Dragons Announce Team Of The Era (1956-1966)

[getsmarty]

Dragons Announce Team Of The Era (1956-1966)
Thu 8th September, 04:00PM
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The St George Illawarra Dragons have officially announced their ‘Team Of The Era’ who competed during the historic ‘Never Before, Never Again’ era which spanned from 1956 to 1966.

The St George Dragons conquered all who opposed them in a period of time which saw them claim a world-record 11 straight Premiership victories during this period – to this day a feat which has never been challenged.

The record of the era was extraordinary: 222 first-grade games played during the period, for 183 wins, five draws and 34 defeats.

The Dragons fielded 85 players during this remarkable era with each contributing to the 1,039 tries and 996 goals for 5,109 points.

Furthermore, 42 players took part in the 11 Grand Finals as they went on to score 205 points to 63 – conceding only five registered tries against them in the process.

The ‘Team of the Era’ was selected by an expert seven-man panel which consisted of Geoff Armstrong, Peter Black, Ian Heads, Gary Lester, Roy Masters, Arthur Summons and Larry Writer.

‘Never Before, Never Again Team Of The Era:

Starting Team
Fullback: Graeme Langlands
Wing: Eddie Lumsden
Centre: Reg Gasnier
Centre: Billy Smith
Wing: Johnny King
Five-Eighth: Brian Clay
Halfback: Bobby Bugden
Prop: Kevin Ryan
Hooker: Ken Kearney
Prop: Billy Wilson
Second-Row: Harry Bath
Second-Row: Norm Provan
Lock: John Raper

Interchange
Ian Walsh
Monty Porter
Elton Rasmussen
Brian Graham

18th Man
George Evans

Red V Members and supporters alike also had the opportunity to vote on their own ‘Fans’ Team Of The Era and nominated their starting 13 players as well as four interchange players.

‘Fans Never Before, Never Again Team Of The Era:

Starting Team
Fullback: Graeme Langlands
Wing: Eddie Lumsden
Centre: Reg Gasnier
Centre: Billy Smith
Wing: Johnny King
Five-Eighth: Brian Clay
Halfback: Bobby Bugden
Prop: Kevin Ryan
Hooker: Ian Walsh
Prop: Billy Wilson
Second-Row: Elton Rasmussen
Second-Row: Norm Provan
Lock: John Raper

Interchange
Ken Kearney
Harry Bath
Monty Porter
Dick Huddart

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2016/09/08/dragons_announce_tea.html

 

[Too old too slow]

Honour your past...

The AFL do a few things well.. Marketing, grass root development and honouring the past. We can learn something from them.

I think the NRL is starting to understand the need to honour 'their' history and Greenburg has mentioned this is a change needed.

As mentioned previously.. R.Stuart has embraced this for his club... With success.

Very happy to see this group of legends honoured again .. They are slowly leaving us.. But we should never forget.

Could you imagine only letting in five tries over 11 years of grand finals.. We are happy today when it's only 5 tries a game, with two from kicks.

'Make us great again'

 

[Zucchini]

No doubt McGregor would coach any creativity out of them and have them playing uninspired footy in no time at all. Supercoach!

 

[saints4ever]

Cannot see Poppa running sideways or killer adjusting his man bun before passing from DH

 

[Mr Red]

What a brilliant hooker rotation

 

[dragonssamy61]

Honour your past...

The AFL do a few things well.. Marketing, grass root development and honouring the past. We can learn something from them.

I think the NRL is starting to understand the need to honour 'their' history and Greenburg has mentioned this is a change needed.

As mentioned previously.. R.Stuart has embraced this for his club... With success.

Very happy to see this group of legends honoured again .. They are slowly leaving us.. But we should never forget.

Could you imagine only letting in five tries over 11 years of grand finals.. We are happy today when it's only 5 tries a game, with two from kicks.

