\. Ken Kearney
69\. Arthur Pony Halloway
70\. Arthur Clues
71\. Ray Stehr
72 Kerry Boustead
73\. Kel O'Shea
74\. Bradley Clyde
75\. Brian Hambly
76\. Herb Gilbert
77\. Eddie Lumsden
78\. Jack Rayner
79\. Steve Mortimer
80\. Albert Rosenfeld
81\. Ernie Norman
82\. Peter Mick Madsen
83\. Pat Devery
84 Johnathan Thurston
85\. Dan Dempsey
86\. Frank McMillan
87\. Johnny King
88\. Vic Armbruster
89\. John O"Neill
90\. Gene Miles
91\. Vic Farnsworth
92\. Benny Wearing
93 John Sattler
94 Steve Walters
95 Greg Inglish
96 Steve Roach
97\. Bill Cann
98\. Peter Gallagher
99\. Wayne Pearce
100\. Arthur Summons
101\. Benji Marshall
(102 Robbie Farah)

Big Thanks for typing BBF!
That's awesome.
Two questions
Q1.Who do you rank higher.
RF or Backdoor?

Q2\. And how many Balmain, Wests and WTs are in this list?

I was going to have a stab at Q2..but I don't know all the older players and didn't want to embarrass myself

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

I only know Wests going back to A Summons and Noel Kelly.

Re Benny and Rf. Benny was around when the scrum was real and Backdoor could win against the feed - so a special talent there - but unfortunately he would lose every fight in the scrum, there Farah excelled.

Overall RF is more talented due to kicks and reading play and being tougher.

 

[Spud_Murphy]

Vic Hey, Keith Holman, Noel Kelly, Jim Craig, Harry Wells, Tom Raudonikis, Terry Lamb, Kel O'Shea & Arthur Summons are the only former Wests ones that I can see. Not sure about the Balmain players - perhaps a former supporter can fill us in? Only 1 Wests Tiger - Benji.

Add Frank MacMIllan, Herb Gilbert & Arthur Clues to the above list also :mrgreen:

 

[stryker]

I know Cam Smith, Cronk, Slater and Thurston are great, but I hope they don't come close to Churchill, Gasnier, Raper, Langlands and Dally. I never saw those generations play, but for some reason I like to think the previous guys were better.

Why I have no idea. Nostalgia for a time I never saw?

haha what a bizarre statement. How do you know the first four you mentioned arent twice as good if you have no point of reference?

 

[Tigerdon]

Vic Hey, Keith Holman, Noel Kelly, Jim Craig, Harry Wells, Tom Raudonikis, Terry Lamb, Kel O'Shea & Arthur Summons are the only former Wests ones that I can see. Not sure about the Balmain players - perhaps a former supporter can fill us in? Only 1 Wests Tiger - Benji.

I only know Arthur Bettson, Blocker Roach and Wayne Pearce from Balmain…there could be others.

 

[Geo]

Vic Hey, Keith Holman, Noel Kelly, Jim Craig, Harry Wells, Tom Raudonikis, Terry Lamb, Kel O'Shea & Arthur Summons are the only former Wests ones that I can see. Not sure about the Balmain players - perhaps a former supporter can fill us in? Only 1 Wests Tiger - Benji.

Jim Craig played for both Balmain and Western Suburbs…I know that from a trivia night moons ago.. :laughing:

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

Dally Messenger born in Balmain but played for Easts.

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

I know Cam Smith, Cronk, Slater and Thurston are great, but I hope they don't come close to Churchill, Gasnier, Raper, Langlands and Dally. I never saw those generations play, but for some reason I like to think the previous guys were better.

Why I have no idea. Nostalgia for a time I never saw?

haha what a bizarre statement. How do you know the first four you mentioned arent twice as good if you have no point of reference?

I consider Benji and Hayne and Slater playing at their best superior to Gasiner, Raper and Langlands. But Hayne goes on holiday on the field some times. My best mate being a mad Dragons supporter would drag me along to many of their games. I consider the list has a bias to Dragon players.

 

[Spud_Murphy]

Vic Hey, Keith Holman, Noel Kelly, Jim Craig, Harry Wells, Tom Raudonikis, Terry Lamb, Kel O'Shea & Arthur Summons are the only former Wests ones that I can see. Not sure about the Balmain players - perhaps a former supporter can fill us in? Only 1 Wests Tiger - Benji.

Jim Craig played for both Balmain and Western Suburbs…I know that from a trivia night moons ago.. :laughing:

You are correct sir! As did Frank MacMillan who I forgot to put on the Wests list. Balmain players are Arthur Beetson, Joe Chimpy Busch, Jim Craig, Chook Fraser, Keith Barnes, Arthur Holloway, Frank MacMIllan, Steve Roach, Wayne Pearce & Pat Devery.

 

[Spud_Murphy]

Vic Hey, Keith Holman, Noel Kelly, Jim Craig, Harry Wells, Tom Raudonikis, Terry Lamb, Kel O'Shea & Arthur Summons are the only former Wests ones that I can see. Not sure about the Balmain players - perhaps a former supporter can fill us in? Only 1 Wests Tiger - Benji.

Add Frank MacMIllan, Herb Gilbert & Arthur Clues to the above list also :mrgreen:

 

[MG1962]

I consider Benji and Hayne and Slater playing at their best superior to Gasiner, Raper and Langlands. But Hayne goes on holiday on the field some times. My best mate being a mad Dragons supporter would drag me along to many of their games. I consider the list has a bias to Dragon players.

I think the problem is how much the game has changed. Today the game is a lot faster than back in the 60s. So in terms of work load modern players will run rings around any of the players prior to the late 90s.

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

I can't recall in the sixties or seventies anything like Hayne's solo try against Bulldogs in finals about 2002 or 2004.

 

[MG1962]

I can't recall in the sixties or seventies anything like Hayne's solo try against Bulldogs in finals about 2002 or 2004.

Well no one else would have either given he did not play first grade till 2006 :slight_smile:

 

[gallagher]

I can't recall in the sixties or seventies anything like Hayne's solo try against Bulldogs in finals about 2002 or 2004.

Well no one else would have either given he did not play first grade till 2006 :slight_smile:

Since when does reality have any relevance to a BBF post?

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

I can't recall in the sixties or seventies anything like Hayne's solo try against Bulldogs in finals about 2002 or 2004.

Well no one else would have either given he did not play first grade till 2006 :slight_smile:

Since when does reality have any relevance to a BBF post?

When I correctly predicted a year ago where the team would stand at this stage of 2017 and with what roster. Also when I predicted on day one that Woodsy was not capt material - I was the lone wolf on that day.

Up above I was referring to the try of the decade when Hayne or Marshall zigzagged through 9 or 11 of the Bulldog players - I think it was the finals.

 

[Chainlink]

Maybe this?
https://youtu.be/YTx8X9nJ2nI

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

shakey4d, thanks. That is what I was getting at I can't recall Reggie pull of that kind of stunt but I should check out some old videos first. Yet Hayne is not on the list yet and due to sometimes lackadaisical involvement etc. he may not rate in top ten. They should have at least have given him a mention.