Your Favourite All Time Tigers or Magpies Player

[stevied]

Younger bloke so definitely Benji, but love watching ol Benny Elias, would’ve loved to watch him live in his prime

Benny Elias was a highly skilled hooker. He was small in stature but nuggety and tough. He was also highly elusive and had a wonderful dummy. Definitely the Tigers (not Magpies) second best ever hooker after Farrah.

Just my opinion and a difference on how the game changed over the years.

I think Benny (and I hate the guy for what he did as much as anybody) was the best hooker in the game not just the Tigers. Thought he revolutionised the hooker roll, run from DH, chip kick etc. Things that others copied and took credit for.

Now if you are talking Dummy Halves - Farah is undoubtedly the best WT ever had.

Don't think Farah would have stood up to the old hooker role though.

Completely agree Russell. He absolutely revolutionised the hooking role by showing that it could be creative and unconventional. And you are right, he was a forerunner for other creative hookers such as Farah. And while we are talking about Farah, he made the role even more dynamic. Never before has the game seen a hooker with a wider array of creative options - chip kick, cross kick, grubber kick, long kick, bomb, dummy, run out of dummy half, Robbie had it all. To be honest, I could never understand why Smith was always rated above him because, at one stage, he was clearly the best attacking hooker. Actually, I will go further and say that Smith, overall, has been a touch overrated and suggest that his consistent selection as the national rake was a political decision rather than one based on merit. Farah was the more talented player but Smith was considered more popular and the one that would fit better with the overall style of the kangaroo squad. Plus he had an undoubted talent as a manipulator of the officials.....

 

[Masterton]

Tommy was my favourite all my mums family called me Raudonikis. It was a bad couple of years for wests losing Dorahy, Boyd and Brown to Manly and Tommy and O Grady to Newtown.
Wests had some lean years after that, but I did like the unheralded Allan Geelan in that poor era for Wests.
And 3 of Balmain best all came from Wests, Garry Jack, Mick Neil and Scott Gale.

Allen Geelan was a tough bastard for a pretty small guy. I always referred to him a sheadbutts after an 'incident' at Bear Park.

Can you tell that story, @gallagher ? I don't know it.

 

[NT_Tiger]

I don't know about the best ever, but I always enjoyed watching Taniela Tuiaki bulldoze his way toward the try line

 

[JC99]

I don't know about the best ever, but I always enjoyed watching Taniela Tuiaki bulldoze his way toward the try line

He was a monster out on the field. He was ahead of his time as a winger who’s essentially a forward as well he scored some fantastic tries

 

[NT_Tiger]

I just rewatched the Bonstonker Tuiaki highlights, put a smile on my face

 

[Curaeus]

Don Parish. great Magpies fullback

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I just rewatched the Bonstonker Tuiaki highlights, put a smile on my face

Had a quality Tongan sidestep.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Sirro. Idolised the guy as a child. Went to a WT members day quite a few years ago now and spent more time with Sirro who was doing a Balmain Juniors BBQ fundraiser than any of the Wests Tigers guys. The missus couldn't understand it.

Haha i had a similar experience a couple years ago at a fundraiser. Steve Georgalis was there, and I went up and asled him for a photo. My girlfriend took the pic, and she was a bit clueless to as to why I was getting a pic with someone she’d never even heard of.

 

[tbones10]

Ian 'Herbie' Freeman, for the Maggie's and The Black Flash himself, Larry Corowa for the Tigers. Larry was an absolute standout, retires at 26 and 8 years later comes back for The Seagulls, plays two games scores one try and disappears, a truly enigmatic champion.

 

[rustycage]

Percy, Larry, Junior, Brooksy (David) and the viking.

 

[JC99]

I just rewatched the Bonstonker Tuiaki highlights, put a smile on my face

I wish he made videos still

 

[TopTiger]

Larry Corowa as every time he touched the ball the fans would rise as one on the hill, speed to burn!!

 

[JD Tiger]

Charles Chooky Fraser.

I obviously never saw him play, as he played from 1910 to 1926. Balmain player, that played for 17 seasons, most of any Balmain player.

And yes, he could kick goals.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I just rewatched the Bonstonker Tuiaki highlights, put a smile on my face

I wish he made videos still

He's probably given up on the club. Haven't seen him post in quite a while.

 

[Russell]

"Golden Boots" my all time Tiger player.

Harry Wells my all time Magpie player.

 

[eyewondertwo]

len Killeen- walked up to the penalty mark,made a divot with the back of his heel,stood the ball upright and toe poked it- and got the goal- couldn't he give lessons on how to quicken the game up to todays kickers
neil pringle
trevor cogger and ian Schubert- stuck solid through some lean magpie years

 

[Aesopian]

I just rewatched the Bonstonker Tuiaki highlights, put a smile on my face

Saw the Bonstonker Simon Dwyer vid just then for the 1st time. Can someone lock Garner in a dark room and make him watch it 100 times... What stood out more than his defence was the hole running & offloads. Sheeesh

To add to the thread, **Brasher** was my fav. His swerve at pace was majestic

 

[gato]

Ian 'Herbie' Freeman, for the Maggie's and The Black Flash himself, Larry Corowa for the Tigers. Larry was an absolute standout, retires at 26 and 8 years later comes back for The Seagulls, plays two games scores one try and disappears, a truly enigmatic champion.

I remember watching herbie he was a hard man and the kag0ie faithful loved him.
My fave maggie was Ciriaco Mescia. Fave tiger was mick neil looked like a matchstick but never let his teammates down

 

[bathursttiger1]

"Golden Boots" my all time Tiger player.

Harry Wells my all time Magpie player.

I met Harry Wells a few time at his Bottle shop at Flynn's beach, in the early Eighties.
Real great guy was always up for a chat.

My favourite Balmain player Bing Pringle.
Wests Tigers player Dene Halatau.

 

[tigerbalm]

Ellery Hanley! the OG of wests tigers