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Greatest Side/Era put together!

John Hamblin

Juniors
Messages
860
What about Famous Amos Roberts only played one season but a really classy player scored 24 tries from memory. The other winger no one has mentioned was Alan McIndoe another speedster who played origin for Qld and I think one game for Australia
 

Iamback

Coach
Messages
16,988
How about

Wesser
Mackay
Girdler
Freddy
To’o
Brandy
Cleary
Dunn
Gower
Fish
Cartwright
Kikau
Yeo

Lewis
Puletula
Lang
Salmon

The issue with guys like Mackay and Dunn is they played limited games for us, That is where I see the list getting hard.

There are guys like Gordon who were great club players but had limited success, 1991 and 2003 premiership teams were short lived.

This current crop are smashing all sort of records but still we have no Dally M winners or Australian test players in the current group
 

Smug Panther

First Grade
Messages
7,004
The issue with guys like Mackay and Dunn is they played limited games for us, That is where I see the list getting hard.

There are guys like Gordon who were great club players but had limited success, 1991 and 2003 premiership teams were short lived.

This current crop are smashing all sort of records but still we have no Dally M winners or Australian test players in the current group
The Dally M is a joke
 

Fangs

Coach
Messages
11,182
The issue with guys like Mackay and Dunn is they played limited games for us, That is where I see the list getting hard.

There are guys like Gordon who were great club players but had limited success, 1991 and 2003 premiership teams were short lived.

This current crop are smashing all sort of records but still we have no Dally M winners or Australian test players in the current group

Should have had a bunch of Australian reps by now. Covid came at a bad time in that regard.
 

Girds89

Bench
Messages
2,852
IF we win this year.... edwards will overtake wesser.

Completley different fbs. But we cant done what we have over last 3 years without dyl.

Glad people on here and the whole nrl community can see how good he is..

He deserves every accolade. Previous years hes been the unsung hero. This year hes probs been our best.. hed win the dally m in any other side but we have to many guns to share the 321 round with.

As for the other spots.. id have api over royce.

Frank pritchard for me partnering big t.

Edwards
Lewis
Girdler
Freddie
Mansour
Brandy
Gowie
Fish
Api
Geyer
Frank the tank
Big t
Yeo

Cleary
Waterhouse
Kikau
Simmo the limmo
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
18,451
IF we win this year.... edwards will overtake wesser.

Completley different fbs. But we cant done what we have over last 3 years without dyl.

Glad people on here and the whole nrl community can see how good he is..

He deserves every accolade. Previous years hes been the unsung hero. This year hes probs been our best.. hed win the dally m in any other side but we have to many guns to share the 321 round with.

As for the other spots.. id have api over royce.

Frank pritchard for me partnering big t.

Edwards
Lewis
Girdler
Freddie
Mansour
Brandy
Gowie
Fish
Api
Geyer
Frank the tank
Big t
Yeo

Cleary
Waterhouse
Kikau
Simmo the limmo
Love the Limmo.
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
18,451
Off the top of my head

Edwards
Sauce
Girds
Freddy
Gordon
Brandy
Cleary
Fish
Api
Dunn
MG
T
Yeo

Gower
Lewis
Peanuts
Lang

Spurty Purts

Plenty can feel hard done by missing out, But the above at their best would be unstoppable imo.
 

Iamback

Coach
Messages
16,988
IF we win this year.... edwards will overtake wesser.

Completley different fbs. But we cant done what we have over last 3 years without dyl.

Glad people on here and the whole nrl community can see how good he is..

He deserves every accolade. Previous years hes been the unsung hero. This year hes probs been our best.. hed win the dally m in any other side but we have to many guns to share the 321 round with.

As for the other spots.. id have api over royce.

Frank pritchard for me partnering big t.

Edwards
Lewis
Girdler
Freddie
Mansour
Brandy
Gowie
Fish
Api
Geyer
Frank the tank
Big t
Yeo

Cleary
Waterhouse
Kikau
Simmo the limmo

Wesser is the clubs leading tryscorer
Won a comp
Played Origin

No way Edwards makes it over him
 

Munky

Coach
Messages
10,193
This is an upsetting task IMO due to how short each window was for each champion team which is lacking automatic selections to the GOAT side.

For me (born 85 so relying on bad memory)

1. Wesser (short peak but amazing while it lasted)
2. Rooney (another short peak but amazing under the high ball)
3. Girds
4. Fitler
5. To'o (a six again every set in 2020 and 2021)
6. Presto (picking him as he took control when Gower was blinded in a Gf. Also don't want to have our other great halfbacks in a position they weren't known for playing)
7. Cleary (Gower was good for two seasons at best at half and I can't remember Brandy).

8. Lang (only knew one way)
9. Priddo (best gf performance by any player of the NRL era)
10. Fish
11. Tony P
12. Kikau (A Ferrari surrounded by Hiluxes so this side could carry his lack of involvement)
13. Yeoweh

14. Gower (great hooker and halves cover)
15. Sorro (two seasons of pure impact off the bench, recency bias I know)
16. Geyer (before my time but for the aggression)
17. Lewis (not sure which year but could cover every position bar hooker, prop and fullback).

