101 Great Rugby League Players

[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.

2 mistakes actually - Greg Inglish? :laughing:

Actually I think the error allowance was one mistake every 100 words so 3 mistakes on the large foolscap sheet - so still would have passed. I topped the class for speed.

 

[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.

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.

Stop side stepping the fact YOU stated Benji was superior than Gasnier, Raper & Langlands. If Benji grew up in their era, I reckon he'd be in the stands with you watching the great St George Dragons march to thir 11th Grand Final Victory.

The leather football, especially wet, and the boggy pitches would've bought the majority of today's players unstuck!

 

[Geo]

I think Locky should have 11a. Tunsa Carroll next to him for all them tackles he made..

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

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.

Stop side stepping the fact YOU stated Benji was superior than Gasnier, Raper & Langlands. If Benji grew up in their era, I reckon he'd be in the stands with you watching the great St George Dragons march to thir 11th Grand Final Victory.

The leather football, especially wet, and the boggy pitches would've bought the majority of today's players unstuck!

You sidestepped the reference to Yankie land - with their gridiron grounds even better than ours did Jarryd gain extra metres with that little pill? And I was never in the stands at a grand final - I was being dragged out by the cops.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

I think Locky should have 11a. Tunsa Carroll next to him for all them tackles he made..

I hear this dribble over and over again. Why should Lockyer's career be tarnished based on good coaching from Wayne.

Are you suggesting Thurston should have an 11a Cooper also? Should Johns have a 9a Buderus, for the great width he received from his dummy half?

Maybe Lewis should have a (NSW were Shit) next his name also?

 

[Geo]

lol…didn't even need worms...

 

[Balmainbred]

I can't believe max krillich isn't in there hate manly with a passion but for them & Australia he always gave 110 percent

 

[Russell]

Don't want to spoil your passmark BBf but…

Darren LOCKYER not Lockner
Alan LANGER not Langar
Brad FITTLER not Fitler
Andrew ETTINGSHAUSEN not Ettinghausen

Plus the others already mentioned by others - 1 mistake per hundred, so at least 6 is a fail, Sister Mary Fidales would not be a happy person and would have the strap out.

In your favour all the numbers were correct.

Jokes aside - thanks for the list - I also can't believe Max Krilich is not there and also if Brian Davies get a mention then how could you leave out Bill Marsh. Peter Diamond is also a glaring omission.

A lot of people in there that should not be also in my opinion - Peter Gallagher, John O'Neill etc...

I know it is subjective but some are just wrong.

As foe Benji and Robbie - not in the event I am afraid.

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

Whilst posting had the missus screaming at me to take her out, notice it was done in parts - the complete opposite of exam conditions where absolutely no distraction was allowed. Examination texts are not 100% oddly spelt names (odd because of different nationalities) like that 101 list was. It was always Smith or Jones. Sister Fidalis was okay, it was Sister Mary Michael (Mad Mick) who was the crazy one. If you could not sing hymns in tune or multiply/divide correctly or know how to spell tabernacle she would screw your ear whilst whacking cane on the backside. With the girls she would even lift their tunic up in winter so it would sting on their frozen backsides. Years later she was in straight jackets in mental home. Seeing that you asked. That was the Catholic schools in 1950 and 1960s

The guys would throw her cane out of the window before Mad Mick arrived for class - that would make her more crazy. They had farting competitions by eating raw onions at lunchtime - poor Sister Mick.

 

[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?

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?

Yeah it's weird. I don't know why, I just like to think they were better in the past. And how do I know, I don't know, I can't know, but I think the game used to mean more back then. Playing for the club meant more, more pride in the jersey, now it's a job and a way to earn money.

Maybe it's just I hope the game used to mean more back then.

 

[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?

Yeah it's weird. I don't know why, I just like to think they were better in the past. And how do I know, I don't know, I can't know, but I think the game used to mean more back then. Playing for the club meant more, more pride in the jersey, now it's a job and a way to earn money.

Maybe it's just I hope the game used to mean more back then.

Yeah thats a fair call. Three of those modern day players are old school though. Smith, Slater and JT play the game like those old fellas used to.

 

[Fade_To_Black]

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?

Yeah it's weird. I don't know why, I just like to think they were better in the past. And how do I know, I don't know, I can't know, but I think the game used to mean more back then. Playing for the club meant more, more pride in the jersey, now it's a job and a way to earn money.

Maybe it's just I hope the game used to mean more back then.

Yeah thats a fair call. Three of those modern day players are old school though. Smith, Slater and JT play the game like those old fellas used to.

Hmmm, in what way?