'Make us great again'

Well said sir
Love your passion

 

[dragonssamy61]

Cannot see Poppa running sideways or killer adjusting his man bun before passing from DH

Killer would have scalped the man bun.
Lol

 

[hazzbeen]

Different era , How would that team have gone in today's comp , 6 tackle rule .... or today's teams no tackle rule ? Throw the stats into a computer and see what it would spit out . I think today's teams would come out on top , just due to fitness ( just a thought )

 

[Too old too slow]

Different era , How would that team have gone in today's comp , 6 tackle rule .... or today's teams no tackle rule ? Throw the stats into a computer and see what it would spit out . I think today's teams would come out on top , just due to fitness ( just a thought )

Hazzbeen... It's a thought I have pondered .. And of course impossible to answer.

If the only criteria was the 'tackle rule' ..

Whilst fitness of today's athlete is superior across the paddock and hence their strength and aerobic capacity. You can't dismiss the old 'can't run without heads' mentality. I doubt today's players as they are, could stand up to 'bad old days' ways.

Today's players would have far less chirp and bravado, if they had the likes of 'Kandos' getting square as opposed to the shirt fronting, pushing and smiling we have now. In fact being able to throw one now would take a lot of the niggle rubbish out of the game.. It would quieten Michael Ennis and his other mates down a lot.

Today's players are undoubtedly tough and so is the game.. But the 'unbridled' aggression of yesteryear is a facet they don't have to deal with any more - and I am thankful for that.

The millennials and 'snow flake generation' has softened everything and everyone ... Everyone gets a ribbon"... But for the most, the game is in a better place.

 

[St Georgio]

Someone correct me if I am wrong these guys and team were so good, that they brought in the 4 tackle rule and scumulla to stop this club from continuing its dominance!

Comparing era's you can't with video analysis, opposition will find your weaknesse preventing you from winning premiership after premiership, but individually these same footballers would have made it into today's. game no problem .

 

[denis preston]

Someone correct me if I am wrong these guys and team were so good, that they brought in the 4 tackle rule and scumulla to stop this club from continuing its dominance!

Comparing era's you can't with video analysis, opposition will find your weaknesse preventing you from winning premiership after premiership, but individually these same footballers would have made it into today's. game no problem .

Not really, it was a myth perpetrated by some. The game was getting very boring and the teams that didn't have the talent played pass tackle pass tackle .The backs got nothing.Those days the average club winger would be lucky to score 12 tries. The difference for the Dragons were Souths great era starting and players age caught up with them and quire dramatically in the case of Walsh , Clay & Goulay., Cronulla taking our depth players and not seeing that captain coaches had it's day.

 

[Old Timer]

Not really, it was a myth perpetrated by some. The game was getting very boring and the teams that didn't have the talent played pass tackle pass tackle .The backs got nothing.Those days the average club winger would be lucky to score 12 tries. The difference for the Dragons were Souths great era starting and players age caught up with them and quire dramatically in the case of Walsh , Clay & Goulay., Cronulla taking our depth players and not seeing that captain coaches had it's day.

DP in the main I believe you are correct especially about the Capt/Coach scenario and of course when the TV rights started to make it much more professional something had to change to get the fans attention.
However there were some great exceptions re the wingers in particular Irvine and Boston.
To this day and despite the fact he lost an entire season Irvine's try scoring record still stands and it was a 10 team comp for much of his career and then only 12 teams and he didn't play a lot of semi final footy either.

 

[St Georgio]

Not really, it was a myth perpetrated by some. The game was getting very boring and the teams that didn't have the talent played pass tackle pass tackle .The backs got nothing.Those days the average club winger would be lucky to score 12 tries. The difference for the Dragons were Souths great era starting and players age caught up with them and quire dramatically in the case of Walsh , Clay & Goulay., Cronulla taking our depth players and not seeing that captain coaches had it's day.

I am totally convinced about scumulla though, as you said scumulla taking our depth, I am sure Ian Head mentions the NSWRL trying its best stop the mighty red v!

 

[Old Timer]

I am totally convinced about scumulla though, as you said scumulla taking our depth, I am sure Ian Head mentions the NSWRL trying its best stop the mighty red v!