Brandy missing out due to my own viewing, maybe switch for Gower.

Edit: I'm viewing this from a modern lens where defence in the middle is everything and Yeo is an all timer.
 
Last edited:

Pomoz

Bench
Messages
2,856
My view is that the side must consist of players who won a minor premiership or premiership. Coulda/woulda/shoulda doesn't make the grade, at least for this exercise. You have to allow for the difference in the fitness and games styles of each era as well. No doubt Brian To'o would smash Mackay and Smith from the 91 team, but we should focus on their impact on the team and the game in general at that time. With that said, here is my pick:

Wesser - The best compliment I can give Wesser is that Edwards cannot do what he did in 2003 where he literally lit up the backline. I think to this day, he is still the fastest Panther over 40m. If Edwards continues his current form into another grand final, then he will secure this spot.

To'o - To'o does everything Mansour does, only better and with fewer mistakes. Mackay and Smith from 91 were good finishers, but that is all. To'o is a warrior.

Lewis - Brilliant footballer and better than Mackay Smith, Crichton, Rooney and Mansour. If May continues his current trajectory, Lewis may lose this spot and that is a huge compliment to May.

Girdler - One of the finest footballers ever to wear a Panthers shirt. Looked like Elvis, built like a tax accountant yet somehow could break tackles and was always in the right place at the right time. Imagine if he had the physical gifts of Crichton?

Fittler - Only a genius plays a grand final at 18 marking the man mountain Meninga and manages to hold his own.

Brandy - Poetry in Motion. He got the team to two grand finals and read the game better than any other Panther. With Cleary's emergence as an organising half, he would play as a running five eighth, playing head's up football and providing some serious tactical kicking options. He had a great passing game and To'o and Lewis will be in danger of getting a bad back from bending down to score tries. Campbell and Laui were good, but not Brandy's class.

Cleary - Proved me wrong. He hasn't let his lack of creativity hold him back, he has continued to grow his game. Still not the most creative but his defence, kicking and work rate make him an elite halfback.

JFH - Dunn, Ross, Clark, Walker, Clinton can only marvel at the work rate, toughness and skills of this man. Legend. Good players, but the Fish is the man.

Martie Lang - A kamikaze with the heart of a lion. Fearless, nails hard and with a high work rate he would be a perfect compliment to JFH.

Api - I agonised over this. Priddis was a CM winner in 03, he was just brilliant. But Api has been brilliant for three years straight and has delivered all season long. Royce was a rock. A man who would take a bullet for the team. A true leader, but he can't do what these two can.

Geyer - Every team needs a nutter who will not take a backward step. Geyer is that man. I had the privilege of watching most of his Panther's games and I can tell you he was a lazy bugger, but no more so than Puletua or Kikau. But, he was more skilful than Cartwright, Kikau, Puletua, Galavauo, Waterhouse, Capewell and Martin. He could pass like a half and he read the game well. But the deciding factor is his aggression. He would absolutely have loved taking on Tallis, JWH and other hard men who have come along. In his infamous SOO appearance he literally intimidated the entire QLD team. Light the fuse and stand well back.

Kikau - This year he has really improved as a player and his defence is now a strong feature of his game. Puletua was too lazy to make my team. Kikau is much more consistent. I loved John Cartwright, but you have to recognise the impact Kikau can have on a game. No other back rower can offer that except MG.

Yeo - No other player is even remotely close to taking this spot. Izzard? Good player but nah. Van Der Voort? Nope. Waterhouse is the closest, a genuine world class lock in his prime but he just doesn't have the ball playing skills to match Yeo. Sattler? Ball playing was good, but defence and running game just not in the same class. We are so lucky to have him in our team.

The bench
Gower - a brilliant utility who is also hard as nails. He can cover lock, hooker and the back row at a pinch.

Cartwright - Always gave 100% and was a great ball playing back rower. He did all the dirty one percenters while Geyer was deciding who he was going to smash.

Waterhouse - Great backrower/lock or prop. Definitely not a centre!

Clinton - Great work rate and energy. Happy to run into a brick wall and get obliterated. Will do a lot more work than Ross, Dunn, Clark or Leota.

Just counting through the team we have:

91 Team - Brandy, fittler, Geyer, Cartwright
03 Team - Wesser, Lewis, Girdler, Lang, Gower, Waterhouse, Clinton
21 Team - To'o, Cleary, JFH, Api, Kikau, Yeo

This year may mean the team changes. Edwards and Martin may improve their standing.
 

Girds89

Bench
Messages
2,852
113 tries in 178 games is a decent strike rate and more than 3 good years
How many tries has edwards saved for us over the last 3 years??

A try saved is like a try scored.

Edwards will be our best ever fb, even if he finishes with a third of wessers trys.

You know the best bit about edwards.... he wants to get better...

Did you see the recent interview... cant remeber who it was with (player or coach)... but they said dyl had off season surgery last year and still came back the fittest player for start of preseason with no training.

So many ppl thought staines or critta could just do what he does.... thats just not ppl on here. Thats ppl like ennis, annasta...

Unless you play in our team i imagine its hard to imagine just how much dylan does.

If you really watch him closesly he covers afl meters with best in game nrl fb impact numbers.
 
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