Who is the least deserving Immortal?

[nick87]

I'm not saying he shouldn't be an Immortal, but I agree with those saying that out of the 13 he is probably the weakest candidate.

At some point it’s got to be about what you’ve achieved in the game. At least half a dozen immortals can’t hold a candle to Mal on that front. I’d start with those guys in terms of weakest candidate

But that’s just my opinion and people are entitled to theirs too

 

[King hit]

Was Andrew Johns good enough to be an immortal? f**k yeah. I was a big fan. I was cheering hard when they played the silver tails in the 1997 GF.
However, Johns said he took drugs to deal with the pressure of rugby league. This becomes a no brainer and no matter what you say means jack.

Johns's off field stuff should never come into question at all. Raper and Langlands were very sketchy characters of the field but nobody cares. I still remember all the disgusting things Warne did but nobody cared.

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

Cherry picking. Good job. Brett Kenny was a good player but the fact he only played 12 Origins should tell you something.

I assume the 73 in your nic is your IQ. He didn't play 12 origins, he played 12 at 5/8 and 17 total. He also won 4 Grand Finals, 2 Clive Churchill medals, a Golden Boot. Scored doubles in 3 consecutive Grand Final victories. He also won the Lance Todd trophy for man of the match in a Challenge Cup Final victory in England but he was just a good player. Need I remind you 8-4 v Wally Lewis when playing 5/8.

 

[Canard]

For comparison, let's have a look at Lewis' last season with the Boncos. Lewis had the following players along side him in Brisbane jersey's;
Hauff, Miles, C. Johns, Carne, Walters x 2, Langer, Dowling, Gee, Hohn, Matterson, Backo and P. Jackson.... All Origin/Australian reps...

Kenny and Sterling had the following players running out with them;
Crnkovich, Muchmore, G. Liddiard, Munro, Drake, Goodwin, Mahon, Greentree, Langford, Gateley.... And they're the ones who didn't need help putting their own boots on and tying their shoelaces.... There were some other even more anonymous spuds than these bloke's....

The point I'm making, which you've quite strongly argued on my behalf, is that it's stupid to suggest that players can't be all time greats due to their teammates.

The "best player in their team" argument is also flawed, otherwise Jason Martin would be an immortal over Brett Kenny as he was clearly the best player in the 95/96 NQ team.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Really? The race card?

Two of the Immortals are Indigenous and JT is a certainty in future. He's also one of the most revered players in the game's history.

As for Kenny, he had an excellent Test and Origin career and also won 3 straight Premierships - scoring a couple of doubles in b2b GFs I believe.

His record is superlative and he was a genius.

Genius? Again, just unconvincingly hyperbolic.

Kenny's career was the firecracker that burned out pretty fast. Unlike Lyons who was consistently good over a long period of time and achieved a comparable amount of success. Lyons was unfairly treated at SOO level, but that is partly as being another victim of Lewis.

Kenny has built a substantial following post career. Mainly due to being a larrikin publican that is easy courting for the NSW media, Footy Show etc. I have met the bloke, he is indeed a lovely guy. But it has clouded subjective viewing of his playing career, which includes a pretty forgettable final five years. Not the stuff of genius. Longevity at the top is a very important marker in bestowing 'best of' 'GOAT' type labels.

There has always been a massive insecurity in NSW about dominant Queensland halves. It was what leads to a situation like Ben Hornby being named halfback for Australia over Johnathon Thurston (a match Aus subsequently lost, in an act of poetic justice).

At any rate, neither Kenny or Lyons are any way deserving of Immortal status, whatever that is these days.

 

[Lebbo73]

I assume the 73 in your nic is your IQ. He didn't play 12 origins, he played 12 at 5/8 and 17 total. He also won 4 Grand Finals, 2 Clive Churchill medals, a Golden Boot. Scored doubles in 3 consecutive Grand Final victories. He also won the Lance Todd trophy for man of the match in a Challenge Cup Final victory in England but he was just a good player. Need I remind you 8-4 v Wally Lewis when playing 5/8.

Cherry picking hey? So his real record is 8-9 versus the King. I saw him play and yes he was a very good footballer.

 

[Lebbo73]

Johns's off field stuff should never come into question at all. Raper and Langlands were very sketchy characters of the field but nobody cares. I still remember all the disgusting things Warne did but nobody cared.

It’s hard to ignore the off field antics of a player when he admits to taking a banned substance under WADA’s rules to help him deal with the pressure. No drugs and he wouldn’t have been able to cope. Not to mention the fact that if he failed a drug test he would have been suspended.

 

[Charlie124]

Andrew Johns comfortably out of the ones already named. When Darren Lockyer eventually gets the nod, Joey will have company.

 

[TheRam]

Lewis represented Queensland in thirty-one State of Origin games from 1980 to 1991, and was captain for thirty of them. He also represented Australia in thirty-three international matches from 1981 to 1991 and was national team captain from 1984 to 1989. Lewis is perhaps best known for his State of Origin performances, spearheading Queensland's dominance in that competition throughout the 1980s. He captained at State of Origin level 30 times, winning a record 8 man of the match awards.
Lewis has since been inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame and in 1999 he became the sixth member of 'The Immortals'. In 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league.[7]

In February 2008, Lewis was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. Lewis went on to be named in the halves in the Kangaroos'Team of the Century. Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panel's majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players.

