50 Best buys in NRL history

[Canard]

Thurston isn't in the same ballpark as Andrew Johns who lifted the Knights to two premierships with a bunch of relative plodders.

Yes Ben Kennedy, Robbie O, Buderous, Simpson, Gidley. Real plodders.

Thurston has had such illustrious halves pairing as Grant Rovelli and Robert Lui. With backline stars like Michael Bani and John Williams. Hookers that wouldn't play QLD cup either.

 

[Sydney Knight]

Awesome to see Gareth Ellis on the list. He was such a goer. Won our player of the year three years running and then was injured in his last. God we missed him in 2012 when we started the season as favourites.

Gareth seems to be a guy who is better suited to NRL than Super League. Great defender and strong wrestler.

 

[Canard]

I firmly believe Phil Clarke would have been on this list if it wasn't for his premature retirement to injury.

He was a gun and fitted in at NRL level with ease.

 

[firechild]

Yes Ben Kennedy, Robbie O, Buderous, Simpson, Gidley. Real plodders.

Thurston has had such illustrious halves pairing as Grant Rovelli and Robert Lui. With backline stars like Michael Bani and John Williams. Hookers that wouldn't play QLD cup either.

Don't get your panties in a bunch. I agree that Johns had some great players around him but Thurston has had Tate, Scott, Segyaro, Bowen, Tamou and several other pretty handy players around him.

 

[veggiepatch1959]

Yes Ben Kennedy, Robbie O, Buderous, Simpson, Gidley. Real plodders.

Thurston has had such illustrious halves pairing as Grant Rovelli and Robert Lui. With backline stars like Michael Bani and John Williams. Hookers that wouldn't play QLD cup either.

Ah...gotta love Robert "Hit Me One More Time" Lui.

He should change his name to Brutney Spears by deed poll.

 

[veggiepatch1959]

Ah...gotta love Robert "Hit Me One More Time" Lui.

He should change his name to Brutney Spears by deed poll.

To be honest, typing Brutney was a typo. I missed the "i" and hit "u" instead.

Looked good so I kept it that way.

 

[Canard]

Don't get your panties in a bunch. I agree that Johns had some great players around him but Thurston has had Tate, Scott, Segyaro, Bowen, Tamou and several other pretty handy players around him.

3 of the players you named spent a grand total of 3 or so seasons out of Thurston's 9 or so at the Cowboys.

Segs played a handful of games with Thurston in the top grade, aand was green as grass.

Tamou was good in 2012 and has done little since. Tate missed about 70% of all games played at his time at the Cowboys.

Whereas Kennedy and Buderous were the best players of there generation at the positions they played. And Robbie O wasn't far off.

 

[Nice Beaver]

3 of the players you named spent a grand total of 3 or so seasons out of Thurston's 9 or so at the Cowboys.

Segs played a handful of games with Thurston in the top grade, aand was green as grass.

Tamou was good in 2012 and has done little since. Tate missed about 70% of all games played at his time at the Cowboys.

Whereas Kennedy and Buderous were the best players of there generation at the positions they played. And Robbie O wasn't far off.

Please.

Thurston has certainly had a team littered with nuffies at times, but so too did Johns.

Thurston has also had a team littered with some stars, as too did Johns.

Show me the premiership.

Thurston had Bowen and Payne for most of his career up there. Hardly hacks. He's had Matt Scott for 10 years.

How about Matt Sing, Paul Bowman, Carl Webb (who was reasonably handy at that point), Luke O'Donnell, Lillyman?

Tate missed 70% of all games played at his time with the Cowboys??? He was with them from 2011 to 2014 and played 67 games. Exluding finals games that means he actually PLAYED 70% of games for the Cowboys. :roll:

Don't cry too poor with the playing depth around him. Absolutely there were a few lean years there, but he's also had some pretty bloody good teams assembled around him.

Oh. but I forgot, when he has good teams to play with, its the big nasty NRL that cheats to beat him :roll:

 

[Canard]

Please.

Thurston has certainly had a team littered with nuffies at times, but so too did Johns.

Thurston has also had a team littered with some stars, as too did Johns.

Show me the premiership.

Thurston had Bowen and Payne for most of his career up there. Hardly hacks. He's had Matt Scott for 10 years.

How about Matt Sing, Paul Bowman, Carl Webb (who was reasonably handy at that point), Luke O'Donnell, Lillyman?

Tate missed 70% of all games played at his time with the Cowboys??? He was with them from 2011 to 2014 and played 67 games. Exluding finals games that means he actually PLAYED 70% of games for the Cowboys. :roll:

Don't cry too poor with the playing depth around him. Absolutely there were a few lean years there, but he's also had some pretty bloody good teams assembled around him.

Oh. but I forgot, when he has good teams to play with, its the big nasty NRL that cheats to beat him :roll:

But according to other posters on here Johns only played with plodders.

And Carl Webb FMD, seriously?

If JT had played in a team with O'Davis, Simpson, Gidley, Harragon, Kennedy, Buderous etc. I reckon he would have gotten to 2 Grand Finals also. As it is he has made one with the Cowboys.

