101 Great Rugby League Players

[Spook]

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.

It's horses for courses & difficult to compare but I am sure if the old players were totally professional with to-days training methods, they'd be just as fit. What is highly unlikely, is if to-days players would be able to maintain their form & such long careers if they were playing back in the no holds barred & biff era with no interchange.

 

[innsaneink]

16\. Vic Hey
>
25\. Keith Holman

Vic Heys son Ken was my coach as a kid and Keith Holman awarded me my first ever trophy

 

[Fade_To_Black]

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:

:roll Gold!
Hope you enjoyed the spliff Byron :stuck_out_tongue:

 

[Spook]

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.

If Glenn Lazarus can't make the list why would Hayne? :crazy

 

[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.

If Glenn Lazarus can't make the list why would Hayne? :crazy

I can remember typing him up at 58

 

[Spook]

You did too, my apologies, I should have seen it.

 

[Russell]

You did too, my apologies, I should have seen it.

He resurrected himself from Lagarus to Lazarus whenhe was 58 even though he is 51.

 

[Fade_To_Black]

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.

Gotta disagree there mate re:RF v BE. Benny was the all-round better player, his kicking game was at times brilliant (was an expert at chip n chase), he read play as good as anyone of his era and he was tough as nails too, you couldn't be as hated as he was by most opposition and not get your share of punishment, both inside and outside the rules, especially back in the days he played when there was plenty of dirty play.
As for him not being able to fight, I can't remember him in a blue TBH where the fists were flying so I'm not sure where you pulled that summation from. Can certainly recall Steve Walters trying to get the better of Benny physically but when the scuffle was broken up Benny was always on top in the wrestle so to speak, be had Boxhead's measure there. Farah threw them alright in his one and only blue on the field vs Watts, but TBH Watts was being held by a few of our players at the time. Was still one of my favourite WT moments of all-time when the cameras showed Watts' busted head when he was waiting to come back on the field and Robbie saw him on the big screen and had a big smile on his face. Brilliant!
Benny was a champion player, like him or loathe him. He certainly is a peckerhead these days though.

 

[Tigers4ever]

I hope Keith Barnes is in the Top 100, he should be for his inspiration and goal kicking skills.

 

[Tigers4ever]

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)

Just spotted Keith Barnes at 54, they got that right. A TIGER LEGEND!!!! :sign: :sign:

 

[Chainlink]

Jonathon Thurston is waaaaaaaaaaaay too far down that list. If Johns is 6, Thurston should be 1\. By far the better player.

 

[Spud_Murphy]

Jonathon Thurston is waaaaaaaaaaaay too far down that list. If Johns is 6, Thurston should be 1\. By far the better player.

Yes, as I posted earlier, the list is very subjective. Thurston better than Lockyer also, imo.

 

[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.

It's horses for courses & difficult to compare but I am sure if the old players were totally professional with to-days training methods, they'd be just as fit. What is highly unlikely, is if to-days players would be able to maintain their form & such long careers if they were playing back in the no holds barred & biff era with no interchange.

I agree with what you say, but I was thinking more in terms of opportunity. In tonights game, at half time the sides have completed 38 sets in 40 minutes. And the leading tackler has 30 for just one half.

So modern players have far more opportunity to shine than those from bygone days, especially the unlimited tackle era.

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

You did too, my apologies, I should have seen it.

He resurrected himself from Lagarus to Lazarus whenhe was 58 even though he is 51.

I was really squeezed for time when doing them BUT when I learnt typing from Sister Mary Fidales in 1962 we were allowed 3 mistakes every 100 words, there are 206 words there and 102 numbers but only one mistake so I would have passed my exam.

 

[Spud_Murphy]

You did too, my apologies, I should have seen it.

He resurrected himself from Lagarus to Lazarus whenhe was 58 even though he is 51.

I was really squeezed for time when doing them BUT when I learnt typing from Sister Mary Fidales in 1962 we were allowed 3 mistakes every 100 words, there are 206 words there and 102 numbers but only one mistake so I would have passed my exam.

2 mistakes actually - Greg Inglish? :laughing:

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

I thought maybe spelt his name wrong so checked him out on wiki, Toowoomba had an amazing team.
Wiki
Steinhort's father had emigrated to Australia in the late 19th century.[1] He was graded by the Valleys club of the Toowoomba rugby League in 1922 as a centre but soon moved to the forwards. He was known throughout his career for his uncompromising heavy tackling style. Along with his 1928 Kangaroo captain Tom Gorman, Steinohrt was a member of the 1924-25 world class Toowoomba side that beat all comers including Sydney premiers Souths, Brisbane, Ipswich and representative sides including New South Wales, Victoria, Great Britain and New Zealand.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

Pmsl…. I get a good laugh at some of your comparisons BBF.

Benji superior than Gasnier, Raper & Langlands is your best by far.

The old leather football and muddy pitches would've seen Benji reach the hights of Ball Boy, and that's all. Andrew Johns may have played 20 games in the era of Chook & Puff.

You can't compared today's talent with yesterday's...

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

Pmsl…. I get a good laugh at some of your comparisons BBF.

Benji superior than Gasnier, Raper & Langlands is your best by far.

The old leather football would've made Benji reach the hights of Ball Boy, and that's all.

Somewhere in that book as I mentioned they included Benji (though not Australilan) due to him being the most uniquely gifted player in the whole history of the game. Well those authors/authorities got it wrong as well - send them a note and tell them you want your money back, $49.99 haha Tell them pmsl as well whatever that may mean. It is not Benji's fault they switched off cow hide due to Indian Hindu fanatics.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

Pmsl…. I get a good laugh at some of your comparisons BBF.

Benji superior than Gasnier, Raper & Langlands is your best by far.

The old leather football would've made Benji reach the hights of Ball Boy, and that's all.

Somewhere in that book as I mentioned they included Benji (though not Australilan) due to him being the most uniquely gifted player in the whole history of the game. Well those authors/authorities got it wrong as well - send them a note and tell them you want your money back, $49.99 haha Tell them pmsl as well whatever that may mean.

I'd assume the authors weren't ignorant enough to write Benji was 'superior' than Gasnier, Raper & Langlands. I'd assume they judged his talent based on the era Benji was playing.

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

Pmsl…. I get a good laugh at some of your comparisons BBF.

Benji superior than Gasnier, Raper & Langlands is your best by far.

The old leather football would've made Benji reach the hights of Ball Boy, and that's all.

Somewhere in that book as I mentioned they included Benji (though not Australilan) due to him being the most uniquely gifted player in the whole history of the game. Well those authors/authorities got it wrong as well - send them a note and tell them you want your money back, $49.99 haha Tell them pmsl as well whatever that may mean.

I'd assume the authors weren't ignorant enough to write Benji was 'superior' than Gasnier, Raper & Langlands. I'd assume they judged his talent based on the era Benji was playing.

Because they did not qualify their statement we have to take it at face value. I watched those Dragon players a dozen times (all live) and they did not create the havoc that Benji and Jarryd did. I don't think the ball made much difference to Jarryd's side step. When he played gridiron with that little pill did he become metres faster? I doubt it.