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Wingers of the Decade?

Wingers of the decade?

  • Matt Sing

    Votes: 35 32.4%
  • Lote Tuqiri

    Votes: 12 11.1%
  • Timana Tahu

    Votes: 19 17.6%
  • Luke Rooney

    Votes: 3 2.8%
  • Nathan Blacklock

    Votes: 44 40.7%
  • Hazem El Masri

    Votes: 30 27.8%
  • Jarryd Hayne

    Votes: 9 8.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 26 24.1%

  • Total voters
    108

LESStar58

Referee
Messages
25,496
El Masri and Sing.

I'll justify my selections;

El Masri: what the hell is left to say about him? Aside from all the on-field accomplishments he is a deadset ornament to the game, his community and the people that he represents. The game of rugby league will have to exist another 100 years before it finds another "El Magic".

Sing: didn't win a premiership but always grew an extra leg when he pulled on a Queensland or Australian jersey. I remember Origin 3 in 1995 when he saved 2 tries.
 
Messages
4,482
Sailor and McDougall.

Their prime was 2001-03, and during those days there was no-one like them. Plus, they get extra points for both still going today, and for still hating each other's guts!
 

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
16,676
My namesake deserves a spot in the poll. He did play in 6 of the 10 years of the decade, and made a decent impact in every season 2005-2009.
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
I think El Masri might actually get this by default.

He spent a large portion of the decade kicking goals for an illegally-assembled side, and was never talented enough to be moved in to a more important position. Scored a few tries along the way as you would expect of a winger in a dominant team.

Probably not in the top 10 wingers in the comp at any point in the decade but to his credit he was always standing on the end of that Dogs backline.
 

Timmah

LeagueUnlimited News Editor
Staff member
Messages
100,874
Illegally-assembled :lol:

F**k me some people are bitter. You won the competition the season we spent the most money over the cap, you of all people should be laughing, not getting your knickers in a twist.

I've voted Blacklock & Haz. Blacklock was a freak and the pair of them were VERY unlucky not to play Origin in the first half of the decade. El Masri, regardless of circumstance, was an asset in defence - he read play well the majority of the time. Scored 150-160-odd tries, highest pointscorer of all time too... good enough for me.

Matt Sing wasn't bad but he kinda disappeared...
 

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
99,404
How does Hayne get a run, but not Eric Grothe, Marcus Bai, Taniela Tuiaka to name just a few? He's hardly played as many games as those blokes on the wing, or done what they have there...

Tahu and Bai for mine, anyway. Sing and Grothe close behind...
 
Messages
13,776
Matt Sing for sure. Not only was he an awesome finisher, not only was he incredible under the high ball in attack and defense, but hes one of the best goal line defenders of all time and hes a winger. Kangaroos regular too, something El Masri and Blacklock cant say.
 

Noa

First Grade
Messages
9,029
WiseKativerata.jpg


Sam Irwin ay, he was good player ?
 

fourplay

Juniors
Messages
2,232
I think El Masri might actually get this by default.

He spent a large portion of the decade kicking goals for an illegally-assembled side, and was never talented enough to be moved in to a more important position. Scored a few tries along the way as you would expect of a winger in a dominant team.

Probably not in the top 10 wingers in the comp at any point in the decade but to his credit he was always standing on the end of that Dogs backline.

Yeah "a few tries along the way".. only about 160.
 

Boganater

Juniors
Messages
396
I can't go past Rooney as a pure winger. His positional play was excellent, He always stood up in big matches.
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
Yeah "a few tries along the way".. only about 160.

He had a 50% career strike-rate for tries per game. Pretty mediocre for a winger in one of the top few clubs over that period. By no means poor, but at the same time not much to write home about when compared to the top wingers in the game, which is what we are comparing him to here...
 

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
56,107
How the hell does Hayne make it on this list? 1 decent season (06) on the wing qualifies him?

Needs more Manu Vatuvei.

He had a great '06, a good '07, a poor '08 a decent '09 playing in four different positions.

Add to that that he's consistently been one of NSW's best players on the field and I think he's fair game.

Longevity in the game does not equate to greatness or impression - just because a bloke plays 6 seasons doesn't mean he's better than a bloke who played 3.
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
I think if we're picking based on being the best winger over a reasonable period of time(i.e. three years plus) then Tahu has to be one of them. 81 tries in 94 games for the Knights from 2000 to 2004, the vast majority of them on the wing. 8 tries in 11 games on the wing for NSW, and 5 tries in 5 games for Australia. He was good enough to turn himself into one of the top few centres in the game at Parramatta as well, proving he wasn't just a finisher.
 

mongoose

Coach
Messages
11,215
How does Hayne get a run, but not Eric Grothe, Marcus Bai, Taniela Tuiaka to name just a few? He's hardly played as many games as those blokes on the wing, or done what they have there...

Tahu and Bai for mine, anyway. Sing and Grothe close behind...

Bai only played up to 2003, i wouldnt put him above Sing, Tahu or Blacklock. Tuiaki has had 1 great season and a few average ones. Grothe Jr could be on the list but he has been very inconsistent. I guess you can argue that he has played the whole decade on the wing.

Hayne had a couple of good seasons on the wing for the EEls and was far and away NSW best player this year on the wing. Thats why I put him.
 

mongoose

Coach
Messages
11,215
Sailor and McDougall.

Their prime was 2001-03, and during those days there was no-one like them. Plus, they get extra points for both still going today, and for still hating each other's guts!

Sailor went to union after 01, so 2 of his prime years were for the reds.

McDougall has a case but I always thought his best years were in the 90s. He had some great years very early in the decade on the wing for the knights but has been extremely injury prone for the most part, also played more centre than wing.
 

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