Memories

cktiger said:
We’ll never know.
Slater didn’t play in the era where you could clobber blokes to slow them up… plus Slater never played in a poor team.
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I find Slater's achievements are often downplayed because he was a grub, a Queenslander and a smart arse.
If we discount those character traits and his state of birth, it is folly not to acknowledge that he was an ultra elite player who excelled in any arena. He could stop tries like not many others, was a brilliant broken field runner, had explosive speed off the mark, was very safe under the highball and was an awesome ballplayer. On top of this, he has a very strategic football mind, as evidenced by his success as a player and as a coach. He is in the conversation for immortal status one day and rightly so.
 
Tucker said:
I find Slater's achievements are often downplayed because he was a grub, a Queenslander and a smart arse.
If we discount those character traits and his state of birth, it is folly not to acknowledge that he was an ultra elite player who excelled in any arena. He could stop tries like not many others, was a brilliant broken field runner, had explosive speed off the mark, was very safe under the highball and was an awesome ballplayer. On top of this, he has a very strategic football mind, as evidenced by his success as a player and as a coach. He is in the conversation for immortal status one day and rightly so.
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It's not a good argument to compare champions from different eras....diet, training techniques, video, recovery, transport and probably more.
I'm interested to know if you have lived in Queensland?
 
Halbrowne61 said:
That’s a big call but he was certainly a good one.
Very good last line defence and could find a gap.
Only thing he ever did wrong was sledge Ian Robert’s about his sexuality at Leichhardt one day and got the s..t beaten out of him by same IR.
Trainer was scratching around on the ground looking for broken teeth( true).
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I remember that gave him an absolute flogging.
I think Jack tried to sue Roberts over that, not completely sure.
 
bathursttiger1 said:
I remember that gave him an absolute flogging.
I think Jack tried to sue Roberts over that, not completely sure.
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Just before half time Manly v Tigers at northern end of the ground. I was opposite out front of Robinson stand.
Don’t even think we got the penalty coz hooter went.
Memory’s a bit dim these days.
 
Tucker said:
I find Slater's achievements are often downplayed because he was a grub, a Queenslander and a smart arse.
If we discount those character traits and his state of birth, it is folly not to acknowledge that he was an ultra elite player who excelled in any arena. He could stop tries like not many others, was a brilliant broken field runner, had explosive speed off the mark, was very safe under the highball and was an awesome ballplayer. On top of this, he has a very strategic football mind, as evidenced by his success as a player and as a coach. He is in the conversation for immortal status one day and rightly so.
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Got a rule implemented in his honour too....to stop fullbacks kicking blokes in the head as they tried to stop tries. His defence funnily enough was never as effective after he wasn't able to do that. Not sure in the NRL made any official rule changes regarding fullbacks karate kicking oncoming chasers in the face when diffusing bombs? That was another Billy trademark.
If Billy was around in the Jimmy Jack era or before he wouldn't have a lot of teeth in his head to work with these days. Blokes with cat-like tendencies were a fond target of the thugs of those eras.
He was a good player, playing in a time where the game was massively cleaned up definitely helped him out.
 
Odessa said:
What would you rate in 1980's fullbacks? Top 5 ?
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Definitely top 5 for mine. It took Belcher on the end of a very successful Raiders backline to dislodge Jack who was the incumbent. There were other great fullbacks like Shearer, Ridge and I am sure I am forgetting a few but Jack had the best all round game I have seen. Jonathan Docking was another I really liked to watch play.

Jack didn't mind a kicking duel either.
 
Tigersmurf said:
Definitely top 5 for mine. It took Belcher on the end of a very successful Raiders backline to dislodge Jack who was the incumbent. There were other great fullbacks like Shearer, Ridge and I am sure I am forgetting a few but Jack had the best all round game I have seen. Jonathan Docking was another I really liked to watch play.

Jack didn't mind a kicking duel either.
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Badge and Jimmy were the clear top full backs of that area. Always going at each other in club and rep games.
Others were just spectators imo.
Interesting that Jack named in the 1980s Australian team of the decade “( over Belcher) so those who don’t rate him really don’t understand his attributes.
 
happy_tiger said:
Could the writing been on the wall for Wests with rumours circling about a 12 team comp and teams possibly going ......
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Hold the phone. We’re going from 16 to 17 teams in 2024 then back to 12. When ?
While I don’t disagree with the concept wtf are we bothering with the Dolphins if that’s the grand plan ?
First I’ve heard of this but that’s no surprise.
 
Tigersmurf said:
Definitely top 5 for mine. It took Belcher on the end of a very successful Raiders backline to dislodge Jack who was the incumbent. There were other great fullbacks like Shearer, Ridge and I am sure I am forgetting a few but Jack had the best all round game I have seen. Jonathan Docking was another I really liked to watch play.

Jack didn't mind a kicking duel either.
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The game against Norths I think, back in the day, Jimmy Jack lost a tooth which he found on the pitch and slipped it into the fold of his sock - he then fielded a line drop out and proceeded to score a try. 🦷🧦🤣
 
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