 

[Nice Beaver]

But according to other posters on here Johns only played with plodders.

And Carl Webb FMD, seriously?

If JT had played in a team with O'Davis, Simpson, Gidley, Harragon, Kennedy, Buderous etc. I reckon he would have gotten to 2 Grand Finals also. As it is he has made one with the Cowboys.

Carl Webb was bog ordinary granted at least for the end of his career, but he was a staple in the Qld Origin team while he played for the Cowboys.

Notice you glanced over your ridiculous claim on Tate?

Oh, and Johns didn't just MAKE 2 Grand Finals - he won them!

No-one remembers the runners up mate.

Thurston has played in teams stacked with quality players. You are kidding yourself if you think he hasn't.

 

[Canard]

Carl Webb was bog ordinary granted at least for the end of his career, but he was a staple in the Qld Origin team while he played for the Cowboys.

Notice you glanced over your ridiculous claim on Tate?

Oh, and Johns didn't just MAKE 2 Grand Finals - he won them!

No-one remembers the runners up mate.

Thurston has played in teams stacked with quality players. You are kidding yourself if you think he hasn't.

Well Tate missed the entirety of 2011 (remember the injury in the Test match), and most of 2014 (Origin injury), so without looking at stats I assumed that he missed a lot of games as it was only really two seasons that he played consistently.

As for Webb he played 8 out of 18 possible games of Origin I wouldn't call that a staple, more like a stop gap.

But the point I was trying to refute was that Johns played with Reserve graders and the insinuation that Thurston with teams full of Origin reps.

 

[Nice Beaver]

Well Tate missed the entirety of 2011 (remember the injury in the Test match), and most of 2014 (Origin injury), so without looking at stats I assumed that he missed a lot of games as it was only really two seasons that he played consistently.

As for Webb he played 8 out of 18 possible games of Origin I wouldn't call that a staple, more like a stop gap.

But the point I was trying to refute was that Johns played with Reserve graders and the insinuation that Thurston with teams full of Origin reps.

Fair enough.

Johns certainly did not play with reserve graders just as Thurston didn't.

As I said originally, I have no qualm with saying Thurston has been an incredible buy for the Cowboys. I just don't think top spot should go to someone who has not brought home the title.

He is still going though....

 

[veggiepatch1959]

But according to other posters on here Johns only played with plodders.

And Carl Webb FMD, seriously?

If JT had played in a team with O'Davis, Simpson, Gidley, Harragon, Kennedy, Buderous etc. I reckon he would have gotten to 2 Grand Finals also. As it is he has made one with the Cowboys.

If your referring to my post, I said "relative plodders". Johns, in my opinion, was the best player I've ever seen. Forget your Wally Lewis, Reg Gasnier, Brad Fittler, Darren Lockyer.....et al.

Johns set up the "plodders" to make them look better than what they really were. He took the Knights to far greater heights than Thurston has ever achieved so far.

And I'm not holding my breath for the Cowboys to win a premiership...

 

[Iafeta]

29.Ruben Wiki (Warriors, 2005-08)
28.Steve Price (Warriors, 2005-08)

:lol:

These two aren't even vaguely comparable. They even got the years wrong, Price was with the Warriors until 2010 (although played his last game in 2009).

Price's form in 2006-2007 especially was spectacular and he is one of the best players we've ever had. Wiki was mostly very ordinary, played limited minutes and contributed "aura" moreso than anything he really did on the field.

To have Wiki ahead of SBW is also laughable.

Price pulled off an encyclopedia of 200 + metre games, and some 300 + metre games at the Warriors. He was easily the Warriors greatest ever signing. He is hands down the Warriors greatest ever forward.

Ruben Wiki was demoted to reserve grade whilst at the Warriors. Ruben's first year was very good, but then age really caught up with him. Still a great leader, but his playing days were clearly at their best at Canberra.

To have them 1 after the other is really laughable, and I would say lazy. As in, oh snot, thats right we forgot the Warriors lets chuck two in now.

 

[Canard]

To claim that SBW two good seasons is better than Wiki's life long contributions to the game is the height of Gen Y Bullshit.

 

[bottle]

It's ok idiot. Everyone knows you're here.

 

[Kiwi]

Glenn Lazarus and Gordie for the Broncos.

 

[Nice Beaver]

It's ok idiot. Everyone knows you're here.

I guess its a bit like having a cyst on your arse.

But I'd imagine a cyst on your arse would serve a little more of a purpose and be far more intelligent.

 

[Craig Johnston]

when did johns ever play behind the kangaroos AND kiwis first choice front rowers?

 

[Noname36]

Thurston is a great player but any comparisons with Johns whatsoever are ridiculous. His impact is not even in the same galaxy.

Opposition players used to comment that a lot of the time Johns had them beaten even before the game started because his presence was so great it mentally destroyed them.

Thurston simply doesn't have that level of presence. He still often has more poor games than he has great ones and he often goes missing at rep level. Johns however could walk into any side and his impact would still be as great.

Johns no doubt had some great players around him which helped but apart from maybe Buderus he didn't need any of them. He could still perform surrounded by a team full of complete plodders which he often had at the Knights.