Whats your greatest Saints team ever?

[Anonymous]

There's a thread in the NRL section like this which applies to all teams.
I thought I'd add my selections here. I'd say that there are a few positions that are open to debate.

My team (1921 - 2003):

1. Graeme Langlands
2. Johnny King
3. Reg Gasnier
4. Mark Coyne
5. Nathan Blacklock
6. Brian Clay
7. Billy Smith
8. Craig Young
9. Ken Kearney (c)
10. Kevin Ryan
11. Rod Reddy
12. Norm Provan
13. Johnny Raper

Res
14. Frank Burge
15. Brad Mackay

 

[Dragon Fanatic]

1. Graham Langlands
2. Johnny King
3. Reg Gasnier
4.
5.
6. Poppa Clay
7.Billy Smith
8.Craig Young
9.Ken Kearny
10.Ian Walsh
11.Ron Reddy
12.Norm Provan
13.Johnny Raper

 

[Anonymous]

Southernsaint, hope you dont mind us continuing the debate here...

This is very difficult because I'm assuming that you mean from all eras...

IMHO, from what I've seen and read...

1. Graeme Langlands
2. Johnny King
3. Reg Gasnier
4. Mark Coyne
5. Nathan Blacklock
6. Brian Clay
7. Billy Smith
8. Craig Young
9. Ken Kearney
10. Kevin Ryan
11. Rod Reddy
12. Norm Provan
13. Johnny Raper

Res
14. Frank Burge
15. Brad Mackay

Take out Rod Reddy, as he's a traitor & replace him with a man that bleeds Red & White, Lance Thompson. Also, I'd be inclined to replace Nathan Blacklock with Martin Offiah - I know he only played a handful of games for us but he was ALL CLASS!!

Everey fibre of my being wants Ricky Walford in the team but realistically he wouldn't make it. As a Gentleman though, he'd be the first picked - love you, Flash!!

Cheers,
Ben S.

If I did that I'd have to take out Kevin Ryan as well (for being captain coach of Canterbury in 1967).

Rod Reddy was a tremendous player who knew how to soften up his opposites in the opening stages of the match. Ofcourse, I considered Lance Thompson on the grounds that he has proven himself loyalty-wise... same with Ricky Walford. But I still think Rocket would have kept Thommo out of the top 13.

Blacklock over Offiah, Lumsden, Morris, (Ron) Roberts etc because he'll be remembered for what he did. When we dont have eye witnesses anymore, we can only rely on records and imo, Tingha's record speaks for itself.

Thats why Chunky Burge is in there... the oldest name in the team. He was a great running backrower who scored more tries than any other forward and the perfect reserve player to come on fresh in the second half (replacing Reddy before he gets sent off). Burge led Saints in 1927 to the Final decider - he is regarded as being responsible for installing the new club's winning attitude. He would be a welcomed addition to any team.

btw, I'd have Killer Ken Kearney as captain because he wasnt squeamish about whacking the players across the chops. :lol:

Sorry Willow,

I still cannot forgive him for the Adelaide Rams fiasco of 1996 (even though it led to my favourite season as a Saints man). It was awesome, in my opinion, to see him booed on his return to Kogarah at the Scum match this season...

As for Offiah & the winger "situation", we've been blessed with wingers over the years from King & Lumsden to Walford, Offiah & Blacklock. You're just luck I didn't bring up the five-eighth debate. I mean, Poppa Clay was awesome but was he a World Champion Boxer who could do backflips?? I think not!! :lol:

Frank Facer as manager of The Team Of The Century. What he would think of Cross-Dresser Doust is unimaginable...

Cheers,
Ben S.

Yeah I understand what you mean.
I was at that Return to Kogarah match and Reddy did indeed get a chilly reception. Kevin Ryan was given applause but I know of at least one lady who was in the crowd sneering at him - she still doesn't forgive 'Kandos' for what he did to us in 1967 (and has told him to his face). But the majority of people wouldnt remember so all is forgiven. My view is that both players gave a lot of great service to Saints.

IMO, deserting your post as a coach isnt as bad as joining another team and telling them all about our training methods. Its often argued that Kevin Ryan was a major factor in ending Saints' run of premierships.
Nevertheless, with both Reddy and Ryan, there were circumstances and reasons.

Suffice to say that Reddy ended up with a nothing at Adelaide and was forced to read the papers while David Waite got the lads into the 1996 grand final and was declared the coach of the year.

Mundine or Clay? Thats a tough one. Both had very different styles with Clay being a fearsome tackler. Choc had pace to burn. Personal choice I guess.

I agree with your Facer/Doust comparison. I'd say that Fearless turning over in his grave is a regular occurrance these days.

 

[Southernsaint]

I agree with your Facer/Doust comparison. I'd say that Fearless turning over in his grave is a regular occurrance these days.

Mate,

If only we could harness the electricity, Frank turning in his grave would power South Eastern Australia...

Cheers,
Ben S.

PS: Could be worse - we could punt a coach in search of "winning culture" only to see him march to the GF whilst we are on Mad Monday in mid July :lol:

 

[Acka]

How's this for a team:

1. Graeme Langlands
2. Johnny King
3. Reg Gasnier
4. Mark Coyne
5. Eddie Lumsden
6. Brian Clay
7. Billy Smith
8. Craig Young
9. Ian Walsh
10. Kevin Ryan
11. Norm Provan
12. Frank Burge
13. John Raper

14. Billy Wilson
15. Johnny Hawke
16. Harry Bath
17. Rod Reddy

 

[Anonymous]

Great team...
But don't you mean Peter's brother, Frank?

 

[Acka]

Sorry Willow you are right I did mean Frank Burge must have been a typo

 

[Anonymous]

Peter Burge actually coached Saints after Frank's departure. So he's a Saint as well.

 

[Acka]

When was that Willow?

 

[Anonymous]

Late 30s... 1937 I think.
He was a St George selector before that.
Peter Burge never played for the Dragon Slayers but played for Australia and Glebe.

 

[Acka]

You are right. I checked the book Rugby League 2002 by David Middleton.

 

[madunit]

I reckon you could just take the whole 1959 team. That team would've beaten any team put forward-after all, they did go undefeated that year. And had an unbelievable pointscoring record. 122 Tries, 92 Goals for 550 points-that's before the finals, an average 30 pts per game, back in the 3 pts per try days. It'd be 672 pts today which comes to 37 pts per game-unbelievable.

This is by far the best team ever in the history of Australian Rugby League as far as I'm concerned.