Rating Benny Elias

[TheFrog]

Ben made dummy half an attacking position like none before him.

Elias the first hooker to attack from dummy half? Roycie used to do it as well, and probably many before that too.

 

[Vic Mackey]

He won a Dally M Medal when Joey missed 2004 with an ACL.

And he led his team to the wooden spoon

Anyways back to the original question

Elias rating as a person: 1/10
Elias rating as a player: 9/10

Criminally under rated because he was a total cock. Always played well at Rep level too. Before Gallen Benny was the only guy NSW had comparable to Wally Lewis, not performance wise but hated with passion by the other state.

 

[Mr Angry]

NSW Hookers..

A Johns, G Toovey, C Wing,

 

[mozza91]

And he led his team to the wooden spoon.

Came 10th actually.

 

[Mr Angry]

Elias the first hooker to attack from dummy half? Roycie used to do it as well, and probably many before that too.

Please n****r.

Taking a run cause no forward is there is not attacking from dummy half.

Are you just trolling?

Please say so.

 

[Meapro Ham]

And didn’t the qlders love Benny. Always good for baiting a few penalties in origin. Like when he’d do the squirrel grip on Bella

 

[Captain Apollo]

Wasn't even the best of his era. How he kept getting picked for Origin over Mario Fenech is a complete mystery? Fenech was twice the footballer Benny was.

Fenech's problem was he was too easy to goad. My late Father wound up drinking with the Souths players after they bowed out of the 1989 finals series and his fellow players told my old man to stay away from Mario as he always got shitty whenever they lost.

I suspect that reputation for being easy to goad probably cost him a few rep jumpers as it would have seen some selectors too nervous that he'd get binned/sent off for losing his cool.

 

[Mr Angry]

Meh Fenech was Ok, more a prop, certainly not an attacking type.

 

[Disinterested third party]

On field, Benny Elias was talented no doubt about it. He could play at hooker and had good enough ball skills that he played a few games at halfback for the Tigers also.

He did, however, have a bit of a reputation for being selfish when on the field. One of the great stories told about him is what Phil Gould did when he became Origin Coach in 1992. At their first training session for NSW, Gould took out two rugby league balls and said "Ok boys, we'll train with this one whilst the other one is for Benny to play with". He was making it clear he wanted Benny to pass the ball.

Gibson - who was by far the better coach - knew the value of Elias in 1990.

 

[retch]

I would rate him as a first class merkin.

 

[T-Boon]

I doubt Benny Elias would get a game in the NRL as it is now.
He was small and wasn't very fast. Probably the most skilful hooker ever but that doesnt matter much in todays game. It is sad that these types of players are lost to the game.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Gibson - who was by far the better coach - knew the value of Elias in 1990.

Gibson didn't pick the team in 1990, as he said publicly he would not have picked Steve Roach. Gibson had picked the 1989 side and after it got beaten 3-0 he was told he had to take the team selected for him. The good thing was it was Gibson who bloopded some young blokes in 1989 who turned out to be good or great Origin players for NSW - Daley, Clyde, Lazarus, Chris Johns to name a few.

As to Gould, Gus did that to send a message to Benny about how he wanted him to play in the NSW side. Benny to his credit took in the message and followed what the coach wanted which was why he was part of Gus's NSW side from 1992-1994.

 

[Saxon]

Benny Elias was the greatest Lebanese hooker who ever lived...

Not that hard - in a field of two, even a total numpty has a 50% chance of being the best.

 

[King hit]

Wasn't even the best of his era. How he kept getting picked for Origin over Mario Fenech is a complete mystery? Fenech was twice the footballer Benny was.

Elias was much better than Fenech and is one of the best Blues off all time. Do you think Fenech could ever pull of a performance in Origin like Elias in 1994. What a joke of a comment

 

[Disinterested third party]

Gibson didn't pick the team in 1990, as he said publicly he would not have picked Steve Roach. Gibson had picked the 1989 side and after it got beaten 3-0 he was told he had to take the team selected for him. The good thing was it was Gibson who bloopded some young blokes in 1989 who turned out to be good or great Origin players for NSW - Daley, Clyde, Lazarus, Chris Johns to name a few.

As to Gould, Gus did that to send a message to Benny about how he wanted him to play in the NSW side. Benny to his credit took in the message and followed what the coach wanted which was why he was part of Gus's NSW side from 1992-1994.

Didn't say Gibson selected him. Just that he wasn't stupid and realised his immense value to NSW. As Elias then showed in the first game of 1990. He cut Qld up inside the first 6 tackles when he dummied, made a clean break and unloaded to Clyde.

But thanks anyway Phil.

 

[DC_fan]

Mario Fenech was better

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

Nice spelling of Izzard

Fmd

 

[gUt]

Greg Conescu > Ben Elias

 

[JJ]

in my time
1. Smith
2. Walters, S.
3. Elias
4. Buderus

But still would rather have Roycie or Mario

 

[T-Boon]

Benny was one of the best at striking for the ball in the play the ball. Very disruptive.
We should bring that back in limited circumstances. Maybe as a reward for a one-on-one tackle you should be allowed to strike for the ball.