Won premierships with two different clubs in the BRL, Fortitude Valleys in 1979 and Wynnum Manly in 1984 as Captain. Golden Boot award winner in 1984.

You clearly slept through the 80's, or maybe that was the period of your heaviest substance abuse??

So he basically, cumulatively he had 2 full seasons of tier 1(1st grade) level rugby league where he played really well. And I am being really generous considering that playing 30 odd games for Australia, a lot of those opposing teams are weaker then NRL(NSWRL) level and probably at reserve grade standard. And maybe 2 or 3 high standard games a year in the BRL and won 2 BRL premierships. Therefore he deserves to be an immortal over the likes of say Kenny who, Wally himself rated above all others, and who played in the most brutal competition in the world week in week out, then backed up, sometimes without missing the previous weekend club game and outplayed his opposing player or at least held his own, then backed up and played the very next club game in the most brutal comp in the world and excelled all the time and won 4 Premierships and in the middle of all this flew out in the off season and won an English Club Championship on his one and only attempt.

Hmmm, now I wonder, who deserves to be an immortal again? Wally as great as he was at SOO, is a myth.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

https://www.nrl.com/hall-of-fame/immortals/

Ok peckerheads, note this line:

"To be chosen as an Immortal is the greatest honour a player can receive and it is widely considered that to earn the accolade he needs to have changed the game or had an impact beyond his career." Says nothing about what comp a player played in or any of the other bullshit arguments being tossed about of longevity or man of the match performances or size of flacid/erect penis.

Lewis' impact on the game: basically dragged Queensland into a competitive force by virtue of his playing ability and leadership qualities. Queensland winning origin in the 80s made it a success, no one influenced origin and its trajectory more than Lewis.

Meninga: 4 kangaroo tours, a literal giant of the game that had leadership skills were so admired that he captained a team that had the likes of Stuart, Daley etc in it to history making premierships.

Provan: captained St George in the majority of their 11 straight premierships. Nuff sed.

 

[Canard]

https://www.nrl.com/hall-of-fame/immortals/

Ok peckerheads, note this line:

"To be chosen as an Immortal is the greatest honour a player can receive and it is widely considered that to earn the accolade he needs to have changed the game or had an impact beyond his career." Says nothing about what comp a player played in or any of the other bullshit arguments being tossed about of longevity or man of the match performances or size of flacid/erect penis.

Lewis' impact on the game: basically dragged Queensland into a competitive force by virtue of his playing ability and leadership qualities. Queensland winning origin in the 80s made it a success, no one influenced origin and its trajectory more than Lewis.

Meninga: 4 kangaroo tours, a literal giant of the game that had leadership skills were so admired that he captained a team that had the likes of Stuart, Daley etc in it to history making premierships.

Provan: captained St George in the majority of their 11 straight premierships. Nuff sed.

So NSW butthurt isn't a criteria when rating players?

 

[_Johnsy]

Johns's off field stuff should never come into question at all. Raper and Langlands were very sketchy characters of the field but nobody cares. I still remember all the disgusting things Warne did but nobody cared.

It is the only way QLD'ers or anyone can try and discredit him. In short when it comes to ability on a football field, he is the best player I have seen play the game.

 

[King hit]

It is the only way QLD'ers or anyone can try and discredit him. In short when it comes to ability on a football field, he is the best player I have seen play the game.

It’s pretty pathetic really. Johns isn’t a pedo, women basher or serious criminal or anything like that. Raper did far worse things then him but no one cares. Find it really funny how Broncos fans trash him but openly support and cheer for Lodge

 

[mozza91]

My favourite part is when they try and claim that dropping pingas and doing a few lines is somehow performance enhancing.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I reckon Jack Rayner is an Immortal.

Was Captain / coach for 5 premierships. Runners up twice. Played for Australia and NSW.

Clive Churchill was in his teams.

But that's just me.

 

[SBD82]

My favourite part is when they try and claim that dropping pingas and doing a few lines is somehow performance enhancing.

Or stress relieving.

 

[mozza91]

Or stress relieving.

Yeah there’s nothing more stress relieving than the come down after having a bag.

 

[Captain Apollo]

I assume the 73 in your nic is your IQ. He didn't play 12 origins, he played 12 at 5/8 and 17 total. He also won 4 Grand Finals, 2 Clive Churchill medals, a Golden Boot. Scored doubles in 3 consecutive Grand Final victories. He also won the Lance Todd trophy for man of the match in a Challenge Cup Final victory in England but he was just a good player. Need I remind you 8-4 v Wally Lewis when playing 5/8.

Also people forget when he lead Wigan to that 28-24 Challenge Cup Final victory over Hull, the halfback for Hull was none other than Peter Sterling. Also as to the scoring 2 tries in 3 consecutive Grand Finals, he is the only player who has done that. No else has, not even any of the Dragons players from the great 1956-1966 era.

 

[Hutty1986]

Andrew Johns comfortably out of the ones already named. When Darren Lockyer eventually gets the nod, Joey will have company.

How can the best of the lot be the most undeserving? Interesting argument, that.

 

[Hutty1986]

My favourite part is when they try and claim that dropping pingas and doing a few lines is somehow performance enhancing.

It's that world famous qlduh spirit, passion and intelligence