 

[stryker]

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?

Yeah it's weird. I don't know why, I just like to think they were better in the past. And how do I know, I don't know, I can't know, but I think the game used to mean more back then. Playing for the club meant more, more pride in the jersey, now it's a job and a way to earn money.

Maybe it's just I hope the game used to mean more back then.

Yeah thats a fair call. Three of those modern day players are old school though. Smith, Slater and JT play the game like those old fellas used to.

Hmmm, in what way?

They are footballers who play what is in front of them as opposed to a great modern day player like Cooper who is very structured.

 

[Spud_Murphy]

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?

Yeah it's weird. I don't know why, I just like to think they were better in the past. And how do I know, I don't know, I can't know, but I think the game used to mean more back then. Playing for the club meant more, more pride in the jersey, now it's a job and a way to earn money.

Maybe it's just I hope the game used to mean more back then.

I think the creator of the list shared your sentiments. There are some guys on that list from over 50 years ago who are complete nuffies compared to some of the top players of the past 30 years.

 

[Fade_To_Black]

Don't want to spoil your passmark BBf but…

Darren LOCKYER not Lockner
Alan LANGER not Langar
Brad FITTLER not Fitler
Andrew ETTINGSHAUSEN not Ettinghausen

Plus the others already mentioned by others - 1 mistake per hundred, so at least 6 is a fail, Sister Mary Fidales would not be a happy person and would have the strap out.

As for making mistakes Russ, good thing you spelt out your last sentence correctly or it would of been one helluva Freudian slip!

 

[Russell]

Don't want to spoil your passmark BBf but…

Darren LOCKYER not Lockner
Alan LANGER not Langar
Brad FITTLER not Fitler
Andrew ETTINGSHAUSEN not Ettinghausen

Plus the others already mentioned by others - 1 mistake per hundred, so at least 6 is a fail, Sister Mary Fidales would not be a happy person and would have the strap out.

As for making mistakes Russ, good thing you spelt out your last sentence correctly or it would of been one helluva Freudian slip!

True Mate, very true! Lol.

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

Don't want to spoil your passmark BBf but…

Darren LOCKYER not Lockner
Alan LANGER not Langar
Brad FITTLER not Fitler
Andrew ETTINGSHAUSEN not Ettinghausen

Plus the others already mentioned by others - 1 mistake per hundred, so at least 6 is a fail, Sister Mary Fidales would not be a happy person and would have the strap out.

As for making mistakes Russ, good thing you spelt out your last sentence correctly or it would of been one helluva Freudian slip!

True Mate, very true! Lol.

In an exam Russell would have lost on BBf should be BBF, and 1 mistake should be one mistake as is under number ten, and passmark should have been pass mark.
Three mistakes in a total of 60 words his post was is a shocking failure.

 

[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?

Yeah it's weird. I don't know why, I just like to think they were better in the past. And how do I know, I don't know, I can't know, but I think the game used to mean more back then. Playing for the club meant more, more pride in the jersey, now it's a job and a way to earn money.

Maybe it's just I hope the game used to mean more back then.

I think the creator of the list shared your sentiments. There are some guys on that list from over 50 years ago who are complete nuffies compared to some of the top players of the past 30 years.

In the intro to the book they stated that were sort of choosing so many out of each decade - so is roughly one for each year of RL it averages out.

It would be difficult to come eras due to different working conditions of each era. Even only 60 years they were not professional, Beetson was a brickie, so they would have been half buggered without footy. As well they would have been working 40 or 45 hour weeks. So would have been even too busy for physio etc. even if it did exist. Training was completely different - so really we could not expect them to match current professionals.

 

[MG1962]

In the intro to the book they stated that were sort of choosing so many out of each decade - so is roughly one for each year of RL it averages out.

It would be difficult to come eras due to different working conditions of each era. Even only 60 years they were not professional, Beetson was a brickie, so they would have been half buggered without footy. As well they would have been working 40 or 45 hour weeks. So would have been even too busy for physio etc. even if it did exist. Training was completely different - so really we could not expect them to match current professionals.

The only way you can compare them is to see how they dominated the players they played against. For example comparing Slater and Churchill. Slater would be one of the best fullbacks I have ever seen in terms of consistency and ability to scheme. Churchill on the other hand revolutionized the roll of the full back.

Much of what Slater is today draws a direct line to the innovations Churchill introduced. Conversely Slater and others have built on and improved the the style that Churchill developed.

So given all that plus the problems you mention, can we realistically rank the best 100 players. Perhaps we can all agree all 100 of these players should be on the list and the actual ranking comes down to personal preference :slight_smile: