Hall of Fame and Immortals

[Dragonwest]

Meninga wasn't even the best player in his club side. Immortal?

If your starting a new team in 1990 and getting to take 2 or 3 from Canberra I wouldn't be selecting Meninga over Clyde, Daley or Lazo. Could even argue Stuart.

 

[TheFrog]

Langlands and Beetson weren't picked originally either.

Langlands was a poor choice. Beetson I can live with.

 

[TheFrog]

led Australia many times

Some of us remember that becoming captain of Australia had more to do with the Super League war than being the best choice. He wasn't any sort of captain early in his career.

 

[Jimmy Clark]

Locky at times would have had more in his system than Janis Joplin or Amy Winehouse.

Anyone who hasn't heard the stories has been living under a rock.

And guess what? I don't give a f**k. It's only a crime because the government are anti personal freedom pigs.

Provide a link or it isn’t true.

 

[Springs09]

Because in other eras, like the 70s and 80s the best players were more spread out and they don't dominate the immortals list.

The overall talent wasn't better in the 50s and 60s, its just that the best of them all played for St George.

More Immortals played in the 70s than the 50s

Current Immortals by Era:
1900s - Dally Messenger
1910s - Dally Messenger, Frank Burge
1920s - Frank Burge
1930s - Dave Brown
1940s - Dave Brown, Clive Churchill
1950s - Clive Churchill, John Raper, Reg Gasnier, Norm Provan
1960s - John Raper, Reg Gasnier, Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands, Arthur Beetson, Norm Provan
1970s - Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands, Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Mal Meninga
1980s - Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Mal Meninga
1990s - Wally Lewis, Mal Meninga, Andrew Johns
2000s - Andrew Johns

 

[Tommy Smith]

Langlands was a poor choice. Beetson I can live with.

Only live with?

Beetson is hands down the best forward of all time.

Should have been one of the originals.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Because in other eras, like the 70s and 80s the best players were more spread out and they don't dominate the immortals list.

The overall talent wasn't better in the 50s and 60s, its just that the best of them all played for St George.

Again, how does this exclude them from being adjudged an immortal?

 

[Drew-Sta]

Langlands was a poor choice. Beetson I can live with.

lol.

Your inability to understand greatness is advanced.

By your logic, Churchill wasn't great either as he played for Souths in the 5 years prior, and Coote / Sattler weren't strong in the 5 after Saints.

Irvine, Summons, Mossop and Kelly were all shit too by that statement. Lets throw in Beetson, Barnes and Fulton too, cause they sucked.

Your butthurt is amusing to watch.

 

[Drew-Sta]

Only live with?

Beetson is hands down the best forward of all time.

Should have been one of the originals.

Best prop, anyway. I'd argue Provan is the best second rower, Raper the best lock etc.

Semantics, but important.

 

[King hit]

Only live with?

Beetson is hands down the best forward of all time.

Should have been one of the originals.

He was still playing when the originals were picked

 

[Captain Apollo]

Some of us remember that becoming captain of Australia had more to do with the Super League war than being the best choice. He wasn't any sort of captain early in his career.

Yes it was, but even after the formation of the NRL he still kept the gig. people often overlook the 1995 World Cup where Freddy all but single handedly beat a full strength New Zealand side in extra time to get Australia to the World Cup Final, which Australia went on to win thanks to Andrew Johns in the final. However Freddy was magnificent in that semi-final. Close to his best ever game of league at a professional level ever.

 

[GongPanther]

You do realise that footballers from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s did far worse shit than Joey ever did?

Such as?

 

[GongPanther]

Why should offield count when it didnt with others?

Others?

 

[TheFrog]

Yes it was, but even after the formation of the NRL he still kept the gig. people often overlook the 1995 World Cup where Freddy all but single handedly beat a full strength New Zealand side in extra time to get Australia to the World Cup Final, which Australia went on to win thanks to Andrew Johns in the final. However Freddy was magnificent in that semi-final. Close to his best ever game of league at a professional level ever.

Great, great player, right from the start. But as a young man he was a buffoon. He turned up for a team photo at Penrith without his boots and was photographed bare footed. He was no captain, he was only given the captaincy of Australia while still at Penrith, having never been considered as club captain, as an inducement to leave Penrith and join the Roosters, making him a poster boy for the establishment. It was a dirty war.

 

[Tommy Smith]

Great, great player, right from the start. But as a young man he was a buffoon. He turned up for a team photo at Penrith without his boots and was photographed bare footed. He was no captain, he was only given the captaincy of Australia while still at Penrith, having never been considered as club captain, as an inducement to leave Penrith and join the Roosters, making him a poster boy for the establishment. It was a dirty war.

Geez you're harsh!

Aren't all young men buffoon's?

Now bear in mind that this was a young lad that grew up in the Wild West without a father figure. And he was a freakish talent that would have been fawned over.

So of course he was a buffoon as a young man.

And yet it's a testament to the man he is that it only took one bollocking from Gus for him to knuckle down. And from there he quickly developed into a fine young man and eventually one of NSW & Australia's greatest ever captains.

He could have had a sook and gone the Todd Carney way but he didn't. The complete opposite in fact.

So to my thinking Freddy is a tremendous role model and success story for young lads growing up out West. A far cry from being remembered as a "young buffoon".

 

[typicalfan]

Id have Kenny next before Fittler. The Eels need a representative from their dominant side of the early 80s

 

[typicalfan]

The period is regarded as a golden era. It wasn't. It was a period of stagnation for the game. Al;l the best players wanted to play for the most successful team and there was no mechanism to prevent it.

Everyone wanted to play for them. You could have put Will Smith into a side like this and he'd probably be the next immortal. Norm Provan as a forward was no better than 100 others, but an inspirational captain who had a fantastic side under him. I would have gone for Peter Sterling personally.

Allowing one club to monopolise the competition for over a decade was bad for the game, and it will never be allowed to happen again.

No better than 100 forwards? Bit of a claim there. And how exactly was the talent monopolised? How did the Dragons assemble their side any different to anyone else in that era? I know there has always been the Johnny Raper Newtown thing but that aside?

 

[Tronald Crump]

Thank God Provan got in because Buzz got banned.

Best part of the night. The hater Rothchild would have being choking on his beer had he been conscious at the time of the announcement.

Well done Norm.

 

[King hit]

Wonder where those old buggers who claimed that there was a conspiracy against Norm are thinking today

 

[ANTiLAG]

Geez you're harsh!

Aren't all young men buffoon's?

Now bear in mind that this was a young lad that grew up in the Wild West without a father figure. And he was a freakish talent that would have been fawned over.

So of course he was a buffoon as a young man.

And yet it's a testament to the man he is that it only took one bollocking from Gus for him to knuckle down. And from there he quickly developed into a fine young man and eventually one of NSW & Australia's greatest ever captains.

He could have had a sook and gone the Todd Carney way but he didn't. The complete opposite in fact.

So to my thinking Freddy is a tremendous role model and success story for young lads growing up out West. A far cry from being remembered as a "young buffoon".

Tommy, you're arguing the wrong argument. Freddy is still a buffoon as his hair is turning grey and falling out.

But man, he could play football. And I rate him very highly.

That's what you should be arguing.

I wouldn't be surprised if I read in the papers tomorrow that that Freddy went and played letter box baseball tonight just 'cos someone had a ute and a baseball bat. Let's not let buffoonery get in the way of someone's playing ability. Cos Freddy has both in spades.

And you know what? I even like his commentary (whether people question his sobriety or not).