The Red V run would have stopped anyway as DP points out age was gaining rapidly on so much of the team and already we had bled many top juniors to other clubs so the natural progression was starting to wain.
Wittenberg, Hawthorne, Branson, Beath, and so on were all purchases to try and bolster the club.
Felt really sorry for Witt as he had to sit out the last year of the run and if not for that he would have had a premiership as he went on to become a great war horse for the club when the 4 tackle rule came in.

 

[RedVDragon]

No doubt McGregor would coach any creativity out of them and have them playing uninspired footy in no time at all. Supercoach!

Not only Mary, Price, Brown and Farrar would have coached the life out of that team. The all time worst coaches we ever had.

 

[denis preston]

DP in the main I believe you are correct especially about the Capt/Coach scenario and of course when the TV rights started to make it much more professional something had to change to get the fans attention.
However there were some great exceptions re the wingers in particular Irvine and Boston.
To this day and despite the fact he lost an entire season Irvine's try scoring record still stands and it was a 10 team comp for much of his career and then only 12 teams and he didn't play a lot of semi final footy either.

As great as King & Morris may have been Irvine was the greatest of his era ( and at least as good as Blinkhorn & Moir in their era but prob better ! ) Run like the wind, as equal of King in positional play , good defence and a try scoring record in a side that mostly didn't make the semis . Hated him leaving the bears to go to Manly but shit he deserved those premierships with Manly.

 

[Gareth67]

They were all such tremendous players , to have a team with those names playing , it was no wonder that they were almost unbeatable .

And the men behind the scenes , Frank Facer and company , were responsible for putting it all together , ensuring continued success .
If only the Joint Venture had such individuals sitting in the Boardroom today , I am sure that our future would be looking much better .

 

[Old Timer]

As great as King & Morris may have been Irvine was the greatest of his era ( and at least as good as Blinkhorn & Moir in their era but prob better ! ) Run like the wind, as equal of King in positional play , good defence and a try scoring record in a side that mostly didn't make the semis . Hated him leaving the bears to go to Manly but shit he deserved those premierships with Manly.

Kicked the odd goal or two as well particularly the famous one from near the sideline against the Pomms.
Rumour has it Darcy Lawler (I think was the ref) who was standing directly behind Irvine as he was about to take the kick suggested he should aim a little bit more to the right.
Irvine stopped adjusted the ball and duly kicked the goal for the win.
Now in todays world they would want to call that match fixing as if it is something new LOL.
Lawler of course was the ref in the 63 GF try controversy against Wests.

 

[dannyt]

Kicked the odd goal or two as well particularly the famous one from near the sideline against the Pomms.
Rumour has it Darcy Lawler (I think was the ref) who was standing directly behind Irvine as he was about to take the kick suggested he should aim a little bit more to the right.
Irvine stopped adjusted the ball and duly kicked the goal for the win.
Now in todays world they would want to call that match fixing as if it is something new LOL.
Lawler of course was the ref in the 63 GF try controversy against Wests.

According to some rumours, Jack Gibson, who played for Wests in the 1963 GF, got to the dressing room and announced the 'fix' was on and there was no way they were going to win. Jack was also an SP-bookie.

 

[Willow]

Different era , How would that team have gone in today's comp , 6 tackle rule .... or today's teams no tackle rule ? Throw the stats into a computer and see what it would spit out . I think today's teams would come out on top , just due to fitness ( just a thought )

They would be a champion team today.

I thought about this question in the past and saw the arguments about modern players being faster and fitter and how the rules have changed etc. The thing is, teams of past, present and future can only play to the conditions of the day.

If Graeme Langlands, for example, was born in 1995, he would have been exposed to the modern training methods and the modern game. He would have developed into a champion... and undoubtedly earned a much bigger paypacket.

Btw, very impressed with the experts selection. I don't think I can fault it. Glad to see that Brian Graham made the cut, refreshing to see that some people close to the club still remember his great contributions.