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Cameron Smith is the greatest rugby league player ever.

Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
NSW have made Smith look good.
Half true.

When Smith-Lockyer-Thurston-Slater faced the true GOAT in games II & III of the 2005 Origin Series what happened?

They were made to look pretty mortal by the 8th Immortal.

It's amazing how quickly people have forgotten just how amazing Joey was.

I don't care how good Smith and JT are, no other player instilled fear and had an aura about him like Joey. An aura felt by his teammates.

The difference between NSW in game I of that series to NSW in games II and III is to me the stuff of legend.
 

POPEYE

Coach
Messages
11,397
Rugby league journos, and sports journos in general, are obsessed with the GOAT concept.

Unless you're over 109 years old, have watched every game of rugby league ever played, have analysed different eras to standardize different rules, playing conditions etc its impossible to make a judgement on the 'best ever'.

No rugby league player is a standout among others like Don Bradman is in cricket. 10 years ago Andrew Johns was the GOAT, now its Smith, in ten years time they'll latch on to someone else.

That said Smith is pretty f**king good, Thurston overhyped.
Wow!
 

Pedge1971

First Grade
Messages
5,898
would love to see smith sign with the knights. just to see how he goes

Definitely. Be interesting and give some perspective in such an argument. In 2005 the Knights had a terrible team after injury given they lost every game going into the last 10. Joey came back and they won 8 out of 10 games after that.

That is was not much better (if at all) than the team today and Johns had them at 80% when he played.
 

OldPanther

Coach
Messages
13,404
Half true.

When Smith-Lockyer-Thurston-Slater faced the true GOAT in games II & III of the 2005 Origin Series what happened?

They were made to look pretty mortal by the 8th Immortal.

It's amazing how quickly people have forgotten just how amazing Joey was.

I don't care how good Smith and JT are, no other player instilled fear and had an aura about him like Joey. An aura felt by his teammates.

The difference between NSW in game I of that series to NSW in games II and III is to me the stuff of legend.

:heart_eyes:
 

2 weeks

Coach
Messages
16,272
Smith & Joey remind me more of chess grandmasters than footy players.
While they physically remain on the field with everyone else, mentally they seem to remove themselves from the battle & can see the game from above.
Both have almost 360 degree peripheral vision.
It must be like having your coach out there with you.
 

JD359

Juniors
Messages
31
Lewis, Johns, Smith, Thurston & Fittler. You could make cases for all 5 of them, hard to split them in an overall breakdown of their games
 

Pedge1971

First Grade
Messages
5,898
Smith & Joey remind me more of chess grandmasters than footy players.
While they physically remain on the field with everyone else, mentally they seem to remove themselves from the battle & can see the game from above.
Both have almost 360 degree peripheral vision.
It must be like having your coach out there with you.

But both bloody tough as well and defended as well as any fwd without the size.
 

nick87

Coach
Messages
12,250
Cam Smith is hands down the best player I've ever seen. His performance the other night was amazing

For a guy who is not blessed with elite athleticism to impact a game 3 like that well into his 30's is outrageous.

He's incredible. I'll be stunned if I ever see a player as good as him in my life
 

POPEYE

Coach
Messages
11,397
Cam Smith is hands down the best player I've ever seen. His performance the other night was amazing

For a guy who is not blessed with elite athleticism to impact a game 3 like that well into his 30's is outrageous.

He's incredible. I'll be stunned if I ever see a player as good as him in my life
I'm with you, let's go the full hog
 

POPEYE

Coach
Messages
11,397
Anasta reckons Taumalolo may be the best in the game . . . all in the eye of the beholder
 

This Year?

Immortal
Messages
31,278
BRASH young Dragons five-eighth Richie Williams has lit a fuse ahead of today's Anzac Day clash with the Roosters, claiming that his opposite, Braith Anasta, is a mere shadow of the player he once was.

Williams, who has himself recently come under criticism from fans and the Dragons coaching staff for inconsistent form, said Anasta was not as good as when he was voted the game's most overrated player in Rugby League Week players' polls in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

"I used to watch him growing up," Williams, 20, said of his 25-year-old rival. "He was doing some good things back then. If you are in first grade, you must be doing something right - so I think [the overrated tag] was unfair, but he is not as good as he was back then, trust me.

"He is still pretty good, but I want to get over the top of him. To outplay him is definitely the goal."

As if that wasn't enough to rile the Roosters for the traditional encounter, Williams has predicted they will finish last in the competition this season after five consecutive losses to start the year.

"The way they are going, you would have to say they'll win the wooden spoon. I think they'll hit some form during the season, but the way they are going now, they'll come last," Williams said.

"We will beat them for sure. We've got good, experienced players in the team; a lot of speed in the back line. We have to win this game. We've only won one all year and they haven't won any."

Richie you naughty boy!
 

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